22 Friday Dec 2017
Posted in CULTURE: World, Love/ Kindness/ Inspiration, My Updates
≈ Comments Off on Merry Christmas from Lada Ray!
Merry Christmas from Lada Ray, Az & FuturisTrendcast
to all our readers, followers & friends!
This is a pic from the Russian Christmas Fair on Red Square, Moscow:
Russian Rozhdestvo (Orthodox Christmas) takes place one week after Western New Year. More pics then!
08 Sunday May 2016
Posted in CULTURE: Russia
Tags
archeology, History, immortal regiment, Kremlin Presidential Regiment, Moscow, Red Square, Russia, Spasskaya Tower, St. Basil's, the Kremlin, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Victory Day, visiting Moscow, WWII & Great Victory
Reposted from FUTURISTRENDCAST
In case you were planning a trip to Moscow, I thought you all might enjoy this fun piece about the Kremlin. We have talked lately about UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as Palmyra (Syria) and Odessa. The Moscow Kremlin is another one.
Kremlin, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is presently closed for tourists due to Victory Day – May 9, 2016 parade preparations. Since last year, a part of the Kremlin has been under massive renovations after the decision to demolish the so-called Building No. 14, which used to house presidential administration and which, according to specialists, didn’t represent any historic of architectural value. It was built in 1930’s, replacing the Small Nikolayevsky Palace, damaged during the revolution and demolished in 1929. The palace once served as Moscow residence for Emperor Nikolay II and his family.
The demolition of Building No. 14 opened up a boon for excited archeologists. The well-preserved foundation of the Nikolayevsky Palace was found underneath the structure. Historians and researchers were allowed access to its mysteries for the first time ever. Underneath that, archeologists discovered foundations of another dozen or so ancient buildings, as well as artefacts and relics dating back to 12th century Moscow.
Gold-domed medieval Kremlin cathedral
The new gardens now bloom in place of the huge building; previously blocked, a gorgeous view on the unique Kremlin cathedrals has opened up. Moreover, the new Kremlin tourist route has been opened, previously inaccessible due to presidential security. Tourists can now exit the Kremlin through its most famous and grandest Spasskaya Tower.
Spasskaya Tower
The Kremlin reopens after Victory Day celebrations, on May 10.
Watch the video below, with the new look of the grandest Moscow landmark. At the end of video, you’ll see the new tourist route, which, as usual, starts by Alexander Gardens, through Kutafia Tower. But you can now exit through Spasskaya Tower, allowing direct entrance onto Red Square, right by St. Basil’s Cathedral. Spasskaya Tower exit was previously open only for state visits and officials. I’ll tell you, considering the enormous distances you need to cover around the Kremlin, your feet will thank you dearly for this shortcut; and your eyes, for the luxurious view of Red Square!
St. Basil’s, Red Square
Towards the end of video, notice the glass enclosures. These are entrances to Kremlin’s underground archeological digs. What new mysteries does this place hold? Many more, for sure…
Also, thought I’d include a video showcasing the legendary elite Kremlin Presidential Regiment. The Presidential Regiment is celebrating its 80th birthday. It’s role is to guard President and Kremlin, as well as to perform Kremlin ceremonial duties. Chosen for their looks, its members are much more than just pretty faces. During the 1941 battle for Moscow, the entire Kremlin Regiment went into battle straight after the parade.
The Kremlin Presidential Regiment today. Some are chosen for looks, others, for their way with horses. Also check out the only woman serving in the Presidential Regiment.
Video:
#Moscow #Russia #Victoryday #immortalregiment
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20 Monday Jan 2014
Posted in CULTURE: Russia
Tags
2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Following The Olympic Torch Across Russia, Kamchatka, Lake Baikal, Moscow, Red Square, Russia, Russian Firebird, Sochi Olympics Countdown, Sochi Olympics torch at North Pole, Sochi Olympics torch in outer space, Sochi Olympics torch on ISS, Sochi Olympics torch relay, Sochi Olympics torch spacewalk, The city of Sochi, visiting different regions of Russia, Yakutia diamond mines
17 Monday Jun 2013
Posted in CULTURE: Russia
Tags
Den Pobedi, Gold Train (Accidental Spy Russia Adventure), Gorky Park, Moscow GUM, Moscow Kremlin, Moscow Museum of Cosmonautics, Moscow University, Moskva River boat ride, Red Square, Russia, Saint Basil's Cathedral, The Earth Shifter, Victory Day, videos about Moscow, Yury Gagarin
We are continuing our multimedia Russian adventure through stories, pics and vids. Today, we’ll be watching several very cool vids from our friends at the Real Russia Video Blog. What I especially like is that these are authentic Russian life vids. And another interesting thing is that both Sergeys live in Ufa, located in the Ural Mountains next to Siberia, and this is their virgin visit to the capital of Russia (to be sure, they came back for later vids). All this brings a certain sense of discovery to the Moscow experiences through their fresh eyes. Enjoy!
A Stroll Around Gorky Park – May 9, 2013, Victory Day (Den Pobedi)! One of my fave episodes: How people in Russia relax and enjoy themselves. So nice and sunny over there – it was snowing on May 9 here, in the Catskills, NY. Where did I go wrong? 😉
..
Zero Kilometer & Red Square. Red Square hardly needs an introduction. Experience first hand the unique energy of this place through the eyes of Russians visiting it for the very first time. Zero Kilometer is a point from which all roads in Russia begin. It is a symbolic marker located next to the Red Square, at the very beginning of Moscow’s, and all of Russia’s, principal street, Tverskaya Ulitsa. The historic Tverskaya runs from Red Square through the entire Moscow, turning into the highway to Saint Petersburg on the city’s outskirts. This famous street plays an important role in my books, THE EARTH SHIFTER and GOLD TRAIN. Continue reading
26 Sunday Aug 2012
Tags
Bird, dove, Feral Pigeon, Love, Moscow, Odessa, Paris, peace, pets, Pigeons on European squares, Postal pigeons, Red Square, Venice, wisdom
The heartbreaking story of the loving and forgiving stray cat, named Ugly, is something that resonates deeply with me. Read the original story here:
https://ladaray.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/love-compassion-and-ugly/
What is it that makes people act indifferently or cruelly towards others, be it an innocent animal, Earth’s nature or another human being. Ignorance? Closed-mindedness? Fear? All of the above? Parents who live in fear and with their minds closed then instruct their children, and perhaps even pets, like the dogs in Ugly’s sad story, to live and act in the same way.
Who hasn’t had experiences with bullies in their childhood? But what if a bully grows up and becomes this? Remember the terrible story that happened in New Jersey a few years ago, that of a young gay man, whose roommate at Rutgers University posted videos of him having sexual acts on the internet? This deliberately cruel act led to the young man’s suicide. The story received a lot of publicity and the guilty person received punishment. But what about so many other despicable acts and attitudes that get swept under the carpet? Do they just disappear? Do they teach a lesson? Do they leave a mark? Or do they escalate into something monstrous?
Where there is ignorance and closed-mindedness, there is prejudice followed by irrational fear, and even violence to “protect” the “threatened way of life.” In Ugly’s story, humans hosed down the poor stray and shut his paws in their doors. But on a global scale, these attitudes lead to wars, or attempts to start wars, as we are presently observing in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iran. What always struck me is that people who have started the war in Iraq haven’t the faintest idea on how to correctly pronounce the name of the country, nor do they care to know how people in that country live and what’s important to them.
But it always starts small; it always starts close to home.
THE PIGEON
In the old days, pigeons delivered urgent and important messages. Postal pigeons brought hope and saved lives. They carried correspondence from war zones and hard to reach places; they delivered messages from stranded or imprisoned people, leading to their rescue. Intelligent and gentle birds, they have been considered messengers of the gods. And along with the dove, their close relative, in Europe they are a symbol of peace and love.
Pigeons are a fixture on European squares, with people feeding them and kids chasing them, which pigeons don’t seem to mind. Humans and pigeons have always peacefully coexisted in the most beautiful cities of Europe, and some consider them an enhancement to the scenery. In Italy and some other countries it is actually considered great luck and a sign from God when a pigeon poops on you. In Odessa, where I grew up, children built pigeon lofts on roofs of apartment buildings, where they fed and played with pigeons. Although people in Europe LOVE feeding pigeons, authorities are not amused, aiming to limit the pigeon population.
Paris pigeons.
Pigeons in Red Square, Moscow.
Pigeons in St. Mark’s Square, Venice. Authorities don’t like it when people feed the pigeons. Some cities even impose a hefty fine if you do. This photo’s inscription reads: “They sure missed the sign that says, don’t feed the pigeons.”
One of the many beautiful fountains of Odessa, this one with city pigeon sculptures.
A few days ago my husband and I have rescued a young pigeon, who appeared to have fallen out of the third story attic where lots of local pigeons resided. The building in question is located on Main Street, a short walk from our house in the Catskills. My husband noticed the poor bird sitting motionlessly on the sidewalk, as cars and huge rumbling trucks passed by. He was not fully grown, but not a baby any more either. He might have flown out of his flock’s nest on top of the building for the first time, but grew tired and was unable to fly back up.
The little thing puffed up his little body in fear and had a very dejected and ugly look. We were afraid something might happen to him so close to the traffic and started slowly directing him along the nearby driveway into the inner courtyard. The pigeon stood up and reluctantly walked into the courtyard on his unsteady little feet. We followed to see where he would go. At first, the pigeon went all the way to the back as if trying to blend with the wall, and stood like that, his back to the door of one of the courtyard’s small stores, which was closed for the moment.
My concern was that someone might open the door and squash him. As if hearing my thoughts, the pigeon slowly emerged from his “hiding spot” and settled himself in the middle of the parking lot with the same dejected look, with cars around him coming and going. People would walk to their cars right past the pigeon, and drive out without giving him a second look. At times he tried to fly, but couldn’t.
We knew if we didn’t do something fast, our little pigeon would be squashed by one of these cars in no time. I went inside of one of the stores located in the courtyard and asked the owner whether they had the key to the attic so I could put the pigeon back where he would be safe.
The woman said that only the landlord had access to the attic. I asked if she had the landlord’s telephone number. Here is what the store owner responded: “I don’t want to bother the landlord for something as insignificant as a pigeon.” I replied that it was a living thing, just like her or me, but she firmly reiterated: “I won’t bother him for a pigeon.”
Meanwhile, my husband ran back to our house to look up the instructions for pigeon rescue.
Turns out that if a pigeon sits without moving, if he can’t fly and allows you to handle him, it means he is tired and in need of a few hours of rest. We made a few holes in a cardboard box, I put on leather gloves, just in case, and placed the little pigeon safely in the box. He allowed me to handle him and my husband carried him home.
On the way to our house, we met a woman walking two adorable dogs. My husband proceeded home, while I stopped to pet them, as the woman started telling all about her beloved pets. I listened to her, thinking that it was great to meet another animal lover.
“We just rescued a little pigeon,” I shared with her.
The woman’s attitude changed immediately. “Did you know that pigeons carry lice?” she said.
“Oh,” I responded, “I wore gloves, see?” And I showed her my gloves, which I took off to pet her dogs.
“And lice can get in your hair,” she went on. “Just letting you know.” She jerked on her dogs’ leashes and quickly left.
My husband laughed when I told him the story. “I have news for her,” he said. “Dogs carry lice just as much, if not more. And according to my research, there is no substantial evidence that pigeons carry lice. It’s more of a tale than reality.”
I believe my husband. He is good at research.
We placed the box with our little pigeon in our shady back yard to allow him to rest and calm down. A couple of hours later, I took him out of the box and let him wander around the yard. We also gave him some bird feed and water. He ate and drank and again sat in the sun, resting. We were a little concerned about our cat Lily’s reaction to the pigeon. Lily loves basking in the sun in our back yard, which our little princess considers her domain. But, as if knowing that it would not be a good idea on that specific day, Lily (this famous mind reader) slept in the TV room all day, which was highly unusual for her on such nice, sunny day.
Meanwhile, the little pigeon started recovering. When we first saw him, he was all dull and puffed up from fatigue and fear. Now his black body started acquiring an irridescent glow. His little feet, which seemed pale pink when we found him, now acquired a distinctive red coloring. His neck, which was initially puffed up to a degree that I thought that perhaps something was wrong with him, now stretched and became slim and graceful, as he calmed down, ate and rested. His body was very pleasantly warm to the touch and he turned out to be a very beautiful little pigeon.
The pigeon wandered back and forth around the back yard and the driveway, and eventually headed to the front. I caught him again almost on the sidewalk and put him back deeply into the back yard, where he continued his exploration. Although his wings seemed fine and he was now well rested, his attempts to fly were still unsuccessful. I left him alone, deciding that he would be okay in the back and because I had lots to do. I retreated to my study, asking my husband to watch him from the window of his study.
When I came out several hours later, my little pigeon was gone. Turns out, while I was at work, he got his wings back and flew off, no doubt to new adventures.
I’ll miss him. But wherever he is today, I wish him a safe and happy journey!
26 Thursday Jan 2012
Posted in BOOK: GOLD TRAIN, CULTURE: Russia, CULTURE: World
Tags
Accidental Spy Series, Arbat, Author Lada Ray, Bolshoi Theater, Gold Train, KGB, Lenin's Mausoleum, Moscow, Moscow Kremlin, Moscow Metro, Red Square, Russian culture, Saint Basil's Cathedral, St Basil's Cathedral, Tverskaya Street
“Want to talk about Russian history? Got a Millennium?” – Anthony Bordain, TV show host: No Reservations.
Russia‘s history is overflowing with revolutions, wars, change, as well as incredible achievements in science, technology, art, sport and literature. And its capital, Moscow, has always been at the forefront of it all.
I was born in Moscow, but my parents moved a lot for work and so, I spent part of my childhood in Kishinev (Chisinau), Moldova, and Odessa, Ukraine. However, I always maintained close ties with Moscow.
My aunt lived on famous Tverskaya Ulitsa (Tverskaya Street), Moscow’s principal street starting at the Kremlin Wall and Red Square and stretching all the way to the outskirts, where it would become the highway to St. Petersburg. Lined with posh hotels, restaurants and homes of the rich, it was the street used by the Russian Tsars and dignitaries on their visits to Moscow. More about Tverskaya here.
In GOLD TRAIN, Jade Snow walks along the “always noisy Tverskaya Street,” until she makes a sudden turn onto a quiet alley, leading to the fateful encounter with a mysterious and handsome stranger which would forever change her life.
Upon arrival, Jade and her Russian journalist friend Svetlana take a tour of Moscow, including the Red Square, complete with Lenin’s Mausoleum (above).
Above: The iconic St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square. The most photographed building in the world.
Above: One of the Golden-domed Kremlin cathedrals.
Above: Russian Tsars’ crowns and scepters adorned with priceless furs, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. From the Kremlin’s Armory exhibit.
Above: Alexander Gardens by the Kremlin Wall, named after Russia’s Emperor Alexander.
Above: Spasskaya Tower with its famous clock. Kremlin’s main tower.
Above: New Year’s on Red Square.
Above: British Buckingham Palace Guards marching in the Victory Day Parade, May 9th, Red Square.
Below: For the winter months, part of the Red Square turns into the giant skating rink. Here you can skate to your heart’s desire, while enjoying some of the most dramatic and magnificent views in the world.
Together with Svetlana, Jade also visits Moscow’s pedestrian artists’ district, called Arbat.
It is here, on Arbat, that Jade hears the strange and disturbing predictions of the clairvoyant Gypsy, Rada. These predictions will set the wheels of Gold Train’s fast-paced action into motion.
Above: historic pedestrian street Arbat.
Alone in the unfamiliar country, Jade unwittingly finds herself embroiled in the net of lies, glamour, intrigue and alien ideals. In fact, she becomes so popular that it may be hazardous to her health. And Jade deals with this unwanted and dangerous popularity in the way that is guaranteed to surprise even the most seasoned reader!
Above, the FSB Building (former KGB), the infamous Lubyanka, which plays no small part in the book.
Later, Jade and Alexei take a stroll in the ancient city’s new attraction, the Sculpture Park, where scores of Soviet statues, monuments and plaques, complete with the statue of the KGB’s infamous first boss, Felix Dzerzhinsky, have found their final resting place.
In Gold Train, Jade says: “Moscow was indeed the city of contrasts. Noisy and quiet, in your face and retrospective, old and new – all at the same time.”
More views of Moscow – old and new, noisy and quiet – all at the same time:
Above and below: Modern Moscow.
Below: Beautiful Novodevichy Convent, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Below: Moskva River.
Below: The famous main building of Moscow University.
Below: The Friendship Fountain, The historic All-Russia Exibition Center, formerly VDNKH (USSR).
Famous Bolshoi Theater, which just re-opened after a major renovation.
Bolshoi Ballet.
Dancing in Alexander Gardens
Moscow has so many facets and attractions, that all I can do here is barely scratch the surface. But I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope it will come handy when you decide to visit Moscow. 🙂
Companion posts:
GOLD TRAIN: Amazing Russian Metro
GOLD TRAIN: the World of Russian Trains and My Childhood Memories
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