A well eradicated habit in Russian culture is that of rubbing bronze statues. Those, which are not meant to be rubbed are cordoned-off, but sometimes even that is not enough to deter people from rubbing with their hands the feet of religious statues in churches. Besides a general "good luck" a lot of statues apparently... 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 →
No trip to understand Russian culture would be complete without a visit to a country shed, or its urban equivalent: the garage. The shed and the garage are a heritage of Soviet culture, which has survived in modern-day Russia. An interesting social study and explanation of how the shed became such an important part of... Continue Reading →
GUM store on Red Square at Christmas, Moscow, Russia. First of all, ГУМ (GUM) is an interesting abbreviation. In the Soviet Union there was no free market or free competition, so all department stores were state-owned and largely state-run and they were appropriately called "Государственный универсальный магазин" or simply "State Department Store".
One of the most interesting (non)tourist attractions in Saint Petersburg, especially for all people coming from warmer climates, is the "beach" surrounding The Peter and Paul Fortress' external walls, on the Neva river. As a photographer, I thing this is such a great spot to try and capture "the essence of Saint Petersburg".
Before coming to Russia I was moderately worried about the cold during the winter months. I honestly did not suspect I'd have a problem with the heat! The picture above is a quick snapshot I took at my grandparents-in-law's apartment in the city of Vladimir. It is March the 5th, the temperature outside is below... Continue Reading →
Russia has existed, in various forms, for well over 1.000 years. But the story of the present-day Russian Federation begins exactly 27 years ago, on June 12, 1990. That day the First Congress of People's Deputies of Russia passes the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, which proclaimed the sovereignty of the Russian SFSR... Continue Reading →
Tver, 30th December 2016. People are lining in the street just under my apartment building to fill their own bottles with milk from the milk truck. I take the picture, go back home and upload it via a 100 megabit internet connection. This is just one of the endless examples of how past and future... Continue Reading →
Russians say that in their country there are only two seasons: the White Winter and the Green Winter. Depending on latitude, the Green winter can begin anywhere from as early as April to as late as June. As the name implies, when the Green winter begins, nature turns a wonderful, lush green. But that does... Continue Reading →
Russia Through The Lens 