Sunday, December 22, 2019

A Very Merry Christmas!



MY DEAR FRIENDS BLOGGERS
I WISH YOU AND YOURS 
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS
 FULL OF JOY AND HAPPINESS 

BLESSINGS, KISSES, HUGS
NADEZDA


Saturday, December 14, 2019

A Garden on a Windowsill: Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) Has Bloomed






I showed you the very small Christmas cactus, it has only 4 branches. Bright amazing flowers have bloomed on each branch. Few buds fell down when I inadvertently turned it, it's a pity. 
What a pleasure to see Schlumbergera blossoms before Christmas and New Year.
Do you have a Christmas cactus? Does it always bloom?


Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Saint Petersburg at Night, December 2019


Today I want to invite you for a walk along the Neva River embankment in St. Petersburg. Winter is here, the temperature is 0 C + 1C. There is no snow, but days are short and darkness begins at 6 p.m. All buildings in the downtown are lit.
The first thing I want to show is the building of the State Mining University. It was built in the 18th century.  Many engineers graduated University since that time.  
The building's facade and the main entrance is decorated with 12 columns, and a coat of arms of a two-headed eagle is located above them.


The sculpture of two struggling men is located near the main entrance. Here is the hero of Hercules and the giant Antaeus, who kept earthly treasures.


We go further along the river and see the domes of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. In 19th century the monastery church in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin was founded in the pseudo-Russian style.





I showed you this church in my previous post, this is a view inside:


In the 1920s, all values ​​of the church were removed by the authorities, and the rest of the monks were arrested. The priceless wall paintings were simply painted over. Restoration work began in 1990, which is still going on.



Let's look at the Neva river. The Palace bridge and the Winter palace (Hermitage) is seen in a distance. It was snowing last night, the embankment of  the Neva river got white. 
Our walk is over. To be continued...