Well, this is our next to last day here in Mockva for the holidays. My wife’s school break starts the 16th and then we’re back to the US for about two before returning to Mockva.
Coming home it was the usual. Just before the turn-off to our neighborhood, coming back from my wife’s school, there was a long back-up. A large panel truck crushed into a car to its right trying to make the same turn I was. By the time I got around the accident the police were already on the scene taking pictures of the damage.
When you’re involved in an accident here you’re not supposed to move your vehicles (I don’t know what happens if you do) until the police arrive. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a side street or a major eight lane highway with car whooshing by you at 90 km/hr. This is pretty much a daily event as I’ve mentioned before. .
So that’s it from Mockva for a couple of weeks.
If you’re interested I’ve posted a slide show on my site (www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com) of Christmas at the Kremlin and Red Square.
Доследующегораза,
Борис
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
A Brief History of Stalin’s Seven Sisters
11 декабря 2011
After the Second World War Josef Stalin made plans to have seven skyscrapers constructed to show the world that Mockva would have a world presence in commerce, business and trade. He planned seven large buildings that would be dispersed throughout the city, one of which is now the Radisson Hotel (see the previous post on this blog). After much planning and initial rejection of architects’ plans a number of times, construction began in 1947. Along the way some buildings were partially constructed and then shelved for various reasons. The last building was constructed in 1953 after Stalin died of a stroke and Nikita Khrushchev became head of state of the Soviet Union.
All seven buildings became known as Stalin’s Сталинские высотки (High-Rises). Over the years the name has translated in English to: Stalin’s Seven Sisters.
While all are not identical they are similarly constructed with a high central spire surrounded by spired towers. The masonry has a similar appearance to that of the Empire State Building in New York City; not as tall, but multi-faceted with side buildings with towers, reminding me of various cathedrals I’ve seen throughout the world – ironic, considering Communism denied religion and religious symbols such as churches and cathedrals.
None-the-less they are towering and impressive structures, said to be over-built from steel and masonry. I often use them as landmarks to navigate around Mockva.
I’ve posted a slide show of shots taking of the Radisson Hotel, one of the Sisters, at night.
Доследующегораза,
Борис
All seven buildings became known as Stalin’s Сталинские высотки (High-Rises). Over the years the name has translated in English to: Stalin’s Seven Sisters.
While all are not identical they are similarly constructed with a high central spire surrounded by spired towers. The masonry has a similar appearance to that of the Empire State Building in New York City; not as tall, but multi-faceted with side buildings with towers, reminding me of various cathedrals I’ve seen throughout the world – ironic, considering Communism denied religion and religious symbols such as churches and cathedrals.
None-the-less they are towering and impressive structures, said to be over-built from steel and masonry. I often use them as landmarks to navigate around Mockva.
I’ve posted a slide show of shots taking of the Radisson Hotel, one of the Sisters, at night.
Доследующегораза,
Борис
One Advantage of a 10:00AM Sunrise
11 декабря 2011
I like to take night shots.. The problem is usually that you have to stay out late between 22:00 and midnight to get a really black sky or get up very early in the morning around 3:00-4:00. It’s OK in the late spring or summer but any other time of year it can get down-right cold. Cold enough that you start losing the feeling in the tips of your fingers and toes. I use special mittens that allow the top near your fingers to flip open so the rest of your hand can stay “warm” but even with special mittens it ain’t always a pleasant experience.
I mentioned in a previous post that the daylight window here in Mockva is very narrow. Sunrise at this time of year is at about 10:00 in the morning. So, at 7:00, a bit more civilized hour for being awake, the sky here is still pitch-black making it a much more comfortable time to go out shooting both physically and psychologically
The other day I went down to the Mockva River near the US Embassy and Russian White House and shot the Radisson Hotel on the other side of the river. The lights around Christmas time are bright and colorful and a great source of night shots. Right next to the Radisson is a bridge that’s also all decked out in Christmas colors, also a great resource. If you’re interested I posted a slide show on my site. The filename is: statlin_sister.exe.
The Radisson is one of seven similar buildings that are known in English as Stalin’s Seven Sisters. If you’re interested see the next post on this blog for a brief history of the Seven Sisters.
Доследующегораза,
Борис
I mentioned in a previous post that the daylight window here in Mockva is very narrow. Sunrise at this time of year is at about 10:00 in the morning. So, at 7:00, a bit more civilized hour for being awake, the sky here is still pitch-black making it a much more comfortable time to go out shooting both physically and psychologically
The other day I went down to the Mockva River near the US Embassy and Russian White House and shot the Radisson Hotel on the other side of the river. The lights around Christmas time are bright and colorful and a great source of night shots. Right next to the Radisson is a bridge that’s also all decked out in Christmas colors, also a great resource. If you’re interested I posted a slide show on my site. The filename is: statlin_sister.exe.
The Radisson is one of seven similar buildings that are known in English as Stalin’s Seven Sisters. If you’re interested see the next post on this blog for a brief history of the Seven Sisters.
Доследующегораза,
Борис
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Graffiti (граффити) on the Arbat , Mockva
8 декабря 2011
Gwenn since you are a devote of graffiti as am I, I made a special show for you. I've mentioned in my blog that there is a section of Mockva called the Arbat which is a pedestrian mall that feels somewhat like a cross betrween Times Square and the Village. There are always musicians playing and hawking their latest CDs and artists selling their paintings and sketches. And, when it's warmer there are street performers, although not quite as good as you'll see in Central Park or Washington Square Park.
Yesterday, I took another walk down and around the Arbat actually looking for Christmas scenes when I shifted my focus and started looking for and shooting graffiti. The more I ducked into side streets and alleyways, the more I found.
There is very good graffiti on the Arbat itself and even better stuff on building walls a block or two off the Artbat, often near playgrounds, of which there are many. These guys are really good artists. The colors they use are vibrant and rival and sometimes surpass New York City graffiti. These aren't drive-by, hit-and-run paintings. In some cases there is background prep that by itself, must have taken hours to do, presumably under cover of darkness, which is in ample supply here in Moscow. So if you're interested download it from my site. The filename is: arbat_graffiti.exe. It's currently the last entry as of December 8th. Remember to download it first to your PC and then click on it.
Since others might like to take a look I'm going to post this message on my blog.
Hope you like the show.
Andy aka Борис
Yesterday, I took another walk down and around the Arbat actually looking for Christmas scenes when I shifted my focus and started looking for and shooting graffiti. The more I ducked into side streets and alleyways, the more I found.
There is very good graffiti on the Arbat itself and even better stuff on building walls a block or two off the Artbat, often near playgrounds, of which there are many. These guys are really good artists. The colors they use are vibrant and rival and sometimes surpass New York City graffiti. These aren't drive-by, hit-and-run paintings. In some cases there is background prep that by itself, must have taken hours to do, presumably under cover of darkness, which is in ample supply here in Moscow. So if you're interested download it from my site. The filename is: arbat_graffiti.exe. It's currently the last entry as of December 8th. Remember to download it first to your PC and then click on it.
Since others might like to take a look I'm going to post this message on my blog.
Hope you like the show.
Andy aka Борис
Friday, December 2, 2011
Driving in Mockva – Limerick
2 декабря 2011
Bruce Nelson, a member of the faculty at the Anglo-American School of Moscow, gave me permission to share his limerick concerning driving in Mockva. It encapsulates the experience beautifully and for those of you who’ve been reading my posts and are saying to yourselves “He must be exaggerating – it can’t be that bad” Bruce’s limerick corroborates all I’ve been saying:
Thank you Bruce.
DRIVING IN MOSCOW ©Bruce Nelson,
Since driving in Moscow's insane,
I let my barbaric side reign
and always resist
those cars which persist
in taking the on-coming lane.
I drive straight at them without fear
of ending my life or career.
I just flash my light,
which seems to incite
their fury as closer we near.
Eventually they always choose
to not make the next morning's news
in lists of who died
when they did collide
with someone with nothing to lose
Thank you Bruce.
DRIVING IN MOSCOW ©Bruce Nelson,
Since driving in Moscow's insane,
I let my barbaric side reign
and always resist
those cars which persist
in taking the on-coming lane.
I drive straight at them without fear
of ending my life or career.
I just flash my light,
which seems to incite
their fury as closer we near.
Eventually they always choose
to not make the next morning's news
in lists of who died
when they did collide
with someone with nothing to lose
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
