Tuesday 10 May 2011

Unique photographs of Moscow before the bolsheviks took over


The American horse writer Murray Howe visited Moscow in 1909. During his stay he took 400 photopgraphs of people, places and horses, wrote articles for the Horse Review - and got arrested several times for taking unauthorized pictures! Many of the unique photos can be viewed on this flicks site:

Vintage Photographs of Moscow 1909

Slide show

These a excellent pictures of great historical interest. Have a look, if you have not visited the site!

PS

Why not let this wonderful old Russian romance accompany your viewing:




Performed by Ekaterina Yurovskaya

"Nishchaya" (A Beggar) romance

Winter, snow falling, strong wind.
At the church entrance there stands an old woman,
She is alone, dressed in rugs,
waiting for alms
With her cane she is there, winter and summer,
standing with her bare feet...
Give her alms,please give her alms.

I will tell you that this old woman
just 20 years ago, was a poet's dream
and Glory weaved a garland for her.
When she was singing on stage,
Paris was delighted, nobody could compete with her...
Give her alms, oh give her alms.

After the concert she was surrounded by crowds,
Young people, with admiration, would shout "bravo"!
What a splendid words she heard from her guests;
when we are happy, everybody wants to be friends with you,
but when you are in grieve,
those friends are not around ,
yes, those friends are not around.

It was the will of the Providence, that she fell ill,
lost her voice and vision, and now walks around alone.
It used to be that beggar was not afraid
to come to her for alms,
but she is ashamed to ask you for alms,
so give her alms,
yes, give her alms.

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