Saturday 1 February 2014

A sign of spring in Landskrona

This morning I found another sign of spring at the roundabout, close to the Landskrona train station:

I do not know what this sculpture is officially called, but for me it is a giant steel tulip - another sign of spring!
PS
The "medieval" tower in the background must be an old water tower - quite interesting architecture from the 19th century, I would think.

Friday 31 January 2014

Oskar Gripenberg, a Finnish general who commanded a Russian army in the Russo-Japanese war 1904-1905

General Oskar Gripenberg (1838-1916)


General Oskar Ferdinand Gripenberg was one of the Finnish officers, who served in the Imperial Russian Army during the Russo-Japanese war 1904-1905. (Finland was at that time an autonomous Grand Duchy under Russia). From 29 September 1904 to 29 January 1905 Gripenberg was the commander of the Russian Manchurian army.

This was the development that caused Gripenberg to resign as commander of the Manchurian army:

The Russian Second Army under General Oskar Gripenberg, between 25 and 29 January, attacked the Japanese left flank near the town of Sandepu, almost breaking through. This caught the Japanese by surprise. However, without support from other Russian units the attack stalled, Gripenberg was ordered to halt by Kuropatkin and the battle was inconclusive. The Japanese knew that they needed to destroy the Russian army in Manchuria before Russian reinforcements arrived via the Trans-Siberian railroad.

The commander in chief, general Kuropatkin refused to give Gripenberg the support he had asked for, and in addition Kuropatkin ordered the Manchurian army to withdraw against the its commander's will. Military historians consider Kuropatkin's indecisiveness and organizational deficiencies in directing large-scale military operations as a major element in the Russian defeat.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Noble St. Petersburg ladies sewing underwear for soldiers during the Russo-Japanese war 1904-1905

During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) the ladies of the high nobility gathered in Grand Duke Vladimir's palace in St. Petersburg in order to sew underwear for Russian soldiers. The Vladimir Palace on the Embankment near the Winter Palace was the heart of social life in the Imperial capital at the time:


Tuesday 28 January 2014

Birds in my garden

This morning I again enjoyed watching the birds in the garden:

The first fieldfare in the garden this winter

The robin is always a favourite


Wood pigeon are nice and calm

Another shot of the wood pigeon

Spring is on its way

It was chilly and windy at the Helsingør railway station yesterday. But there was also a reminder of the fact that spring is soon here ....