October 25 2010
A Lego “history” of the USSR
This rather entertaining “history” of the Soviet Union for children has been making its way around the web. While not very historical in nature, it’s good for a laugh or two.
This rather entertaining “history” of the Soviet Union for children has been making its way around the web. While not very historical in nature, it’s good for a laugh or two.
Leningrad – Nevsky Prospect – 1955 from sonobugiardo on Flickr.
The Russian town of Kalyazin is located on the Volga river north of Moscow (view Kalyazin on Google Maps). This town of about 15,000 people was founded in 1134 but most of the historical city is now under water. In 1940, most the town was flooded during the creation of the Uglich Reservoir. While most of the town was relocated to higher ground, the bell tower of the Makaryevsky monastery can still be seen sticking out of the Volga. Here are some historical and modern photos of Kalyazin.
Kalyazin – on Yandex Photos
Kalyazin – on Yandex Photos
Bell tower in Kalyazin on Yandex Photos.
“Invitation to a tour …” on Yandex Photos.
Belfry by peterdanilov on Flickr.
You can see many more photos on Yandex Photos and Flickr.
We often see pictures of beautiful Russian monasteries and churches online. Recently, these photos caught our eye. These photo of the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery show the real progress that has been made in restoring Russia’s many historic churches and monasteries. Compare these recent photos to the ones found on the monastery’s website and read about the incredible 300-year history of the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery.
Раифа Raifa by Paprikash27 on Flickr.
by diletant28 on Yandex Photos
Historical photos from raifa.ru
The A-90 Orlyonok was an amazing mix of boat and airplane developed in secret by the Soviet military. The A-90 is one of the largest ground effect vehicles ever made. This A-90 is now on display in Moscow.
Photo by Peer.Gynt
50 years ago, two Soviet dogs made a historic flight into space and became heros. Read more about Belka and Strelka on Wikipedia and watch this video from RT for some interesting insights into the lives of the first dogs in space.
Steven G. recently posted some great photos of a Soviet era monument to friendship between Russia and Georgia. He wasn’t able to find out much information about this monument, which is located on Georgian territory, perhaps someone knows the story behind this unique structure? We found the colors in the photos to be amazing, be sure to click on the photos and check out the high quality versions.
Soviet Monument to Russo-Georgian Friendship II by Stefan G.
This eleven minute show, which recently aired on RT, gives a nice overview of the sights around Red Square and the area near the Kremlin walls. If you’re planning on visiting Moscow, we recommend watching this video. If you’ve recently been to Moscow, you will see some familiar sights here and maybe have some of your questions answered.
Every summer, the fluff from poplar trees floats around Moscow and other Russian cities, often covering the ground and giving the appearance of a recent snowfall. But where did all these poplar trees come from, and who is to blame? RT gives an interesting and entertaining insight into these pesky poplars in this report.
