воскресенье, 16 августа 2015 г.

East or West... there's no place like home!

Indeed, much as I like the Aegean sea, my home sweet home is waiting for me. Look at the sky above Pulkovo Airport! Isn't it marvelous???


Today (by the way) is the day of Russian Air Force. The Air Force was formed from parts of the former Soviet Air Forces after the dissolution of the USSR in 1991–1992.

   
Here I am!)


воскресенье, 9 августа 2015 г.

My Life in Ruins=)

 
Have you ever been in Thessaloniki? 
Have you ever heard the history of a beautiful girl named "Victory over Thessalia", or simply Thessalonike*? 
Have you ever walked along the ruins of Acropolis?
         If not, let me make a virtual tour of the city, where I spent cheerful days this summer. My sightseeing was opened with a long guide's speech about ancient times, and cause-effect relations. In a few words, historical facts, about inclosing a common upon Cassander's estate, about everything what (as a rule skillfully used to attract naive tourists's attention) creates the History face. 

     While the word “Acropolis” may bring all our imagination to Athens, Thessaloniki has its own ruins that can be found at the highest point of the city.  Acropolis in the Thessaloniki was famous for its two large gates (in Greek “Portaras”) that lead inside the Acropolis.  
      Thessaloniki is the second after Athens large city in Greece. Of course, it has a big airport with free wi-fi and brand-new planes, luxury shopping centres and busy nightlife, but the ruins, mostly dating from the Roman and the Byzantine times, well coexist with new buildings.
     The geographical location is
the eastern coast of the Thermaic Gulf and it's bound by Mount Chortiatis on its southeast. 

      Firstly, we came to the ancient part of the city (which is included to the UNESCO Worlds Heritage Site). 
      Secondly, we visited some Greek Orthodox Churches and, finally, faced up with the monument of Alexander the Great and White Tower of Thessaloniki, the one that was opened to the visitors and I had the opportunity to view a map of the city with all its historical monuments, a timeline with events happened in Thessaloniki, scientific works of prominent historians and archaeologists and all that stuff.







UNESCO World Heritage Site

 
  
 *p.s. The legend of the city (by wiki)

  "All variations of the city's name derive from the original (and current) appellation in Ancient Greek, i.e. Θεσσαλονίκη (IPA: [tʰes.sa.lo.nǐː.kɛː]; from Θεσσαλός, Thessalos, and Νίκη, Nikē), literally translating to "Thessalian Victory". The name of the city came from the name of a princess, Thessalonike of Macedon, half sister of Alexander the Great, so named because of her birth on the day of the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Crocus Field (353/352 BCE).[15]
   The alternative name Salonica (or Salonika) derives from the variant form Σαλονίκη (Saloníki) in colloquial Greek speech, and has given rise to the form of the city's name in several languages. Names in other languages prominent in the city's history include Солѹнь (Solun) in Old Church Slavonic, סלוניקה (Salonika) in Ladino, Selanik (also Selânik) in Turkish (سلانیك in Ottoman Turkish), Solun (also written as Солун) in the local and neighboring South Slavic languages, Салоники (Saloníki) in Russian, and Sãrunã in Aromanian. In local speech, the city's name is typically pronounced with a dark and deep L characteristic of Macedonian Greek accent".