James Waldron's 6foot6 Russia travelogue

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Russia:

Stories and images
by Jim Waldron

I never imagined myself going to Russia, especially by train. After eight months in Asia, Russia seemed like Utopia. Paved roads, recently made automobiles, and hoardes of Caucasians. It was the first place in many months where I didn't feel the need to triple-wash my fruit before eating it. I was well-fed in Siberia, and entertained till daylight in Moscow.

Stories

Eventually I will
catch up on my stories from Russia, I promise.

Photographs

Some favorites

See them all at once
Look at thumbnails of all the photographs from Siberia, Moscow, RedSquare, or Nightlife in this country.
Each picture was made with the Agfa ePhoto 1280 digital camera.

Litsvyanka, Siberia
A two day trip by train from Mongolia left me in Siberia and the capable hands of Elena my tour guide from Irkutsk. Accompanied by twelve fellow travellers we hopped in a van and were whisked to Litsvyanka, on the shores of Lake Baikal, the oldest, longest, deepest and cleanest lake on the planet. Litsvyanka is a small village devoted to fishing and vacationing. We stayed with an old couple we named Mama and Papa Ludmilla. After feeding ourselves on packaged noodles during the train journey, the Ludmillas feasts were immense, each of us adding long forgotten pounds to our bellies.

Looking at Litsvyanka
GreenWindows - windows defined the village, with each unique as the owners
WhiteWindows - another window view of the village
House - more windows in the village
Fence - surrounding the grounds of the Orthodox church
Lada - the russian auto against a wood fence
Ludmillas - waiting for us to get ready for dinner
mamaLudmilla - our host and grandmother Ludmilla
PapaLudmilla - Ludmillas husband, Papa Ludmilla
MadLudmilla - telling off one of us for being out too late
FishLady - the local vendor of raw fish
ShopLadies - happily(?) selling fish
Salesgirl - in Irkutsk market
Bartender - young, efficient, without humor
Meat - selling meat at the main market in Irkutsk
Campfire - backpackers telling lies
Baikal - from the bow of the ferry
BaikalSail - sunset sailing on Lake Baikal
BoatBow - at the port and center of town
BoatColors - twins except for paint
AnclhorAb - an anchor on weatherbeaten boat
BoatsReflection - in bay at sunse
RoundWindows - boat protholes in the late summer sun

Diving Lake Baikal at Litsvyanka
James - me in a drysuit ready to drop into 40 degree water
Pearce - Pierce ready to go into Baikal
Dive - the research staff suiting up
JimnPearce - Pierce and I ready for action
Boat - a big craft for two divers no?
PearceBino - checking for fresh-water seals
JimEmerging - frozen but coo-looking
Staff - the chase boat on our dive

Red Square and the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia
A short stay in Moscow usually leads tourists to downtown and the Red Square/Kremlin areas. Given all the history behind these buildings it's a wonder that everyone mostly sits about and has their portraits taken in front of the bricks. On my summer day trips to the square it is hard to imagine it as the same place that witnessed years of military equipment parades, perhaps the most lasting impressions I had of the country until now.

Red Square
General - general in charge of red army during ww2
Statue
Overall - St. Peters Church
Ab2
Cops - police at Lenin's tomb
Cops
ChurchEaves - arches in red
Morning - sunrise at north end of square
Windows - windows at square
Tourists - trendy tourists
GombWindows - Gomb department store windows
Ab4Clouds - church with clouds
Clock - Kremlin clock from square
Wide - the wide view of the square at dusk
Nameplate - love that alphabet
Statue - in front of the church
Ab1 - the most well known architecture in Russia
Over2Clds - church with clouds
Leninstomb - abstract of the stonework
SelfPortrait - me and St. Pete's

Kremlin Churches
ChurchCeiling
ChurchPaintings
ChurchPosts
Belltower
Door
Steeples
Steeples2
Steeples3.

Around Town, Moscow, Russia
I noticed the color in Moscow at once. I always imagined the city as one big grey, windy, concrete grid. In fact, it's quite lovely, with lots of european architecture, stylish inhabitants and questionably financed luxury cars zooming about. Also, the young people of Moscow are not the drab, downtrodden youths we Westerners might expect. There is a vibrant, stylish culture surrounding the entire downtown, that is quite a breath of fresh air after the backroads of Asia..

YoungDnG - brand loyalty is fashion
YoungDress - wild dress in traditional soviet place
YoungSmoker - stylish and smoking at thirteen
YoungSveta - Sveta: cropped, dyed, and employed as an animator
YoungBullseye - wild dress abstract
LeninPoser - gotta earn a living somehow. H gets paid to look like Lenin
NightHorse. - shadow on the square
hiClassStore. - Ikea it ain't. Posh department store interior
NightDomeAbs - lighted dome clock downtown
facade - architectural abstract at sunrise
MonestarySteeples - behind the Bolshoi
NightWindows - at the square
NightDome - lighted dome clock downtown
CommuterTrain - remnant of the CCCP at Mockba train station
NetCafe - a nice one, just opened in downtown
AirportNumbers - abstract of gate entrances Moscow airport
AirportCeiling - abstract of ceiling Moscow airport
AirportCeilingBig - abstract of ceiling entrances Moscow airport
GovWindows - french architecture in downtown Moscow

Moscow, Russia, The Hungry Duck
Every big city has it's bar-of-the-moment. In Moscow the most notorious, if not the most popular, is the Hungry Duck Bar and Grill. Every expatriate I met in town would grin widely and groan at the same time when asked about the Duck. Purely for journalistic curiosity I visited and was met with a truly unexpected scene. Decadent? Unruly? Heaven? Check it out for yourself, but be warned of some nudity and lots of beer.

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