Here is pretty good documentary subtitled in English about Russian prison system and Russian prison tattoos. If you watched Eastern Promises with Viggo Mortensen, then you will understand where a lot of things in the film are coming from.
WWII Document
Certificate
Today I translated this document for our re-enactment group, so we could use it as a template to create similar certificates for re-enacting purposes.
We are preparing for the ceremony to award certificated to those, who participated in Drive on Stalingrad re-enactment, earlier this October in Colorado.
Here is the translation:
FOR OUR SOVIET MOTHERLAND
USSR
IDENTIFICATION (CERTIFICATE)
FOR PARTICIPATION IN HEROIC DEFENSE
OF CAUCASUS
COMRADE ANDRIANOV
MIHAIL YAKOVLEVICH
BY ORDER OF PRESIDIUM OF THE HIGHEST COUNCIL OF USSR ON MAY 1ST, 1944
AWARDED A MEDAL
“FOR DEFENSE OF CAUCASUS “
ON BEHALF OF PRESIDIUM OF THE HIGHEST COUNCIL OF USSR, THE MEDAL FOR DEFENSE OF CAUCASUS AWARDED ON 30TH OF APRIL, 1945
#028531
Position, military rank
And signature of a person, awarding the medal
First Bell: September 1st.
Children start school on September 1st all over Russia. It is a big day for first graders and those, who will finish out their senior year.
Parents buy flowers and other gifts for the teacher and every kid carries a huge bouquet. I still remember the excitement of that day – new bag for books, new uniform, flowers, new people. My parents are standing in the crowd and watching me in the line-up with other first graders. I was a little scared too. I was not much of a social person in the first grade.
I don’t really see anything similar to First Bell, here in the US. So, here, check out some pictures from Yandex Photos.
First Day
Girl
Tired
Parents
Above parents are filming their kiddos.
Below Mom and Dad are walking their daughter to school.
Road to School
Another Year
Above: Together again after summer vacation.
Mr. Serious
Ready
Opening dance:
Dance
Below a fellow from the last grade is carrying a girl, who is about to start her first. She will ring the bell and it will be the first bell of the school year.
First Bell
Schoolgirl
First Waltz of the year:
First Waltz
In front of the school:
School
First lesson:
first lesson
Summer is over:
Summer is Over
Russia in Photographs: September 1st, 2009
More pictures that people added recently:
Pups
Bells
Touch the Sky
Kid
Remembering WWII
Future Sailors
In the Urals
Cossacks
Wiki defines Cossacks as “members of multinational militaristic communities living in Ukraine and southern Russia”
It is impossible to tell all about them in one short post. Their history is bloody, their culture is rich and their dedication to their country is unparallel.
Lube – Horse
Kazak
Memories
Bright
Look
Re-enactor
Date
Ride
Tribute to Pelageya
Пелагея (Pelagea / Pelageya) is a Russian folk singer. I think she is absolutely divine. Her voice is just on the edge of the human spectrum. (Both her and Vitas are offered referred to as singers with non-human voices).
Pelageya
She does a veriety of songs, some are pure folk and some are folr-rock .
The following song is called Пташечка – Birdie. It was sung by Pelageya’s grandmother from Pskov. My Grandmother is also from Pskov area, so Pelageya’s pronunciation reminds me of my Grandmother. It also makes me cry…
The arrangement is modern, but the song itself has been sung same way for a couple of centuries.
Пташечка
The following is called Porushka, but Pelageya performs it, mixing in the aria from the Fifth Element, only she performs it live:) :
Калинушка (Performed at Siber Drive concert in 2008)
Pelageya + Inna Zhelannaya “Ivan” .
Russia in Photographs: July 21, 09
Periodically, I am going to post pictures from variety of sources. The goal for those posts is to show the every day life of my compatriots, as well as appreciate some of their photography. I have no other agenda, but to show cool (or appauling, funny, etc ) photos that people take and that can be mostly found on Russian Internet.
Cute kitty
One of my favorite hobbies used to be going for mushrooms, just like hobbits. I miss that. Miss it a lot. Going for mushrooms in Texas is deadly for me and the mushrooms.
Your first one...
Old Rus is still here:
Timeless
The author named this one “You are my Sun”. Awesome photo.
You are My Sun
The photographer named this one “Gates to Heaven”.
Gates to Heaven
The grass is greener on the other side:
Nose
All pictures were linked to from Yandex Fotki
Belorybitsa/Белорыбица
Here are some videos of the fairly new folk band – Belorybitsa.
They are from St.Petersburg and originally were all singers. Eventually they added musical instruments, some of which are nearly extinct. They feature Pan’s flute and Bulgarian bag pipe.
Here is my personal favorite of theirs – Christmas Song. I am going to translate the lyrics to this one (not in poetic form though).
Elderberry – Рябина
Golubka – Голубка
Gugutka – Гугутка
Timonya- Тимоня
Burnt by the Sun 