RU-6957163 Nilov Monastery on Lake Seliger, Russia

This postcard came from Anastasia (Postcrossing, January 2019).  It shows Nilov Monastery located in Lake Seliger in Russia.

Nilov Monastery was founded by Saint Nilus in 1594, and used to welcome up to 40,000 pilgrims each year. Most of the buildings of the monastery were built in the 18th and 19th Centuries in a neoclassical style. Today the monastery complex remains one of the most impressive ensembles of Neoclassical architecture in Eastern Europe. Some of its churches date back to the 17th century. A graceful embankment was completed by 1812, and a large cathedral was built in 1821-25. The construction of the causeway to the island was completed in 1812. The Nilov Monastery was one of the largest and wealthiest monasteries in the Russian Empire.

This colour photograph by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii was taken in 1909. Sergei documented a great number of Russian heritage sites throughout the Russian Empire. Without his work, the image of this magnificent church would have been lost.

RU-6924551 Church of our Saviour and the Protection of the Mother of God

This postcard came from Polina in Sochi (December 2018).

The postcard shows the 24-domed Intercession church on the Vytegra River named the Church of our Saviour and the Protection of the Mother of God (Церковь Спасителя и Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы. Вытегорский Погост). The church was built in wood in 1708 and burnt down to the ground by accident in 1963. It has not been restored so far.  

This colour photograph by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii was taken in 1909. Sergei documented a great number of Russian heritage sites throughout the Russian Empire. Without his work, the image of this magnificent church would have been lost.

RU-6612333 The Leonardo da Vinci Room in the Old Hermitage

The Old Hermitage is one of several buildings within the State Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg, Russia. The State Hermitage Museum is a museum of art and culture and is the second-largest art museum in the world. It was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings. Originally, the only building housing the collection was the "Small Hermitage". Today, the Hermitage Museum encompasses many buildings on the Palace Embankment and its neighbourhoods. Apart from the Small Hermitage, the museum now also includes the "Old Hermitage" (also called "Large Hermitage"), the "New Hermitage", the "Hermitage Theatre", and the "Winter Palace", the former main residence of the Russian tsars. In recent years, the Hermitage has expanded to the General Staff Building on the Palace Square facing the Winter Palace, and the Menshikov Palace.

This Leornado da Vinci room is in the Old Hermitage. It has with two tiers of windows and it contains two of the museum's masterpieces - two works by one of the greatest Renaissance masters - Leonardo da Vinci. The Benois Madonna, one of the artist's undisputed creations, and The Litta Madonna. When decorating the room in 1858, the architect Andrei Stakenschneider combined light-coloured stucco with colourful stone (porphyry and jasper columns, lapis-lazuli insets in the marble fireplaces) and gilding. The room is further adorned by painted panels and ceiling paintings. The doors are decorated in the Boulle technique with tortoiseshell veneer and gilded brass.

This beautiful postcard was sent by Svetlana (Deember 2018).

RU-6498544 Russian Arctic National Park

I received this postcard from Maria (Postcrossing, July 2018) and on the back of the postcard, the following is indicated:
          The archipelago of Franz Josef Land
          The Russian Arctic National Park

The Russian Arctic National Park (Russian: Национальный парк "Русская Арктика") is a national park of Russia, which was established in June 2009. It was expanded in 2016, and it covers a large and remote area of the Arctic Ocean, the northern part of Novaya Zemlya (Severny Island), and Franz Josef Land.

After the expansion in 2016, approximately 74,000 km2, 16,000 km2 in land area and 58,000 km2 in sea area were added to the National Park. In 2009 the total area of the national park was 14,260 km2, including 6,320 km2 on the land and 7,940 km2 of the Arctic Ocean.

The area is the habitat of polar bears and bowhead whales. The area also includes one of the largest bird colonies in the Northern Hemisphere, as well as walrus and seal rookeries. In addition to preserving natural habitats, the area of the national park is important for preserving the cultural heritage, which is related to the history of discovery and colonisation of the vast Arctic territories starting from the sixteenth century.

RU-6558506 Church of the Resurrection, Kostroma, Russia

The Church of the Resurrection is a Russian Orthodox church located next to the bridge across the Volga River in the city of Kostroma, Russia.  It is one of the most beautiful buildings of the city, this multi-domed Church of the Resurrection (1651). This is the only surviving church in Kostroma of the XVII century. It gives the impression of lightness, elegance and gaiety. It is built of bricks and decorated with carved white limestone. Its walls are painted in bright colours of a chequered pattern. 

At the entrance to the Holy Gate, a visitor would be welcomed by creatures (some of which are mythological) : the lion - the symbol of strength, the unicorn - the symbol of chastity, the pelican - the symbol of immortality and resurrection, Alkonost (the bird of paradise with human head) - the symbol of righteousness. The interior of the cathedral is beautifully decorated with 17th-century frescoes. The bright rich colours make this temple the jewel of Kostroma. (source:baranovna.narod.ru)

This postcard came from Polina from Moscow (Postcrossing, 29 June 2018)

RU-6508172 Andrey Shishkin's "Housewife"

This lovely postcard was sent by Mary (Postcrossing, 8 June 2018).
The title of this piece of art is titled simply as "Housewife" and it was painted by Andrey Shishkin.

Andrey Shishkin was born in Moscow in 1960. He began painting at the age of 15, when he realized that his true calling was to research the human character: in its ups an downs, strengths and weaknesses, kindness and cruelty, sadness and joy. Because of this, Andrey's favourite genre is portrait. He produces amazing work even though he is largely self-taught. Andrey is proud to take part in creating painting for several Russian Orthodox cathedrals and churches. He is also known for his series of portraits of historical characters. Andrey’s favourite work is portrait commissions.

RU-5830175 Church of the Savior on Blood, St, Petersburg, Russia

This drawing of the Church of the Savior on Blood (or Spilled Blood) came from Olga (16 August 2017). It shows the church in wintertime.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Russian: Церковь Спаса на Крови, Tserkovʹ Spasa na Krovi) is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg, Russia. 
This church was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded in March 1881.The church was built between 1883 and 1907. 
It has been restored in recent times but the church is not consecrated and no religious services (except memorial service for the tsar) are held in this church.

DE-6234252 The Icebreaker Lenin

Lenin (Ленин) is a decommissioned Soviet nuclear-powered icebreaker. It was launched in 1957and was both the world's first nuclear-powered surface ship and the first nuclear-powered civilian vessel. Lenin entered operation in 1959 and worked clearing sea routes for cargo ships along Russia's northern coast. From 1960 to 1965 the ship covered over 85,000 miles during the Arctic navigation season, of which almost 65,000 were through ice. On April 10th 1974 the vessel was awarded the Order of Lenin. She was officially decommissioned in 1989. The icebreaker Lenin was subsequently converted to a museum ship and is now permanently based at Murmansk.

Murmansk (Му́рманск) is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, It is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, an inlet of the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, close to Russia's borders with Norway and Finland. (Source: Wikipedia)

This postcard came from Lera (7 June 2017) who currently resides in Germany. 

RU-4784880 Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir

Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir (sometimes translated Assumption Cathedral) (Russian: Собор Успения Пресвятой Богородицы) used to be a mother church of medieval Russia in the 13th and 14th centuries. It is part of the World Heritage Site entitled White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal.

The cathedral was commissioned by Andrew the Pious in his capital Vladimir and dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), whom he promoted as the patron saint of his lands. Originally erected in 1158-1160, the 6-pillared 5-domed cathedral was expanded in 1185-1189 to reflect the augmented prestige of Vladimir. Embracing the area of 1178 sq. metres, it remained the largest of Russian churches for the following 300 or 400 years.

The exterior walls of the church are covered with elaborate carvings. The interior was painted in the 12th century and then repainted by the great Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chernyi in 1408.  A lofty belltower, combining genuinely Russian, Gothic, and Neoclassical influences, was erected nearby in 1810. (Source: Wikipedia)

This postcard came from Alyona (15 July 2016) Postcrossing.

RU-4789392 Kazan Kremlin in the city of Kazan,Tatarstan, Russia

The Kazan Kremlin (Russian: Казанский Кремль; Tatar: Cyrillic Казан кирмәне) is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built at the behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.

The Kazan Kremlin includes many old buildings, the oldest of which is the Annunciation Cathedral (1554-62), the only 16th-century Russian church to have six piers and five apses. Like many of Kazan's buildings of the period, it is constructed of local pale sandstone rather than of brick.

The most conspicuous landmark of the Kazan Kremlin is the leaning Söyembikä Tower, which probably goes back to the reign of Peter the Great. A well-known legend connects the tower with the last queen of Kazan. Another recognizable architectural feature is the Spasskaya Tower, which anchors the southern end of the Kremlin and serves as the main entrance to the Kremlin. The Spasskaya Tower is named after the Spassky Monastery, which used to be located nearby.   (source: Wikipedia)

This postcard came from Svetlana (15 July 2016) Postcrossing.

RU-4721008 RU-5936832 The Moscow Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin (Моско́вский Кремль), usually referred to as the Kremlin, is a fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and the Alexander Garden to the west. It is the best known of the kremlins (Russian citadels) and includes five palaces, four cathedrals and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

The name Kremlin means "fortress inside a city" and is often also used as a metonym to refer to the government of the Russian Federation.

This postcard was sent by Anastasiya (16 June 2016) Postcrossing and it shows among others, three well know sights of the Kremlin, (1) the Grand Kremlin Palace, (2) the Spasskaya Tower with one of the Kremlin stars on top and (3) Ivan the Great Bell Tower.

This second postcard of the Moscow Kremlin was sent by Anna (17 October 2017)

It shows the Cathedral of the Annunciation.




























See also:
..
https://flynnfrogg.blogspot.com/2015/06/ru-3625726-cathedral-of-annuciation-in.html

RU-4403987 Yaroslavl's 1000th year anniversary 1010-2010

Yaroslavl (Russian: Ярослáвль) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located 250 kilometres (160 mi) northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities northeast of Moscow that has played an important role in Russian history.

Yaroslavl officially celebrated it’s millennium over the weekend of September 10th-12th,  2010. Under the conditions of the preparations for the city's 1000th year anniversary the municipal authorities invested a great deal of money into the development of the city's road and rail infrastructure, much of the funds for which were granted by the federal government in Moscow. Included in these preparations was the opening of a new bridge (in 2006) over the Volga; this is now known as the Jubilee Bridge.

Over the previous 2-3 years leading up to 2010, much of Yaroslavl got a face-lift. Many billions of rubles were spent restoring many old and run-down buildings to pristine condition.

Anastasia sent this commemoration postcard (9 March 2016) Postcrossing.

RU-4382794 The highest volcano in Kamchatka - Klyuchevskaya Sopka

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are a large group of volcanoes situated on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Kamchatka River and the surrounding central side valley are flanked by large volcanic belts containing around 160 volcanoes, 29 of them still active. The peninsula has a high density of volcanoes and associated volcanic phenomena, with 29 active volcanoes being included in the six UNESCO World Heritage List sites in the Volcanoes of Kamchatka group, most of them on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

The highest volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4,750 m or 15,584 ft), the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere. Klyuchevskaya Sopka (Russian: Ключевская сопка) is a stratovolcano. Its steep, symmetrical cone towers about 100 kilometres (60 mi) from the Bering Sea. 

This postcard came from Olga (7 March 2016) Postcrossing.

RU-4089105 Tsarevna with golden crown

This beautiful painting is entitled "Tsarevna with golden crown".  It is painted by Vladislav Nagornov. This Russian painter, who graduated from the Penza Art College, then from the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture was born in 1974 in Penza. He began painting at the tender age of six.
Vladislav is fond of history. He researches a lot of information before creating his characters with their costumes and decorations. Vladislav has studied the works of the great artists  – Repin, Surikov, Ivanov and many others. Vladislav showcases the beauty of Russian girls and women, as well as reminds his viewers of the great history of Russia.

This postcard came from Russia (5 December 2015) Postcrossing.

RU-3973759 Saint Petersburg, second largest city in Russia

Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербу́рг) is the second largest city in Russia, politically incorporated as a federal subject (a federal city). It is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. In 1914 the name of the city was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd, in 1924 to Leningrad and in 1991, back to Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703. Between 1713–1728 and 1732–1918, Saint Petersburg was the imperial capital of Russia. In 1918, the central government bodies moved from Saint Petersburg (then named Petrograd) to Moscow. Saint Petersburg has 5 million inhabitants (2012) and it is a major European cultural centre.

This postcard shows the view of Vasilyevsky Island and the Admiralty Embankment.  The postcard came from Daria (Postcrossing).

RU-3966002 The coat of arms of the Russian Empire 1721- 1914

The Russian Empire had a coat of arms, displayed in either its greater, middle and lesser version.  This postcard shows the coat of arms in its greater version.

Kate (Postcrossing) who sent this postcard has written a full description of this coat of arms (see below).

RU-3926600 Cross Procession during the consecration of the Church of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God

A commission created in the years 1894-1895 to mark the tercentenary of the rule of the Romanov Dynasty in 1913 approached Tsar Alexander III for guidance about the possibility of building a public worship site close to the Moscow railway station in St Petersburg.  The intention was to commemorate the many significant deeds marking the rule of the Imperial Family during the centuries. Tsar Alexander responded by suggesting that instead a church should be built on that location. The church was inaugurated in January 1914 by Tsar Nicholas II in the presence of members of the Imperial Family.

The church was virtually demolished by the bolsheviks during the following 70 years, and therefore ceased to exist as a place of worship.

This postcard shows the Cross Procession during the consecration of the Upper Church.  Tsar Nicolas II in the photograph is located behind the clergy.

This postcard came from Elena (26 August 2015) Postcrossing.

RU-3378583 Usadba Coastal Village of the 2014 Winter Paralympics

The 2014 Winter Paralympics (Зимние Паралимпийские игры 2014), the eleventh Paralympic Winter Games, and also more generally known as the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), held in Sochi, Russia from 7–16 March 2014. 45 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) participated in the Games, which marked the first time Russia ever hosted the Paralympics.

Two Paralympic villages - the Usadba Coastal Village and the Mountain Paralympic Village were operated to house the 45 delegations – about 1,600 athletes and delegation members.  These two villages were located in the immediate vicinity of the competition venues. Both Coastal and Mountain Paralympic Villages were fully accessible and include ramps, automatic doors in addition to voice activation in elevators.

More information about Usadba Coastal Village

Usadba Coastal Village was designed for 350 athletes and delegation members of the countries participating in the Paralympic Games. The village is located in close proximity to the Coastal Cluster venues, therefore an athlete’s trip to training and competition venues takes no more than 10 minutes. Athletes participating in ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling competitions also resided in Usadba.

This postcard came from Dasha (24 August 2015) Postcrossing.

RU-3813970 Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Theotokos) in Suzdal, Russia

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Suzdal, Russia is a World Heritage Site. It is one of the eight White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal and is regarded as one of the most complex monuments of Russian medieval architecture.

This Cathedral is surrounded by a ring of earthen walls in an oxbow of Kamenka River. The cathedral was originally built and decorated with frescoes during the reign of Vladimir II Monomakh in 1102. In 1222, the dilapidated building was taken down and replaced by a new one built of white stone. Thus it remained until 1528, when the white stone walls above the arcade were replaced by brick. In the 17th century, the previously three-domed cathedral was given five domes and the interior was partially repainted. Thus the cathedral survives to this day with numerous changes throughout its history, both in the exterior, and the interior, where the wall frescoes are of 13th-, 15th- and 17th-century origin. The cathedral has also endured fire several times

Since 1945 the cathedral has been under systematic restoration aimed at recreating its appearance after the 1528 reconstruction, but with the onion-shaped domes from 1748 retained.

This postcard came from Marina (5 August 2015) Postcrossing.

RU-3847315 Church of the Nativity of our Lady in the Museum of Wooden Architecture, Vitoslavlitsy, Novgorod

Long ago, in the 12th century, the small village of Vitoslavlitsy was situated in a location between Novgorod and the Yuriev monastery.  Today an outdoor museum of wooden architecture is situated at this spot.  This museum is one of several to be found  in Russia (others are in Suzdal and Kostroma see http://flynnfrogg.blogspot.sg/2014/07/ru-2786825-church-of-saviour-1712-in.html ). Quite old buildings were dismantled at their original locations, brought to the museum, reassembled and restored.    The "villages" which result are, of course, artificial creations, since they never existed in the given location with the same grouping of buildings that one now sees.   However, an obvious effort has been made to ensure authenticity at least in the houses, which have been furnished with genuine objects and in which items have been placed according to what is known from ethnographic surveys of still living traditions which can reasonably be assumed to correspond to those of the former inhabitants of the houses on display. 

The Vitoslavlitsy, Novgorod exhibit brings together churches of serveral distinct designs from as early as 1531 and houses from the nineteenth century, and a windmill from the early 20th century.  Shown on this postcard is the Church of the Nativity of our Lady which was originally from Peredki village (1531).

This postcard came from Elizaveta (27 July 2015) Postcrossing.