The Antonov An-2 was one of the most successful Soviet propeller planes. Nicknamed "Annushka" or "Annie", it flew for the first time on 31 August 1947. It was used as a light utility transport, parachute drop aircraft, aerial agricultural work and many other tasks suited to this large slow-flying biplane. Its slow flight and good short field performance... Continue Reading →
Ostankinsky District , also called simply Ostankino, is one of the 125 raions of Moscow. VDNH exhibition center and the Ostankino Tower, the tallest structure in Europe, are located in Ostankinsky. The rayon is also rightfully known for the Ostankino Palace, the third-largest wooden building in the world, which is a former summer residence and private opera theatre of Sheremetev family, originally situated several kilometres to the... Continue Reading →
One of the biggest culture shocks I've had in Russia is the (almost) complete absence of recycling. The only recycling I've found prior to 2017 was a series of small volunteer-based (I believe) organizations that leave containers outside of building entrances to collect batteries and then come and take away on a semi-regular basis. After... Continue Reading →
The Moscow Metro station of Krasnye Vorota actually has two entrances. The most famous one, and the one you see pictured above, is the South entrance, a subterranean vestibule with mezzanine stairwells and a distinctive shell-like pavilion designed by Nikolai Ladovsky, that stands on the south side of the Garden Ring (with an open Red Gates - Krasnye Vorota... Continue Reading →
Tsarskoye Selo (or "Tsar's Village") was the town containing a former Russian residence of the Romanov imperial family and visiting nobility. It is located 24 kilometers (15 mi) south from the center of Saint Petersburg. It is now part of the town of Pushkin ( which got its name in 1937 to to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of the Russian... Continue Reading →
Many foreigners, and western in particular, have a mental image of Moscow as a drab, grey city. This comes from years of movies where the Russian capital was portrayed as such, especially during the cold war years. But in reality Moscow is a very green city, with over 40 percent of its territory consisting of parks,... Continue Reading →
So, it would seem that Russian pizza chains don't watch Dr. Sheldon Cooper's "Fun with flags" (from the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory), but they should. Let me tell you how I came to that conclusion. A little while ago I was taking some pictures (no surprise there) around Moscow's Kremlin and the Red... Continue Reading →
The Nizhny Novgorod Cableway is a 3660 metres long gondola lift cable car link across the Volga River in Russia connecting the city of Nizhny Novgorod with the town of Bor, inaugurated in February 2012. It is part of the city's public transport system, so you can ride it for a very low price (around 1.5 Euros or USD for a round-trip). Compare that, for... Continue Reading →
After living in Russia for over a year, I decided to start this blog to share what I see and experience every day, living in the largest country on Earth and one certainly filled with co-existing opposites. The blog is called Russia Through The Lens, not just because I publish one (or more) picture I... Continue Reading →
Russia Through The Lens 