White Tiger

The White Bengal Tiger

25 May 2015 | From Anna of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

The white tiger is a pigmentation variant of the Bengal tiger, which is reported in the wild from time to time in the Indian states of Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Sunderbans and especially in the former State of Rewa. Although the range of the White Tiger is historically very large, these animals are incredibly rare as their colouration is dependent on a defective, recessive gene that is passed on from their parents.

Today, the White Tiger can still be found in a handful of zoos and animal sanctuaries around the world with these large and beautiful felines often being the star attraction. Along with the Bengal Tiger, the White Tiger is considered to be the second largest species of Tiger in the world after the Siberian Tiger.

In the Labyrinth of Time

Transition Period

17 Apr 2015 | From Tatiana of Indonesia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

This is only my third steampunk postcard. The postcard features a steampunk artwork of Vadim Voitekhovitch, Belarus-born artist who has lived in Germany since 2004. He received his education and training at the Bobruisk Art College. He creates visually stunning, powerful land-, city- and airscapes, full with detailed visions of a past that never was. He also shares an enthusiasm for Zeppelins and airships.

I've always been fascinated by steampunk beaause they always seem to be filled with adventure, mysteries to solve, and conspiracies to uncurl. There is a huge sense of the unknown, yet there is a freedom attached to it. It is both fantasy and science fiction, and I love its fusion of technology and elegance.

Impression of Russia

City P. Gate by Alex Andreev

17 Apr 2015 | From Mikhail of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. It is a bridge over a body of water that can be raised or drawn aside either to prevent access or to permit passage beneath it.

The postcard showcases an artwork of Alex Andreev that shows his perception of the Saint-Petersburg, Russia. The picture is simple yet magical. It as if transports you to a whimsical Russian wonderland. The artwork is part of his new series of works about St. Petersburg, Russia.

Mikhail and I are now friends at Instagram. Follow him here :)

Saint Petersburg's oldest palace

Peter the Great's Summer Palace and the Fontanka Embankment

17 Apr 2015 | From Anastasia of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

The oldest palace in St. Petersburg, Peter the Great's Summer Palace in the beautiful Summer Garden is an elegant baroque mansion that, under the auspices of the State Russian Museum, has charming interiors evoking Peter's domestic life. The palace was originally surrounded by water on three sides: The Neva to the north, the Fontanka to the east, and the diminutive Gavanets Creek (now drained) to the south.

The first palace built in Saint Petersburg is not really a palace at all. It is simply a regular two-story stone house in which Peter the Great, the first Russian Emperor, spent the summer months. However, this house is the beginning of the glorious history of Petersburg palaces, which would soon match and even surpass the grandeur of Versailles, Buckingham Palace and other great palaces of the world. Since its construction, the Summer Palace has hardly been altered, and today it gives its visitors a rare opportunity to see life as it was 300 years ago.

The King of the Beasts

The Lion

17 Apr 2015 | From Kris of Russia

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

Lion is known to be the King of Beasts across most cultures of the world. This is mostly because of a lion’s appearance and partly because of the social structure of a pride and the lion’s role in the pride. A lion does possess a royal look and attitude, and their tremendous roar that can be heard over miles across the Savannah. Living in a pride, a lion doesn’t need to hide itself or avoid any other animals including human beings. A lion lives in the open and controls its territory like a true king, sporting a ‘kingly’ mane and heading a pride that feeds him.

Lions vary in color but typically sport light yellow-brown coats. Mature male lions are unique among big cats due the thick brown or black manes that encircle their necks and protect them while fighting. Lions vary in color but typically sport light yellow-brown coats. Mature male lions are unique among big cats due the thick brown or black manes that encircle their necks and protect them while fighting.

Though lions used to live in most parts of Africa, they are now found only in the south Sahara desert and in parts of southern and eastern Africa. Historically, in addition to Africa, lions were found from Greece through the Middle East to northern India.

Wild squirrel in Pavlovsk

The Squirrel at the Upper Garden

17 Apr 2015 | From Natalie of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Peterhof, or Pavlovsk, is the youngest of the grand Imperial estates around St. Petersburg. Named in honour of Tsar Pavel, this fine neo-classical palace and its extensive landscaped gardens are stamped with his taste and even more so with that of his wife, the German-born Maria Feodorovna. 

There are plenty of squirrels in Pavlovsk. Natalie shared that when someone goes to Pavlosk, he or she should always have some nuts to feed the squirrels. They are not afraid of the people, and the children love them. The squirrels come right up to you and take nuts from your hand, then leave immediately and stores the nuts in their homes. 

Russia's Tiger

The Siberian Tiger

10 Apr 2015 | From Ekaterina of Russia

POSTCROSSING SWAP

This is just my fourth tiger postcard, and with a matching tiger stamp. Ekaterina, or simply Kate, asked me for a postcard swap as haven't received one yet from the Philippines. I sent her a Philippine Eagle postcard. I wonder though if she did receive my postcard. We lost contact after sending the respective postcards. I'm not even certain if I was able to message her when I received her postcard. I might have erased her Postcrossing message that I can no longer find her profile.

The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, are the world's largest cats. They live primarily in eastern Russia's birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. There are an estimated 400 to 500 Siberian Tigers living in the wild. The population had been stable for more than a decade due to intensive conservation efforts. By 2015, the Siberian tiger population has increased to 480–540 individuals in the Russian Far East, including 100 cubs.

An antique dog print

Odin (Retriever), 1879

30 Mar 2015 | From Gennadiy of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

"Odin", engraved by C.G.Lewis after a picture by E.Landseer, is a steel engraved antique print and published in The Art Journal, 1879.

Odin, in Germanic mythology, is one of the most complex and enigmatic characters in Norse mythology, and perhaps in all of world literature. He is associated with healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, battle, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet, and is the husband of the goddess Frigg. It may not be a fitting name for a retriever, but it does sounds cool.

A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage. They are bred for soft mouths and a great willingness to please, learn, and obey. The retriever's willingness to please and trainability have made retrievers such as the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever popular as assistance dogs.

A Vera Nefedova artwork

From Russia with Love

18 Mar 2015 | From Lelya of Russia

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Lelya haven't received a postcard from the Philippines yet, and so thought of doing a swap with me. She showed me her postcard-for-swap album - and from the hundred of postcards uploaded, I narrowed my choices into 3 and told her to pick one from those. And so this is the one she picked. The other two? A Johnny Depp postcard (I realized I should have just chosen this one in the first place) and a Ferris Wheel postcard for my collection.

The picture shown in the postcard is from Vera Nefedova, originally from Cyprus, a freelance artist from Russia. She have her portfolio uploaded in her deviantart page. At first I thought the picture was of a nude photography displaying very detailed and creative body paint. But a closer look somehow betrays that thought.

With the tree motiff, don't you think the picture makes a good 'Save the Earth' or 'Save the Trees' poster? :p

Petrozavodsk Post Office Building

The city of Petrozavodsk

18 Mar 2015 | From Maria of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Petrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Archeological discoveries in the urban area indicate the presence of a settlement as far back as seven thousand years ago, and during the Middle Ages the site of modern city was marked by several lakeside villages.  Literally meaning "Peter's Factory", the city was founded in 1703 to house an iron foundry to manufacture and supply anchors for the Baltic Fleet during the Great Northern War between Russia and Sweden. The city is no longer home to the foundry, however the remnants and ruins can be seen one of the cities numerous parks.

Petrozavodsk has a blend of Russian and local Karelian culture, which is personified in the local cuisine and language. The architecure of the city is mainly neo-classical which includes the Round Square and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral., however traditional wooden buildings can be found off of the beaten track. As the capital of Karelia, it is a local hub for nightlife and shopping, with several new shopping centres opening in recent years.

One of the city's central landmarks is Lenin Square, an oval space with a large Soviet-era statue of Lenin in the center. The square is especially notable for English-speaking visitors because it is also called "round square" - a paradox in English, but not in Russian.

A Florian Plag photograph

Take a break

18 Mar 2015 | From Kseniya of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Florian Plag may be a photographer based in Russia, or somewhere nearby. The postcard was printed in Russia with the postcard title and his name written in both Roman and Russian alphabet. I tried looking him up in the internet but all that I could find is his Flickr account - although I am not quite sure if it is actually him. Blame my lazy investigative skills.

I am growing a love for empty chair photographs and postcards. I just feel like there is a hint of sadness and longing in them, a subtle artistry, memories, and expression. And as someone said, 'a chair's function is not just to provide a place to sit; it is to provide a medium for self-expression.'

Black and White Abstraction

Understanding Abstraction

18 Mar 2015 | From Lyudmila of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

I'm not really good with abstract art. Most of the times I couldn't figure them out. If I were to be given an abstract painting, I may not have the slightest idea on how I should hang it. The same goes with this postcard. I was flipping it upside-down, left and right just trying to figure out the proper way to look at it. I was squinting my eyes to check if I could see it clearer or if words or letters mught come up.

But up to this point I still couldn't figure this one out. Lyudmila uploaded the postcard in this manner so I'm assuming this may be the proper position. Abstract art doesn't contain recognizeable objects, so there is nothing to grasp or hold onto. This can be very confusing. It is the kind of art that makes some people scratch their heads and think.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything about the artwork shown in the postcard as all words are written in Russian. Lyudmila also wrote her message in complete Russian. I am still having a hard time translating handwritten Russian message.

A Maria Prosphora photograph

Experiments in Art School. Exploring Yekaterinburg

10 Mar 2015 | From Marya of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

I was browsing through some of Maria Prosphora's photographs, and I can't help but be fascinated by their dark, moody, and sometimes somewhat creepy nature. I love the contrasts between stillness and dynamics of the photographs.

This particular photograph may have been taken in Yekaterinburg. I tried translating the Russian words at the back of the postcard, but that is just as far as I can get. Yekaterinburg is the third-largest city in Russia and the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast, located in the middle of the Eurasian continent, on the border of Europe and Asia. It is also the main industrial and cultural center of the Ural Federal District (one of the nine federal districts of Russia).

Fox in the woods

10 Mar 2015 | From Kris of Russia

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

Nadya Sheremet is an artist born in Ukraine. Now she leaves in Russia with her husband and son. Nadia creates dolls and creatures with beautiful embroidery accents. From the childhood, she has been surrounded by simple and beautiful homemade things thanks to her parents and grandparents. Her grandpa was a painter and a head-master, and her grandma was a teacher who gave her the first lessons of satin stitch embroidery.

Forest and mountains are her big love. Nothing pleases her as much as the unity with the nature.

Feast day in the Monastery

The Trinity-St Sergius Monastery

10 Mar 2015 | From Kris of Russia

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

Considered to be the most important monastery in Russia and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church, the St. Sergius Lavra is often nicknamed the ‘Russian Vatican’. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad. It was founded in 1345 by one of the most venerated Russian saints, Sergius of Radonezh, who built a wooden church in honour of the Holy Trinity on Makovets Hill. Early development of the monastic community is well documented in contemporary lives of Sergius and his disciples.

The ensemble of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad is an outstanding example of 14th- to 18th-century Russian architecture. Many of these buildings were models for later buildings in Russia. The main church of the Lavra, the Cathedral of the Assumption (echoing the Kremlin Cathedral of the same name), contains the tomb of Boris Godunov. Among the treasures of the Lavra is the famous icon, The Trinity , by Andrei Rublev.

A Mila Losenko Art

Gold Shirt

10 Mar 2015 | From Tatiana of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Mila Losenko ia an illustrator-watercolorist from Russia. She specializes in creating exquisite images of women. She enjoys ornaments and patterns, beautiful costumes and embroidery. She is fascinated by the Art Nouveau and Art Nouveau era, and draws inspiration from artists like Leon Bakst, Alexander Benois, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Gustav Klimt and Alphonse Mucha.

Sunset over Kazan

Kazan, Russia

11 Feb 2015 | From Liliya of Russia 

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Kazan is the capital of Russia's republic of Tatarstan and the center of the world Tatar culture. With a rich history, deep culture and strong economic influence, Kazan holds the title of "The Third Capital of Russia" after Moscow and Saint Petersburg. By many measures, Kazan has the one of the highest standards of living in Russia, following after Moscow and St. Petersburg. Kazan has just recently earned the reputation of a sports city, due to its recent investments in this domain. Kazan has long been a focal point of higher education in Russia. It remains a university city, with some of Russia's top universities.

Located between Europe and Asia, having both Russian and Tatar populations, Kazan peacefully blends Muslim and Christian cultures. This vibrant city with over 1000 years of history is an excellent travel destination, and the number of tourists visiting is rapidly increasing every year.

A hand-painted postcard

A bird perched on a frail branch  

3 Feb 2015 | From Masha of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Somehow, this postcard reminded of the the quote from Victor Hugo, a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement.

"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings." /  Original: "Soyez comme l'oiseau posé pour un instant sur des rameaux trop frêles, qui sent ployer la branche et qui chante pourtant, sachant qu'il a des ailes"

The bird is used as a metaphor for bravery, courage, and positive self-esteem, or liberty and freedom. In spite of trouble and dreadful feelings, with our own wings (will) as long as we are alive, we can change it. We can do something about these trying situations :) I'm making things up. HAHAHA!

The postcard is hand-made and painted by Masha on a thick board as canvass. It is such a detailed painting - and I appreciate it a lot :) The postcard survived the long journey to my mailbox. Though it was a rainy day when I received the card - some stamps from another postcard got stuck into the former. Luckily, both postcards are not that heavily damaged.

An Andrei Rublev artwork

Icon of the Old Testament Trinity

3 Feb 2015 | From Kris of Russia

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

Andrei Rublev, a famous medieval painter of orthodox icons and frescos, is considered the pride and glory of Russian culture. He is one of the finest late Medieval Old Masters of Russia, and probably her most famous iconographer. He is renowned for the Old Testament icon painting known as the Holy Trinity (c.1411, tempera/wood, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow). It is his most famous work, as well regarded as one of the highest achievements of Russian art. Trinity depicts the three angels who visited Abraham at the Oak of Mamre, but the painting is full of symbolism and often interpreted as an icon of the Holy Trinity. This exquisite work of Russian art, with its delicate modelling and greater sense of pictorial depth, marks a subtle step away from the flat hieratic traditions of Byzantine art towards the new forms pioneered by Giotto and other Proto Renaissance artists.

There is little information available on Andrei Rublev’s life. It is not known where he was born but he probably lived in the Trinity St. Sergey Monastery in the small town of Sergiev Posad near Moscow. He was a monk under Nikon of Radonezh, who succeeded Sergey of Radonezh, a famous saint and Father Superior of the monastery. Rublev’s contemporaries described him as “a kind and quiet person, filled with light.” They said he was “unusually focused” and that “everything he created was a result of his deep thoughts.”

Saint Petersburg of the early XX Century

The Nikolaevskaya embankment and Blagoveschensky Bridge

7 Jan 2015 | From Anastasia of Russia

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

The postcard shows an aold photograph of Saint Petersburg featuring the Nikolaevskaya embankment and Blagoveschensky Bridge. It connects to the Nikolaevskaya and English embankments on the Neva River close to the river mouth. The Blagoveschensky is the first permanent bridge built across the Neva River in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It connects Vasilievsky Island and the central part of the city. The bridge's length is 331 meters and the width was 24 meters. The original name of the bridge was Nevsky Bridge. It was later renamed Blagoveshchensky Bridge. After the death of Tsar Nicholas I, it was named Nikolaevsky Bridge in his honor, and in 1918 it was renamed for Lieutenant Schmidt.

Saint Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27 [O.S. 16] 1703. Often described as the most Westernized city of Russia, as well as its cultural capital, Saint Petersburg is a major European cultural center, and also an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea.