Russian Federation vs Soviet Union.

[tycho102]

Wow. There's some fairly hardcore perspectives in this thread.

@CCIP: I agree with you on Putin and "democracy". I know you can't just heave a load of voting into a place and expect everything to be perfect. Look at China -- there was a time when I thought Tiennamen was horrible, but now that I'm older and looking at California, I don't blame the Communists for doing it (rolling in the tanks). Russia has significant issues with crime, aged population, infrastructure, border security. If there is to be a "middle class" in Russia, it's going to be the young generation that grows up to fill it. But my God, it's been what, 15 years since that failed coup against Gorby?

Post-war Japan, which is about how I view current Russia, was still having a rough time in 1955. Hell, it wasn't until the mid 70's until their economy broke even from the war reparations. All the oldies died in the war from physical hardship, which is some that....pragmatically.....Russia does not have the benefit of. What is it, like 20% of their population is over 60? It's about 15% for America (our mexican population brings that down).

Anyway, nice pictures.

[Dan D]

Great pics and stories, and i am hoping for more to come.
What I was always wondering about, is the guys here who are living in the UK and having Russian roots. Ethnic Russians living in the US or Canada do not surprise me, because those are the classic immigration countries. We also have a bunch of Russian speaking folks here in Germany, who are Ethnic Germans and thus can apply for a German passport anytime, like e.g. so-called Wolga-Germans who once moved to Russia at times of Catharine the Great. How comes that people with Russian roots move to the UK?
Is it familiy ties or is is because the UK is probably also a classic immigration country within Europe or whatever reason it is?
IF you don't mind, I would like to hear more about family backgrounds.

Part of my family were French Hugenots who settled in Prussia; so much for my family background.

[CCIP]

Originally Posted by Dan D

What I was always wondering about, is the guys here who are living in the UK and having Russian roots. Ethnic Russians living in the US or Canada do not surprise me, because those are the classic immigration countries. We also have a bunch of Russian speaking folks here in Germany, who are Ethnic Germans and thus can apply for a German passport anytime, like e.g. so-called Wolga-Germans who once moved to Russia at times of Catharine the Great. How comes that people with Russian roots move to the UK?
Is it familiy ties or is is because the UK is probably also a classic immigration country within Europe or whatever reason it is?
IF you don't mind, I would like to hear more about family backgrounds.

I'm not entirely sure, but Russians aren't really that selective as far as immigration, as long as it's West (except perhaps Israel). If you mean new immigrants - for a period in the 90's, it was really wherever you could go. I have friends' relatives in the UK - a Russian girl who married a Brit.
Then there are people with old Russian roots, most likely descendants of Russian nobility who escaped into Europe during the revolution.

Backgrounds - interesting you bring this up. I find it ironic how hard it is to figure out just what is an ethnic Russian (my general conclusion is that there's no such thing).

My own background is about 1/4 Novgorod Russian, a small proportion of 'other' (western) Russian and Ukranian, 1/4 German/Danish/Swedish (nobility), 1/4 Karel (essentially Finnish), and then about 8% of everything else including Tartar, Jewish, Turkish, Gypsy and other backgrounds.

I'm rather proud of my mix to be honest, which illustrates just how ironic many ethnic conflicts and xenophobias are.

[CptSimFreak]

nikimcbee, first pic is near St Petersburg. About 60km. Second is around 200km.



Peter The Great made this man-made river so that ships could travel when there was storm on lake Ladoga.


This is more modern. Made with same reasoning as picture before.


Usually one can find many fresh products in near store. Goat's milk is quite good.



Reminder of WW2....
(Here near a village Lipki on 12 Jan 43 during breakthrough of blockade of Leningrad, commander rota 533 CP 128CD of Volhovsk front, comsomole senior Lt Yakov Ivanovich Bogdan closed with own body enemy's hardened position)


This one is of un-named soldier. Someone placed helmet with hole on grave.

Here's a foxhole. Dill a little and you can find many things.

This maybe a command center. Or hiding spot for mortar team, or etc.


Around this swamplands, my mother's brother found a tank.





Some cranberries.

and a mushroom. Many people go during end of summer to gather mushrooms in local forests. It was one of my favorite things to do. Before family would wake up, I would check my mushroom spots so that they could eat mushrooms for breakfast (I couldnt stand eating them). The other one was gathering WW2 relics. During my last trip to this area, without even looking for anything, I found 3 rusted Mauser shells. When I was little, I found mortar rounds, grenades, rifle, bullets and such around my datchya.

(My background: I have no idea. I think I have some Fin in me, Ukrainian, some aristocrat and Russian....whatever that is.) (I think being Russian is a state of mind, not genetics)

[DanCanovas]

real good pics! thanks

[CCIP]

Great nature pics!

I have a few of my own, but I'm still catching up.

Meanwhile, I just found a few pics from back in the USSR that might be relevant -

My dad in the Soviet Army during the 1970s (Kola Peninsula; he was a radio operator):





Some scary Cold War enemies there, eh?

One funny thing about my dad: he got a perfect duty for himself when he became a radio operator. What did he mostly do during his shifts you ask?
He listened to BBC and other western radio, enjoying the 'banned' rock music from the west and news in English. Never even got caught!:p After ending his military service, he became a musician and played in 'underground' rock bands of the late Soviet era.

[Abraham]

Thanks all participants for interesting thread with great pics!
The personal comments with some of the pics makes them even more special.

[CptSimFreak]

Lets continue with St Petersburg tour; churches.



Unfortunately this church was closed that day so I couldn't take pictures from inside. Instead, there's a mother of all fences.



This one we can see not only in-and-out, but on top as well.


From the top.



and inside.



Sorry from crappy angle, church is not crooked; My hands are.



Here's an inside of a different church. Look! there is a bread line! :rotfl:

[CCIP]

Interesting fact:
Some of the mosaics you see here were created by my great-great-grandfather, a remarkable artist in his own right.

Ironically, he had taught in the Royal Academy in Tsarskoye Selo (now Pushkin) and had several of his works bought by the Tsar's family themselves for massive amounts of money - money virtually all of which he later donated to the Bolshevik party, of which he was a dedicated and fairly high-ranking member.

[CptSimFreak]

And following CCCP lead, here some of my personal photos.


This is my great-grandfather (right). He served in calvary. After WW2, he was a comander of tank(s) in Berlin. (no pics of that)



And here's grandfather. A captan of a ship. He did Land-Lease route.

Here's an image some might fine interesting. That's one frozen ship.



My father. He was playing on the ship behind him.

[CptSimFreak]

Originally Posted by CCIP

Interesting fact:
Some of the mosaics you see here were created by my great-great-grandfather, a remarkable artist in his own right.

Ironically, he had taught in the Royal Academy in Tsarskoye Selo (now Pushkin) and had several of his works bought by the Tsar's family themselves for massive amounts of money - money virtually all of which he later donated to the Bolshevik party, of which he was a dedicated and fairly high-ranking member.

I remember reading about it....I'm not sure if it was about your family. Was he lead designer?

[XabbaRus]

Those are lovely pictures, especially the ones of the dacha land. It reminds me of my wife's parent's place near Moscow.

Seeing those pictures makes me want to go back. Funny thing is, although my life in the UK is probably safer and more stable those pictures stir up many emotions in me. Is it strange that although I am not Russian I consider in many ways Russia to be my home, or at least a second home, warts and all.

Just trying to figure out what I could do to get back and earn similar money to what I am doing right now.

[CptSimFreak]

Bump...

[CptSimFreak]

I'm use this thead to post pictures from Russia...

Here are some pictures I took of this Fort. It was a stronghold that managed to hold off Germans and provide cover for "Road of Live" during Leningrad siege.(Hence the beat up look of it)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shlisselburg

Google Maps




The only way to get to Fort, other than to swim, is to take a 10 minute ride on a boat.


High on the roof restoration is in progress: fresh paint.



Highly secured entrance to the Fort.


Direction sign for the lost travelers


Couple 45s mm(?) displayed for public. They were used to hold off fluffy Germans.



Inside that structure, a memorial stands








This is an old style holding cell that used to hold family members of Tsar.

[CptSimFreak]

During Tsar times and after, this Fort was used as prison. Here's a uniform of pre-1900 guards.


This is a new-style prison structure. It was used to hold death sentenced people who fought vs tsar regime.



Ruins; no one may enter




Second floor of the outer wall.




Wall is over two meters deep. (That's me)






Translation: In memory of peace between Novgorod and Sweden. Year 1323