Hondius' decorative world map and a bear - a card from Russia

HONDIUS' DECORATIVE WORLD MAP

Country: Russia

Place: Gatchina
Received: 20/05/2013

Distance: 649 km
Travelled: 22 days

Hondius decorative world map

This decorative world map was made in 1641 in Amsterdam by Henricus Hondius. It is hand colored and has a size of 21.5x15 inches. The map was first issued in 1630 in the Mercator-Hondius Atlas. Its basic cartography follows the world map by John Speed, the portraits of Ptolemy, Mercator, Hondius and Julius Caeser are included to decorate the borders. 

Bear stamp

Dormition Church on Pokrovka Street in 1900, a horsecar and skeleton - a card from Russia.

DORMITION CHURCH ON POKROVKA STREET, 1900

Country: Russia

Place:  Moscow

Received: 02/02/2013

Distance: 677 km

Travelled: 15 days

Dormition Church on Pokrovka Street in 1900

The wooden Dormition Church on Pokrovka Street originates from 1511 to be rebuilt in stone in 1656. In 1936 the Church was demolished as the part of the building blocked the roadway.

A tram we may see on this card is a horse-drawn tram. The cars were bought in England and had an imperial (space on the roof where people could also sit) and a staircase to climb up. Imperials were not protected from rain and snow.

Skeleton

Skeleton is a kind of a fast winter sliding sport. An athlete is lying down on a small sled and rides down a frozen track. The sport of skeleton originates from 1882 to be practiced be the soldiers in Switzerland.

The popularity of skeleton grew in Europe and it became a recognizable kind of sport. In 2002 skeleton was added to the Olympic program with the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Ded Moroz and the Kremlin of Zaraysk - a card from Russia

DED MOROZ

Country: Russia

Place: Lobnya

Received: 23/01/2013

Distance: 676 km

Travelled: 36 days

Ded Moroz

Ded Moroz is the main character of the New Year holiday in the East Slavic region. Ded Moroz originally is the symbol of winter frosts in mythology. 

Ded Moroz is mostly portrayed in a red or blue coat and wears a long white beard. His modern canonical image started to form in the end of 1930s, after some years of Christmas trees being prohibited.

The Kremlin of Moscow

The Kremlin of Zaraysk

The Kremlin of Zaraysk is a XVI century’s monument of architecture in Russia built on the order of Vasily III. The fortress was a part in a line of fortifications to protect the borders of Russia.

At the beginning of the XVII century the Kremlin of Zaraysk was conquered by the Polish invaders commanded by the Colonel Alexander Joseph Lisowski. To immortalize his victory, the Colonel ordered to bury all the defenders in one bed of honor with a mound.

Happy New Year winter card - greetings from Russia

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Country: Russia

Place: Saint Petersburg

Received: 18/12/2012

Distance: 691 km

Travelled: 14 days

Winter card

The average winter temperature varies in different regions of Russia. Winter is the most severe in Yakutia with the lowest temperature about -65C (-85F).

During the Orthodox Epiphany on January 19 the temperatures over the territory of Russia are known to be very low during the centuries. This phenomenon is called "Epiphany frosts". But recent winters in Russia have been unusually warm – the temperature up to 10C is no longer rare in Moscow in a New Year’s Day.

Animal stamps

The Moscow Kremlin

Severe Russian winters are often linked to military victories. Napoleon's Grande Armée of 610,000 men invaded Russia and blamed the weather for their defeat. During the Second World War General Eduard Wagner, the Quartermaster General of the German Army, reported that "We are at the end of our resources in both personnel and materiel. We are about to be confronted with the dangers of deep winter."

Pola Negri, brown bear and traditional hat - a card from Russia

POLA NEGRI in a riding habit, Berlin, 1920s

Country: Russia

Place: Novosibirsk

Received: 04/12/2012

Distance: 3 496 km

Travelled: 21 days

Pola Negri in a riding habit

Pola Negri (1897–1987) was a Polish actress with mainly tragedienne and femme fatale roles. She was the first film star from Europe to be invited to the Hollywood. She was able to become one of the most successful actresses in silent films in America. 

Pola Negri (Barbara Apollonia Chalupiec) was born in Lipno,  Russian Empire (Poland in present). Her father was arrested for revolutionary activity, and Barbara moved to Warsaw to live in poverty with her mother. 

Barbara began her training in the ballet academy and soon she worked the way up to get a solo role, but tuberculosis forced her to stop her dancing. While having a recovery in a sanatorium Barbara adopted her pseudonym – Pola Negri. 

After taking classes of dramatic arts Pola made her theatrical debut in 1912. In 1914 she debuted in film for the first time and played numerous roles later. Pola Negri died of pneumonia on 1 August 1987, at the age of 90.

Traditional winter hat, 19th century, Russia

Hat was a must-have men's suit and was able to tell the people about it's owner. The most valuable hats were considered to be made of fur with a top made of velvet or other expensive material.

Brown bear

Brown bears received their name due to the color of their fur. The average weight of the brown bear is 300 kilos and the body length is about 2.5 meters. Bears are born small (only half a kilo), blind and deaf and live with their mother up to three years old. Brown bears run quickly and can develop a speed of about 55 kilometers per hour. Brown bears hibernate, and their sleep lasts for 75–195 days a year.

Pastry, fox and Moscow Kremlin - a card from Russia

PASTRY by Annenkova Kseniya

Country: Russia

Place: Nizhny Novgorod

Received: 30/08/2012

Distance: 1 080 km

Travelled: 9 days

Pastry

Traditions of pastry making in Europe go back to the Mediterranean ancient times – fylo pastries of the Romans, Greeks and Phoenicians and confectionery of the Egyptians. 

Aristophanes’ plays originating from the 5^th century contain the mentions of small pastries with fruit filling. The Romans used dough pastries to cover meat during the cooking process to preserve some tasty juice, but these pastries were not eaten. Small pastries containing eggs or young birds were also cooked to be served during the banquets. 

The use of chocolate arose after it’s bringing from the New World by Spanish and Portuguese traders in the 16^th century. 

Pastry-making also has a strong tradition in Asia – for example, Chinese pastries made of rice flour, sweet beans,  fruits, sesame-based fillings. Asian pastries differ from pastries in the West and tend to be much sweeter.

Sticker

Fox

Fox is a mammal belonging to the Canidae family. The red fox is able to reach a running speed of 48 km/h. Foxes may live for up to 10 years, but they usually live for 2-3 years, dying from road accidents, hunting and various diseases. In early Mesopotamian mythology fox is considered to be a sacred animal; in Chinese, Japanese and Korean folklores foxes are shown as powerful spirits.

Moscow Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin is a fortified complex in Moscow, including palaces, cathedrals, Kremlin Wall and towers. This complex has been serving as a residence for the president since 1992.

• Area: 275 000 sq. m
• Length of the wall: 2 235 m
• Height of the walls: 5-19 m
• Thickness of the wall: 3.5-6.5 m

The territory of the modern Kremlin has been inhabited since the 2^nd century BC, but in 1156 it was extremely extended by Prince Yuri Dolgorukiy. In 1237 it was destroyed by the Mongols and rebuilt in oak in 1339.

Северный Байкал и достопримечательности - Россия

СЕВЕРНЫЙ БАЙКАЛ

Страна: Россия

Место: Новокуйбышевск

Получена: 17/08/2012

Дистанция: 1 481 км

Время: 10 дней

Северный Байкал

Байкал – самое глубокое озеро планеты и самый крупный природный резервуар пресной воды. Если всю воду Байкала разделить на граждан России, то на каждого жителя придется по 166,4 тысячи кубометров воды, что составляет примерно 2773 железнодорожных цистерн.

Существует легенда о том, что у Батюшки Байкала было 336 рек-сыновей и одна дочь – Ангара. Все дети впадали в отца, чтобы пополнять его воды, но дочь полюбила реку Енисей и стала отдавать свои воды ему (Ангара – единственная река, вытекающая из озера). Отец Байкал, разозлившись, бросил в дочь огромную скалу и проклял ее. Эта скала, называемая Шаман-камень, находится у истока Ангары, считаясь ее началом.

Основные характеристики:

• Длина: 636 км
• Ширина: 79,5 км
• Площадь: 31 722 кв. км
• Объем: 23 615,39 куб. км
• Длина береговой линии: 2 000 км
• Максимальная глубина: 1642 м
• Средняя глубина: 744,4 м

Заяц-русак

Заяц-русак назван так потому, что его спина после линьки остается серо-рыжей, будто русой. Зайцев часто называют косыми, так как при беге они петляют и потом возвращаются на свой след, однако действительной причиной такого явления является асимметричное развитие правых и левых лап. Зубы у зайцев растут всю жизнь, стираясь при жевании, но не прекращая своего роста.

Новгородский кремль

Новгородский кремль (детинец) – крепость площадью 12,1 га, построенная на берегу реки Волхов. Первое летописное упоминание о кремле относится к 1044 году. Протяженность стен крепости составляет 1487 м, в постройке сохранились 9 башен из имевшихся 12. Толщина стен составляет порядка 3,6-6,5 м, а их высота – от 8 до 15 м.

Ростовская область - памятник "Тачанка-ростовчанка"

Памятник тачанке-ростовчанке установлен в Ростове-на-Дону в 1977 г. и расположен на магистрали между Ростовом и Батайском на небольшом холме. На этом месте в январе 1920 г. шли упорные бои между Первой Конной армией Буденного и Добровольческой армией Деникина. На пятнадцатиметровом памятнике неудержимая четверка лошадей несется, слившись в едином движении с тачанкой (конной повозкой), ездовым и пулеметным расчетом.

Пензенская область - Никольский стекольный завод, Тарханы (музей Лермонтова) и Троице-Сканов монастырь

Никольский завод светотехнического стекла является одним из крупнейших в России Европе производителей стеклянных плафонов и рассеивателей для светильников. Предприятие также занимается изготовлением столовой и декоративной посуды, ваз, сувенирных изделий, подсвечников, пепельниц, цветочных горшков и кашпо, химической тары.

Тарханы – усадьба к. 18 – н. 19 в., являющаяся одним из самых известных лермонтовских мест в России – здесь поэт провел свои детские годы. На территории усадьбы ныне действует Государственный Лермонтовский музей-заповедник, открытый в 1939 г.

Троице-Сканов монастырь –монастырь, основанный в середине 17 в. как мужской. Монастырь был закрыт после 1917 г. и возрожден в 1985 г. уже как женский.