Theme day: Fountains

It is challenging to find the right fountain in February in Moscow, too much snow everywhere... And I can not ignore the theme day, so here we are.

This fountain is located near the church where Alexander Pushkin (famous Russian poet) married his beautiful wife Natalia. And the figures of the couple dancing can be seen inside this marble "mushroom". The fountain, produced in 1999, is the example of new age of Moscow architecture.

That is how the author, architect Mikhail Belov explains how he tried to express his feeling of Pushkin in this creature:
"I wanted to make something in-between the antique temple and country mushroom, which miraculously grew up from the land, that was how I felt Pushkin".

If you wonder about the water in this fountain, here is the link to summer view and to Belov's quotation  (click).

Google map.
Posted by Irina.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

The summer will be unusually hot and sunny. Don't miss that day!

Hot weather didn't last long, and now we face grey sky, rains and temperature hardly above +20C. Well, summers in Moscow have been desperately short these several years.

And the photo was taken in Rose garden in Sokolniki a while back.

Fontain

Oh, what a monstrous thunder-storm we had last night! It was all lightning! and rumbling! and water-falling! It was loud and scaring.

Though, the photo is not about nature powers but about fontain at Pushkin's square.

Pushkin's square

This is one of little squares in Moscow downtown. Named after famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin who lived in first half of XIX-th century, the square is a favourite of Moscow people. On the background (to the right) you can see Pushkin's monument which is the most popular meeting spot in the city. And the square itself is a part of Boulevard Ring, it's very green and full of fontains.

As I told you before, on a hot summer days Moscow fontains get full of people. This activity is illegal, of course, but nobody (including police) cares about that becase there is too few opportunities for refreshment in Moscow streets.

I don't believe this girl was really posing but it looked just like that.

One more photo of a hot summer day in Sokolniki park. People enjoy staying by water, and I enjoy watching them.

Still more photos on my extension site.

These couple days being really hot and school holidays having begun, Sokolniki park was overcrowded even on a week-day. Least shy boys and girls occupied the central fontain and some even bathed there. Well, they seemed to enjoy themselves.

Don't you think that eating outdoors is the major fun of going for a walk? Well, ask your children if you have any doubt.
On a fine summer day like this I like to buy ice-cream or a cup of coffee and to sit somewhere in Alexandrovsky garden watching people and enjoying weather. And I'm not alone in my habbits.

The Old Man and the Gold Fish

Here is another 'fairytale fontain'.
There is a story about lonely old couple living by the sea. Once the old man went to catch some fish and after few fruitless efforts pulled out his net with a single fish - the Gold one. 'Ask for whatever you wish but let me go!' - cried the fish. 'I don't need anything,' replied the old man and threw the Gold fish back into the sea.
However, when he got home and told his wife about what had happened, she turned furious. 'We are so poor and still you asked for nothing! Why didn't you claim, at least, a new pan for me?! ' burst out the old woman. 'Go back to the Gold fish and ask for new things!' The old man was disappointed but went back to the seaside and called for the Gold fish. It appeared on the wave top, listen to his story and told him to return home.
When the old man came home he saw his wife with a new pan. 'Are you satisfied now' he asked. 'No, I'm not!' replied the old woman. 'Why didn't you ask for more? We need a new house and good food. Go back to the Gold fish!' So the old man went again, and told the Gold fish of his wife's wished, and once again the fish sent him back.
When the old man returned, he saw a new house and the old woman in new clothes. But she was angry again that the old man didn't ask for more. And he went again to the sea side. And then again. And again. But every time the old woman told it wasn't enough.
Finally, she expressed a wish to be a mistress of the sea and to have the Gold Fish in her service. When the old man told the fish about that, it didn't answer, turned away and was gone. On coming home the old man found his wife with her old pan, sitting in her old clothes by their old house.

I promised to tell you about Russion traditions of celebrating seasonal holidays. To start with, a little bit of history.
Before revolution of 1917 Russians celebrated Christmas, like the rest of Christians, on December 25th. After revolution any religion-related functions were banned;but people longed for holidays, and in mid-1930s the tradition of decorating fir-tree was re-introduced to Soviet people but now it applied to New Year celebration. Since then New Year tree is a regular guest in Russian houses.
Another required attribute of that holiday is (rather are) Grandy the Frost and his granddaughter Snow Maiden (in Russian, Ded Moroz and Snegurochka). Those persons come to children on a New Year Eve and gift them with numerous presents. There is also a tradition to leave boots by the decorated fir-tree for the night so that in the morning one could find gifts in one's boot.

New Year is extremely popular is Russia. Most cultural organizations prepare festive shows for children, friends and families meet together and exchange gifts.

As for Christmas, after switching to Grigorian style this holiday was shifted to January, 7th. It was nearly forgotten during 70 years of Soviet Union and, though restored lately, is neglected by many even now. Some people do celebrate Christams, too, aome of them attend public worships and give presents to each other, but still it's a kind of secondary holiday of the festive season.

Horses in the snow

Another lonely wintry fontain in Alexandrovsky Garden...

Winter in Alexandrovsky garden

What I like about winter parks is their perfect tranquility. As a rule, fellow-walkers are scarce, and empty fontains add to sense of solitude...

Princess the Frog

There is a Russian fairytale about a frog who turned to a princess. That's a long story of choosing wives by three brothers, sons of a tsar, in rather unusual way: by their farther's will each one had to shoot an arrow from his bow and marry a girl from the home where his arrow 'landed'. Youngest brother's one fell into marsh and was caught by a frog, he had to marry the reptile and was much laughed at, but afterwards the frog turned out the best cooker, skilled handywoman and wisest consultor out of all brothers' wives, for she was a beautiful princess under some evel spell. Well, and so on...

This is a sculpture representing this character in fontain of Manege square.

Winter fontains

These is what used to be a fontain in the summertime. Did you notice that dry fontains, especially in winter, have something peculiar in their appearence? It's like forgotten teddy-bear out in the rain...

This is the same fontain in Alexandrovsky Garden that I showed earlier. Those sculpures are supposed to represent scene from fairytails.

Fontain in the mall: close-up

Here is a closer view of the same fontain as I posted yesterday.

These days are chilly (about -4C) but snowless and grey. It's definitely nice to stay indoors and have all kinds of pleasant things.

Fontain and elevators

Continuing a series of underground mall photos...

If you step up the grand stairs (which I posted earlier) you'll be able to look at the top of the central fontain (see the photo). And if you use one of these elevators, you'll get a gorgeous view at the central hall on your way up or down.

That's the same mall I showed you yesterday, the central hall. The hall located on the bottom level (out of 3 total), there are grand stairs to the next level, a fontain in the center and glass-boothed elevators (I turned my back to elevators while taking this picture). There is also a coffee-shop in front of the staircase, and if you sit close to the fontain it would spatter you with water dust.

As for festivals you asked about, Christmas is celebrated in Russia but not as widely as New Year. We do exchange gifts on one or both of these occasions, though for most people New Year is the 'main' holiday.

P.S. Another version on my extension site.

Today is the birthday of my beloved husband. On this occasion I chose that out-of-season photograph to express my best wishes to him.

Darling, may sun shines through your days filling them with endless light and joy! And let your life sparkle with happy events of every rate like fontain sprays on a bright sunny day!

Manege Square. View from Alexandrovsky Garden

Sleeping fontains

Fontains in Alexandrovsky Garden are off for the winter. They look so empty and lonely without water that you can't help taking pity on them. For 7 long months the fontains will be sleeping. What do they dream of?...