Усадьба Быково

Estate Bykovo

A short walk along the half-abandoned estate Bykovo (XVIII-XIX) near Moscow. It belongs to Mikhail Izmailov, a Turk by origin, converted to Russian citizenship and to Orthodoxy. Later it belongs to Count Vorontsov-Dashkov.

Заброшенный полигон

Abandoned military training center

Nikolo-Urjupino, Moscow region. Engineering polygon. Almost abandoned military training center for students of military chairs. Models of airplanes and armored vehicles, caponiers, trenches, bunkers and so on.

Усадьба Никольское-Урюпино

Abandoned estate Nikolskoe-Urjupino

Former estate of the Golitsyn princes in the village Nikolo-Urjupino. Moscow region, Russia (1774-1917). Status - reconstruction.

Дюны Куршской косы

Dunes of the Curonian Spit

In walking distance from the Dancing Forest (you have to walk a little along the seafront towards the Lithuanian border) there is a place with an almost unearthly landscape - dunes of the Curonian Spit.

Заброшенный молокозавод

Abandoned dairy plant

Abandoned dairy plant near Podolsk city, Moscow region. Another abandoned object that looks like a fortress from a post-nuclear world.

Танцующий лес на Куршской косе

Dancing forest on the Curonian Spit

This is the pine forest with trees of unusual shape (whimsically curved trunks) located on the 37th kilometer of the Curonian Spit (Kaliningrad region, Russia). Is  the part of the national park Curonian Spit. By the way, the locals call this place Drunken Forest:)

Подольский гидроузел

Giant abandoned levee

Looks like postapocalytic fortress what grinned with fittings isn't it? This giant abandoned levee in Podolsk near Moscow was built in period of 1975-1990. It was the era of nature conquest, when soviet people drained swamps and turned the rivers back. Here, at the confluence of two rivers, planned to make artificial Podolskoye sea. But it so happened that the water flowed into the endless karst caves under the local area where in former times placed giant ancient quarries. So this project was closed in 1990.

Ледяной рассвет в Нифльхейме

Frozen dawn in Niflheim

Some more photos of the effects of freezing rain in the winter 2010

Ковка розы

Forging a rose from a metal strip (one piece)

This is my another one lesson of forging in the Russian Academy of Crafts.

Ковка розы из одного куска стальной полосы. Еще один урок из моего курса художественной ковки в Русской Академии Ремесел.

Нифльхейм

Niflheim

Niflheimr. "Abode of mists" In Norse mythology, one of the nine worlds, the land of ice and fog, habitat of icy giants (hrímthurs), one of the primary worlds.

In winter 2010 an unusual occurrence happened in Moscow and the surrounding area. Freezing rain. These photos of the consequences. Niflheim on the body of Earth. Photos by my mother in my edition.

Спасение лисы

Operation to rescue the silver fox

One day my mother met a woman who was walking in the yard with a real silver fox. The woman said that one or two years ago her children wanted to have a dog. But in the store, they saw a fox and they begged their mother to buy the animal.

Fox became a member of the family. She was very smart and gentle. It does not get dirty their apartment, walked on a leash, and slept in bed, in feet of kids.

But over time, the children began cooled to fox. Fox grew up and began to smell the strange scent of wild. She began to spoil parquet, trying to digging holes as instinct told her. The family decided to let the fox into the forest.

They did not understand that the pet does not have the survival skills in the forest and it is doomed to perish.

So, my mother took pity on this fox and asked her acquaintances farmers to give shelter to fox. Fox was placed in my car, and we took her to the farm.

Piligrim Porto

 "Piligrim Porto". Almost abandoned fake town for filming 

This tiny European town of the XVIII century, was built for the filming of Russian TV series "Notes forwarder of the Secret Chancellery", that was filmed here in 2010. Now the enterprising people allow to walk here for a small pay. Visitors can climb the sham buildings, giving free rein to the imagination, take pictures and just breathe the fresh air. There is also doing clips and produce professional photo sessions.

Sadly, judging by earlier pictures on the internet, this city is in decline. Many of the decorations disappear or break down. Among them, a steering wheel and the ship's head figure, a loading crane on the bank of the canal, a sham crosses on graveyard, the log for cutting heads on a scaffold for executions and so on.

However, there is information that the town can be revived and get a new life in another film.