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Early Spring.  Kramjanjets 2007.  Ранняя вясна.  Крамянец 2007 год. These girls were having fun sharing a bike on one of the first warmish days of the year.

Digging up potatoes from cold storage.  Выкопка бульбы. People dig up their seed potatoes, carefully preserved through the winter in cold-storage pits, at the end of March in the Pripet Marshes of southern Belarus.  In a land with such a short growing season it is crucial to plant the new crop by the end of… Continue reading Photo of the Day for April 5, 2013

Collecting birch juice, Tsjerablichy 2012.  Збор бярозавага соку, Цераблічы 2012 год. It is an ancient tradition in Belarus, as elsewhere in the region, to tap birch trees as the sap runs with the onset of spring.  The watery consistency of the sap makes it a refreshing juice, most often drunk plain but sometimes flavored with… Continue reading Photo of the Day for April 4, 2013

Preparing plastic sheeting for hothouses, Tsjerablichy 2012.  Падрыхтоўка плёнак для парнікаў, Цераблічы 2012 год. Three generations of an extended family work swiftly to lap plastic sheets, which will form the sides and roof of the family’s hothouses for cucumbers.  Vegetable cultivation for export, especially of cucumbers, is a major source of income for the enterprising… Continue reading Photo of the Day for April 3, 2013

April.  Красавік. Normally one would see buds on the trees on southern Belarus at the beginning of April, as here.  However, the winter of 2012-2013 has refused to loosen its grip, with snow falling continually into the beginning of April. Tsjerablichy 2012.  Цераблічы 2012 год.

Spring migration along the River Jasjel’da, near Rudka 2007.  Веснавая міграцыя ўздоўж р. Ясельда, ля вёскі Рудка 2007 год. The River Jasjel’da is one of the major tributaries of the Pripet (Прыпяць); the Pripet Marshes Basin is one of Europe’s major flyways.

Christ is risen!  Happy Easter!  Хрыстус з мёртвых устаў!  Са сьвятам! Easter Morning Procession, Iuje 2012.  Велікодная працэсія, Іўе 2012 год.

Blessing of Easter eggs and bread, Holy Saturday, Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mjensk 2012.  Асьвячэньне велікодных страў у Вялікую суботу, архікатэдрала Імя Найсьвяцейшай Панны Марыі, Менск 2012 год. Roman Catholics stream into church throughout the day on Holy Saturday to have the priest bless their Easter eggs and bread.

To mark Good Friday.  З нагоды Вялікай пятніцы. Churches of Belarus (part XXVII):  Church of St. Anne (1773-1781; restored 1995), Varoncha 2012.  Касьцёлы Беларусі (частка XXVII):  Касьцёл Сьвятой Ганны (1773-1781 гг; адбудаваны 1995 г.), Варонча 2012 год. Noted Belarusian-Polish poet-ethnographer Jan Chachot was christened in this church in 1796.  Chachot was a friend of Adam… Continue reading Photo of the Day for March 29, 2013: Good Friday / Вялікая пятніца Мукі Пана

Awaiting Maundy Thursday Mass, Church of St. Casimir, Ljepjel’ 2007.  У чаканьні Сьвятой Імшы, Вялікі чацьверг, касьцёл Сьв. Казіміра, Лепель 2007 год. Like so many other churches in areas occupied by the Soviets, the Roman Catholic church in Ljepjel’ was desecrated; local Soviet authorities used the church as a warehouse for old machinery.  Through the… Continue reading Photo of the Day for March 28, 2013: Maundy Thursday / Вялікі чацьверг