# Forum About Russia Russian Cities  Frightening photos from my home town.

## Basil77

Here is a blog of some suicide girl from my home town. When I look at the photos my soul  goes to heel  ::  :  http://cyber-scully.livejournal.com/151690.html 
When I was a kid, me and my friends were  frequently playing next to these towers. I remember myself wanted to climb it, and one time almost grabbed with my bare hands over the lower step of the staircase. But one of my friends shouted: "wait" and touch the step with one finger. And immediately received a burn injury. Since then, we have avoided these towers. But, telling the truth, it was a long time ago and they have worked then  ::  .

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## Leof

I noticed the gloves on the hands of one of the climbers. They must have the резиновые защитные пимпочки on the down side of it. 
If I lived in such a dull quarter, I would definely climb this mast to see anything more attractive than just these alike block houses.   ::

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## Basil77

> I noticed the gloves on the hands of one of the climbers. They must have the резиновые защитные пимпочки on the down side of it. 
> If I lived in such a dull quarter, I would definely climb this mast to see anything more attractive than just these alike block houses.

 Раньше эти мачты использовались для ретрансляции радиосигнала из Москвы на восточную часть России, но, насколько я знаю, они уже лет 10 как законсервированы. Теперь всё через спутники идёт. А насчёт мрачности, то с земли всё не так страшно  ::  :  http://www.rjx.ru/photo/

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## Leof

> А насчёт мрачности, то с земли всё не так страшно  :

 Ну, на самом-то деле, ровно пол города Москвы выглядит именно так, как эта окраина Электростали. Московские окраины ничем не лучше.
Мы с мамой для обзора используем местную высоту - высоченное здание НИИ им. Склифосовского, и, если повезёт, его крышу. Самое замечательное было на 60-тилетие Победы. Салюты над городом.
Если посмотреть на Москву в сторону Кремля и Замоскворечья - здорово: Кремль вдали, все высотки, церковки, всё узнаёшь. Если в обратную сторону - Останкино, ВДНХ, Лосиный Остров, то город выглядит ужасно. Жуткое количество типовых многоэтажек, телебашня и леса лосиноостровского заповедника прямо от Сокольников.

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## rockzmom

Basil, 
Thank you for posting these photos and showing me a window of your world. It puts into sharp contrast the differences between your childhood and mine! Do you know even when I am driving in a car, if power lines have fallen and I am driving under them, I still duck my head! Silly I know, since I am IN A CAR!!! :fool"  
I'm glad your friend had enough sense to save your life that day.   ::   
I grew up on a former tobacco plantation and horse stud farm, the former Belair Mansion and Belair Stables in Bowie, Maryland.  There used to be a horse race track in Bowie as well, driving distance from my house, but it close in 1985. This town was so small that we had one movie theater (that I could walk to) and it went out of business! Even my old elementary and junior high schools have long since closed as there were not enough children in the town to keep them open. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowie,_Maryland 
A sleeply little town where I could walk to almost anywhere I needed to be and I had to be home when the street lights came on.  
The Mansion was built in 1745 and the Belair Stables became very well known in the horse racing circles in the 1930 with Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox, Omaha and then in 1955, Nashua.  
My house was one of 7 on our street and 5 of the houses, including mine, had backyards actually adjacent to the grass playing area for a church, so all of the kids on our street played there, unless the Pastor got mad at us. But the best thing about where I lived was Belair Drive. This tree lined road (without the pavement) was what one would use back in the "old times" to make their way to the enterance of the Belair Mansion   
I would walk down this tree lined street, and climb the trees and hang out in them and also at the end of Belair Drive was my favorite place in the world, the pool! 
Belair Bath and Tennis is on the left hand side as soon as you come out of the trees and was my home away from home every summer. From the time I would wake up in the morning until I went to sleep at night, I was at this pool!     
Directly across from the pool and on the right hand side as you come out of the trees are the now vacant old Belair Stables  
Directly behind the pool is the old Belair Mansion. I remember as a young child being in there for a function and having to use the bathroom. It was up on the second floor. Remember this is a VERY old building, well the lock got stuck and therefore, I was locked inside. Since everyone else was downstairs and it was very noisy, no one could hear my cries for help! I avoided the mansion for many years after that!   
I do remember this prank that some kids pulled one Halloween, someone hung from one of the tree branches about half way down the tree lined Belair Drive a stuffed pair of pants and shirt and made it look like person was hanging there in the middle of the road… scared the hebejeebies out of the drivers as they came driving through the road!

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## BappaBa

А из нашего окна площадь Красная видна =)
My POV.

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## rockzmom

BappaBa, 
So this is these were taken from the window of your apartment? If so, you must live up on a very high floor. You have a nice view of the park below! If you have children, it must be nice for them to be able to play right outside and for you to be able to keep a bird's eye view on them!  
I have always noticed how a city planners make sidewalks around a park and people will make their own paths right through the park, the shortest distance thing. You would think that planners would finally begin to build this into their plans. 
If Basil would not mind people adding to his thread (or we could start a new one) ... I would very much like to see other people's hometowns and/or current views of where they live. 
This is the house that I live in now. We bought it back in 1992 and it was about 1/2 of the size that it is now. We added onto the back of the house almost doubling it in size (if you see the powerline running down the side of the house between the two picture windows, that is the dividing line between the old house and the new house). I know that you will laugh, but this is actually a VERY small house by American standards. We also added the driveway and the fence was built by my husband. BTW, the little thing in the window by the tree next to the front door, is a "cat house" so that our two cats can go in and out of the house when ever they want and they can also sit in it if they want to. 
Front of house   
View from the house

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## Оля

> I know that you will laugh, but this is actually a VERY small house by American standards.

 I am sorry, rockzmom, but when I saw the picture, my first thought was exactly that the house is very small...   ::   and not only by American standards.   ::   
Well, yes, we Russians often live in city apartments which are even smaller than this house, but as a separate house... I think it doesn't look as a big one by Russian standards, either.
About trimmings (?? not sure if it's the right word) of the house... Is it (aluminum) siding? It's not very popular at ours. But it's highly common in America, right?

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## rockzmom

> Originally Posted by rockzmom  I know that you will laugh, but this is actually a VERY small house by American standards.   I am sorry, rockzmom, but when I saw the picture, my first thought was exactly that the house is very small...    and not only by American standards.    
> Well, yes, we Russians often live in city apartments which are even smaller than this house, but as a separate house... I think it doesn't look as a big one by Russian standards, either.
> About trimmings (?? not sure if it's the right word) of the house... Is it (aluminum) siding? It's not very popular at ours. But it's highly common in America, right?

 Not to worry Olya! Yes, I live in a shoe box. You should have seen it before the addition!!! And we have four adults (me, my husband, his youngest brother and his older sister) our two girls, soon another adult and child (my husband's brother's pregnant wife and their daughter), and our two cats and a very large gold fish all snug as bugs inside! 
Actually the house has vinyl siding. Aluminum has been phased out for vinyl. The houses across the street from us, they are made of brick and they also have basements, which flood a great deal and have been causing mold   :: .  
Our house was cheaper because it had the siding, no basement, and no driveway when we bought it. BUT... the previous owners added on that front section that comes out a little bit and that is a HUGE kitchen. It is the largest room in our house!!! And as you will note from the other thread I just started, I LOVE to cook. So, that was the reason we bought this house. The house has a great deal of wood inside. All "white oak" floors and wood cabinets. It adds a very warm feeling to the home and that also means that the termites like it as well.   ::

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## Basil77

> If Basil would not mind people adding to his thread (or we could start a new one) ... I would very much like to see other people's hometowns and/or current views of where they live.

 I don't mind at all. You are welcome  ::  .

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## Оля

I see you have no gratings on your windows in spite of that it's the "first" floor. Is it okay in America, or you just don't like gratings, or your windows are bulletproof?  :: 
In Russia, many people who live in the first floor, install metal gratings on their windows. It often looks terrible both on the inside and on the outside, but... safety goes first.   ::  What about that in America?

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## rockzmom

> Originally Posted by rockzmom  If Basil would not mind people adding to his thread (or we could start a new one) ... I would very much like to see other people's hometowns and/or current views of where they live.   I don't mind at all. You are welcome  .

 Thanks Basil   ::  Do you have any photos of where you live now????   

> I see you have no gratings on your windows in spite of that it's the "first" floor. Is it okay in America, or you just don't like gratings, or your windows are bulletproof? 
> In Russia, many people who live in the first floor, install metal gratings on their windows. It often looks terrible both on the inside and on the outside, but... safety goes first.   What about that in America?

 Oh, the wonderful metal bars on the windows. Remember, I have lived in a number of places...Maryland; Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; Long Island, New York; Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Palm Beach, Florida; and I have never had the honor of living in an home or apartment with bars on the window! I have seen them, just not lived in one. 
To be honest, when I was growing up in Bowie (the first set of photos) we also only had a one story house but even the two story houses did not have metal bars on the windows AND most of the time, we did not even bother to lock our windows, doors or even the car doors for that matter.   
I remember my grandfather, the one I wrote about in the thread The Night James Brown Saved Boston, he never locked his car and used to keep the keys to his car under the floor mat INSIDE his car! 
Now, in my neighborhood where I live now, times have changed, but not THAT much. We still will sometimes forget to close our windows and leave our car doors unlocked or the shed open. Our house has been broken into twice since 1992 (once they broke a glass window to the back door, which we now have a piece of unbreakable glass there and the other time a window was left open). The first time our neighbor actually watched it happening; but, she was too afraid to call the police because she was illegal and thought she might get deported if she called them. The second time, it was a bunch of teenage kids as young as 13 and they were stupid enough to come back to our street the next day. We have a retired police officer living on our cross street and she saw them and realized these kids did not belong in our neighborhood and started to talk to them and they got all nervous and she called her buddies still on the police force and they got them. 
BTW, it is interesting that you comment about safety...  The problem with the bars on the windows is it is a saftey hazard. If there is a fire in the house, people often get trapped inside and die because they cannot open the bars or the fire department cannot get them open. The people usually die from the smoke, not the flames.  
The places around here that I see them the most are in Washington, D.C. and in Baltimore, MD. There is where you will find them; but in the “suburbs” not too much. 
Sorry for the long answer to your question...  ::

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## CoffeeCup

The day when darkness came to my city and turned a day to a night.   

> If ever asked: What's more useful, the Sun or the Moon, respond: The Moon. For the Sun only shines during daytime, when it's light anyway, whereas the Moon shines at night.

 What if both of them will take a rest one day? The rest for a while, or forever ... ?   
The view from my window upon full Sun eclipse of 2008 August 1 at 17:52. You can see the Sun hiding behind the Moon. The Sun halo in reality was negligible. The remarkable shining circle around the Moon is due to overexposure, otherwise the buildings would not be visible at that fantastic moment. The two white dots are stars.

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## Leof

That is definitly a photograph!

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## Lampada

Lake Michigan.  I am on a seventeenth floor:

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## rockzmom

> I am on the seventeenth floor:

 Lampada, is that Lake Michigan??? What a fantastic view you have! It brings back so many memories for me spending my college days there on the lake trying to study while looking out the classroom windows; but, in fact daydreaming.   

> The view from my window upon full Sun eclipse of 2008 August 1 at 17:52. You can see the Sun hiding behind the Moon. The Sun halo in reality was negligible. The remarkable shining circle around the Moon is due to overexposure; otherwise the buildings would not be visible at that fantastic moment. The two white dots are stars.

 CoffeeCup, once again, you have proven you are definitely an excellent photographer. Didn't you win the award on another thread?  You have a great eye. Have you studied this in school at all or is it just a hobby for you?

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## gRomoZeka

Great photos, guys! I want more.   ::  
Лампада, отпад просто! Рыбу ловишь?  ::  
---
And now a view from my window (an almost 180-degrees viewing angle). It looks distant because I zoomed out, but it's actually very close, right across the street: 
Chestnut trees are blooming right now, and it's very nice 
The road to the right at night:

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## rockzmom

> Chestnut trees are blooming right now, and it's very nice

 These are FANTASTIC! I love your night shot! 
The chestnut trees, can you actually "help yourself' to the nuts and roast them and eat them? Is there street vendor? My dad simply LOVES chestnuts!!!   

> Basil... once again, thank you so much for starting this thread even though it was not what you had in mind and I want to see photos of where you live NOW!!! Pleassssseeee. rockzmom.

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## gRomoZeka

> The chestnut trees, can you actually "help yourself' to the nuts and roast them and eat them? Is there street vendor? My dad simply LOVES chestnuts!!!

 No, in Russia and Ukraine we have only Horse Chestnuts.  :"":  They look almost the same as Sweet chestnuts, but they are not edible and even (as far as I know) they are two unrelated kinds of trees (different families). I wish we could eat them... There are bunches if chestnut trees everywhere.
PS.
edible 
local nuts  ::  
... and local chestnut blossom (Does it look the same?): http://www.ljplus.ru/img/g/a/garkushev/kashtan2.jpg

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## Basil77

> Basil... once again, thank you so much for starting this thread even though it was not what you had in mind and I want to see photos of where you live NOW!!! Pleassssseeee. rockzmom.

 I myself actually don't shure what I had in mind starting this topic...  ::    Just found that blog and desided what someone could find it interesting. I just came home and made a couple of photos from my balcony:     
And here are these places on the photo from the blog:   
Rockzmom, I'll post more later in day light, if you wish.  ::

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## Zaya

> and local chestnut blossom (Does it look the same?)

 There are also rose ones: http://photo.i.ua/channel/163/1097727/ 
chestnut blossom closer http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/3011/sky ... bd629e3b_L 
Photos are not mine.  ::

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## rockzmom

> I [s:2rhbu5or]myself actually[/s:2rhbu5or] don't know for [s:2rhbu5or]shure[/s:2rhbu5or] certain  (I always prefer the word certain; however, it is spelled  sure and there is nothing wrong with using it, just a style choice.) what I had in mind starting this topic...  I just found that blog and [s:2rhbu5or]desided[/s:2rhbu5or] decided [s:2rhbu5or]what[/s:2rhbu5or] that someone could find it interesting. I just came home and made a couple of photos from my balcony:        Originally Posted by Basil77  Rockzmom, I'll post more later in day light, if you wish.

 Ahhh! Basil, thank you. You did perfect by predicting my question before I had to ask you “What is that building in the photo?” It is a bank!!! Are you part mind reader???   ::   
And yes, to your other question and to all of you… I would love it very much to see as many photos day or nighttime of where you live, shop or recreation/park areas, even the mundane little things that you take as boring.  
Remember, I am a clueless American when it comes to Russia, you are my tour guides.  Show me (and others on this forum) your world and if you like… we can show you ours.

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## Lampada

> Great photos, guys! I want more.   
> Лампада, отпад просто! Рыбу ловишь?

 Да, повезло нам с районом. У сына в этом же доме двухкомнатка.  Рыболовов тут много, но мы её "ловим" в магазине.

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## studyr

> You have a nice view of the park below! If you have children, it must be nice for them to be able to play right outside and for you to be able to keep a bird's eye view on them!  
> I have always noticed how a city planners make sidewalks around a park and people will make their own paths right through the park, the shortest distance thing. You would think that planners would finally begin to build this into their plans.

 It's not a park. We call it a yard because there are many real parks in Moscow. There is a site about them. Unfortunately it has no English version but you can see some pictures of the parks views there.
From my window, I have a view on ruins of the building on the opposite side of the street with a willow herb growing on were it's roof was

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## CoffeeCup

> CoffeeCup, once again, you have proven you are definitely an excellent photographer. Didn't you win the award on another thread? You have a great eye. Have you studied this in school at all or is it just a hobby for you?

 I am infinitely happy with you liking my photos.   ::  
I've just taken a camera and made a shot. Beginners are lucky.   ::

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## rockzmom

> No, in Russia and Ukraine we have only Horse Chestnuts. They look almost the same as Sweet chestnuts, but they are not edible and even (as far as I know) they are two unrelated kinds of trees (different families). I wish we could eat them... There are bunches if chestnut trees everywhere.      Originally Posted by Zaya  There are also rose ones:

 gRomoZeka & Zaya, thank you for explaining and for the photos. These trees are soooo lovely and I have never seen anything like your chestnuts. One more "silly" question... do the flowers give off a fragrance? 
Also Zaya, your second photo brought back a memory for me of a bush that we have around here and that I had right outside my bedroom window as a child; a “honeysuckle bush.” Do you have them in Russia?  
This is like the one I had outside my window. I would open my window and let the breexe bring in the wonderful fragrance from the flowers!  
You can pull the flower apart and actually slurp up the nectar. It is VERY sweet and sticky. 
Here is a REALLY cute video I found of how it is done…
[video:280kmigi]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa2OcJ-WvMw[/video:280kmigi]   

> It's not a park. We call it a yard because there are many real parks in Moscow.

 Studyr, if it has swings and slides etc., its a park/playground to me!    

> From my window, I have a view on ruins of the building on the opposite side of the street with a willow herb growing on were it's roof was.

 Studyr, It looks as if there is a man working on the side of the build and a crane there as well. Are they trying to renovate the haven for wild life or demolish it? If the willow tree is that tall, I am guessing that this building has been in disarray for some time.  What was it before?

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## Zaya

> gRomoZeka & Zaya, thank you for explaining and for the photos. These trees are soooo lovely and I have never seen anything like your chestnuts. One more "silly" question... do the flowers give off a fragrance?

 No, as far as I remember, they don't.  ::  But these days lilacs are in blossom too, so we have something else instead. ))    

> Also Zaya, your second photo brought back a memory for me of a bush that we have around here and that I had right outside my bedroom window as a child; a “honeysuckle bush.” Do you have them in Russia?

 I am from Ukraine and I have never seen it although the word "жимолость" is familiar to me. According to my encyclopaedia it does grow in Russia, but not in all its regions.  ::

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## studyr

Rockzmom, yes it looks like a park, I just mean that we call it a yard. There is no willow trees, it's willow herb on the roof, it looks so: 
 in august. And builders are working there but this is not the first attempt to renovate it. I hope they finally will make it looking OK, not as ''Frightening photos of my home town.''

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## Basil77

> I hope they finally will make it looking OK, not as ''Frightening photos of my home town.''

 My terrible English cause this misunderstanding. I didn't mean that my town is so ugly, I just wanted to say that when I looked at the photos I was really scared because it's too high.   ::

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## brandonp

Great pictures everyone, it's great to see all these different perspectives! 
Basil, you could use "from" instead of "of" and that would clear up that misunderstanding by applying the adjective "frightening" to the photos and not the town itself.

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## rockzmom

Hey brandonp, 
Pony up, where are your POVs???   ::

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## brandonp

Haha, maybe I will dust my camera off and take some pictures tomorrow and post them.  ::

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## Basil77

About blooming chestnut trees... I just returned from Ukraine and made these photos at a small village near the border between Ukraine and Russia. It's a shame that the weather that day when I passed the village was rainy, but I found the composition of blooming chestnut trees, Lenin statue and an orthodox church is rather interesting:

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## BappaBa

> ...I found the composition of blooming chestnut trees, Lenin statue and an orthodox church is rather interesting:

 ЧуднО смотрится огромный постамент под маленьким памятником Ленину. Да еще и рядом с церковью.   ::   Это новодел?

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## rockzmom

> About blooming chestnut trees... I just returned from Ukraine and made these photos at a small village near the border between Ukraine and Russia. It's a shame that the weather that day when I passed the village was rainy, but I found the composition of blooming chestnut trees, Lenin statue and an orthodox church is rather interesting:

 Basil,
Lastnight I had the opportunity to see your photos, yet today, they will not come up   ::   I must say, even though the weather was not perfect, I appreciate you taking the time to make these and post them these as I have NEVER seen such magnificent trees. 
And you are right about your composition. I was trying to think of something to relate it to and I just cannot. So for me, it is just so hard to wrap my head around these things unless I have photos *AND* someone saying here look...  

> One of these things is not like the other things. One of these things just doesn't belong.

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## Basil77

> ЧуднО смотрится огромный постамент под маленьким памятником Ленину. Да еще и рядом с церковью.    Это новодел?

 А фиг его знает. Просто проезжал мимо и решил сфоткать. Церковь выглядит, как  будто к полуразрушенному сельскому клубу приделали сверху колоколенку. Там еще рядом вечный огонь и памятник погибшим в Великой Отечественной,  буквально за каштанами, жаль в один кадр всё не уместилось.

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## capecoddah

Views from work, I am between the 2 cams. 
Left of my office: http://www.capecodlivecam.com/hyannisharbor.shtml
Right of my office: http://www.capecodlivecam.com/hyline.shtml

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## Leof

They are  Nice webcam views! Especially the Right one, because the left one doesn't show anything to me.
I watched the manydecked ship left the harbour - looks nice.  
You could appoint the appropriate for the Russians time, go out, stay there and vawe to us and make your vawing Global.
We all could see you.
Say, at nine o'clock in the Moscow, you could take a short break, go out, chouse the noticeable spot and make a little flashmob for us!

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## capecoddah

Leof, it's been done. Problem is 9 hours difference in time. We'll see what happens. 
Last summer I had 2 Russian kids that worked with m, They made a big ПРИВЕТ sign for their friends and family. All the other Russian kids head about it and started doing the same. People from the bar use the cam on the left with men "mooning" and women "flashing".   ::   
We'll see what happens.

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## Leof

When to stare? Where?
Have you done this already?

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## studyr



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## capecoddah

Very good studyr! 
The reason I posted 2 links was to make clear where I was. Harbor Cam is 150 feet to my left, Hy-Line camera is 150 feet to my right. The others are miles away. 2 are near the 2 automotive bridges to Cape Cod over the canal (Sagamore Bridge and Bourne Bridge). Commercial Street is the end of Cape Cod in Provincetown, it the winter 3,500 people, nothing happens on camera, in summer 35,000 people, Provincetown needs a lot of explaining. A LOT! Landfall is near the auto ferry to Martha's Vinyard island. Captain Parker's is on top of a restaurant (GREAT clam chowder and seafood), Beachcomber is on a beach bar,  Chatham Inn never seems to work.

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## rockzmom

Basil, gRomoZeka & Zayaa!!!!    

> The trees grow dense as you approch the manor itself, soaring oak and horse chestnut intermingled with more delicate ash and willow. The only signs of cultivation are a driveway free of weeds and the glowing lamps that float overhead, seemingly without tether or cable.

 Because of you three, we now know what horse chestnut tress are *AND* look like!!!!  ::

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## BappaBa

> Lake Michigan.  I am on a seventeenth floor:

 Не поскажешь, *Castle in Charlevoix, Michigan* это городок, концертная площадка или что-то другое? И как это Charlevoix можно написать по-русски? =)
Спс!

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## Оля

> И как это Charlevoix можно написать по-русски? =)

 Шарлевуа.

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## Lampada

> Originally Posted by Lampada  Lake Michigan.  I am on a seventeenth floor:   Не поскажешь, *Castle in Charlevoix, Michigan* это городок, концертная площадка или что-то другое? ...

 http://www.castlefarms.com/about-us/

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## MJenkens

The original photos were frightening because of the perspective?  Meaning you took them from high above?  I know I'd be hesitant to stand up there and take that shot..

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## Basil77

> The original photos were frightening because of the perspective?

 Yes, you get it right.   

> Meaning you took them from high above?  I know I'd be hesitant to stand up there and take that shot..

 I didn't take them. I just posted a link to the blog of the girl who took them. To stand up and take a shot is one thing. And imagine how is to climb up a 250 meters-high rusty deserted mast by a rusty ladder during several hours and then to climb down.  ::   I'm too old for such things already.

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## Hanna

Basil, what happened to the picture of the electrical pylons that you climbed in as a child?  I got very curious what they looked like ----- but I could not see the picture?   
I too used to climb in them! (it's VERY unhealthy - they ought to be fenced off actually... people get sick from being close to them for long periods... Children should not be allowed to play on them..  )   
But was it something like this?   Or something more scary looking?

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## rockzmom

> Basil, what happened to the picture of the electrical pylons that you climbed in as a child?  I got very curious what they looked like ----- but I could not see the picture?

 Johanna, I know you asked Basil, yet it has been a couple of days and he has not responded, so maybe he is away and hopefully he will not mind me helping you out? The link to the photos is here. 
Also... as I have begged of others....pleeaaseee, would you post some photos of where you grew up and where you are now????  ::

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## Lampada

> ....pleeaaseee, would you post some photos of where you grew up...

 This is my city nowdays:   viewtopic.php?f=41&t=16565

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## Hanna

But Lampada, your profile says that you are from the United States? 
Do you mean that you grew up in Kiev but now you live in the US? 
Anyway - Kiev looks great! I didn't know it was so elegant!
I'd love to travel there when I can speak a bit better Russian. 
Rockzmom - I can't see the pics of your city? hese threads are so long!  
Ok here it goes: My home city is Stockholm although I come from an island east of the city. The great thing about Stockholm is that it is built on lots of different islands that are connected by bridges. So you are constantly near the water. Stockholm is the biggest city in Sweden and has about 1 million inhabitants. (Russians and Americans, don't laugh! That's quite big enough!)

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## rockzmom

> Rockzmom - I can't see the pics of your city? hese threads are so long!

 This one is only TWO pages and most of it is photos!!! It is not so bad   ::  
On page 1 there are photos of where I grew up and of where I live now.   

> Ok here it goes: My home city is Stockholm although I come from an island east of the city. The great thing about Stockholm is that it is built on lots of different islands that are connected by bridges. So you are constantly near the water. Stockholm is the biggest city in Sweden and has about 1 million inhabitants. (Russians and Americans, don't laugh! That's quite big enough!)

 Oh, thank you!! These are great photos!!! I love being near water, so I would feel right at home in Stockholm!  Lampada, the nighttime photos of Kiev are fantastic as well. Thank you for the link!!! We need one from your window of the lake with all the boats out on the sparkling water right now.   ::

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## Hanna

> Originally Posted by Johanna  Rockzmom - I can't see the pics of your city? hese threads are so long!

 Oops I'm too lazy!
I didn't see the first page... Your town seems great. And I had no idea Maryland was a Southern State!
I thought it was... erm a Northern state (?)  
I have probably never met anybody from Maryland! The only Americans I meet are from California or New York, it seems... And guess what? I have never been to the US!  But I'd like to visit...

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## rockzmom

LONG Posting... and all in ENGLISH...I know...  ::     

> I had no idea Maryland was a Southern State! I thought it was... erm a Northern state (?)

 Maryland is a tricky state! Even during our Civil War, our own state could not decide if it should be Southern or Northern!  

> The tobacco counties of southern Maryland and the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay were secessionist.  The grain-growing counties of northern and western Maryland, containing few slaves, were safe for the Union.

 And the turning point in that war was in Maryland at Antietam Creek and due to the Union wining the Battle of Antietam, then President Lincoln gave his famous Emancipation Proclamation provided a legal framework for the emancipation slaves. 
Today, there are parts of Maryland like Chevy Chase and Potomac, which are very wealthy and cosmopolitan and have a very much Northern feel to them. You would never catch someone from there saying "ya' all" or "listen up."  
Then you drive for a little ways from there and reach farming towns where they are driving pickup trucks and go hun'in' (notice no "t" or "g"in that word) on the weekends. They don't get invited to any of the parties in Chevy Chase or Potomac, nor do they usually have membership to the country clubs, unless it is the "redneck yatch club!" 
Drive a little farther and you hit the Chesapeake Bay (it is the largest estuary in the U.S.) where we have a big crabbing industry and then drive about two or three more hours and you hit Ocean City Beach on the Atlantic Ocean.  
We also have the U.S. Naval Accademy in Annapolis and the big Port of Baltimore (where they pronounce words little "water" very differently than the rest of the U.S.!).  Maryland is also home to the National Institues of Health and right next to that (on the same street) is the National Naval Medical Center. 
And for all you gamers out there, Maryland is home to ZeniMax, parent company of Bethsda Softworks. Maker of Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, and soon... Knights of Nine!  
So, we have a real mixture of people here.  A number of people live here or in Virginia and work in Washington as the  public school system in Washington is not very good. Yet, Washington has all the Smithsonian Musuems which are FREE and a number of theaters like the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Yet, Maryland (and not far from where I live) is home to the American Film Institute and the corporate offices for Discovery Channel!   

> I have probably never met anybody from Maryland! The only Americans I meet are from California or New York, it seems... And guess what? I have never been to the US!  But I'd like to visit...

 As you can see from this LONG posting, we have a lot of things to do here or very close to here and from New York we are about a 4 hour drive!

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## CoffeeCup

> My home city is Stockholm ...   about 1 million inhabitants.

 Snow and lights are magnificent and charming. I want to live here. In this small luxuriously splendid town!

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## BappaBa

Yeah, I live in Evil empire!   ::

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## rockzmom

> Yeah, I live in THE Evil empire!

 Okay BappaBa, you win for best photo and quote of the month!   ::

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## BappaBa

> Originally Posted by BappaBa  Yeah, I live in THE Evil empire!     Okay BappaBa, you win for best photo and quote of the month!

 Rockzmom, thanks a lot!   ::

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## rockzmom

> Originally Posted by rockzmom        Originally Posted by BappaBa  Yeah, I live in THE Evil empire!     Okay BappaBa, you win for best photo and quote of the month!     Rockzmom, thanks a lot!

 Just so you know how much it is liked in our household... I showed it to my girls and they both are demanding it for their wallpaper on their cellphones!!!

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## Hanna

> Yeah, I live in Evil empire!

 Oh no! That must be a new dangerous Russian weapon!    ::   ::  
Controlled by:   *Help!!! Call NATO!!!!*  
.

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## Hanna

@Coffeecup
Thanks for the nice compliment about my city! Yeah, I love it -- because of all the water mainly. It is much nicer than London. Stockholm has more nature, trees, wildlife, parks.  *If you come by while I'm in Stockholm, I'll take you on a tour + dinner and drinks!*   ::   *However, there is an ugly side to Stockholm*, in some suburbs. It is the result of a government plan. The government decided to build 1 million new Swedish homes in 10 years, to solve housing problems in the 1960s. The plan was met... but the houses are a bit ugly. See below. (In the front is a Stockholm metro train.)   
They also decided to get rid of some old houses because they were 'un-hygenic' and not modern.
So,the nice very old houses were demolished and people were moved to these ugly new houses...  *
Next they decided that central Stockholm needed some American-style scyscrapers and a USSR-inspired "House of Culture".* 
So they demolished some more nice old houses in the city-centre, to build these quite ugly buildings which nobody really wanted! The skyscrapers were ugly and most people had no idea what the enormous "House of Culture" was actually supposed to be used for.  
(A part of Stockholm's House of Culture)   
(Stockholms completely un-necessary "skyscrapers"... Not so high! )   *
Let's see some picture from Novosibirsk and other Russian cities!*  
.

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## CoffeeCup

Johanna! Thanks for the invitation! 
Now it's my turn to show my city Novosibirsk. All the images except one I've found with the use of Google Maps with Photos. Unfortunately there is no "Street View" mode in the Google Maps for Novosibirsk. 
The first one is the visiting card of Novosibirsk: "Novosibirsk's Opera and Ballet Theater". This theater was built up from late 30th to begin 40th. The opening show was held on May 12th 1945, only three days after the World War II. The construction includes the unique dome, which is a half of a sphere with a diameter being 60 meters, made of concrete (!!!) without any supporting girders or columns. The image I've selected because of lights and snow doesn't show the dome totally, if you follow the Wikipedia link above you'll see it from an aerial view, it's really impressive.  
Novosibirsk is divided by a river for two parts. The river waist is about 1 km. Here you can see two bridges. One in the front is for cars and another behind for the underground trains.  
Having such a river and do not using it for getting electricity is wasting money. Yeah, we have some hydro electric power plant.  
Here is some great night view. The horizontal row of lights crossing the image top from left to right is the bridge you've seen above.  
I've shown you so many images but you haven't seen the city yet. Here it is.  
The one more point of interest is the Zoo. Here is my shot. What animal are you see on the image? ... A tiger? No! It's a liger. And we do have it in our zoo. Probably it's the only liger in Russia.

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## Basil77

> Basil, what happened to the picture of the electrical pylons that you climbed in as a child?  I got very curious what they looked like ----- but I could not see the picture?

  

> Johanna, I know you asked Basil, yet it has been a couple of days and he has not responded, so maybe he is away and hopefully he will not mind me helping you out? The link to the photos is...

 Rockzmom, you were right, I was away, at Ukraine actually (once again in this thread   ::  ). 
Johanna can you see the photos now? If you don't I can repost them from that blog to the forum directly. And as I wrote above it's not the electrical pylons, they are radio signal retranslator pylons, they are much higher (more than 200 meters), and were much more unhealthy than they were functioning (nowdays satellites used instead of them). Imagine today's cell phone pylons but much more high and powerful.

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## BappaBa

=) Someone was shooting a movie scene near my house last summer. =)

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## Hanna

I can't believe how NEW Novosibirsk looks! 
It looks almost American with the wide roads, skyscrapers etc. 
And then your explanation that the (very elegant) ballet and opera house is only 70 year old! 
What's the river called that it's on? 
What's the history of Novosibirsk? Perhaps it's quite a new city?  
Another question: Is Novosibirsk near the little town of "Akademgorodok"? 
I read about that town in a blog post and it sounded fascinating.. I think it was mentioned that it was not far from Novosibirsk.

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## Wowik

> Yeah, I live in Evil empire!

 ОЙ! Мой дом на фотке! Под самой правой из трех толстых молний. Я в опасности!?!
My house is under the right big light. I'm in danger?!

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## Wowik

I've browsed entire this topic. It's rather interesting. 
Now I know where BappaBa live!
From the pictures in the message viewtopic.php?p=211129#p211129
I establish coodinates  :: : 55.978217,37.191478
корпус 803, наверно второй подъезд с краю, этаж 5. 
I also saw the same air parade from my window:   http://foto.mail.ru/mail/wowik/Parad20090509   

> А из нашего окна площадь Красная видна =)

 Раньше я любил говаривать: "А из нашего окна площадь Юности видна", теперь переехал.

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## Wowik

> Another question: Is Novosibirsk near the little town of "Akademgorodok"?

 No, it isn't!
The little town of "Akademgorodok" is near Novosibirsk  ::   Novosibirsk was founded as a railway station (near new railway bridge crossing the great river of Ob) in 1893 on the place of the old big village. Akademgorodok was constructed about 30 km south of the city center in 1957.

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## BappaBa

> Now I know where BappaBa live!

 You are the pathfinder! =)

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## CoffeeCup

> What's the river called that it's on?
> What's the history of Novosibirsk? Perhaps it's quite a new city?
> Another question: Is Novosibirsk near the little town of "Akademgorodok"?
> I read about that town in a blog post and it sounded fascinating.. I think it was mentioned that it was not far from Novosibirsk.

  

> No, it isn't!
> The little town of "Akademgorodok" is near Novosibirsk  Novosibirsk was founded as a railway station (near new railway bridge crossing the great river of Ob) in 1893 on the place of the old big village. Akademgorodok was constructed about 30 km south of the city center in 1957.

 It is no use to state what is near what. Actually Akademgorodok is just a remote administrative part of Novosibirsk   ::  .
Wowik have provided some good links to the history pages. Akademgorodok is the place where science lives in Novosibirsk. Many scientific institutes along with the Novosibirsk State University are located in Akademgorodok. Here is some aerial view.   
Most buildings you can see here are some scientific institutes. Just in the center I can recognize the Institute of Automatics and Electrometry and the Institute of Cytology and Genetics. To the left of them there are the Institute of Mathematics and the Institute of Geology. To the right of the road there are the Institute of Organic Chemistry and the Institute of Catalysis. 
As you can see Akademgorodok is ingrained to a forest. This makes Akademgorodok to be one of the most beautiful places.   . . . . .

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## rockzmom

You might be the evil empire, but Montauk, New York, even at the end of summer can be pretty cold. These photos were taken on Friday afternoon around 4pm during what was left of the storm surge from Tropical Storm Danny.
Our fisherman is wearing a wet suit (maybe you Russian's would wear shorts?)  
Montauk Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in New York and is the 4th oldest active lighthouse in the U.S. It began operations in 1797.

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## Hanna

Great photos rockzmom! Thanks for sharing them. 
Your girls are gorgeous both of them!! 
Thanks also Coffeecup for the info about Novisibirsk and Akademgorodok. 
I love the bit about the town being integrated with the forest, as you put it.  
That's exactly how I want to live - integrated in nature.
If I ever go for a term to Russia to study the language I'll seriously check for courses in this area because I don't like very big cities too much... 1 million is my upper limit really.... [/i]  So WHAT am I doing in London, this urban jungle / dump...   ::  [/i]

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## Ramil

Just made these shots out of my window. There's been an incredible sunset, but alas, my camera is too old and not too good to begin with to capture the color of the sky. I've made 16 shots. Here are the best ones:

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## rockzmom

> Just made these shots out of my window. There's been an incredible sunset, but alas, my camera is too old and not too good to begin with to capture the color of the sky. I've made 16 shots. Here are the best ones:

 Ramil! You have been holding out on us!!!   ::   What an amazing view you have. You and Lampada might have a tie for the best views from their windows.  
You must take a photo during the daytime for us, unless you fear Wowik will figure out your loaction and stalk you.

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## Ramil

> Originally Posted by Ramil  Just made these shots out of my window. There's been an incredible sunset, but alas, my camera is too old and not too good to begin with to capture the color of the sky. I've made 16 shots. Here are the best ones:   Ramil! You have been holding out on us!!!    What an amazing view you have. You and Lampada might have a tie for the best views from their windows.

 Everything comes at a price. You can note that the traffic is heavy (the same goes on below even now - tomorrow children are going to schools so everything must be prepared). The noise and the smell are rather irritating.   

> You must take a photo during the daytime for us, unless you fear Wowik will figure out your loaction and stalk you.

 I think it's a little bit too late. He can already deduce it now I think. But don't worry. We can always get ourselves roaring drunk even if he finds me.  ::

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