Marina Zakharova was born in Kostroma and graduated from the Yaroslavl Art School in 1987. She takes part in Russian and foreign art exhibitions. In 1998, she received an award from the President of Russia for achievements in art. The paintings of the artist can be found in the collection of Kostroma Art Museum and private collections in Russia and abroad.

Most of the paintings of Marina Zakharova are still lifes. But the author does not agree with this definition of the genre of her paintings. She says that she paints the portraits of flowers. The catalog of paintings.

Tags: artist · Kostroma city · Marina Zakharova

The museum can be found in the exhibition complex “Klinskoe podvorye” in a small town of Klin located near Moscow. The collection mainly includes glass toys produced by local factory “Yolochka”, although there are toys of other factories. I personally still have some toys you can see at the pictures below.

The museum runs a shop where all year round you can buy glass Christmas decorations produced by the same factory. Opening hours of the museum: from 9:30 to 17:00. The last tour begins at 16:00. Day off – Monday. Address: Russia, Moskovskaya oblast, Klin town, Staroyamskaya Str., 4. The site of the museum: http://www.klinvk.ru/. Photos by Yulia Makarkina.

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Tags: Christmas · Klin city · Moskovskaya oblast · toys

Vasya Lozhkin is Russian artist living in a small town of Solnechnogorsk located in Moskovskaya oblast. In his paintings he portrays parallel world – the world of psychosis, madness, extreme forms of mental states, visions and hallucinations.

If sometimes there are intersections with reality they are very little. This is not a reflection of our lives in a distorting mirror but a frightening fantasy world and the lives of the ghosts. He also likes to paint cats and bunnies.

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Tags: cats · Moskovskaya oblast · paintings · Vasya Lozhkin

Museum of lace is a museum in Vologda city, the branch of Vologda State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve. The address: Vologda, Kremlin Square, 12.

The museum is located in the historic center of Vologda in a two-story stone building – an object of cultural heritage of federal importance of the 18th century.

Museum of lace was opened on November 3, 2010. The main exhibition of the museum is devoted to the development of traditional arts and crafts of the Vologda region and world trends of lace from the end of 19th – beginning of 21st centuries.

There are lace shop, cafe, creative studio and classroom on the first floor. In the shop of the museum visitors can buy various lace products (most items are made in one copy).

Tags: lace · museum · Vologda city

Our first post about Soviet space propaganda received a lot of attention so we decided to make the second part. All the posters are available in high quality (clickable).

Glory to the Fatherland of Heroes!

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Tags: posters · propaganda · Soviet · space

Several interesting posters of historical epoch.

Second part of Soviet space propaganda posters.

Fatherland! You lighted the star of progress and peace. Glory to the science, glory to the labor! Glory to the Soviet regime!

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Tags: posters · propaganda · Soviet · space

In the village of Kunary (Nevyanskiy district of Sverdlovsk oblast) there is an incredibly beautiful and amazing house. The house is the handwork of blacksmith Sergey Kirillov. Here you can see the domes of churches, crosses, doves, coat of arms of the USSR, kittens, flowers, children and thousands of different cute flourishes. As a result of nationwide contest of amateur wooden architecture in 1999, the house of Kirillov Sergey Ivanovich was recognized as the best in Russia. The photos by daypic.ru

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Tags: blacksmith · house · Sverdlovsk oblast

If you are visiting Rostov-on-Don one of the places of interest of the city is the following beautiful staircase (the address is Dobrovolskogo Str., 8/3). All the work is made by one man, the artist Konstantin Nikolaev, living in one of the apartments.

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Tags: Rostov-on-Don city · staircase

Another blast from Soviet past of Russia – the postcards wishing Happy New Year.

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Tags: New Year · postcards · Soviet past

The following public garden called “Signs of the Zodiac”  is located near Sviblovo metro station of  Moscow city. The park is known for unique and original sculptures of every Zodiac sign made by Andrey Aseryants.

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Tags: Moscow city · sculptures · signs · Zodiac