Suzdal was built on the Kamenka river as a fortress in the the 10th century. It suffered the fate of many other Russian cities when it was conquered and sacked by the Mongol-Tatars during their invasion of Rus in 1238 and again in 1445.
Field of Russian sage just outside Suzdal – with a spicy and sweet aroma and elegant tubular flowers (poisonous!)
Various ‘Princes’ got permission to rule from the Mongols, for a price.
In the 16th century, it became a religious centre of Russia with 11 monasteries and convents. More attacks in the 17th century, this time by the Polish-Lithuanian Interventionists, Crimean Tatars…and then the plague struck in 1654/55, which decimated half the population.
Church on the outskirts of Suzdal
Economic decline in the 18th/19th centuries. A prison developed at the Spaso-Yevfimiev Monastery was used by Bolsheviks for political prisoners.
Tourism is the way forward…many annual festivals and events are held attracting a huge number of tourists – Cucumber Day in July; Pancake week with goose fights in February; and the Festival of Mead in September to name a few.
View from Church of the Prophet Elijah siteRussian women dress up to pose for (Instagram) photos… with Church of the Nativity in the background
The Cathedral of the Nativity is one of the 8 “White Monuments” of Vladimir and Suzdal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the more complex monuments of Russian medieval architecture from the 11th century. The Cathedral is surrounded by a ring of earthern walls in an oxbow of the Kamenka river.
Church of the Prophet Elijah
Church of the Prophet Elijah – great views from this site across the Kamenka river to the Cathedral of the Nativity.
Alexandrovsky convent was founded by a heroic military leader, Prince Alexander Nevsky, for women whose men had been killed by the Tatars.
Alexandrovsky convent
Venerable bell tower – the observation deck was small, the staircase was narrow; yes a great view, but pity is was dull and grey when I went up (too early) and no photos worth reproducing of my own.
Bell tower
A meal at Gostinyy Dvor restaurant came recommended – had lunch of borsch and beef/pork dumplings – how more Russian can you get??? And delicious fare. _________________
June 15, 2019
by Lids Comments Off on 11/6/19 – 14/6/19 Nur-Sultan (previously Astana)
Interim President Toqaev recently decreed the capital’s name has changed to honour the President that has recently stepped down from the role after 30 years rule, Nursultan Nazarbaev. Not a popular move in the eyes of the public apparently because it ‘honours’ years of political oppression and autocratic rule.
A visionary despot with progressive views about the importance of education, investment in infrastructure, culture and technological competency, economic reform – Nursultan oversaw the transformation of the country (from the legacy left after the collapse of the Soviet Union), to becoming one of the most modernized in Central Asia. A country with a population of about 18 million, oil-rich, the majority religion being Muslim, with Kazakh and Russian being spoken as languages.
Nur-Sultan is a city that’s been master planned, with an extensive ‘green belt’. I particularly came to see it’s incredible modernist architecture, and I have not been disappointed. Hope you enjoy the images.
Firstly, the beautiful Baiterek tower, emblematic of the city and considered a symbol of post-independence Kazakhstan.
Baiterek tower
Jumped on a bus to visit the Khan Shatyr Shopping and Entertainment Centre and got a dramatic image of the tent-like exterior of the building, just after a storm ended.
Khan Shatyr Centre
Expo 2017 hosted by Astana was on the theme “Future Energy – How do we ensure safe and sustainable access to energy for all while reducing CO2 emissions”? It was the first time that a major international exhibition of this kind was hosted in a country from the former Soviet Union. Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture out of Chicago won the design contract for the grounds. This image of the Expo site was taken after one storm had hit and another was developing.
Expo site
The turquoise-tiled Central Concert Hall is a centre for performing arts, designed by Italian architects Manfredi Nicoletti, with a swirling, circular design intended to evoke the petals of a flower (I didn’t capture the image quite on the right angle). Symphony orchestra and traditional Kazakh music concerts are held here.
Concert Hall
The Kazakhstan National University of the Arts is a bold blue dog bowl-like looking building, accommodating 1,000 students and 200 staff; and a syllabus that covers music, choreography, theatre, cinema and TV.
National Uni of the Arts (not sure why there were small cannons in front)
Hazrat Sultan Mosque is the largest mosque in Central Asia with a capacity for 10,000 worshippers. The colossal building resembles an oriental palace, whose 3 year construction involved over 1,500 builders. The mosque was named in honor of one of Sufi sheikhs – Khoja Ahmed Yassawi (the XII century), who was a poet, philosopher and Muslin saint. Two images of the mosque – one taken just after a deluge when I first arrived in the city and one taken on my last night.
I was too early for the cheesy sound and light show “singing fountains” which starts at 9:00PM in the evening – Las Vegas on the Kazakh steppe if you will. Still, a nice bit of colour during the blue hour as the sun was setting.
Singing Fountains
The Presidential Palace “Ak-Orda”, is a large white four-storey building, with a blue cupola – which houses the Grand Central Hall, the Hall of Press Conferences, Gala Hall and Winter Garden. Each of the floors and Halls have specific functions, for example, the Marble Hall is used to sign agreements with leaders of other states. The Oval Hall is designed for summit talks, and a hall in a form of a traditional Kazakh yurt (tent), a hall for extended negotiations.
Presidential Palace
I walked along the right embankment of the Ishim River just after sunset to capture an image of the Palace, and a slow shutter speed revealed a reflection of the Palace in the river, which pleased me greatly!
Sunset on a lovely coppery green hued building, the name of which escapes me! I first noticed the white columns…..and then the ugly foreground…..”need to clean up the front yard folks”!
June 13, 2019
by Lids Comments Off on 9/6/19 and 10/6/19 Vyborg
A population of about 80,000, 30kms from the Finnish border, Vyborg sits as a gateway between the East Slavic and Finnish worlds, with the town ‘changing hands’ several times during history, mostly recently in 1944 when Stalin got it as part of WW11 reparations. The city hosts the end of the Nord Stream gas pipeline and operated by a consortia led by Russia’s Gazprom to pump billions of gas under the Baltic to Germany. Industrial paper production is the other important industry and tourism is growing. Its an important port and rail junction.
By A.Savin (Wikimedia Commons · WikiPhotoSpace)
It’s dominated by a medieval castle and peppered with beautiful Finnish art nouveau buildings and cobblestone streets.
The castle was built by Swedes in the 13thC; with the main attraction now being to climb the many steps of St Olaf’s tower (closed when I visited) for commanding views over the town .
And the beautifully designed 1935 library by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.
Circular skylights in the reading rooms and elegant birchwood shelves are among the many features.
Loved the moose sculpture in the adjacent gardens – the lilacs were out in bloom too.
The Clock Tower started life in 1494 as a simple bell tower of Vyborg’s Cathedral; then served as a fire watchtower. In the 18thC, was installed with a clock and Catherine 11 presented a warning bell to Vyborg, so it’s been chiming on the hour ever since.
The Round Tower in the Market Square used to be part of the town ramparts that guarded the town. A restaurant since 1923. School groups were out in force doing community service ‘clean ups’ in the Square, brushing up dust from the cobblestones and bagging it (not sure just how much actually made it into the bags!)….and these gals were giggling and leaning on their brooms, A LOT.
Wandered into Krasnaya Place square to behold another dramatic statue of Lenin, who’s been watching city life since 1957. People come to feed the pigeons and mothers allow their little darlings to practice car driving skills (needed as early as possible!)
The little girl had her foot to the board !
Finally, discovered the oldest house in Vyborg, the 16thC Burger manor….built by the Swedes from granite boulders, with an attic, basement and thick walls; fortress-like in design but quiet small. Located on the oldest street in Vyborg, where in the Middle Ages, cattle were driven to pasture.
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