Well, it’s happening again here in Mockba. As I write this it’s 12:00 midnight and the sun set about an hour and a half ago. Sunrise will be about 4:30AM tomorrow.
Nancy has decided this time she’s retiring for good this time – we’ll see. She’s done June 22nd and we leave Mockba for the last time June 30th. Our stuff ships out June 27th. The car has been sold and I closed up the woodshop at Nancy’s school. My to-do list is very short at this point so I guess we’re really leaving the place. We’re stopping in Slovenia for 2 weeks and then taking a train to Milan for 5 days and then it’s back to the US.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
On Our Kruzinsky Neighborhood 5 мая 2013
Nancy has decided this will be her last year teaching so after two years in Moscow we’ll be headed back to the US in the middle of July. I’ve put together a slideshow of images from our neighborhood so we’ll remember it.
We live on Gruzinsky Pereolok (or sidestreet or lane)( Грузинский переулок ) which starts by intersecting with Gruzinsky Street (Грузинский улица) on one end and ends at Bolshoi (big or large) Gruzinsky (Большой Грузинский) on the other. As you can see there are a lot Grunzinskys so while it’s not officially known as the “Gruzinsky neighborhood” that’s what we call it. Actually our building is called Kruzinsky or Kruz for short.
Russians do this a lot with multiple, near-the-same street names making for a very confusing situation especially when you first move in. Aside from Gruzinsky Pereolok, Tverskaya Street (Тверская улица) is a good example that’s totally confusing. It’s a main street in Moscow leading from the Kremlin and has different names all starting with “Tverskaya xxx” for different segments of the street taking on the name of various neighborhoods until it gets to the Belorruskaya Train and Metro stations (our neighborhood). There it changes name completely to Leningradsky Street (Ленинградская улица). As you can imagine what’s been very helpful over time to have a GPS with a Cyrillic keyboard…
On a typical outing I first look up where we want to go. I then translate it to Cyrillic (Google Translate helps a lot). Then I print the Cyrillic out on paper and finally type it into the GSP using the Cyrillic keyboard – piece of cake…
In some of the images, if your Cyrillic (Russian) is not up-to-speed and as good as mine (cough, cough) I’ve provided a translation. In some cases you can do a letter-by-letter translation of the word while at other times you have to know what the Russian word means.
Our neighborhood is an interesting mix of European, Soviet era and modern, westernized buildings. Since we’ve been here we’ve seen many new modern buildings replace the older ones.
We live near the Belorruskaya (Белору́сская) train and Metro stations. Moscow’s metro system is excellent making getting around the city and Moscow’s three airports very easy. This makes the neighborhood quite attractive and a very convenient place to live. It seems to be an up-and-coming place and we’ve been fortunate to spend our two years here.
If you’re interested the easiest way to view the slideshow is to click on this link:
http://vimeo.com/65497107
I’ve also posted the slideshow on my Website:
www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com Click on the RUSSIA link.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
We live on Gruzinsky Pereolok (or sidestreet or lane)( Грузинский переулок ) which starts by intersecting with Gruzinsky Street (Грузинский улица) on one end and ends at Bolshoi (big or large) Gruzinsky (Большой Грузинский) on the other. As you can see there are a lot Grunzinskys so while it’s not officially known as the “Gruzinsky neighborhood” that’s what we call it. Actually our building is called Kruzinsky or Kruz for short.
Russians do this a lot with multiple, near-the-same street names making for a very confusing situation especially when you first move in. Aside from Gruzinsky Pereolok, Tverskaya Street (Тверская улица) is a good example that’s totally confusing. It’s a main street in Moscow leading from the Kremlin and has different names all starting with “Tverskaya xxx” for different segments of the street taking on the name of various neighborhoods until it gets to the Belorruskaya Train and Metro stations (our neighborhood). There it changes name completely to Leningradsky Street (Ленинградская улица). As you can imagine what’s been very helpful over time to have a GPS with a Cyrillic keyboard…
On a typical outing I first look up where we want to go. I then translate it to Cyrillic (Google Translate helps a lot). Then I print the Cyrillic out on paper and finally type it into the GSP using the Cyrillic keyboard – piece of cake…
In some of the images, if your Cyrillic (Russian) is not up-to-speed and as good as mine (cough, cough) I’ve provided a translation. In some cases you can do a letter-by-letter translation of the word while at other times you have to know what the Russian word means.
Our neighborhood is an interesting mix of European, Soviet era and modern, westernized buildings. Since we’ve been here we’ve seen many new modern buildings replace the older ones.
We live near the Belorruskaya (Белору́сская) train and Metro stations. Moscow’s metro system is excellent making getting around the city and Moscow’s three airports very easy. This makes the neighborhood quite attractive and a very convenient place to live. It seems to be an up-and-coming place and we’ve been fortunate to spend our two years here.
If you’re interested the easiest way to view the slideshow is to click on this link:
http://vimeo.com/65497107
I’ve also posted the slideshow on my Website:
www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com Click on the RUSSIA link.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Saturday, April 6, 2013
On Vision
7 апреля 2013
A few years ago I watched a documentary series on John Adams. In one of the scenes Adams was in the White House (still undergoing construction) and he was reading a newspaper with an enormous magnifying glass probably 10 or 12 inches across while still wearing his spectacles. It struck me as somewhat funny, although clearly the scene was not comedic.
Yesterday I was looking over some travel documents that were printed in a tiny font. Like Adams I searched my desk drawer and pulled out my magnifying glass and with my glasses on was able to decipher what I was reading. My only problem was that my magnifying glass was about 4 inches across. I immediately thought about the scene in the documentary and all of a sudden didn’t think it was so funny anymore. At the moment I wished that I had a glass the size that Adams was using…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Yesterday I was looking over some travel documents that were printed in a tiny font. Like Adams I searched my desk drawer and pulled out my magnifying glass and with my glasses on was able to decipher what I was reading. My only problem was that my magnifying glass was about 4 inches across. I immediately thought about the scene in the documentary and all of a sudden didn’t think it was so funny anymore. At the moment I wished that I had a glass the size that Adams was using…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Friday, March 29, 2013
On When Spring Arrives in Mockba
29 марта 2013
A friend of mine asked me recently via email: “When does spring arrive in Moscow?”
I thought my response would be a good blog post. Here’s the text of my response:
“Spring has NOT arrived here in Mockba. We just went through a 3 day period where it snowed continuously at -16 degrees C. This year we've had over 10 feet of snow and it's been one of the coldest winters since the 50s. Today was a balmy -6 which warmed up to 0. Next week we're supposed to get all the way up to +6. Around here that's shorts and T-shirt weather...almost. To keep the windshield wiper fluid in your car from freezing you buy the cheapest bottle of vodka; 100 rubles = ~$3 (which is cheaper than the actual fluid) and dump it in. When you squirt the windshield you get "bar room kind of smell."
Getting around in the car is a bit challenging. They plow the main roads but not the side streets. We live on a side-side street. They just let the tires of cars mash it all down. Of course at night it freezes into a massive sheet of lumpy ice. Then in the daytime, if it gets a bit above 0, there are massive lakes everywhere. We have piles of snow in our parking lot over 6 feet high. Eventually it gets so high maintenance brings in a Bobcat and dumpsters and haul it out. The cycle then repeats itself. We've been through 3 cycles so far..”
До следующего раза ...
Борис
I thought my response would be a good blog post. Here’s the text of my response:
“Spring has NOT arrived here in Mockba. We just went through a 3 day period where it snowed continuously at -16 degrees C. This year we've had over 10 feet of snow and it's been one of the coldest winters since the 50s. Today was a balmy -6 which warmed up to 0. Next week we're supposed to get all the way up to +6. Around here that's shorts and T-shirt weather...almost. To keep the windshield wiper fluid in your car from freezing you buy the cheapest bottle of vodka; 100 rubles = ~$3 (which is cheaper than the actual fluid) and dump it in. When you squirt the windshield you get "bar room kind of smell."
Getting around in the car is a bit challenging. They plow the main roads but not the side streets. We live on a side-side street. They just let the tires of cars mash it all down. Of course at night it freezes into a massive sheet of lumpy ice. Then in the daytime, if it gets a bit above 0, there are massive lakes everywhere. We have piles of snow in our parking lot over 6 feet high. Eventually it gets so high maintenance brings in a Bobcat and dumpsters and haul it out. The cycle then repeats itself. We've been through 3 cycles so far..”
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Varvarka Street
28 февраля 2013
Before the holidays we went on a walking tour of Varvarka Street (Barbarska улице). The sky was overcast and the light wasn’t very good for pictures. I’ve been waiting, a long time as it turns out (see a previous post: “On Gloominess in Mockba”), for a sunny day with blue sky to go back and shoot some photos. The other day the sky opened up for a few hours and so I headed back.
Varvarka Street (Ulitsa Varvarka - Улица Варварка) is said to be the oldest street in Moscow leading to Red Square just opposite St. Basil’s Cathedral. It has the largest number of churches of any street in Mockba. In medieval times artisans lived and worked on Varvarka Street and sold their goods on Red Square.
Mockaba was originally a walled city and a section of the original wall can still be seen running parallel with the street.
At the end of the walk as you enter Red Square along the side opposite the Kremlin wall is an enormous, long building running almost the entire length of the Square. The building is called Гум, literally spelled out in English to be Gum but pronounced as goom. Гум could be described and as 3 long buildings each with a greenhouse roof reaching upward perhaps 5-6 stories. Today Гум is an upscale mall with many shops you’d be familiar with.
During the time of the Soviet Union Гум served as a food distribution and storage center where people would get their ration of foodstuffs, often in short supply.
With the change of seasons Гум is decorated with seasonal motifs. The day I was there was later winter approaching early spring. In the middle of the Гум, where all 3 “greenhouses” intersect is a fountain. Above it was a series of colorful shapes made of fabric that intersect with each other making interesting abstract forms extending from the roof almost all the way to the first floor.
Lastly, if you’ve been to Red Square lately in addition to the usually skating ring and winter time outdoor shops is an enormous white dome-shaped bubble over Lenin’s tomb next to the Kremlin wall. The tomb is apparently getting a new look.
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://vimeo.com/60731207
The show is also located on my Website:
www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Varvarka Street (Ulitsa Varvarka - Улица Варварка) is said to be the oldest street in Moscow leading to Red Square just opposite St. Basil’s Cathedral. It has the largest number of churches of any street in Mockba. In medieval times artisans lived and worked on Varvarka Street and sold their goods on Red Square.
Mockaba was originally a walled city and a section of the original wall can still be seen running parallel with the street.
At the end of the walk as you enter Red Square along the side opposite the Kremlin wall is an enormous, long building running almost the entire length of the Square. The building is called Гум, literally spelled out in English to be Gum but pronounced as goom. Гум could be described and as 3 long buildings each with a greenhouse roof reaching upward perhaps 5-6 stories. Today Гум is an upscale mall with many shops you’d be familiar with.
During the time of the Soviet Union Гум served as a food distribution and storage center where people would get their ration of foodstuffs, often in short supply.
With the change of seasons Гум is decorated with seasonal motifs. The day I was there was later winter approaching early spring. In the middle of the Гум, where all 3 “greenhouses” intersect is a fountain. Above it was a series of colorful shapes made of fabric that intersect with each other making interesting abstract forms extending from the roof almost all the way to the first floor.
Lastly, if you’ve been to Red Square lately in addition to the usually skating ring and winter time outdoor shops is an enormous white dome-shaped bubble over Lenin’s tomb next to the Kremlin wall. The tomb is apparently getting a new look.
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://vimeo.com/60731207
The show is also located on my Website:
www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Friday, February 15, 2013
On Seniority
16 февраля 2013
While Russians are a rather grumpy lot they are quite respectful of their “elders”. Yesterday I was on the Metro (subway) and I was shown, reluctantly, that I have become a “senior citizen”. And, while I am closer to 63 than 62 and therefore have been among the elderly for almost a year now (using eligibility for Social Security as a criterion) it hadn’t occurred to me until yesterday that I am old.
The Metro car was packed and I was standing, hanging onto the bar above me. I was going to get off in 5 stops. The doors closed and the car started to move forward. A young woman, probably in her 40s, was seated in front of me. As we got up to speed she motioned to me to take her seat. I waved her off and hopefully had a polite face on signaling “thank you” but I was fine. She again insisted (this is going on in “Russian sign-language”) that I sit down, which I did grudgingly. My hair, what’s left of it, has turned a snowy-grey white and has been this way since my early 50s, a trait I obviously inherited from my father.
My benefactor got off at the next stop. As I sat there I contemplated what had just happened. It dawned on me that I had just been officially identified as a senior citizen and from a 40 year-old no less.
This is hard to take…and something I guess I’m going to have to get used to…I think…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
The Metro car was packed and I was standing, hanging onto the bar above me. I was going to get off in 5 stops. The doors closed and the car started to move forward. A young woman, probably in her 40s, was seated in front of me. As we got up to speed she motioned to me to take her seat. I waved her off and hopefully had a polite face on signaling “thank you” but I was fine. She again insisted (this is going on in “Russian sign-language”) that I sit down, which I did grudgingly. My hair, what’s left of it, has turned a snowy-grey white and has been this way since my early 50s, a trait I obviously inherited from my father.
My benefactor got off at the next stop. As I sat there I contemplated what had just happened. It dawned on me that I had just been officially identified as a senior citizen and from a 40 year-old no less.
This is hard to take…and something I guess I’m going to have to get used to…I think…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, February 7, 2013
On Gloominess in Mockba
8 февраля 2013
When we first came to Mockba we were warned that some people have trouble with the lack of light in the winter time. As I’ve noted in a previous post until January 21 the “sun” rises at about 11AM and sets about 4PM making for some very short days.
As it turns out, it’s not the short days but rather the unrelenting overcast and general gloominess that starts to get you. Since early December I’m not sure we’ve had more than 10 sunny days and never 2 in a row. And just to cheer you up a little more many days are accompanied by fog. When the temperature gets a tick above 00 C and there’s a bit of a melt we get an extra bonus: wet, slushy days.
After experiencing this for a while you start to realize why Russians have a reputation for being grumpy… makes sense…
Today’s weather at 10:30AM: Cloudy overcast with fog; temperature: -20 C; expected precipitation: wintery mix.
Have a nice day!
До следующего раза ...
Борис
As it turns out, it’s not the short days but rather the unrelenting overcast and general gloominess that starts to get you. Since early December I’m not sure we’ve had more than 10 sunny days and never 2 in a row. And just to cheer you up a little more many days are accompanied by fog. When the temperature gets a tick above 00 C and there’s a bit of a melt we get an extra bonus: wet, slushy days.
After experiencing this for a while you start to realize why Russians have a reputation for being grumpy… makes sense…
Today’s weather at 10:30AM: Cloudy overcast with fog; temperature: -20 C; expected precipitation: wintery mix.
Have a nice day!
До следующего раза ...
Борис
On Snow This Year in Mockba
7 февраля 2013
According to a local paper here in Mockba this year we’ve had record snow fall already and we’ve just started февраля. It hasn’t snowed this much in 100 years. The average snowfall in Mockba is 61cm (24 inches). To date we’ve had 216cm (85 inches) which includes a massive storm we had a few days ago that yielded 26cm (10 inches).
Snow clearance in the parking lot in our compound is pretty primitive. Four or 5 guys every time it snows spend most the day pushing snow around with large double-handled (home-made) shovels and piling it up. The era of snow blowers is not upon us here in Mockba although I did see my first one yesterday in another neighborhood on the other side of town.
The piles have gotten well over 2 meters in some places and the guys are having a hard time finding places to put it. The snow is now encroaching on parking spaces and it’s been getting difficult to get around in the park lot.
Today (this happened last year too) a Bobcat loader and several large dumpsters were brought in to remove the encroaching snow. It took the Bobcat nearly a day to remove the snow. Actually it’s still here – I can hear it from our 5th floor window. A testament to how much snow we’ve had and how much manual labor (and expense) is expended. You’d think they’d bring the Bobcat in at the outset of a big storm or invest in a few snow blowers. But…this is Mockba and doing things the easy way here is just not an option.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Snow clearance in the parking lot in our compound is pretty primitive. Four or 5 guys every time it snows spend most the day pushing snow around with large double-handled (home-made) shovels and piling it up. The era of snow blowers is not upon us here in Mockba although I did see my first one yesterday in another neighborhood on the other side of town.
The piles have gotten well over 2 meters in some places and the guys are having a hard time finding places to put it. The snow is now encroaching on parking spaces and it’s been getting difficult to get around in the park lot.
Today (this happened last year too) a Bobcat loader and several large dumpsters were brought in to remove the encroaching snow. It took the Bobcat nearly a day to remove the snow. Actually it’s still here – I can hear it from our 5th floor window. A testament to how much snow we’ve had and how much manual labor (and expense) is expended. You’d think they’d bring the Bobcat in at the outset of a big storm or invest in a few snow blowers. But…this is Mockba and doing things the easy way here is just not an option.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Monday, December 17, 2012
On the Gloom Lifting
17 декабря 2012
We have endured nearly 6 weeks of over overcast, gloomy skies with snow and a good bit of rain here in Mockva. The sun peaked out twice for less than an hour each time. Sunrise is now just before 10AM.
For the past 3 days temperatures have hovered in the low teens C. This morning it was -19 degrees C (-2.2 degrees F). And just like last year, but earlier than last year, as the temperature plunged blue skies have emerged nearly without a cloud to be seen. Last night we saw the moon for the first time in a very long time. The stars were out too.
We’re headed back to the US for a while. On January 9th stopping in Vienna for a few days before heading back north to Mockva. A week in Thailand is scheduled for February. Keep on traveling…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
For the past 3 days temperatures have hovered in the low teens C. This morning it was -19 degrees C (-2.2 degrees F). And just like last year, but earlier than last year, as the temperature plunged blue skies have emerged nearly without a cloud to be seen. Last night we saw the moon for the first time in a very long time. The stars were out too.
We’re headed back to the US for a while. On January 9th stopping in Vienna for a few days before heading back north to Mockva. A week in Thailand is scheduled for February. Keep on traveling…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
On Soviet Era World War II Posters
5 декабря 2012
Recently we went to Ismailovo Market along with two of our good friends here in Moscow. Ismailovo is a flea market where you can find old and new souvenirs and just about anything else. The market has indoor (meaning a roof overhead – no heat) and outdoor space where people sell old and new things. The adage that your treasures are someone else’s junk is in full swing here. Some tables are loaded with interesting items sometimes including fine antiques while others look like the seller just cleaned out their attic or barn and decided to sell whatever they could scrounge together to make a few extra rubles. Bartering is common and you can often get the seller to come down in price – often way down if you’re good at bargaining.
In one of the indoor areas was a series of posters that hung in the rafters depicting Soviet era themes to rally support for the troops during the Second World War. Other posters seemed like advertisements for an idealized life stressing the family and work ethic in the USSR. The posters look like reproductions of the originals but nonetheless are great pieces of art (some might say propaganda).
I was particularly impressed with the posters concerning WW2 and so I shot a series of pictures. If you’re interested I’ve put a brief slideshow of these images. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/54918369
I’ve also posted the show on my site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com
Click on the RUSSA link and scroll down to the last entry. The filename is: soviet_posters.exe
The music is: “March of the Soviet Militia, op. 39 by Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Stockholm Concert Band.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
In one of the indoor areas was a series of posters that hung in the rafters depicting Soviet era themes to rally support for the troops during the Second World War. Other posters seemed like advertisements for an idealized life stressing the family and work ethic in the USSR. The posters look like reproductions of the originals but nonetheless are great pieces of art (some might say propaganda).
I was particularly impressed with the posters concerning WW2 and so I shot a series of pictures. If you’re interested I’ve put a brief slideshow of these images. The easiest way to see the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/54918369
I’ve also posted the show on my site at: http://www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com
Click on the RUSSA link and scroll down to the last entry. The filename is: soviet_posters.exe
The music is: “March of the Soviet Militia, op. 39 by Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Stockholm Concert Band.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Friday, November 9, 2012
On Doors and Windows in the South of France
9 ноября 2012
Nancy’s school had a week off in late October-early November so we spent the time in the South of France. We started in Marseille and then moved north to Avignon and Saint Remy exploring many small towns along the way including Aix-en Provence, Rousillon and Gordes among others.
One of my photographic interests is texture with color. Doors and windows in old and ancient buildings provide a vast array of textures and colors. I’ve put together a slide show of Doors and Windows of the South of France.
The easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/53138188
I’ve also posted the show on my site:
andrewmcdonoughphotography.com and click on the RUSSIA link
More to follow from the South of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
One of my photographic interests is texture with color. Doors and windows in old and ancient buildings provide a vast array of textures and colors. I’ve put together a slide show of Doors and Windows of the South of France.
The easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://vimeo.com/53138188
I’ve also posted the show on my site:
andrewmcdonoughphotography.com and click on the RUSSIA link
More to follow from the South of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
On the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
24 октября 2012
The Cathedral is located near the Kremlin just off the Moscow River. It is a major church in Moscow of the Russian Orthodox religion. Alexander I commissioned the construction of the Cathedral which was completed after many years in 1860. Alexander III consecrated the Cathedral in 1883.
The Cathedral was demolished by the Bolsheviks under Joef Stalin as part of an anti-religious campaign after the Russian Revolution. Demolition was completed in 1926. It was intended to serve as a site of a huge statue of Vladimir Lenin who Stalin succeeded him after his death in 1824. A lack of funds in the 1930s prevented the statue from being built. Nikita Khruschev who succeeded Stalin turned the site into an enormous swimming pool.
After the fall of the Soviet Union the Cathedral was reconstructed starting in 1994 and took several years to rebuild. The Cathedral was consecrated in 2000.
Both the exterior and interior are stunning works of architecture and art. Unfortunately picture taking is prohibited inside.
The Cathedral has recently been the site of a number of protests by opposition groups to Vladimir Putin’s administration. Under Putin’s regime church and state have been again closely allied. The church is lead by Archbishop Krill who has emerged as a controversial figure both in religious as well as political affairs. As such, the Orthodox church has regained a significant place in the culture of Moscow and Russia after the fall of the USSR.
I’ve put together a brief slideshow of images I took during a recent visit this fall. Most of the slides are of the cathedral itself as well as shots of the Kremlin taking from the patios surrounding the cathedral.
The easiest way to view the show is to click on the following link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/52064127
The show is also located on my Website: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia
До следующего раза ...
Борис
The Cathedral was demolished by the Bolsheviks under Joef Stalin as part of an anti-religious campaign after the Russian Revolution. Demolition was completed in 1926. It was intended to serve as a site of a huge statue of Vladimir Lenin who Stalin succeeded him after his death in 1824. A lack of funds in the 1930s prevented the statue from being built. Nikita Khruschev who succeeded Stalin turned the site into an enormous swimming pool.
After the fall of the Soviet Union the Cathedral was reconstructed starting in 1994 and took several years to rebuild. The Cathedral was consecrated in 2000.
Both the exterior and interior are stunning works of architecture and art. Unfortunately picture taking is prohibited inside.
The Cathedral has recently been the site of a number of protests by opposition groups to Vladimir Putin’s administration. Under Putin’s regime church and state have been again closely allied. The church is lead by Archbishop Krill who has emerged as a controversial figure both in religious as well as political affairs. As such, the Orthodox church has regained a significant place in the culture of Moscow and Russia after the fall of the USSR.
I’ve put together a brief slideshow of images I took during a recent visit this fall. Most of the slides are of the cathedral itself as well as shots of the Kremlin taking from the patios surrounding the cathedral.
The easiest way to view the show is to click on the following link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/52064127
The show is also located on my Website: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
All of a sudden it’s cold here is Mockba. Yesterday we’re were in the teens (Celsius). This morning we awoke to about +50 C. As I’m writing this it’s 23:14 and the temperature is 00 C going down to -1 or -20 C tonight with a chance of frost.
Days are again getting shorter with sunrise about 7:30 and sunset around 17:30.
Looks like winter weather is starting to arrive. Last year it held off until mid-November.
Nancy’s school is off next week so we’re off to the south of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Days are again getting shorter with sunrise about 7:30 and sunset around 17:30.
Looks like winter weather is starting to arrive. Last year it held off until mid-November.
Nancy’s school is off next week so we’re off to the south of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
All of a sudden it’s cold here is Mockba. Yesterday we’re were in the teens (Celsius). This morning we awoke to about +50 C. As I’m writing this it’s 23:14 and the temperature is 00 C going down to -1 or -20 C tonight with a chance of frost.
Days are again getting shorter with sunrise about 7:30 and sunset around 17:30.
Looks like winter weather is starting to arrive. Last year it held off until mid-November.
Nancy’s school is off next week so we’re off to the south of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Days are again getting shorter with sunrise about 7:30 and sunset around 17:30.
Looks like winter weather is starting to arrive. Last year it held off until mid-November.
Nancy’s school is off next week so we’re off to the south of France.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Never Before
13 октября 2012
Something happened to me while driving home yesterday from Nancy’s school that has never happened to me before.
While driving into a treacherous intersection in our neighborhood where 3 lanes of a service road to the right merge into 3 lanes of a major highway it was the usual chaos. The service lane cars thrust themselves onto the highway without even looking. In order to navigate through this deadly logjam you have to be aggressive or you won’t be able to get in the lane you need to be in to make a right turn ahead or more importantly you’re trying to avoid being side-swiped or worse by a car.
Navigating through this intersection requires a combination of aggressive and defensive driving. Sometimes you just have to let the guy whose just jutted out in front of you in to avoid a crash.
This was the case yesterday and as I let the guy in a white BMW go ahead of me he waved a wave of thanks! No one ever even acknowledges you from a car window or walking down the street. The guy actually waved to say thanks for letting me in…amazing…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
While driving into a treacherous intersection in our neighborhood where 3 lanes of a service road to the right merge into 3 lanes of a major highway it was the usual chaos. The service lane cars thrust themselves onto the highway without even looking. In order to navigate through this deadly logjam you have to be aggressive or you won’t be able to get in the lane you need to be in to make a right turn ahead or more importantly you’re trying to avoid being side-swiped or worse by a car.
Navigating through this intersection requires a combination of aggressive and defensive driving. Sometimes you just have to let the guy whose just jutted out in front of you in to avoid a crash.
This was the case yesterday and as I let the guy in a white BMW go ahead of me he waved a wave of thanks! No one ever even acknowledges you from a car window or walking down the street. The guy actually waved to say thanks for letting me in…amazing…
До следующего раза ...
Борис
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
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
Friday, September 14, 2012
On Hitch Hiking in Mockba – They’re Not
14 сентября 2012
Last November I posted a blog note about people hitch hiking here in Mockba. Turns out I was wrong. As I explained then it looked to me like when someone wanted a ride they’d stand along the curb and stick their arm out extended downward. When a car stopped the person would talk to the driver presumably to ask if he/she was going in the right direction.
While I was right that people were looking for a ride, what they were actually doing is haling a gypsy (unmarked) cab. Just like it Manhattan there are licensed medallion cabs, usually yellow with a lighted sign on the roof telling you if the cab was occupied or not. Then there are unmarked gypsy cabs that don’t have a meter – you have to negotiate the fare before moving on. The conventional wisdom is you’re likely to get ripped off if you flag down a gypsy cab.
It turns out that there are a lot of gypsy cabs, also un-metered, cruising around the streets of Mockba looking for fares. While not always the case, many are Russia Ladas, a small “basic” car produced in Russia about the size of a Nissan Almera. When the car stopped the “hitch hiker” was not asking where the driver was going but rather negotiating a fare.
Gypsy cabs in Mockba have the same reputation as they do in Manhattan – watch your wallet! On the other hand licensed cabs in Mockba have about the same reputation for being rip offs.
Bottom line: don’t take any type of cab in Mockba unless you’re really desperate.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
While I was right that people were looking for a ride, what they were actually doing is haling a gypsy (unmarked) cab. Just like it Manhattan there are licensed medallion cabs, usually yellow with a lighted sign on the roof telling you if the cab was occupied or not. Then there are unmarked gypsy cabs that don’t have a meter – you have to negotiate the fare before moving on. The conventional wisdom is you’re likely to get ripped off if you flag down a gypsy cab.
It turns out that there are a lot of gypsy cabs, also un-metered, cruising around the streets of Mockba looking for fares. While not always the case, many are Russia Ladas, a small “basic” car produced in Russia about the size of a Nissan Almera. When the car stopped the “hitch hiker” was not asking where the driver was going but rather negotiating a fare.
Gypsy cabs in Mockba have the same reputation as they do in Manhattan – watch your wallet! On the other hand licensed cabs in Mockba have about the same reputation for being rip offs.
Bottom line: don’t take any type of cab in Mockba unless you’re really desperate.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Sunday, September 9, 2012
On Estonia
9 сентября 2012
Estonia has an especially interesting history and was an important “holding” of the Soviet Union. As the Cold War heated up Russia invaded Estonia shipping off entire families to Siberia on very short notice (it is said: “15 minutes”) to set an example that Soviet satellite countries were to fall in line with the USSR or suffer severe consequences.
Estonia, and Tallinn in particular represented the most western frontier of the Soviet Union and thus became an important tactical holding of the USSR. While we were in Tallinn we took a day-long tour of the western coast of Tallinn and visited old, now rotting, military installations including a horizontal ICCM missile silo which would be the first line of attack had the US launched an attack on the USSR. The silo we visited was basically an enormous cylindrical culvert sunk into the ground so from above it would not be detected by planes flying overhead or by spy satellites. At one time it held 4 missiles that would be rolled out of the silo, aimed and fired – presumably at the US. There were holes in the back of the silo that allowed fuel lines to connect to the missiles.
Today the silo is empty and overgrown and hidden by trees and bushes. If you weren’t aware of the history you’d walk by thinking it was an abandoned drainage pipe.
We also visited an enormous block of concrete that served as an artillery battery that supported a huge canon aimed at London and England. All around the area were abandoned military control buildings and barracks that housed troops stationed in Estonia. All were overgrown and in various states of decay and collapse.
One of our other stops was to a large non-descript building surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by security people not keen on curious photographers getting close to the building. We were told that buried deep beneath the building was a sarcophagus that contained the decommissioned uranium from warheads originally hidden in the silos I described above. When the cold war ended and the Soviet Union collapsed the warheads were buried here. The hot uranium has a half-life of 10,000 years so it’s going to be around for a while hence the barbed wire and cranky looking security guards.
If you’re interested I’ve posted a slideshow of images I shot when we were in Estonia. Some images show the things I’ve described above as well as the Old Town section of Tallinn. The easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/49012736 . I’ve also posted the show on my site at: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia Click on the last entry.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Estonia, and Tallinn in particular represented the most western frontier of the Soviet Union and thus became an important tactical holding of the USSR. While we were in Tallinn we took a day-long tour of the western coast of Tallinn and visited old, now rotting, military installations including a horizontal ICCM missile silo which would be the first line of attack had the US launched an attack on the USSR. The silo we visited was basically an enormous cylindrical culvert sunk into the ground so from above it would not be detected by planes flying overhead or by spy satellites. At one time it held 4 missiles that would be rolled out of the silo, aimed and fired – presumably at the US. There were holes in the back of the silo that allowed fuel lines to connect to the missiles.
Today the silo is empty and overgrown and hidden by trees and bushes. If you weren’t aware of the history you’d walk by thinking it was an abandoned drainage pipe.
We also visited an enormous block of concrete that served as an artillery battery that supported a huge canon aimed at London and England. All around the area were abandoned military control buildings and barracks that housed troops stationed in Estonia. All were overgrown and in various states of decay and collapse.
One of our other stops was to a large non-descript building surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by security people not keen on curious photographers getting close to the building. We were told that buried deep beneath the building was a sarcophagus that contained the decommissioned uranium from warheads originally hidden in the silos I described above. When the cold war ended and the Soviet Union collapsed the warheads were buried here. The hot uranium has a half-life of 10,000 years so it’s going to be around for a while hence the barbed wire and cranky looking security guards.
If you’re interested I’ve posted a slideshow of images I shot when we were in Estonia. Some images show the things I’ve described above as well as the Old Town section of Tallinn. The easiest way to view the show is to click on this link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/49012736 . I’ve also posted the show on my site at: www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com/russia Click on the last entry.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, August 30, 2012
On Russian Acculturation
31 августа 2012
I’m starting to feel more Russian every day:
First: Almost every day lately, as I walk down the street someone stops me and asks for directions. I reply “Извините, что я не говорю на русском” which means “Sorry but I don’t speak Russian”. At least not a lot.
Second: I went to visit a friend today at a local hospital. I drove and naturally had to park near the hospital. Seeing someone pull out I bumped up all 4 wheels of my car and parked on the sidewalk – it’s the way things are done here. See a previous post.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
First: Almost every day lately, as I walk down the street someone stops me and asks for directions. I reply “Извините, что я не говорю на русском” which means “Sorry but I don’t speak Russian”. At least not a lot.
Second: I went to visit a friend today at a local hospital. I drove and naturally had to park near the hospital. Seeing someone pull out I bumped up all 4 wheels of my car and parked on the sidewalk – it’s the way things are done here. See a previous post.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Back in the USSR – Oops Russia
23 августа 2012
For anyone who has been reading my blog entries – I hope there are at least a few – you might have noticed things have been quiet since last June.
After Nancy’s school was done for the year we headed back to the US via Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki Finland. We flew into Tallinn from Mockba, spent several days there and then took a 2 hour ferry ride to Helsinki for another few days. After that we headed back to the US for a few weeks.
In early August we headed back to Mockba via Portugal. We rented an apartment in Cascais, 30 minutes west of Lisbon. Cascais is a beautiful beach resort area. Our daughter and my sister-in-law joined us for a week. When they headed back to the US we stayed in Lisbon for 4 days before heading back to Mockba.
Arriving in Mockba was orders of magnitude easier this compared with last year. Just grocery shopping and we were done. No painting, organizing or settling into a new place.
I’m currently working on photos from all of our stops and I’ll be sending them out shortly to anyone who’s interested.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
After Nancy’s school was done for the year we headed back to the US via Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki Finland. We flew into Tallinn from Mockba, spent several days there and then took a 2 hour ferry ride to Helsinki for another few days. After that we headed back to the US for a few weeks.
In early August we headed back to Mockba via Portugal. We rented an apartment in Cascais, 30 minutes west of Lisbon. Cascais is a beautiful beach resort area. Our daughter and my sister-in-law joined us for a week. When they headed back to the US we stayed in Lisbon for 4 days before heading back to Mockba.
Arriving in Mockba was orders of magnitude easier this compared with last year. Just grocery shopping and we were done. No painting, organizing or settling into a new place.
I’m currently working on photos from all of our stops and I’ll be sending them out shortly to anyone who’s interested.
До следующего раза ...
Борис
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