Month: May 2013

Honestly, I did not know about this TV program about me:
Thanks Velnikov Jacov for this link! (by the way, a woodcarver from Vladimir)

Even though my surname was pronounced incorrectly, and i’m not Háfizov but Hafízov, the plot was entertaining.
The carver’ve told right words.

It’s an interesting thing, I don’t know any of carvers with an attitude towards his work as “the work”, for them it’s like hobby They do everything with love.Maybe the wood brings its influence

Someone noticed that in last thirty years shutters are disappearing in Tambov. The speculation was it happens due to improving of living standards: asphalt streets with lanterns, everything turns to better, and protection with shutters is no more required.

But the riddle is: not only Tambov has asphalt. Neighboring town of Balashov, Irkutsk and Chita (by the way, enjoy its window frames at this photo) have lanterns. And window frames with shutters make an overwhelming majority in each of these places. Which means the reason is not only here. But where? May be you have any ideas?

Town of Guz Zhelezny (Ryazan Oblast) is famous for its magnificent – this is the true word – Gothic-style cathedral. You are about to miss window frames and to focus on the cathedral, so gorgeous it is. But when you overcome yourself, you notice samples of great beauty!

Today, I treat you with very unusual window frames from Shuya, Ivanovo Oblast.

First, there are four of them, not three, which is much more common. Second, they are grey, and the house is grey, and this is an absolute paradox both for Shuya,  and for Ivanovo Oblast..

And last, their pattern is entirely different from that of Shuya style, which means they were made by someone coming from a place I have not visited so far.

This is what I read in a guidebook for foreign tourists published by the Federal Agency for Tourism:

Izba is the oldest traditional russian dwelling, sort of log house. A considerable part of the russians still lives in houses like this. An indispensable center of an izba, as well as of the whole Russian countryside life, is a huge stove. It’s used for heating, cooking and even for sleeping, for which there is a special bench, called polati…

But when I look at this house from Tomsk…I just cannot call it izba!

Yet nalichniki are here:)

Today I received a letter whose author called window frames to be a heritage of tsarist Russia. I replied and then thought that, for some reason, the common wrong belief is that the Soviet Union never knew house carving. Certainly it is not true, and great many of window frames, or even majority was made in Soviet times. These window frames from Maloyaroslavets, Kaluga Oblast, obviously made in 1977 provide a reliable proof.

In Yegoryevsk, not far from Moscow, I saw this unusual home with an attic storey decorated with double-headed eagle. The house is obviously old, which means the eagle was probably hanging here throughout the Soviet period, waiting for its time to be in use again

This morning I did an interview on virtual museum of carved window frames at the Echo of Moscow live broadcast. Their Museum Chambers program lasts less than an hour, which is why we could not cover everything. Yet, we had time to discuss many things. Audio-and video- versions are here:

Guests:
Ivan Hafizov — An autor of virtual museum nalichniki.com (ornate wooden window frames);
Alexey Lebedev — Art critic (по телефону);

 

If you wanna have a good mood – you need a cat!
And you know what? I HAVE a cat for ya :)
This one from Mihailov, that from Ryzan area.

I used to think I’ve made huge amount photo of cats on window-sill. But on this winter I’ve re-counted my photographs and figured out – at photos made in 70 cities, I’ve less then 30 photographs with cats. So at the average I have only one cat in each pare of cities!

It so hard to be a cat. That’s true…

It took me a long time to find a photo which could please your eyes, as “treat with care” motto is certainly important, but today I have much more pleasure from looking at this nice, neatly painted and well-groomed small house from Ivanovo, than at its ruined neighbor. Have a nice evening!