KAZAN

The Water Sports World Championship is currently held in the city where I live at the moment.

Allow me to point few clarifications regarding what I'm blogging about. I write and post about happenings, culture notes, my personal experiences from interaction with the local folks, the city, architecture, food and other stuff that I think matters.

Very often I mention the word KREMLIN. I would like to point out that in the whole Russian Federation, there is not only one Kremlin, which the world knows about - that one in Moscow. Kremlin in Moscow is the Kremlin of the country. But Kremlin which I often mention is the Kremlin in Kazan - the fortress of Kazan. KAZAN is considered to be the third largest city in Russia in terms of economy. Kazan city is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Here I'd like to share 2 links which can give more details about the city and the Republic.

KAZAN - Lonely Planet
KAZAN official site

I do not want to confuse you with the way the Kremlins look like. So here are pictures.

my picture
Kazan

picture credit: internet
Moscow

photo credit: internet
Moscow

photo credit: internet
Kazan

photo credit: internet
Moscow

my picture
Kazan

If you pay closer attention, you'd notice that in Kazan Kremlin, there are two flags. Russian flag and the flag of Tatarstan Republic.

Thank you for taking interest in my blog. I am very glad to hear from you and I am more than happy to visit your blogs too.

To my previous readers and blogger friends, I am sorry for my long absence. I have been tied up with work and other significant personal stuff. Now I'm back and will be happy to exchange thoughts with you again.

Hello there again ... :)

Spring in the City

Let me take you to a short walk from inside the Kremlin to the streets and views around it.

The pillars are portraits and stories of prominent artists - painters, musicians, singers, composer, writer, poets, playwright, actors & actresses who served and one of those considered heroes in the WWII. The posts are dedicated to commemorate them in connection with the Victory day celebration.

Outside Kremlin is the statue of Musa Dzalil who was a poet and a resistance fighter against fascists. He was caught and beheaded. 

Musa Dzalil's story of Bravery

Starting spring the carriage that goes around the Kremlin is now out ready for tourists.

The Kremlovskaya street is just across the gate of Kremlin. It goes down to the Kazan Federal University.

Standing on the Kremlin grounds you will see a view of the main roads where all public transports passes by to get to another point. 

Although the day was partly cloudy, the sky was still beautiful especially at the end of the day. A grand flock of birds flew by above me - it was wonderful!

After a bit of showers, I still manage to see the sunset. I was a bit late to catch the huge sun in its way down but I  was still lucky to witness the sky changed from day to evening.

Some of you might be already familiar with this dragon. It is the same dragon I've posted in winter. It is the symbol of the city located just outside and below the Kremlin wall.

I'm linking this post to:

Scenic Weekend

Our World Tuesday

Spring Cleaning

After the last fall of snow, there was finally spring cleaning. SUBOTNIK means Saturday cleaning day in spring. It is one the days I always look forward to in spring. For me, it's a real sign that winter's over.

This is an ad posted at our flat's main entrance. It is made like in Soviet era's style. It's fun though, especially for foreigners like me who finds it interesting to see soviet elements in the new Russia.

The cleaning starts in the residential yards where pensioners are the most active participants.

Tools are provided for the volunteers.

People are seen cleaning the parks, students-the school yard. For students, it is simply a part of thrir students' life. They say that their teacher "volunteered" them :) Some of course were still able to run away but those who join get extra points. Fair enough.

I like that even kids are taking part in this. At young age they learn responsibility, community service and taking care of nature.

Workers worked harder on this day washing up the streets and repainting fences. Some companies brought their employees to join the spring cleaning.

Like I said, I was always looking forward to this but I never had the chance to participate and help. Saturday is an important day at work. I saw many people in tha parks and on the road that day but I wasn't able to make pictures of them. This ones I've posted are from "Moscow Times"

Sharing with: 

Our World Tuesday

WATW

A Photowalk in early Spring

 Weekend was a nice. It was sunny and dry in the morning. I decided to take a walk around the city center to see how the weather has changed for spring so far.

The roads and pavements were finally free of snow. However it was still cold especially at this area where the ricer is somewhere behind those residential.

It was becoming more and more cloudy and colder too. This is a commercial building. Many spaces are still for rent. I saw it under construction when I first came.

There were some nice elements in this building and on the other building at its back. I wasn't  able to get much closer though. There was a wedding pictorial going on and I didn't  want to disturb.

As I approached the Freedom square, it finally rained. First I had to tske shelter from the city hall (I didn't  make a picture of the building)

And when the rain stopped for awhile, I found a nice cafe just across the ballet theater. The place is not very big but spacious enough. I like the big sofas. It is attached to tge old house (to the left) where Lenin used to go for chess games.

Sun came out agsin after the rain as you can see the sky is clear and blue.

It is a busy season for the theater. People start arriving for the first show. It is Nureyev festival.

You may cluck beliw for his biography.

NUREYEV  

(taken from the internet)

Sharing this post to:

Our World Tuesday and WATW

New Signs on Early Spring

An independent sign posted by a resident in the park few weeks ago. 

Birds don't die because of cold but because of hunger. 

Feed them!

Another independent sign along my way to work.

Sobriety is the choice if the STRONG ones.

A new parking toll has been seen around the city lately. Drivers can pay by themselves through this automated machine. There are also cameras around so if you parked and didn't pay, they'll be able to track your car's license number.

And another sign which shows how many parking spaces are available in which nearby place.

Hopefully these will solve the long going parking-towing problem in the city.

At the bus stop with dome interesting social ad. There are more of them but I 'll have to get off at every stop to make picture of them. Hopefully I 'll be able to fo it as it gets warmer.

It doesn't  matter?

A family of two will rent a rubbish bin. We guarantee cleanliness.

Rubbish have home too.

Interesting, isn't  it? I like the idea. Whoever created it - you're  awesome! :)

Linking with:

Our World Tuesday

WATW

signs,signs

Faculty of Chemistry

The faculty of Chemistry, Kazan Federal University.

Pictures were taken in summer. We don't  have snow anymore at this time but greens haven't shown up yet.

I'm  linking this post to: 

Monday Mellows

Jazz Crossroads

Jazz Crossroads is a small hostel with a nice restaurant and cozy cafe.

They don't  serve exquisite food but fine enough for the place and it's  name. In the evenings they have live band who usually plays jazz music of course. At daytime, they serve business lunch for office workers around the area and the cafe is open all day long. 

This is pancake stuffed with ground beef. It's another favorite of mine next to goluptse. It is usually served with sour cream.

Vareniki is some kind of a dumpling but with mashed potato inside, aldo served with sour cream.

Yoshiki. It's some kind of a meatballs with rice and spices. I don't really know how they cook it but it comes with mashed potato and sour cream again.

Cirnik. It's  a dessert made of cottage cheese-fried or baked? ...maybe :) I 'm sorry I didn't  really asked how it was made but I loved it. It comes with condensed milk or jam. I have chosen condensed milk.

It is not an expensive place to dine in. For two people's lunch, we only paid about  $13.

And for an interior like this, it was totally inexpensive I'd say.

That's how the place looks like from across the road. It's an old living place where Salvador Dali's (Spanish painter) wife & family used to live long time ago.

Please excuse the (bad) quality of pictures, they were taken from mobile phone.

Look Down for Views

Since I already have posted the Ferris wheel and told you that I was once up there. I thought that I'd continue with the views down the wheel. Like I said I didn't  really look down. I was just sitting very still looking at what's on my eye level. But thankfully, I was with a bear... a kind of special Bear and he took all these pictures in this post.

 

There's  the road going to the city center. The Kremlin, commercial building, some residential and the beach Kazanka. 

Last time I've posted a sign that forbids people from swimming and some of you asked why it is forbidden. Well, you see there is a road that spans at the middle. Fumes, dust and maybe something else are brought about by every passing vehicle. The water is not really dirty. I have been there several times in summer and in winter too. There are no rubbish nor sewege from factories. There are no factories in the city. It's just not considered good for swimming. But you know some people still try like in those people in the previous post I've written about.

The Ferris wheel is a part of entertainment in Kurlai. It's  an amusemrnt park. I like being there in summer, not to take rides but to eat cotton candy :) 

Nah, I just like places where people go to enjoy. Kids, a lot of kids and their families could be seen in this place. 

Farther you can see a UFO. They land in Russia from time to time. Didn't you know that Russia and aliens are allies? 

:)

Of course I'm  joking. That's  a circus. I haven't been there. Another paranoia I've got is that animals could go wild and get loose...you know what happens next. (I'm  sorry I've got weird imaginings sometimes).

This is right below us. You can probably even see the shadow of the wheel on the umbrellas. It's a BBQ place by the way. They also have good kebab. Yum! Summer, hurry up please.

The park isn't open yet. They close from late fall to early spring. As soon as snow is gone, they'll  open again.

The river is still frozen, everything's covered with snow. Although it is already spring, our temperature today's nearly -10. 

Tomorrow's  gonna be -17...hopefully not. It is March 8 - it's  Women's  Day and I already mentioned to you before  that this day is widely celebrated in Russia. I am planning to go out and see around, make pictures if I  get a chance and later tell you about it.

I'm  linking this post to Scenic Weekends

Look Up for Signs

They're some ad from some mobile company and other sponsors.

I  was up there once in summer. Whoah it was pretty scary. I mean it wasn't  if you weren't  afraid of heights. It was going very very slow for it is for city sightseeing. The longer we stayed higher, the more afraid I was. Ahh silly me, I  wasn't  even able to make pictures of beautiful scenery below. 

Check out more signs on the link below:

Signs, signs