This large Neo-Baroque building with a facade of yellow brick, illuminated by a still warm autumn sun would probably bring a smile to the lips of the unaware tourist. Its very sight or even the sound of its name, Lubyanka, used to instil terror in the soul of every Soviet citizen. It was originally built in 1898 as the... Continue Reading →
In parts of Russia, unsurprisingly for those who are familiar with the climate of Siberia, for instance, temperature dropped below freezing and snow arrived already in the month of September, but, at least for the European part of the country, this has been a very mild fall. This is not a tremendously unusual situation, but... Continue Reading →
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (often anglicized as Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky), needs little introduction. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally, bolstered by his appearances as a guest conductor in Europe and the United States. Born in Votkinsk, he studied in Saint Petersburg and lived both in the then-capital of Russia and... Continue Reading →
I wrote in a previous post about how, originally coming from a city surrounded by mountains, I am fascinated by the "vast skies" of the Russian Plain, that spans approximately 4,000,000 km2 (2,000,000 sq mi) without a single mountain. This creates the ideal conditions for absolutely spectacular sunsets, thanks mostly to the fact that you can see the sun disappearing over... Continue Reading →
This 1964 Bob Dylan song seemed appropriate to illustrate how in just one picture you can see how much things have changed in Russia since the time of the Soviet Union. In a seemingly insignificant corner (even if it is in fact a round corner) of a Moscow street we see two elements that symbolize as... Continue Reading →
I already wrote in a previous post (Lala Tulpan in Ufa, or “when the weather doesn’t play nice”) how my stay in Ufa was too short and definitely not "blessed" by good weather. In spite of that the capital of Bashkortostan offered so many interesting sights I managed to take a few pictures, also as "visual... Continue Reading →
In the fall of 2015 the City of Moscow unveiled a monument to the famous Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, in front of the only building that the architect designed in Russia’s capital. Located on the historical Myasnitskaya street, this is one of the favorite spots for architectural walking tours, along with the famous Stalin skyscrapers, but... Continue Reading →
Those of you who are most versed in Russian culture have probably recognized a little "play on words" with the Russian ptichye moloko (птичье молоко), the name of a popular candy (more on that below). Albeit not about the famous sweet, this post is also about a very heartfelt national tradition: that of feeding the birds during... Continue Reading →
Today Kolomenskoe is one of the most beautiful parks within the city of Moscow. Besides being a wonderful place for a peaceful stroll, it also boasts a very rich history. The Kolomenskoye village was first mentioned in the testament of Ivan Kalita (1339). As time went by, the village was developed as a favourite country estate of grand princes... Continue Reading →
Russia Through The Lens 