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
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
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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