Architecture · Observations · Society
The throne wobbles. Steps in the residence of the President of Kazakhstan. Photo by Bagdat Asylbek. The residence was originally built as a Lenin museum, but by the time it was completed, the figure of Lenin had lost its relevance in the political life of the country.
Almaty · Archive · Architecture · Observations
A view of Republic Square in Almaty from the south. You cannot see it from here, but the square has an unusual octagonal shape, and at the base of the bowl stands the Independence Monument. The two tower blocks alongside are residential. The old photographs show the square from the
Almaty · Architecture · Observations · Society
The burnt-out akimat building of Almaty, that is, the city hall or municipal administration, formerly, before the capital was moved to Astana, the Presidential Palace. Originally it was built in 1975-1980 as the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Kazakh SSR. At the
Almaty · Observations · Society
Today one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the lovely Almaty, is gripped by alarming and terrible events. Kazakhstan, which I had always thought the safest place on earth, is shaken by disorder: public and government buildings are being seized, and there is gunfire, banditry, looting and violence
Art · Observations
Mood for January. A Young Decadent Woman, 1899. Ramon Casas i Carbó (1866 - 1932)
NB! · Architecture · Faith · Observations · Rome · Humour
The world's most exclusive car park can be seen in a satellite image of the Vatican. The lower part of the Belvedere Courtyard, one of the most celebrated and significant palaces of the Renaissance, is used as a parking lot. Every age has its own hallmarks
Faith · Observations · People · Rome
Not so long ago, 1 January was not a feast of the Mother of God. The Orthodox will grasp this perfectly: the Dormition of the Theotokos falls in August, her Nativity in September, the Protection of the Theotokos in October, and her Entry into the Temple in November. So what
Faith · Observations · Society · Rome
Thus does God come: without so much as a cradle! With what feeling must Mary, knowing that she would bear a son who would be called the Son of the Most High and who was destined for the throne of his forefather David, lay her child, the infant Saviour, in
NB! · Observations · Humour
Archive · Cinema · Observations · Nature
Saw this tree and was reminded of Sofia Coppola's 1999 film "The Virgin Suicides". If you haven't seen it, consider it a recommendation for the holidays. The photograph shows the pruning of a tree at the end of the nineteenth century. This is no
NB! · Observations
Archive · Art · Observations · Mores · Paris · Humour
La vie parisienne 1919. These days this influencer would be holding a bouquet of fir branches and a little glass of champagne with a plastic lid, and as for the clothes, the look is perfectly contemporary. Though sitting on a table is a sin, of course: it is no accident