Hot Air Balloons

What comes in your mind when yo see such a picture? For me it's about dreaming, summer, relaxation & vivid colors. The picture was taken in October 2010 at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. On the blue balloon you can see a golden symbol of the sun. This was of great importance to all of the Native American Indian tribes. The rays of the sun signified the cardinal directions, North, South, East and West. It is the symbol of Zia people and also the flag of New Mexico state where Albuquerque is.
The card came with 3 beautiful stamps.
The 0.50 ruble (2008) shows a fox from Russian fauna. It's a part of Definitive Issues (or common) stamps.
The 6 ruble (2007) shows the snow leopard one of the endangered species protected by WWF (whose logo you can observe on the left of the stamp).
The 20 ruble (2014) is a Joint Issue with Switzerland (clock series) and depicts the clock located on the building of the Kazan railway station in Moscow, established by the architect A.V. Schusev.
The personalized sticker on the lower left corner is a very nice touch-addition to the card, also showing its source. It is a common practice among some of the forum users to personalize their sent cards.

Thank YOU, Natali !

Country: Russia / USA

Description: Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (2010)

Photo: Eric Ward aka a4gpa

Publisher: PostMania.ru

Source: June Alt. RR 2

Pyatigorsk Eagle

The card (33 years old) came from Estonia, but it shows the Russian town of Pyatigorsk. It was taken from sender's mother collection and the main element is the bronze statue of an Eagle with a Snake, the official symbol of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. This composition was made by sculptor LK Shodkim (Л. К. Шодким) for the centenary anniversary of resort opened at 1 May 1901. According to the author eagle represents the healing power of mineral springs, conquering the disease, which represents a snake in its claws. The original sculpture was made of cement, but in the past decade, the figure fell into disrepair, and it had to be restored. In 1973 it was re-cast in bronze on the Leningrad factory of monumental sculpture and installed in the same place. There are similar sculptures installed in all the cities of the Caucasian Mineral Waters: Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Yessentuki and Zheleznovodsk. But Pyatigorsk eagle is perhaps the most beautiful and most famous among them.
The stamp (2014) was designed by Indrek Ilves> It shows two Euro Coins (1 and 0.20) and the interesting part is that their value correspond with the stamp value of 1.20 €.

Thank You,  Helle !

Country: Russia (but sent from Estonia)
Description: Pyatigorsk Eagle, symbol of the Caucasian Mineral Waters
Publisher: unknown (due postcard decorations)
Photo:  G. Kosmenko / Г. Косменко

Permsky region: churches

This official postcard came about 10 days ago from Russia. I'm not very attracted to multi-views, BUT since it's about Orthodox Churches, I guess I can make an exception ;) All churches are from Perm, a Russian administrative district (called krai). The biggest image shows Holy Cross Cathedral in Belogorsky Monastery, with a very sad history during Bolsheviks. The others are from Solikamsk, Cherdyn and Kungur (towns in Perm region)
1. Belogorsky Monastery monks - (1894)
2. Holy Trinity Cathedral (1685-1697) - Solikamsk
3. Saviour Chapel - Cherdyn
4. The Church of the Transfiguration (1763-1781) - Kungur

The card came with 3 beautiful stamps, as it can be seen in the scanned image.
The first one (15 p.) was issued in 2010 as a joint of Russian-Serbian icons. It shows one of Andrei Rublev's icons,  depicting archangel Michael (15th century work).
The second (8.50) was issued one year later (2011) and is celebrating the 225th Anniversary of the Insurance industry in Russia. I guess the lady in the stamp is Empress Catherine the Great.
The last one (5.00) presents Novgorod, as a part of 2009 series showing different Kremlins.

Thank You, Zlata !

Country: Russia

Description: Four churches from Perm Region

Location: church-1, church-2, church-3 & church-4

Publisher: "Senator" Perm (2010)

Always there is hope

This is a post for especially Postcrossers newbies. I know it's frustrating to wait weeks and months for your card to arrive, especially to Russia or China. But never ever lose hope. Want a reason? My VERY FIRST postcard sent to Russia 68 days ago arrived & got registered today. I am really glad.

Our Lady of Vladimir

This card arrived two days ago (9th of September), part of a Round Robin group. Given the fact that it was posted on 4th of September I could say it's quite fast for a Russian. Up to now, it's one of my favorites, along with Helsinki Cathedral and few other cards.

Our Lady of Vladimir (Богоматерь Владимирская) is a very well known orthodox icon, being a version of the Eleusa (tenderness) type.

Some say that it was painted by St. Luke himself, but we do not have historical evidences to sustain this. Around 1131 Luke Chrysoberges, the Greek Patriarch of Constantinople, sent the icon as a gift to Grand Duke Yury Dolgoruky of Kiev. The image was kept in Mezhyhirya Monastery until Andrey Bogolyubskiy (Dolgoruky's son) brought it to his favourite city, Vladimir, in 1155. The icon was taken from Vladimir to the new capital, Moscow, in 1395 during Timur Leng invasion and miraculously save the city.

In 1480 the wonder-working icon was saving Moscow again. This time from the invasion of Khan Achmed. For Russians it's a powerful symbol, a associated with the growth of Russian national consciousness based on the Muscovite state. 

Till 1917 the icon was kept on the iconoastasis of Kremlin Cathedral of Dormition. In 1918 it was partially restored and moved to Moscow Tretyakov Art Gallery where is hosted nowadays in St. Nicholas Chapel.

Few people know that it's actually a double-sided icon. On the back there are the instruments of Christ's Passion. Another interesting fact is that a detail of the Virgin's left eye and nose is part of the logo of Icon Productions, founded by Mel Gibson.

The stamps are nice too.

The first one (8.00) is a 2003 Europa Stamp depicting a walking girl.

The second (15p) was issued in 2011 and is a part of 3 stamp series History of the Russian Cossacks.

Thank You, Olga !

Country: Russia

Description: orthodox icon of Virgin Mary from Vladimir (12th century)

Publisher: Moscow Postcards

Location: St. Nicholas Chapel in Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Russian P36-0001 locomotive

First official Russian card arrived in my mailbox today. It's a vintage passenger steam locomotive locomotive built in 1950 at Kolomna under the name P36-0001, being the prototype of P36 class. The locomotive worked on October '50 on the Moscow-Kursk, Moscow-Ryazan and East Siberian Railways. Now it is exhibited  in the Rizhsky rail terminal (Рижский вокзал) that hosts several trains and locomotives for the Moscow Railway Museum or MZD.

About the stamps.

The 20 rubles (2013) shows "Usyskin" Gunboat (канонерская лодка "Усыскин") part of the Volga Flotilla. For participation in the defense of Stalingrad (1945) it was awarded with the Order of the Red Banner (Краснознамённая).

The 10 rubles (2008) shows a bear from the Russian fauna.

Thank You, Natalya !

Country: Russia

Description: P36-0001 passenger steam locomotive (1950)

Photo: Yulia Makarkina

Location: Rizhsky rail terminal