Radzima Photo

Photo of the Day for April 30, 2012

Staryna 2008. Старына 2008 год.

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Photo of the Day for April 29, 2012: Traditional Beekeeping III / Палескае бортніцтва ІІІ

Traditional Beekeeping in Polesia (part III). Традыцыйнае палескае бортніцтва (частка ІІІ).

Collecting Honey, Azdamichy 2006. Збор мёду, Аздамічы 2006 год.

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Photos of the Day for April 28, 2012: Traditional Beekeeping II / Палескае бортніцтва ІІ

Traditional Beekeeping (part II). Традыцыйнае палескае бортніцтва (частка ІІ).

It is rare to put more than one kaloda (a hollowed-out section of tree trunk used as a bee hive) in the same tree. In the first photo one hive had survived the winter in a weakened state; the other hive had not survived.

Inspecting Beehives in Spring, Tsjerablichy Marshes 2009. Абход борцяў увясну, Цераблічы 2009 год.

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Photo of the Day for April 27, 2012: Traditional Beekeeping I / Палескае бортніцтва I

Traditional Beekeeping (part I). Традыцыйнае палескае бортніцтва (частка І): выдзёбваньне новай калоды.

Regrettably the Belarusian tradition of using a hollowed-out section of tree trunk (калода – “kaloda”) as a bee hive has faded. However, the tradition remains alive in the southern wetlands region of Polesia along the Pripet River (Прыпяць – “Prypjats’”). Beekeepers place each kaloda, called борць (borts) in the Stolin District where I do much of my photography, either in pine or oak trees in the forest or in their garden. A kaloda weighs several hundred pounds, so hoisting it into a tree requires deft teamwork as well as strength. Some beekeepers maintain kalody (bortsi) hollowed out by their forebears a century or more ago.

Here a beekeeper (a math teacher in the local school) continues the arduous work of hollowing out a section of trunk.

Tsjerablichy 2009. Цераблічы 2009 год.

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Photo of the Day for April 26, 2012

Rubjel’ 2009. Рубель 2009 год.

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Photo of the Day for April 25, 2012

Planting Potatoes. Пасадка бульбы.

The potato is an essential food in the Belarusian diet. Families are anxious to make maximal use of a short growing season. All members of the family, often an extended family, strive to plant their crop by the end of April in their own small plots or in whatever acreage the local collective farm authorities deign to allot from marginal land.

Kamjen’ 2009. Камень 2009 год.