Uzbekistan in English Russia

English Russia, a Russian photosite captioned in English, used to be part of my daily routine.  Eventually the flood of traffic wore me out.  Just now I went back for a look and I found it is still publishing a tremendous amount of  striking visual material.  Go have a look at Colors of Uzbekistan, or the recent montage of photos from Chechnya.

Image:  the mausoleum of Tamerlane (Timur).  Click to see it large and even more beautiful.

Another Reality: the Forgotten World

This post at English Russia is typical of much of the most striking material at that photo-blog, which covers 1/6 of the Earth's surface.

Have a look. It might prove to be a philosophical moment. It certainly is a philosophical title.

Scenes from the last Afghan war

...done in ballpoint pen by a Russian soldier. From English Russia.

"A sad cemetery of depressing clutter"

A modern Russian characterizes Soviet-era "interior design" AKA "dying for the unavailable K-Mart."

The realities of space travel today

Pictures from English Russia.

Our modern world

Don't miss this segment from English Russia.

Is it rural Russia, or "I survived a Japanese game show?"

I laughed out loud at this video from English Russia, but once again it reminds me of off-the-beaten-track Canada. Especially with all the rain my area has got this year.

Traveling across Kazakhstan

Another one of those wonderful postings from English Russia that gives you some idea how many vast, largely unknown landscapes there are on this Earth.

Image: not particularly vast, but I could not resist the heron.

A re-created medieval battle in Russia

When I got involved in medieval re-creation in the early 70s, Russia was a faraway and generally inaccessible place where the kind of fun we were having would not have fit in. Now, however, an energetic and classy re-creation (Alexander Nevsky versus the evil German Crusaders? English Russia saith not) looks much the same there as it does in North America.

Images: Love that fort!

Alex Andreev's "Hermetic Art"

From the sample recently posted at English Russia. Andreev has a site of his own.

So much for "an armed society is a polite society."

Gunfire for fun in the streets of Moscow. You have to be a bit patient see the point of this video.

From English Russia: a variety of Russian women

Here.

Image: World War II veteran.

Scenes from the Russian Antarctic station

More at English Russia.

Stunning

Yes, the Obama inauguration was special, but I will let everyone else on the web talk about that. If you want a break, see English Russia for this stunning array of beautiful, grim, gritty pictures by Aleksey Petrosian called Life in Russia. Your jaw will drop.

Hats off to Lvov, Ukraine

The people in Manchuria behind the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival have my great respect. Now joining them in my personal pantheon are whoever in Lvov were behind this unusual urban amenity (see English Russia for the explanation).

(Non-)Holiday music

From English Russia.

Russian Muslims pray in downtown Moscow!

Lots of them! From English Russia.

Sports fans in Toronto, Russia

Russian immigrants celebrate a sporting win in Hogtown. Hey, at least they have a winning team! From English Russia.

Kamchatka

Ever wanted to know more about Kamchatka than where it is on the Risk board?

Here's where you go.

Image: Can't say it's a particularly remarkable example.

English Russia goes wild!

The amazing Russian photo site has two fabulous postings: on Soviet playing cards with a Mayan motif, and contemporary Siberian carving done in recovered prehistoric mammoth ivory.