Month: August 2015

Before the storm, Hajna 2015.  After an unusually dry winter, the summer of 2015 has been drought-like in most of Belarus; when they have come, storms have been sharp and violent. Перад навальніцай, Гайна 2015 г.

Belarus in Faces (part CLXV):  Apple-Blessing festival, Azdamichy 2014.  Беларусь у тварах (частка CLXV):  Яблычны Спас, Аздамічы 2014 г.

People throughout Belarus joyfully celebrate the August 19 Apple-Blessing feast (Jablychny Spas)/feast of the Transfiguration, one of the 12 great feasts in the Orthodox calendar. This is the ninth year in a row that I have celebrated Jablychny Spas with the parishioners of Holy Trinity in Azdamichy. Яблычны Спас (Перамяненьне Гасподняе), Аздамічы 2014 г.

River Haryn’, Davyd-Haradok 2015.  Рака Гарынь, Давыд-Гарадок 2015 г.

Family portraits, Tserablichy 2015.  Сямейныя партрэты:  Цераблічы 2015 г. Ivan with two of his four kids:  Mats’vjej and Chesa.  Спадар Іван з двума са сваіх чатырох дзяцей:  Мацьвей і Чэса. Chesa and Mats’vjej with their aunt (Ivan’s sister) Virka.  Чэса й Мацьвей са сваёй цёцяй Віркай (Іванавай сястрой). Mats’vjej and Chesa with their grandmother Vjera… Continue reading Photos of the Day for August 17, 2015

Polesian rhythms:  cabbage patch, Azdamichy 2015. Палескія рытмы:  капуста на агародзе, Аздамічы 2015 г.

Polesian rhythms:  for two years now, this hen has mothered broods of ducklings abandoned by their mother.  Tsjerablichy 2015. Палескія рытмы:  два гады запар гэтая церабліцкая курыца клапаціцца па вывадкам вутвічак, закінутых сваёй маці.

Polesian rhythms:  blessing of flowers, Honey-Blessing festival/feast of the Maccabees (Mjadovy Spas — August 14), Orthodox church of Our Lady of Kazan, Davyd-Haradok 2014. The area around the central Polesian town of Davyd-Haradok is famous for its flower-growing, and the blessing of flowers at the end of the church service on this feast day is… Continue reading Photos of the Day for August 14, 2015

Polesian rhythms:  peony season, Tsjerablichy 2015. Палескія рытмы:  пара півоняў, Цераблічы 2015 г.

Polesian rhythms:  evening milking, Tsjerablichy 2015.  Siva is a very wily and willful cow, and insists on an extra 15 minutes to search for tasty clumps of grass before patiently submitting to the evening milking. Палескія рытмы:  вячэрняе даеньне, Цераблічы 2015 г.