Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Lenin’s “Dacha”
3 октября 2012

Recently we were on a day-long tour of Vladimir Lenin’s Dacha which served as a strategic headquarters for Lenin and his key supporters during the Russian Revolution of 1917.

In the usual sense a dacha is a second summer home, often hand-built by the owners, and serves as a getaway for weekend relaxation. There is no standard definition of dacha. The buildings run the gamut from what at first glance might be described as shacks or cottages put together from odd pieces of lumber and metal all the way to complete beautifully appointed summer resort houses you might expect to see in the US or Europe. Some have running water, electricity, septic systems and heat while many are not as comfortably appointed.

To call "Lenin’s Dacha" a dacha is understated by conventional standards by several orders of magnitude. The word estate comes to mind and more aptly describes Lenin’s Dacha.

Originally known as the “Estate of Gorki” this large plot of land has three well appointed buildings and was owned over the centuries by noblemen. Over the years the buildings were renovated and expanded a number of times. The estate is located about a 30 minute drive south of Mockba. During the Revolution of 1905 the estate was owned by General Anatoly Reynbot who served as Mockba’s governor.

After the start of the Russian Revolution in 1917 Vladimir Lenin, a key architect of the revolution, moved into the estate after the property was nationalized in 1918. Lenin’s Dacha served as the strategic headquarters as Lenin oversaw the revolution and the transition of the Russian Empire autocratically ruled by Tsar Nicholas II to Communist Russia.

Today the property serves as a museum displaying many of Lenin’s tactical and everyday living items including his car fitted with tractor treads and skies attached to the front wheels to travel in the heavy snows of Russian winters.

I’ve put together a brief slideshow of images I took during our visit. The easiest way to view the show is to click on the following link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/50685725 

The show is also located on my Website: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia

До следующего раза ...

Борис

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