Leonardo, Egypt, and Knights in Armor

Since I am fan of Game of Thrones I thought it would be fun to go see some real swords and knight armor at the Hermitage! On the way, I went though the Egyptian section, then some Greek and Roman sculptures. I also saw two paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, which are a bit overrated, in my opinion, but still wonderful works of art.

First painting by Leonardo

Second painting by Da Vinci - I guess he liked the Madonna and child

And now the knights!

Hunting boar without clothes or weapons might not be the best idea

In a week I will be returning to the States. I am sad to  leave one of my favorite cities, but also excited to see all my friends from Ohio and experience all the adventures which Cincinnati has to offer.

Dead Souls

Nikolai Gogol

I have been reading "Dead Souls" by Gogol. It is quite an interesting novel, about a man who decides to buy serfs who have died but weren't yet reported as dead to the tax authorities,so that he can later get rich using his apparent wealth by taking out loans with the serf as collateral. I believe the author is also implying that many of the characters in his book also have 'dead souls'.

The book has made me realize just how little people have really changed since the 1800's. The novel begins a bit like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", illustrating flaws through characters who exhibit them to an extreme.  One person is extremely greedy, one is a hoarder, one is a compulsive liar, and yet another is a romantic who has lost touch with reality.

Gogol also makes some astute observations about interactions between people which still hold today:
- Women who like to gossip
- Men who call each other bro or brother when they've just met
- Women who are attracted to money rather than character or personality
- Social status determined mainly by what/who one owns
- Women who say hurtful things about/to other women in order to make themselves feel better
- Men who don't like to ask for directions
- People who dress to fashion rather than trying to develop their own unique style

I haven't finished the book yet but so far it's really good and a lot less boring than I expected.

Don't Judge

Simple phrase right? But certainly not an easy one to put into action, at least for me.

When I see someone at the bus stop smoking, before I can stop myself I am thinking "eww they're smoking those cancer sticks. Why don't they take better care of their body?". When I see someone dragging their dog along forcefully, my automatic reaction is "Wow, they're so cruel for treating their furry friend like that".

But it is really not my place  to judge them. It just takes up time and energy needlessly. If someone is being hurt, I need to intervene, but if they are unkind to  their dog, are smoking, or doing something else I don't like, I need to just let it go. If someone promises to write and doesn't, or is late, I need to make peace with that and not waste valuable resources judging them.

This is easier said than done though - to just leave it up to God or karma to even everything out eventually, but I am doing my very best.  I think being aware of it all the time is the first step.

Buddhist Temple and Staying Present

Yesterday while I was skiing I tried to see how long I could actually stay present in the moment without my mind drifting off to other matters. It's actually very difficult, for me, in any case, to stay completely in the now. I tend to daydream, to think about what happened yesterday or the week before, or to imagine what will happen tomorrow. As a result, I sometimes do not notice the beauty all around me, do not fully appreciate the joys of today.

At Camp Ernst, where I was a camper and councelor we had a song which went like this:

Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries, I'll drink your sweet wine
A million tomorrows shall all pass away
Ere I forget all the joys that are mine...today
I can't be contended with yesterday's glory
I can't live on promises winter to spring
Today is my moment and now is my story
I'll laugh and I'll cry and I'll sing.


But so often we are too busy, too distracted, or too worried to notice how delicious the strawberries are, how vibrantly colored, and how fragrant.

Daydreaming has its uses, of course, it's how I have gotten some of my best ideas, but staying in the now, the present, most of the time is , I think, essential to enjoying life to the fullest.

I visited a Buddhist  Temple today. It was quite a beautiful building, on the inside and outside, but I just didn't feel comfortable there, and I didn't feel the elation, the 'high' which comes to me when praying in an Orthodox Church or in a Mosque. Maybe I was tired from the long trip, maybe something else, but I just didn't feel the spirit there.

When walking into the main chapel room,it was very colorful and there were several people sitting on cushions and meditating. One long-haired man in a long white robe was performing some kind of ceremony with a kettle. Other than that I saw photographs of the Dalai Lama in the room and was a bit disappointed. I admire the man immensely, but am uncomfortable meditating or praying in front of his portrait. When I left the room, I noticed a sign which had escaped my attention earlier, it said that headwear was strictly forbidden inside the chapel room. Being used to Russian Orthodox churches, where women always cover their heads, I had not taken off my hat and felt a bit embarassed what these people must think of me, blatantly disobeying their rules.

Something which looks like bells outside the temple

There was a long line of people waiting to talk to the Lama who is the main leader in the building. They come to him seeking advice and help. He begins seeing people every morning at 11 and does not stop until 8 at night. It must be an exhausting day, listening to people talk about their sorrows, their problems. For me it would certainly become depressing, but since he can (supposedly) do something to help them, maybe it is not so difficult.

Some flags on the tree outside the temple

Gate in front of the temple (yes everything is melting right now)

Fierce-looking statue in front of the temple

After leaving the building, I didn't feel well at all. I had a headache and was not in a good mood. I didn't get much sleep the night, so that is probably the cause.

Anna Akhmatova and Joseph Brodsky

"In human closeness there is a secret edge,

Not love nor passion can pass it above,

Let lips with lips be joined in silent rage,

And hearts be burst asunder with the love.

And friendship, too, is powerless plot,

And so years of bliss with noble tends,

When your heart is free and known not,

The slow languor of the earthy sense.

And they who strive to reach this edge are mad,

But they who reached are shocked with anguish hard --

Now you know why beneath your hand

You do not feel the beating of my heart."

This is a poem of Anna Akhmatova, a Russian poet whose apartment/museum I 

visited today.  She lived June 23 1889 – March 5, 1966 and had quite an 

interesting llife. Read more about her here.

Some more of her other poems (translated to English)

Her coat and purse - I guess that was un style back in the day

A telephone - I remember having a rotary phone in the early 90's - it took forever to dial a number

A samovar in the kitchen

Skis, sleds, and other useful things

Some documents

Books, letters, and photos of Akhmatova

This shows the various wallpapers which were used in the apartment -underneath there are many Pravda newspapers

Silhouettes of various people Akhmatova knew, along with her fan and a photograph

Photo of Akhmatova with her husband Gumilev and another person

Her writing desk

A really big mirror with pictures of Akhmatova's friends and colleagues 

The Dining Roon 

An old record player

I also found this poem of hers, which I thought was quite creepy

When someone dies
Their portraits change.
The eyes gaze at you otherwise.
The lips smile a different smile.
I noticed this returning
From a certain poet’s funeral.
Since then I’ve seen it frequently,
And my theory’s proved true.

I have never had anyone die whose portrait I had, but if it happens I will be sure to check whether something changes.

In the bulding there happened to also be a room dedicated to  Joseph Brodsky, another poet. Read about him here

A Cathedral fire and the Tekhnologichesky Institut Metro Station

I visited the Trinity Cathedral today, which is located at the Tekhnologicheskij Institut Metro Station. It is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever seen.

In 2006 there was a fire during some construction, but now it has been restored.

Next to it , in honor of the victory in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878, when the Russians liberated Bulgaria from the Ottoman domination, a memorial column was constructed in front of the northern facade of the cathedral in 1886.

Right next to the cathedral is a psychiatric hospital, a rather grim and scary building, quite a contrast with the beauty of the surrounding buildings