The Suburbs of Elista

Dawn
Eerily quiet
Not quite Russian

The First Mosquitoes

Wednesday, May 16th
We see our first mosquitoes of 2007
While our train stalls in the Volga Delta region

The Motherland Calls

"Mother Russia" stands on the bloodiest hill in Russia
The Battle of Stalingrad took place here
She is 170 feet tall

Another Kremlin

Although it used to be red,
This one is not in Moscow.
It's in sunny Astrakhan.

Back from...

Korea? No.
Japan? No.
Kalmykia, the only Buddhist republic in Europe

Getting Ready to Go

We're packing to go to Elista and Astrakhan.
When we get back,
Jenevieve flies home to America.

Mother Moscow

Happy Mother's Day
Here's a photo of the VVTs
We visited back in March 2007

Who's Behind That Squirrel?

This squirrel offers a pine cone
on the fourth floor
of Moscow's "Children's World"

Peter the Great

The founder of the Russian Navy
Marches in the clouds
Indeed he is a saint

Central Church

Downtown Lipetsk
"Linden City"
Late April 2007

Victory Day

Today is Victory Day,
the most important holiday in Russia,
commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany.

Russian Bride

A Russian bride in Voronezh
waiting for her groom
who is consulting the photographer.

Welcome to Kursk

On the road from Moscow to Kursk
drivers are greeted by a statue, an arch, and a church
dedicated to the largest tank battle of World War II

Triumfalnaya Square

Statue of Vladimir Mayakovsky
Nearby is the Starlite Diner
and Bulgokov's apartment

Something Ominous

There's something ominous
out on the horizon
beyond the birch trees...

Milk Walking

On the streets of Voronezh
Walks a can of milk
Looking for a cool, dry place

Holy Reflection!

How much is that churchie in the window?
The one with the round cupola
How much is that churchie in the window?

Day of the International Solidarity of Workers

Lenin: "It's May 1st!
Workers of the World Unite!
Communism is just over there!"