Russian Kafe » church

The Church of St. Michael the Archangel

jim — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:42:36 +0000

The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Arkhangelskoe, Moscow Region.

Borovsk, a very photogenic town

jim — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 06:00:00 +0000

We recently stumbled across a wonderful series of photos by Russian photographer Victoria Zaykina. The photos are of a small town near Moscow named Borovsk. These photos immediately captured our imagination and we wanted to share them with you.

We also asked Victoria to send us some commentary on Borovsk and her photos. Here is what she wrote.

Borovsk is an ancient city with a rich history (13th century), and even 150 years ago it was livelier than it is today. But, the city was a bit out of luck in the 20th century (or vice versa), as it was positioned somewhat away from the Kiev railroad and the Kiev federal highway. This is why the city is “asleep.” You arrive there and you fall into the 19th century. No, not the 19th, even earlier than that, into the 17th. Though the inhabitants of the city are dressed in modern clothes.

As any decent city of ancient Russia, it sits on the hills next to a river surrounded with picturesque nature of Russia. There are many churches (an unbelievable amount, 16 still intact, 11 destroyed and 2 monasteries) all very different architecturally. Borovsk is also considered a stronghold of Old Believers. Feodosia Morozova was killed here. In the 19th centery, 70% of the population were Old Believers.

Besides its historical value, there is a subtle atmosphere of something close to your heart, where you feel at peace and blessed. Near a monastery, if you sit down on a bench, you don’t want to leave, whether you believe in God or not. There is especially wonderful nature around. And pine trees. And fresh air!

Borovsk is loved by artists, writers, and poets. In the summer, students from the Moscow art schools come to work in the open-air. And by the way, many people have a similar story of love for Borovsk. They saw photos and thought “well, it is just an old city, so what?” … and then they come, see it in for themselves, fall in love..buy a house and build their lives there.

I met an interesting old man there. He had retired and moved with his wife from noisy Moscow to Borovsk. And then he started to take photographs!:) His series of photos about Borovsk was exhibited in St. Petersburg and even has won a prize at some photo competition in Germany. Unfortunately, I do not remember his name.

There are many stories like this. There is something special about Borovsk.

Borovsk is 30 minutes from where I live, so I visit quite often. I simply like to walk around Borovsk and soak in the ambiance of something very joyous, and I try to show it through my photographs.

We want to thank Victoria Zaykina for sharing her photos.
See Victoria’s entire Borovsk photoset on Flickr.

Photo: On the night of Cross Raisings

jim — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:37:12 +0000

Russian photographer Misha Maslennikov captured this amazing photo in the Chukotka region of eastern Russia. Maslennikov captured a moment in time as workers were preparing to put the cross on top of a local church. Be sure to check out more of Maslennikov’s work at Flickr.

On the night of Cross Raisings – by Misha Maslennikov.

Service at St. Sophia Cathedral in Velikiy Novgorod

jim — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 08:25:45 +0000

This Saturday, services where held at St. Sophia Cathedral marking the end of the week following Easter (known as Bright Week). During the service, believers walked around the church singing and proclaiming “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” The Cathedral of St. Sophia is one of the oldest churches in Russia, constructed from 1045 to 1052. Here’s a short video from the outdoor part of the service.

Link: Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod
Link: Velikiy Novgorod

Russian Easter 2007

jim — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 09:15:35 +0000

According to the Itar-Tass news agency, more than 6 million Russians took part in Easter celebrations this year. President Putin and other government officials marked the holiday by attending ceremonies in Moscow. Putin also used the occasion to return the long-lost icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” to the Russian Patriarch. Putin declared that the state is determined to return as many stolen relics to the Russian Orthodox Church as possible as well as help rebuild churches and monasteries.

Link: Easter in a Russian Town (Photos)
Link: Putin hands long-lost icon to Orthodox patriarch, pledges to return more
Link: Orthodox and western faiths mark Easter
Link: More than 6 mln Russians taken part in Easter celebrations

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior

jim — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 10:00:22 +0000

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is one of the most important churches in Moscow. This cathedral has an amazing history. It was constructed to commemorate the victory over Napoleon, blown up by Stalin to make room for the Palace of Soviets, was the site of the world’s largest swimming pool, and was reconstructed again after the fall of the Soviet Union. The cathedral’s official website documents this history with a huge collection of photos, audio and video. The video archive is especially interesting and features video from 1912 to the present.

Link: The Cathedral of Christ the Savior

Merry Christmas!

jim — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 10:00:40 +0000

It’s Christmas in Russia today. While most countries celebrate Christmas on December 25th, Russia celebrates on January 7th. Why?

“Well, the reason is that the Russian Orthodox Church still lives according to the old Julian Calendar, which is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar, which is adopted by most countries in the world (and by the Russian government). ”

Link: Russian Christmas: Why do Russians Celebrate Christmas on January 7th?