From ancient churches to constructivism

📐 Alexey Shchusev was a Russian and Soviet architect who worked at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries and in the first decades of the Soviet era. He designed churches, railway stations and government buildings, and all his works differ radically from one another.

⛪ At the beginning of his career, Shchusev turned to Old Russian architecture. One example of this is the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent in Moscow. Later he designed the Kazansky Railway Station with a tall tower and many details reminiscent of ancient Russian architecture.

🇷🇺 After the revolution, his projects changed greatly towards constructivism. Shchusev took part in the creation of Lenin's Mausoleum, and then designed the building of the People's Commissariat for Agriculture in Moscow — with long horizontal lines and large windows. If you compare these buildings, it is hard to believe that they were created by one architect.

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Tula gingerbread — the sweet symbol of the city

🇷🇺 Tula gingerbread is known not only for its filling, but also for its unusual appearance. It was baked in special wooden moulds with carved patterns: ornaments, inscriptions, images of animals and city symbols appeared on the surface. Jam or honey was usually placed inside, and the finished gingerbread came out dense, aromatic and did not go stale for a long time.

🍓 In Tula, the gingerbread craft developed over centuries. Gingerbreads were sold at fairs, given as gifts on holidays and presented as presents — sometimes with congratulatory inscriptions. Craftsmen passed on the secrets of production from generation to generation, and the carved moulds made it possible to create items of the most varied sizes and designs.

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Iturup — the largest island of the Kuril Islands

🌋 Iturup is part of the Kuril Islands of the Sakhalin Region. Here there are several volcanoes, including the active Baransky volcano, hot springs and waterfalls. One of the island's main attractions is the White Cliffs on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. They are formed of light pumice that appeared as a result of volcanic eruptions.

⛰️ The island also has fumaroles — outlets of hot volcanic gas, thermal streams and black sand beaches. Due to its remoteness and difficult terrain, many places can only be reached by off-road vehicle or as part of a guided tour. Iturup is interesting primarily for its volcanic nature, which manifests itself here in a wide variety of forms.

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👩‍🎨 Isaac Levitan — a 19th-century Russian painter, known primarily for his landscapes. He often painted unremarkable places of central Russia: rivers, forests, country roads and small villages. In his paintings there are almost no spectacular mountains or exotic views — he knew how to find something interesting in an ordinary landscape.

🖼️ One of his most famous works is «Above Eternal Peace» (1894). The painting depicts a large lake, a high bank and a small wooden church. Among other famous canvases are «Golden Autumn», «March» and «Vladimirka». Levitan painted a great deal outdoors, and a separate studio was even built for him by Lake Ostrovno. There Levitan could calmly paint large canvases without going far from the nature he depicted.

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❤️From Russia with love