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Golden Autumn 2023

Shakhmatovo. The house-museum of Alexander Blok.

Tarakanovo Manor

Moscow Botanical Garden

The Tsytsin Main Moscow Botanical Garden was founded in April 1945, and claims itself to be the largest botanical garden in Europe. It covers a territory of approximately 3.61 km² and contains a live exhibition of more than twenty thousand different species of plants coming from various parts of the world. 

Japanese Garden

Serednikovo

Serednikovo estate located in Moscow suburbs represents Russian neoclassical architecture of the 18th century. The estate is surrounded by a magnificent garden with round pond and canals. Serednikovo is a place where Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841), one of the greatest and most famous Russian poets, used to spend summer holidays.

Kuskovo

Kuskovo museum complex in Moscow is a summer estate of the Sheremetev family built in 18th century and includes Summer palace, Grotto, Italian house, Kuskovo Church and Tower bell, Hermitage in English landscape garden, the Dutch house and Orangeries. Grotto pavilion was constructed between 1755 and 1761 and was intended to represent the palace of the King of the Seas. Interior was made of whorled seashells of 24 different types which were delivered from the Mediterranean, Red, Black seas, the Sea of Japan, and reservoirs of the Moscow region.

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Baltic Sea, October 2023

Svetlogorsk

The Water tower was built in 1907-1908 in Rauschen. The 25-meter building was designed in the German national romanticism style. Now this is a symbol of Svetlogorsk.

Makarov Organ Hall

Tikhoe (Silent) lake

There is a monument of wildlife near the lake – a linden tree whose age is more than 450 years (the information about this long-lived tree is listed in the Guinness Book of Records).

Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov

The Orthodox Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Svetlogorsk, in the time of East Prussia, was a Lutheran Church. The Church was built in 1903 in the Eastern part of Rauschen. It is located on a hill in a small pine park.

Rainy streets of Svetlogorsk

Cultural space Telegraph 

Beautiful autumn decorations everywhere!

Hartman Hotel

Baltic sea

The Curonian Spit (Куршская коса) is a 98-km long, curved sand-dunespit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by Lithuania and Russia.

Yantarny (Palmniсken)

Yantarny (until 1947 Palmnicken) is an urban-type settlement located in the west of the Kaliningrad region, on the Baltic sea coast. Yantarny is considered the capital of the Amber region. The largest amber reserves in the world (about 90%) are concentrated in Yantarny and there is a unique place of its kind where amber is extracted on an industrial scale by an open method.

Церковь Казанской Иконы Божьей Матери

Zelenogradsk (Cranz)

Beautiful sky

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Summertime 2023

Храм-часовня Святителя Василия Великого

Abramtsevo

Abramtsevo Museum Reserve is one of the most famous art museums in Russia. The history of Abramtsevo is associated with the names of artists Segey Aksakov, Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Vrubel, Ilya Repin, Vasiliy Polenov, Valentin Serov and Savva Mamontov. Dozens of paintings which are internationally treasured now were created there. Abramtsevo was founded in 18th century.

The architectural gem of Abramtsevo is the Church of the Savior (Церковь Спаса Нерукотворного Образа), built by architect Pavel Samarin, according to designs by the artists Victor Vasnetsov and Vasily Polenov.

Radonezh

Radonezh is an absolutely beautiful village where Sergiy Radonezhsky once lived. The old town of Radonezh is known to have existed since the first half of the 14th century. Transfiguration Church (Церковь Преображения Господня, 1842) along with the nearby Sacred spring, a font and a monument to St. Sergius are located on the outskirts of the village. Very impressive place!

Moscow Botanical Garden

The Tsytsin Main Moscow Botanical Garden was founded in April 1945, and claims itself to be the largest botanical garden in Europe. It covers a territory of approximately 3.61 km² and contains a live exhibition of more than twenty thousand different species of plants coming from various parts of the world. 

Japanese Garden

VDNKH Exhibition Center

Church of the Holy Trinity in Ostankino

The first wooden Trinity Church was built in 1585 and was destroyed in the Time of Troubles. In 1625-27 Prince Cherkassky built a new wooden church. In 1692 a stone church in the name of the Trinity was build which with some modifications survives to this day.

Zvenigorod

A.P. Chekhov’s places in Zvenigorod

Skeet of Saint Savva

Savvino-Storozhevskiy Monastery

Landmark Orthodox monastery with a grand exterior and altar frescoes dating to the 1420s.

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Step inside the Abbey Road and Freddie Mercury Exhibition, London, August 2023

Step inside the Abbey road, a legendary studio, home to countless records by The Beatles, Pink Floyd and many more was an amazing once a lifetime experience. Took some pictures of iconic Studio Two and its famous historic instruments and studio gear which was used of a countless landmark records.

The lecture was led by Recording The Beatles authors Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew.

Challen piano was built in the 1930s. It gives a nice warm tone: a softer sound than a grand piano or the Steinway Vertegrand. Note the cigarette burns to the left on the keys courtesy of John and Paul.

Steinway Vertegrand Uprightpiano is one of the most long lived instruments of the studio (from around1905) and was used on several Beatles tracks such as Lady Madonna and regularlyused on Sgt. Peppers and The White album.

5th of September was Freddie Mercury 77th Birthday and the final day of Sotheby’s A World Of His Own auction exhibition which I was lucky to see 2 weeks ago during my London vacation. 

Very mixed feelings to be honest. Absolutely amazing and interesting exhibition of Freddie’s personal collection of musical instruments, costumes, home design and many other crazy little things but it’s sad to think that everything is going be sold. It should be a museum or something like that. There are millions of QUEEN fans around the world so it could be a very popular place to visit…

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England, August 2023

Beachy Head

The White Chalk Cliffs at Beachy Head were formed between 65 and 100 million years ago when the land was completely covered by the sea. The light from the Beachy Head Lighthouse first shone on the 2nd October 1902.

Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters

The hills and dips of the chalk cliffs between Cuckmere Haven and Birling Gap all have names. The original Seven Sisters now count as eight due to erosion dividing two of the hills. The view of the white cliffs just makes you feel so amazed! There is also a lighthouse built on the hill, the light from which first shone on the 11 October 1834.

St. Leonards On Sea

Warrior Square Gardens

St. Leonards Gardens

Eastbourne

Langham Hotel

Hastings

Hastings is a town in East Sussex, England, most famous for the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This town is home to the largest beach-launched fleet in Europe, the ruins of the first castle in England to be built by Willian the Conqueror.

Hastings Castle located on a cliff top of the West Hill is a great part of English history from 1066 of modern days. The savage storms of the 13th century brought chaos to Hastings, so the large parts of the castle fell into the sea.

Hastings Old Town is a charming mix of beautiful houses, narrow streets, museums, fish market.

On the way from London to Istanbul

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Springtime, 2023

March

Snowy days at the Moscow Botanical Garden

The Tsytsin Main Moscow Botanical Garden was founded in April 1945, and claims itself to be the largest botanical garden in Europe. It covers a territory of approximately 3.61 km² and contains a live exhibition of more than twenty thousand different species of plants coming from various parts of the world. 

Japanese Garden

Snow meltdown

VDNH. The exhibition and trade center of the Republic of Kazakhstan

April

Aptekarskiy ogorod

First snowdrops

Moscow Botanical Garden

Aptekarskiy Ogorod

Cherry trees blossom

VDNH Exhibition center

Apple trees blossom

May

Archangel Michael’s Church

This church is the oldest surviving building on the Arkhangelskoe estate dating from the mid-17th century.

Arkhangelskoe museum-estate

Lilac blossom

Храм-часовня Святителя Василия Великого

VDNH

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Sunny England, May 2023

Eastbourne

The low tide

Sovereugn Harbour

Prince’s Park

Eastbourne beach

Cozy and foggy Eastbourne evenings

Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters

The hills and dips of the chalk cliffs between Cuckmere Haven and Birling Gap all have names. The original Seven Sisters now count as eight due to erosion dividing two of the hills.

The view of the white cliffs just makes you feel so amazed!

There is also a lighthouse built on the hill, the light from which first shone on the 11 October 1834.

Beachy Head

The White Chalk Cliffs at Beachy Head were formed between 65 and 100 million years ago when the land was completely covered by the sea.

The light from the Beachy Head Lighthouse first shone on the 2nd October 1902.

Pevensey Bay

Pevensey Bay is a beautiful and cozy old fishing village founded in 1600 as Wallsend, the end of the sea wall from Eastbourne.

Pevensey castle

Pevensey Castle has a history stretching back over 1700 years, beginning in the 4th century as one of the strongest Roman Saxon Shore forts, two-third of whose towered walls still stand. Its impressive ruins stand on what was once a peninsula surrounded by sea and salt marsh projecting from the mainland of the Sussex coast.

London

Royal Albert Hall

The Albert Memorial

Hyde Park

Kensington Palace

Kensington area

Covent Garden

Victoria Embankment Gardens

Waterloo Bridge

Lambeth Bridge

Big Ben

Westminster Abbey

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A Tribute to Jeff Beck, London, 22-23 May 2023

Absolutely beautiful and magical concerts in the memory of one of the greatest guitarists Jeff Beck at the Royal Albert Hall! I was literally laughing and crying during the show as it was very emotional, thanks to the amazing artists Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall, Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, Gary Clark Jr, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Billy F Gibbons, Imelda May, John McLaughlin, Robert Randolph, Joss Stone, Olivia Safe, Kirk Hammett, Johnny Depp, Rhonda Smith, Anika Nilles and Robert Stevenson! Great lineup and setlist featuring different eras of Jeff Beck’s music. 

22 May 2023

At the beginning of the show two Yardbirds hits “Shapes of Things” and “Heart full of Sould” were played by Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall and the band. Clapton then welcomed Derek Trucks and Susan Tedesxhi to the stage.

Joss Stone performing “I put a spell on you”.

During Rod Stewart’s set at the May 22 tribute concert, he said, “I never thought I’d be here playing a concert in tribute to my dear old pal, Jeff Beck.” He started his set with “Infatuation,” his 1984 hit that featured Beck on guitar. 

After introducing Gary Clark Jr., Rode joked “I’ve never seen so many guitars in my life”.

Eric Clapton then sang “Going Down”, recorded by the Jeff Back Group in 1972 as the evening’s finale.

23 May 2023

Wish Buddy Guy and his band could have been there in person but great video tribute from the Legends, so many great memories!

Imelda May joined the lineup, which also included Johnny Depp, to sing “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” which she and Jeff Beck performed many times.

Other career-spanning repertoire included “Freeway Jam”, so closely associated with Jeff Beck’s 1977 live album with the Jan Hammer Group. Beck was touring with ZZ Top quite frequently. On this night, the band’s Billy Gibbons performed “Rough Boy”, which they had played together many times.

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Sunny and snowy Svetlogorsk, March 2023

Sunny and snowy streets of Svetlogorsk

Makarov Organ Hall

Tikhoe (Silent) lake

There is a monument of wildlife near the lake – a linden tree whose age is more than 450 years (the information about this long-lived tree is listed in the Guinness Book of Records).

Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov

The Orthodox Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Svetlogorsk, in the time of East Prussia, was a Lutheran Church. The Church was built in 1903 in the Eastern part of Rauschen. It is located on a hill in a small pine park.

The House-museum of Herman Brachert

The House-museum of Herman Brachert was opened in 1993 in the country house of the Bracherts family in Svetlogorsk. This is the only museum dedicated to the life and work of the wonderful German sculptor. The museum has a total of 738 exhibits – documents, letters and photographs from the sculptor’s family archive. But the pearl of the collection are the original works of the master.

Snowy Baltic sea

Hartman Hotel

Snowy storm at the Baltic sea (weather was changing within minutes).

Spring is coming!

The Water tower was built in 1907-1908 in Rauschen. The 25-meter building was designed in the German national romanticism style. Now this is a symbol of Svetlogorsk.

Hoffmann House and monument to ancient Svetlogorsk

Amber found of Baltic shores after the storm

Cultural space Telegraph 

Cozy places of Svetlogorsk

Beautiful sunsets

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Snowy winter 2023

New Year 2023 at Arkhangelskoe estate

Archangel Michael’s Church is the oldest surviving building on the Arkhangelskoe estate dating from the mid-17th century.

Christmas at VDNKH Exhibition Center

Events dedicated to culture of the indigenous peoples of the North at VDNH.

Moscow Botanical Garden

The Tsytsin Main Moscow Botanical Garden was founded in April 1945, and claims itself to be the largest botanical garden in Europe. It covers a territory of approximately 3.61 km² and contains a live exhibition of more than twenty thousand different species of plants coming from various parts of the world. 

Zvenigorod

Skeet of Saint Savva

Savvino-Storozhevskiy Monastery

Landmark Orthodox monastery with a grand exterior and altar frescoes dating to the 1420s.

Cozy streets of Zvenigorod

Radonezh

Radonezh is an absolutely beautiful village where Sergiy Radonezhsky once lived. The old town of Radonezh is known to have existed since the first half of the 14th century. Transfiguration Church (Церковь Преображения Господня, 1842) along with the nearby Sacred spring, a font and a monument to St. Sergius are located on the outskirts of the village. Very impressive place!

Abramtsevo

Abramtsevo Museum Reserve is one of the most famous art museums in Russia. The history of Abramtsevo is associated with the names of artists Segey Aksakov, Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Vrubel, Ilya Repin, Vasiliy Polenov, Valentin Serov and Savva Mamontov. Dozens of paintings which are internationally treasured now were created there. Abramtsevo was founded in 18th century.

The architectural gem of Abramtsevo is the Church of the Savior (Церковь Спаса Нерукотворного Образа), built by architect Pavel Samarin, according to designs by the artists Victor Vasnetsov and Vasily Polenov.

Gremyachiy Klyuch

The waterfall (or natural spring) is located in the Moscow region east of Sergiev Posad. According to legends, this spring arose at the request of Sergius of Radonezh. The fame of this holy spring spread throughout the Russian land and the site is visited by about 3000 tourists a year.

Moscow Botanical Garden