|
| |
The Panorama:
|
 The
town of Sevastopol sits on the southwest edge of Crimea on the Black Sea.
The town has a long history of battles fought due to it's strategic position.
A memorial of one of these battles is
called the Panorama (left). This circular building sits on one of the
highest hills around the city. In times past, anyone who stands on this point
would have had 360
degree view of the surrounding area. Inside the Panorama is a mural painted on the side
walls. When viewing the mural, which has no beginning or end, you become
the person observing the battles being fought below you. The
battle pictured below is the
one that Tolstoy wrote about in "War and Peace". He was a
participant of this war and a memorial (right) stands on the grounds. Russians fought off French and English
advances for
one year.
|
|
The foreground of the panorama is made of
natural materials which give it the feel of real. The realistic foreground
blends itself into the panoramic painting and in many areas it's difficult to
tell where one begins or ends. Can you? Even some of the smells have
been recreated. It's a must see site.
|
Local Scenes:
|
 This
is a local "Magazine" (store) found in various shapes and sizes in
Tatar villages. They sell dry goods, sodas, wine and beer, a few school
supplies and spices. When I first heard the word Magazine, I pictured a
newspaper/magazine stand. Imagine my surprise.
|
|
 Left
is the local trash truck. It has a large crane on the side and lifts the
can up to dump it. Since the purchase of packaged goods are limited, a
family may go 1 month or longer before needing their trash picked up.
|
|
 These
women are sweeping the sidewalks with home made brooms. They take branches
and twigs and bind them together to make the broom shown here. Since
the sidewalks were clean, I'd have to say they work pretty well.
Water is hauled in large round metal
tanks (no picture) on the back of trucks to homes that don't have wells or city water.
On the top of the tanks lay leafy branches. When the trucks bounce around,
the leafy branches keep the water from completely splashing out of the tanks.
Ingenious.
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)