Silence of the wooden houses in Suzdal.
On Day Two in Russia, my family and I visited a touristic old town: Suzdal, located in the northeast of Moscow. Although touristic, Suzdal was covered in abundant snow. It was difficult to grasp any sense of human life besides the tracks of our hefty footprints. Suzdal, without snow, is popular amongst visitors due to its rich history as an administrative hub. On Day One, my family and I visited Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in Sergiyev Posad – a centrical area of the Golden Ring.
As an avid traveler, I’ve always been interested in the observation of the ways locals lived. Even in piles of snow, we spotted groups of wooden houses on stilts, preserved by the museum. Houses in different sizes and designs signified an obvious distinction between the rich and the peasant, with the latter living in unheated ones.
The Golden Ring is comprised of cities situated in the northeast of Moscow. It well documents an archival formation of the Russian Orthodox Church. By exploring in three or four (out of thirteen) Golden Ring cities, one comes to appreciate and understand the entranced beauty of Russian architecture, spirituality and their simple ways of life.
On this day, snow-glazed Suzdal was romantically quiet. So I obsessively took photos of every glimpse of inspiration in sight. There were too many in my album to share, so I’ve selected just a few to publish in this photo journal. My family and I stayed in a nearby Hot Springs Hotel, where we spotted a few locals dipping in outdoor “ice spas”, as I called them. In the morning, however, we welcomed the day with the Museum of Wooden Architecture and Peasants’ Life.
A church, bell towers, windmills and a barn all created the facile imagery of a peasant’s seemingly simple life. Not included are photos of myself with a snowman, and lines of ducks – fearless of frost bites – quacking and wiggling away.
Walking beside the Kamenka River, this abandoned oldie was full of character. I needed to capture its beat up stillness. If only this ride could talk…
The sight of snow and a vast sense of calmness reminded me of Bern, Switzerland, where I stood in a similar pose. Traveling is a constant reminder that, cultures and people from different parts of the world can be strikingly similar. It’s a beautiful thing.
What I spotted in the middle of the frozen Kamenka River was a man…ice fishing. He was in the zone while I zoned in on him.
I loved trotting in the “furrrozen” cold. The sense of being surrounded by sheer ivory, like an enormous blank canvas, in addition to quiet serenity; such captivation made me a very happy girl.
In this moment, we finished crossing the Kamenka River and entered the St. Euthymius Monastery. The beautiful and spiritual architecture first came to existence in the 14th century.
As we finally spotted human flesh besides ourselves, there were men hard at work. I wondered how it was possible that they weren’t wearing gloves. I would’ve posed the question but I was too cold to shout.
Christmas was over, but we wanted to give this activity a try. It was a marvelous experience, riding in a sleigh in Russia (of all places). More Part II of Day Two’s photo journal will soon follow. In the meantime, stay warm and safe travels!
