June 23, Zidane is the guest of honor

IMG_6353, originally uploaded by simoblog.

This was his birthday party and art exhibition for Dmitry Sokolenko. I wrote the essay

11pm

11pm.jpg
Originally uploaded by cinnamona

Pushkin

Pushkin
Originally uploaded by cinnamona

Pushkin melon
Originally uploaded by cinnamona

Pushkin melon

A slice of Pushkin
Originally uploaded by cinnamona

A slice of Pushkin

Pushkin and I

Pushkin and I
Originally uploaded by cinnamona

Nice fur

Nice fur
Originally uploaded by cinnamona

White sun, black clouds : welcome back

White sun, black clouds : welcome back
Originally uploaded by cinnamona

An easily accessibly mail storeroom from the street.

Erasing the line

Cute couple portrait with ominous rusty nail.

Stray Dogs

Here such a noble and loyal breed. They travel in packs, keeping to themselves, the wilderness of the city preserved in them, well-fed wolves.

Where I used to Run

Strange Cargo

Sometimes the barges carry Siberian lumber.
And sometimes the barges carry St. Petersburg buildings!

Traveling Exhibition: My St. Petersburg Ancestry

Petersburg's Zenith plays Moscow

Bely's "Petersburg"

What an excellent production

The girls sitting on top of the carriages sang nonsensical songs and chirped like birds at moments of high tension.

Petersburg Theater, Museums and Installations

At the end of the show they served vodka. See the carriages in the background? Those were used to move the audience all over the courtyard.

The Secret Lives of the Babushki

The lucky have a roof over their heads and Pushkin to keep them company.
Some feed the pigeons.
Some have to dig in dumpsters.

And yet others have their offices in the port-a-potties. No joke. This is the only black humor I really can't stomach.

What's that living in the courtyard?

A Russian friend, Lor, said, "Somebody told me that was something a little bit indecent in English."
Answer: Um, yes, those are probably two of the most indecent words in the English language put together and hung all over town.

Reunited with Ahopkin

It had been awhile, but Ahopkin has found a good home. Sara and I took him out to the playground and played. Then Ahopkin met his first cat in the wilderness. This was also the first cat Ahop had met since Ludmila, his sister. When he was reunited with Ludmila for the afternoon, they hissed and spat at each other. What went wrong? Had they forgotten about each other, or were the bad memories of being seperated, and the promise for renewed seperation too much to bear? (See pictures of Ludmila and Ahop in sailor's hats.)

Military Presence? No....

The summer the city was teeming with cops. Partly because of the G8, partly because of football games. I finally got stopped and asked for my documents as I was coming up an escalator. Luckily, I had everything in order--though I wouldn't have had my registration just a week before. Somebody asked me if I was stopped frequently. No, I answered, Why? Oh, because you look like a gypsy, he replied. Thanks!

In line for the movie. Sheesh! We're not waiting in that line!

Riot police

A Kharms Cafe Farewell

On my second to last night I took everyone to my favorite cafe in Petersburg: The Lighthouse Cafe, right across the street from Daniil Kharms' apartment. It is the real Soviet-style cafeteria, and probably was around when Kharms lived on Mayakovsky Street. Here I am looking up in horror because I had just been hit on the head by a brick, luckily! Because I promptly forgot who I was and when I remembered I was already back in New York City. Phew.

Polina, Marco Polo (yes, really), me and oxana (left to right)

Sonia (art historian and guide at the Hermitage) and I assess a painting at the "Kharms Cafe" (aka Cafe Lighthouse)

Me and Lenin. Look at that smile. That is one 100% genuine smile.

Protective Sons (This Ain't Italy)

Notice the TWO guns and the watchful gaze.

St. Petersburg Fashion