Soviet mosaics and cultural events

I almost wasn't going to post today. I haven't in a week now. But I knew if I didn't force myself to do it, that break would only continue and I'd find more reasons and excuses to not bother. That week would've turned into two, and two into a month. Very easily, and very quickly. I haven't had many thoughts as of late, nothing that really comes to mind that is worthy of writing about. Nor have I been out that much as I've been occupied with a freelance gig from home. All my attention and time has been stolen by that project, though it comes to an end soon and I'm sure that time and attention will return and be ready to be spent elsewhere. But the will to write isn't quite there. So expect this to be a bunch of rambles rather than anything interesting.

While I have been a bit feverish lately, I decided to take a walk that I have been so needing lately after working from home so much. Nearby is an ugly new skyscraper that is being built, but before it stood another building. I never saw it. But this mosaic from 1971 stood there before it. A Soviet era mosaic that thus far appears to display symbols and science and telecommunications, as well as the usual cosmonaut to celebrate the USSR's space race victory. This was a really beautiful thing to see, where the pressure from locals meant that the developer was encouraged to preserve and rebuild the historic mosaic, and they are actually doing it. As you can see, that work has only really just started, and it's a massive piece of art.

I'm not the only one taking a liking to this, as I've noticed a few others online posting about it and speaking praise regarding the mosaic's sudden appearance again. I love such preservation. This piece of art was put up 50 years ago, and it was made by Armenians and celebrates the Armenian SSR's culture and achievements, as well as Armenia's own traditions and culture as you can see in some of the depictions of people, which are wearing more traditional clothing. Usually people say the USSR was heavy on crushing culture, tradition, and religion, but in many ways that wasn't true. They found ways to celebrate and display it still, even encouraging it. Albeit ensuring that it never led to nationalism which the USSR did fear, despite still having to much degree anyway. But this brings me to the fire picture above: a holiday.

These pictures were incredibly hard to take. I had to massively bump the ISO up, up over 3000 just to get some light that wasn't the fire. This was taking place outside of a church, with people lighting candles and going inside the church too. I believe it's related to Valentine's Day. I have shot an event like this before, sometimes it's around newly weds and their passing over into a new stage of life. I think in this regard it was more related to the jumping over a fire thing and how that is for better luck and health going forward. Some other cultures in the region also do this, though I'm not sure if it's around the same time of year or for similar reasons. It was nice to see. A group of people around the fire. People jumping over one at a time. I wish I could've managed to get better photographs, but this is the limit of the one I currently have. High ISO is definitely not something it enjoys! Even with the 2.8 aperture on the lens I used.

And lastly it wouldn't be a photography post from me if it didn't feature an old car. So here's a Volga parked up by the side of the road, leading to some rather depressing looking residential spaces.