Red Fortress

Hello God!

Thank You for this morning. I am so happy to celebrate my first today’s hours with bird’s singing and happy writing.

This morning was going to be happy for inhabitants of Brest Fortress 73 years ago… Ordinary people, cooks, musicians, soldiers, doctors, civilians become suddenly, on this fateful morning, heroes, they want it or not, they like it or not.

On 22 June 1941, soon after 3am, the first German shells smashed into the Soviet frontier fortress of Brest – Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa had begun. Today is the first day of the Second World War on the territory of my country.

KholmskyGate

Persistent rumors that the Germans were cranking up preparations for a breakthrough on the border were considered as sabotage and eventually suppressed. The initial artillery fire took the absolutely unprepared fortress by surprise.

MainEntrance

“- This fortress, fortress here, we keep the defense, – This fortress, fortress here, we keep the defense…”

The Germans had allowed twelve hours to secure the area, but it took them nine days! The Brest Fortress became the place where the invaders lost 5% of their East Front deadcount within the first week of war.

Thirst

One of the dramatic pages of defence of the Brest fortress was an acute water shortage. The approaches to the water were fired – a lot of fighters and commanders died trying to obtain precious drops.

Courage

The walls of the red citadel keeps the last good bye from unnamed hero: “We’ll die but we’ll not leave the fortress”. “I’m dying but I won’t surrender. Farewell, Motherland. 20.VII.41.

The heroic defence of Brest is the legend of the Second World War on the Eastern Front. The film “Brestskaya Krepost” (“Fortress of War”) tells much more. Strongly recommended.

Thank You for this possibility to share with you something really important. We live and we have to remember the price for our today’s happy and peaceful morning.

 

Sky Amigurumi

Hello God!

Thank You for Your Fibers we all are knitted and come from. I even see You on the sky and observe how You are knitting us from Sun and Moon light fibers. All the while, click… click… click… go the knitting needles.

My today’s inspiration comes from a tiny wool knitted doll I have found between my daughter’s toys. The doll is so warm and radiates a happy vibrations of unknown creator. The thought “We all are knitted” have embraced my mind and you see the result of this happy hug.

The photos are from amigurumi forum. Did you know that amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small toys?

King and Queen

God sits knitting

In the carriage of a clouds.

His golden needles

As swallow birds twitter.

They sparkle and glimpse

In divine Harmony,

Universe pulsates.

SailorRosetta

With the perfect rhythm of the wheels –

Beating ceaselessly as metronome

God sits knitting and

Strips of tiny loops create

An eyes like dewdrops

And smiling Life is born!

BlueBellYelowBee

We all are knitted on the heavens

The Sun, the Moon, the Ocean

The Earth – Lights are the fibers

We are created by, with Master’s Love.

ScotlandGeorgia

We are the Masterpiece

We are the same.

The video below reminds us we are connected but the very fiber we are keeping on now is not endless.

Sky Amigurumi is the greatest art in the Universe and the Master plays perfectly.

Thank You for our connection – it is happiness to feel your eyes now. I am smiling now, know you are with me.

Valentina Seagull

Hello God!

Thank You for today. On June 16, 1963, at the age of 26, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to fly in space!

Valentina spent almost three days in space and orbited Earth 48 times. She conducted biomedical and science experiments to learn about the effects of space on the human body, took photographs that helped identify aerosols in the atmosphere and manually piloted the ship. Her call sign for the flight was Chaika (Seagull). Chaika

“If women can be railroad workers in Russia, why can’t they fly in space?”  Valentina explained the decision to fly in space. After several months of intensive and secretive training, she was nominated and confirmed by Nikita Khrushchev himself to become the first woman in space.

“Hey, sky! Take off your hat, I’m coming!” she said in the seconds prior to liftoff.

Vostok-6

“Ya Chaika, Ya Chaika [I am Seagull]! I see the horizon […] This is the Earth; how beautiful it is. Everything goes well.”

MotherValentina

Valentina Seagull has a nest. She gave birth to daughter Yelena, who was the first person to have both a mother and father who had traveled into space.

Tereskova-monumenet

“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding. Find out what you already know and you will see the way to fly.” –  I am reading in “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach now.

“You will see the way to fly” – we see the sense of the words embodied in Valentina Tereshkova Monument at the site of Vostok 6 landing.

Thank You for flying with me.

 

The Memory Bells

Hello God!

Thank You for today! The 9th of May is the Victory Day!

What if I was a child of war…

KhatynBell

I live in the village Khatyn

You will not find on the Google maps

As Neverland, but we were real

We were alive. We are alive!

Bells toll every thirty seconds

To remind about us.

HomeBell

This is our house, where

Every morning I meet

My mother’s smiling eyes,

My father’s loving hands.

Family

I have one brother and three sisters,

Five bellflowers of mother’s Love:

Slavik is the youngest, he is 6 month,

Manya is 15 y.o, Anya is 10 y.o., Yuzya is 5 y.o.

I am the oldest, I am 12 y.o.!

Unconquered Man

My father Ivan

He is a forester.

He brings a warmness,

We eat a bread tonight,

Because of his loving hands.

Telling in advance

I met my death on his loving hands…

186villages

One spring morning of 1943

I remember in details.

I have not met a mother’s smile,

Her pale face and trembling voice:

“We have to go! We have to go to barn!”

I knew about war and Hitler

But in the grey uniforms they were people,

No Hitler by himself:

A man, a husband and a dad.

Cemetry of Villages

There was a horrid silence,

Even little brother did not cry,

We were dying in the barn

A man in the grey uniform set fire.

(149 people, including 75 children, died.)

Grateful Memory

Why? What for?

My mother’s destiny was

To pray for easy death

For us?!

They were a men in the grey uniforms.

No Hitler by himself…

The Khatyn memorial desk says: “You all are our family, we bows our heads in a great sorrow, standing before you. You were not conquered by Nazi murderers. In the dark days you took the death but the flame of your love to our Motherland never extinguishes. The memory of you is immortal as eternal Earth and eternal bright Sun above us.”

Thank You for sharing with this moment of the memory bells have reminded and Your Precious Being in my life.

Gagarin Day

Hello God!

Thank You for today. Today is Cosmonautics Day!

Gagarin

On April 12, 1961, the Soviet spacecraft Vostok-1 lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center. Pilot-Cosmonaut Yury Gagarin, the first man in space, flew aboard that spacecraft.

Referring to all the inhabitants of the Earth to start on April 12, 1961 Yuri A. said:”…My whole life seems to me now a beautiful moment… It is hardly worth talking about those feelings that I experienced when I was offered to make this first-ever flight. Joy!” and … 5-4-3-2 Let’s Go!

YriiGagarin

That flight took just an hour and 48 minutes. Having orbited the Earth, Vostok successfully landed in Saratov Region of Russia. Gagarin ejected himself from the aircraft at the altitude of several kilometers and descended near the place of Vostok’s landing by using the parachute.

“Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it!” Gagarin exclaimed.

GagarinSmile

April 12th was an honoured day,

Risking his life for curiosity of mankind,

He boarded a rocket “Vostok One” –

Said: Let’s go! Happily with hope.

With his Gagarin smile.

And in that smile was the whole Earth,

Earth in blue radiance…

Happy Cosmonautics Day! Thank You for sharing this wonderful moment with me.

 

Sad Story

Hello God!

Thank You for today. Today is Friday and usually my Friday is happy and joyful because of the end of a week. But today is not this case. This culmination of the week news is the reason: “The Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which has a special status within the region, were added as subjects of the Russian Federation following a referendum Sunday in the Black Sea region, which saw over 96 percent of voters in the region back the motion to leave Ukraine and rejoin Russia.”

Tonight I tell you a sad story about Ukraine, Russia and Crimea. Crimea’s fate is as sad as a story of a child in divorce.

Mother

My mother is Ukraine.

She is so beautiful and kind.

I love her scent and

Love to warm my nose

In a fox fur on her shoulders.

Crimea had been Ukraine for 23 years.

Father

My father is Russia.

He is strong and powerful.

I remember our happy times

When we were together and

Playing in the war

Family

My dream to be together will never come true…

In “the best interest of a child”

I am away from my mother.

Yes, father, I am yours, but

I am mother’s too.

To free me would be the best decision 

You have never allowed.

The price is I am dying,

The war is true, not game,

Of course, “in my best interest”.

I am really pessimistic about the situation in Ukraine. But the history is circle, the story is repeating. Nothing is new under the Sky. Sadness is a good facilitator of philosophical mood. Plato’s book, I think, is a good choice for weekend. Thank you for being with me.

 

Life Bulb

Hello God!

Thank You for Thomas Edison. A Light Bulb is his invention and Masterpiece. “I believe in the existence of a Supreme Intelligence pervading the Universe” – his belief is in his invention. A Light Bulb is pervading our Universe and creating a beautiful thing called Life.

LampSnow

My eyes are grateful and heart is joyful seeing on these photos by Joe Cannon. Its illustrate my vision of human life.

Your and my Life Bulb was turned on with the first inspiration but we never know when the time of turning off. What do we need to do? I have found the answer in Joe Brainard‘s poem “Life”.

LampTulip

“When I stop and think about what it’s all about I do come up with some answers, but they don’t help very much.

I think it is safe to say that life is pretty mysterious. And hard.

LampRose

Life is short. I know that much. That life is short. And that it’s important to keep reminding oneself of it. That life is short. Just because it is. I suspect that each of us is going to wake up some morning to suddenly find ourselves old men (or women) without knowing how we got that way. Wondering where it all went. Regretting all the things we didn’t do. So I think that the sooner we realize that life is short the better off we are.

LampLight

Now, to get down to the basics. There are 24 hours a day. There is you and there are other people. The idea is to fill these 24 hours as best one can. With love and fun. Or things that are interesting. Or what have you. Other people are most important. Art is rewarding. Books and movies are good fillers, and the most reliable.

LampFlower

Now you know that life is not so simple as I am making it sound…”

“Hell, there are no rules here — we’re trying to accomplish something!” Thomas Edison exclaimed. We’re trying to accomplish something…

Something is to be ourselves and be happy. Thank you for sharing with me this moment and a million watts of happiness are pervading our Universe now.

Angel of Spring

Hello God!

Thank You for today. Today is the last day of winter. Miracle, great miracle are happening now, and we are really lucky to witness it: Angel of Spring is on his way! The story is visualised by Russian artist Vladimir Rumyantsev.

BraveVasya

Have you ever met a cat-poet? I have met and even read his book. (Sorry for my English but my language can’t define a cat, especially a poet as “it”). “The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr” by E. Hoffmann is the book. Tonight’s hero is thinking in the same words as cat Murr.

“Ah, what a fine, wonderful and elated thing is life!” –  a cat enjoys the view from his tree. “O Nature, sacred, sublime Nature! How all your joy, all your delight flows through my breast, how your mysteriously murmuring breath wafts around me! Climbed would be more accurate, but a poet doesn’t mention his feet, even if he has four of them like me, only his pinions…” – it seems our hero is a real poet.

Suddenly somebody has interrupted a poetic inspiration.  

– Who are you, lovely Creature? asks our cat-poet.  – What are you doing on my tree? I have never seen you before. Please do not afraid, I am kind and I love my guests. You know even a birds have not a fear of me due to my tender character, – the cat is getting closer to Angel curiously.

– I do not afraid you, because I do not know what “afraid you” means, I have just been born. I am Angel of Spring.

– Really?! I am Vasilii, call me just Vasya. Happy to meet you.

– Happy to meet you, Vasya, – smiling Angel responds.

Angel

– Is it true that an angel can make a dream comes true if he is seen at the first time? – asking eyes of Vasya is filled by hope.

– Of course I can, your dream is the first in my life. What are you dreaming about? – surprised Angel says.

– Ah, if the dear little girl were to approach me! I feel a strange stirring within me, a certain impassioned appetite me away with irresistible force! Ah, would that sweet and lovely girl-cat but come hither, I would clasp her to my lovesick heart and never let her go. How rare is true sympathy of souls in these sorry, obdurate loveless times! To find love, true love is my dream. – Vasya’s tears are rolling down his fluffy cheeks he licks its by his tongue to dry.

Angel and Vasya

– Vasya, your dream is exactly my responsibility. I am Angel of Spring, remember, and Love, I am spreading Love by my wings. Please, Vasya, do not cry, I am gifted by Power of Love. I will make all flowers bloom, I will navigate a birds to return to its nests, I will pervade every living cells by a song of Love. You will find her, I promise!  – Angel of Spring assures.

Silence, beautiful silence are covering them together with a beautiful crone of the cat’s favourite tree. They are sitting above the city and every hearts is beating because of promising song of Love there.

Angel of Spring has promised the season of Love. Are you feeling Love? I am seeing  in the skies: above me arches the wide and starry sky, the full moon casts her sparkling light, and  the roofs and turrets around me are bathed in glowing silvery lustre named Spring and Love is in the air. Thank you for your belief in Angel of Spring. 

Happy Spring, Season of Love!

Maslenitsa

Hello God!

Thank You for Maslenitsa. My generous Soul is raised from the rich mix of Belorussian, Russian and Polish roots and Joy is in my heart now because of celebrating the most wonderful week in a year.“Maslenitsa,” or “Pancake Week,” began yesterday, on March 24 this year.

Pancakes

Pancakes are made every day during the week, starting Monday, but most of all from Thursday to Sunday. Pancake-making is a pagan tradition that goes way back in Russian history. It is the pagan sun god “Yarilo” who banishes the winter darkness, and the round golden pancake is meant to represent the sun. Below you see the schedule of the week.

Maslenitsa

French “Vendeur de beignets” means a seller of crepes or pancakes. He is waited for in every house now. 

TypesdeRussie

We are welcoming spring and all about the enlivening of nature and bounty of sunny warmth. Thank you for celebrating with me. The week is going to be joyful and delicious.

Happy Maslenitsa!

4 Muses

Hello God!

Thank You for Antonio Vivaldi. Everybody knows something about his great music. I have never met a person who does not know Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, for example. Did you know that the four concertos were written with four sonnets?

Today we are lucky to have the unique possibility to see how Vivaldi’s genius is creating. Who helps and inspires him? On this magic scene Zoltan Molnos‘s paintings reflect the eyes of Vivaldi’s Muses.

Winter

Winter Concerto in f-minor

Winter Muse had come in purple… Purple is exactly for f minor. Allegro non molto as December, the first son of Winter, is sudden and unpredictable. My heart is beating is his tempo. My past pain dictates:

“Frozen and shivering in the icy snow.
In the strong blasts of a terrible wind…”

Tender and fragile violins before are frightening now. But my heart is beating in hope, past is in the past, my souls sees in a future.

Largo is January.

“To spend the quiet and happy days by the fire,
Whilst outside the rain soaks everyone.”

The second Winter’s son is kind and gentle. Happy memories he brings by beautiful melody from violins. I see and feel a warmness of my home, my childhood’s home.

Allegro is romantic February. My heart’s beating in Allegro again but I do not feel my pain. It is disappearing under melting ices. I feel and love the free river of life and joy!

“To go in haste, slide and fall down:
To go again on the ice and run,
Until the ice cracks and open.”

Thank you, Winter Muse, for Inspiration!

Spring

Spring – Concerto in E Major

I am greeting Spring Muse. She is young and her dress is a light green silk of the first grass and small leaves on a trees, a pearl snowdrop flowers are in her eyes. E Major is for her.

Allegro, March, is joyful:

“The festive Spring has arrived,
The birds celebrate her return with happy songs,
And the brooks of the gentle Zephyrs
With sweet murmurs flow.”

April is singing his beautiful melody in Largo. Clearness of spring air makes me write:

“And in the flower-rich meadow,
To the gentle murmur of leaves and plants
The goatherd sleeps, his faithful dog at his side.”

May is playing the hymn to life in Allegro. Beautiful girl Violin falls in love with elegant and smart boy Cello. The happy two hearts celebrate their love. I am feeling the unison of their breathing. Hymn of life is created:

“To the merry sounds of a rustic bagpipe
Nymphs and shepherds dance in their beloved spot
When Spring appears in its brilliance.”

Thank you, Spring Muse, for Inspiration.

Summer

Summer – Concerto in g-minor

My Summer Muse, hello. I am so happy to see you again. You are in a golden rays of sun trapped in your hairs. You are so beautiful but your eyes are so sad. I know the reason. The reason is a love story in g-minor.

The Violin who loved Cello so passionately is telling her sad story to June in Allegro non molto:

“A gentle breeze blows, but Boreas
Joins battle suddenly with his neighbour,
And the shepherd weeps because overhead
Hangs the dreaded storm, and his destiny.”

The boy Cello is leaving our Violin because of his parents will. His destiny is awful. Dreaded storm of his fears are spinning his way. He has to be brave. But what if the fear is stronger?

Let’s listen to July, Adagio e piano – Presto e forte. Doubled tempo is not good for Cello. The Destiny demands decision, but:

“His tired limbs are robbed of their rest
By his fear of the lightning and the heavy thunder
And by the furious swarm of flies and hornets.”

Cello, we are here with you! Please save your Love, my hearts is crying.

August is the winner in Presto. Cello is a great Warrior. He made a brave decision. The fears are gone:

“Alas, his fears are well founded
There is thunder and lightning in the sky
And the hail cuts down the lofty ears of corn.”

Violin and Cello are together. Love is saved.

Thank you, Summer Muse, for Inspiration.

Fall

Autumn – Concerto in F Major

Autumn Muse is rich and grateful for her richness endlessly. I am listening to her warm voice now in fabulous F Major.

Cheerful September is in Allegro:

“The peasant celebrates with song and dance
The pleasure of the rich harvest,
And full of the liquor of Bacchus
They finish their merrymaking with a sleep.”

Oh, dear friends, it seems today is the special day for Cello and Violin. Their wedding day we celebrate today!

Calm October is in Adagio molto:

“All are made to leave off singing and dancing
By the air which now mild gives pleasure
And by the season which invited many
To enjoy a sweet sleep.”

Nature is going to sleep. I see my mother singing my favourite lullaby, oh, please, my dream, I beg you stop for a moment to catch a melody. Sweet melody of nostalgia: I kiss my mother cheek, I feel the sweet scent of my childhood. It is a blessing.

“Trying to be young” November invites to a picnic in Allegro. Actually November is in grandfather’s age. But he does not want to sleep:

“At dawn the hunters
With horns and guns and dogs leave their homes;
The beast flees; they follow its traces.”

November promises a picnic, but we know a rainy cold days are around. We have a happy chance to trust and follow grandfather. I am writing a grand dance for orchestra as a embodiment of hope and the triumph of Life’s wisdom!

Thank you, Autumn Muse, for Inspiration.

Magic is fading, we are enchanted by the scene. Thank you for being with me.