Carpe Diem Haiku *Irtysh River*

The Irtysh (Иртыш) – a river in Siberia and Kazakhstan, is the chief tributary of the Ob River and also the longest river inflow in the world. On the right bank of the Irtysh, on the outskirts of Pavlodar City, is a very unique place – the monument of nature, called the Goose Passage (Гусиный Перелёт). Paleontologists have discovered there the bone remains of giraffe, rhinoceros, hyena-like animals and hypparion (a small tridactyl horse) which have lived 7 to 10 million years ago. The total amount of Neogene period fossils found in the area is very significant. They are likely from thousands of species.

* * *
imprints from the past
serene up the river bank
passage of geese

* * *

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

Carpe Diem Haiku *Tyumen*

It was February of 1944 when inhabitants of Tyumen gathered their cats for them to be shipped off to the State Hermitage in St.Petersburg (Leningrad) as “rescuers” of artistic treasures from rats. After the 900-day period of the Siege of Leningrad (the Leningrad Blockade), when millions of people starved to death, there was no cat population left at all. The rats had survived, of course, and started to eat everything, including the priceless art. 238 Tyumen cats were sent to the northern capital where they saved the day and became heroes to the nation. Nowadays in Tyumen there is located the only Siberian Cat Square in the world (with alley and 12 different sculptures of cats) for this historical fact not to be forgotten.

* * *
cat mobilization
killer instict awakens
in the name of art

* * *

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

Image courtesy of Google

Carpe Diem Haiku *Perm*

The Perm Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre (Пермский Театр Oперы и Балета им.Чайковского) is one of the best in Russia. Being among the oldest theatres in the country, it has still remained a major musical centre through the years. Perm is also called the third Mecca of Ballet – after Moscow and St.Petersburg.

* * *
after last pirouette
silken ribbons around her ankles
unlaced slowly

* * *

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

Carpe Diem Haiku *Kirov*

Name of Kirov brings back memories about something bright and colourful – Kirov toys/Dymkovo toys (Kировская игрушка/Дымковская игрушка). They are moulded painted clay figures of people and animals (sometimes in the form of a pennywhistle) that in the beginnings were strongly connected to the ancient magic ritual images and the agricultural calendar holidays. Just later on they became toys for children, still being very original pieces of art. In the late 19th century the handicraft fell into decline because the Dymkovo toys were forced out of the market by the factory-made moulded plaster statuettes, imitating porcelain articles. Fortunately, during the Soviet times the Dymkovo handicraft was revived.

* * *
brighter than sunlight
reflections of childhood memories
in dusty shop window

* * *

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

Image courtesy of Google

Carpe Diem Haiku *Volga River*

* * *
plum blossoms
carried by serene flow
old barge stuck in ice

* * *

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai

And now – a bit longer PS: Being born in the ex USSR, I have grown up with a lot of the Soviet cinematography and must admit there have been many movies filmed at, on, around the Volga. Still I think it would be right to pick out particularly “The Volga Flows” (Течёт Волга) back from 1962 with the legendary song “The River Volga Flows” (Течёт река Волга). Among numerous interpretation of the song through the years the most popular became the one from 1963 by Russian singer Ludmila Zykina. Later on she even got a nickname “Miss Volga” because people associated her with this song very much.

Издалека долго                                          From far away
Течет река Волга,                                     The river Volga flows,
Течет река Волга                                      The river Volga flows
Конца и края нет.                                       Without beginning or end.
Среди хлебов спелых,                        Among the ripe crops,
Среди снегов белых                             Among the white snow,
Течет моя Волга…                                     My Volga flows…