Keep Calm and go to Russia

This awesome card comes from Russia with some nice stamps :)

Thanks to the anonymous sender from PostcardUnited.

 Sent: 3 June 2016   Received: 20 June 2016   Travelled: 17 days

Russian Fairytale : Maria Morevna

The Death of Koschei the Deathless or Marya Morevna is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki and included by Andrew Lang in The Red Fairy Book. The character Koschei is an evil immortal man who menaces young women with his magic.
Source : Wikipedia

Thanks to Liza via Postcrossing for this amazing

Fairytale card!

Sent: 7 May 2016   Received: 16 June 2016   Travelled: 40 days

Animals of Russia

Thanks to Ann via Postcrossing for this lovely mapcard

and animals.

Sent: 19 May 2016   Received: 6 June 2016   Travelled: 18 days

Andronicus monastery

Hah I thought this looked familiar, my second copy of this card

but with the new Postcrossing stamp, thank you Nikolai :D 

Sent: 12 May 2016   Received: 2 June 2016   Travelled: 21 days

The Kazan Kremlin

The Kazan Kremlin  is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built at the behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.

The Kazan Kremlin includes many old buildings, the oldest of which is the Annunciation Cathedral (1554-62), the only 16th-century Russian church to have six piers and five apses. Like many of Kazan's buildings of the period, it is constructed of local pale sandstone rather than of brick. The renowned Pskov architects Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Shirjay (called Barma) were invited by the Tzar to rebuild Kazan Kremlin in stone. The cathedral bell tower was erected in five tiers at the urging of Ivan the Terrible and was scored to resemble the Ivan the Great Belltower in Moscow, but was pulled down by the Soviets in 1930.

The most conspicuous landmark of the Kazan Kremlin is the leaning Söyembikä Tower, which probably goes back to the reign of Peter the Great. A well-known legend connects the tower with the last queen of Kazan. Another recognizable architectural feature is the Spasskaya Tower, which anchors the southern end of the Kremlin and serves as the main entrance to the Kremlin.

Also of interest are snow-white towers and walls, erected in the 16th and 17th centuries but later renovated; the Qol-Şärif mosque, recently rebuilt inside the citadel; and the Governor's House (1843-53), designed by Konstantin Thon, now the Palace of the President of Tatarstan. The Palace is believed to be located on the site of former Khan's palace. Tucked between Presidential Palace and Söyembikä Tower is the palace church built on the foundation of medieval mosque.

Northern wall of the Kremlin contains another gated tower - Secret Tower, so named because it used to house a secret water supply well. This tower allows pedestrian access to Kremlin, but vehicle access is restricted to emergencies only.

Source: Wikipedia

Thanks to Yana via PostcardUnited for this amazing view!

Sent: 10 May 2016    Received: 27 May 2016   Travelled: 17 days

Irina Smirnova : Tea Party

Finally ! I have discovered the artist behind this series of 

White bear. Thanks to Eva for the lovely card (postcrossing)

Sent: 21 April 2016    Received: 18 May 2016   Travelled: 27 days

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the Moscow Kremlin

A card of Moscow sent from Tajikistan, another one of those

cards that have oddly travelled. Nathan was given this card

by some Russians who saw him writing out postcards haha

Sent: 21 October 2014   Received: 12 November 2014  Travelled: 22 days

Russian Post

thanks to Yulia for the swap

Sent: 19 May 2014    Received: 17 July 2014   Travelled: 29 days

Cat vs games

A funny card showing Cats and games.

Thanks to Postcrosser Tatiana for the nice stamps

and fun card :)

Sent: 14 April 2016   Received: 4 May 2016   Travelled: 20 days

3D Brain card

Thanks to another Kate from Postcrossing Russia who sends this

interesting card :D

Sent: 12 April 2016   Received: 29 April 2016   Travelled: 17 days

Caucasus mountains

The Western Caucasus includes a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the extreme western edge of the Caucasus Mountains. As stated by the UNESCO specialists, it is the only large mountain area in Europe that has not experienced significant human impact. Its habitats are exceptionally varied for such a small area, ranging from lowlands to glaciers. The site is situated 50 km to the north from the Russian resort of Sochi.
Source:Wikipedia

Thanks to Anna for the beautiful view of the Damkhurt Mountains.

Sent: 29 March 2016   Received: 14 April 2016   Travelled: 16 days

Kremlin and Red Square

Thanks to Andrey via PostcardUnited for a beautiful frosty view

of St Basil's Cathedral. Seeing as I have a couple of St Basil's I made

a new category just for it :)

Sent: 13 March 2016   Received: 5 April 2016  Travelled: 23 days

Kremlin

Thanks to Iraida for this old photo view of the Kremlin.

Sent: 21 March 2016   Received: 5 April 2016   Travelled: 15 days

Tomsk meetup

Seems that Russian postcrossers are very active! Here's

a meetup card from Tomsk sent official through Postcrossing!

Sent: 13 March 2016    Received: 29 March 2016   Travelled: 16 days

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) has been the President of Russia since 7 May 2012, succeeding Dmitry Medvedev. Putin served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000, as President from 2000 to 2008, and again as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012. During Putin's second term as Prime Minister, he was the Chairman of United Russia, the ruling party.

Putin was an officer in the KGB for 16 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring in 1991 to enter politics in his native Saint Petersburg. He moved to Moscow in 1996 and joined President Boris Yeltsin's administration, where he rose quickly through the ranks, becoming Acting President on 31 December 1999, when Yeltsin resigned. Putin won the subsequent 2000 presidential election by a 52% to 30% margin, thus avoiding a runoff with his Communist Party opponent Gennady Zyuganov. P
Source: Wikipedia 

Thank you Liza for this swap, finally I get a postcard of Putin for my Famous/Important

People Collection :D

Sent: 1 March 2016    Received: 16 March 2016   Travelled: 15 days

Murmansk

 Murmansk is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, an inlet of the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, close to the Russia's borders with Norway and Finland.

Despite its extreme northern location above the Arctic Circle, Murmansk tends to be nearly the same as any other Russian city of its size, featuring highway and railway access to the rest of Europe, a railway station, and the northernmost trolleybus system on Earth.

Although Murmansk's population is in decline—299,148 (2014 est.) it remains the largest city north of the Arctic Circle.
Source: Wikipedia

WOW! I'm actually super excited with this card from Russia because it

comes from an Arctic city! Thanks to Valentina via Postcrossing for the card.

Sent: 1 February 2016   Received: 28 February 2016   Travelled: 27 days

Smomensk meetup 2016

Thanks to Zinaida for this surprise meetup card from Postcrossing 

and a wonderful cat card :D

Sent:   Received:   Travelled:

The mark of Beast

Art by Maxim Nikiphorov

Thanks to Svetlana who sends this fantasy art card with  beautiful stamps!

Sent: 14 November 2015   Received: 8 December 2015   Travelled: 24 days

Cat watercolour

Art by Elena Shved

More from Russia, this time a watercolour cat with the

amazing Cats of Russia stamp. Thanks to Natalia for the postcard.

Sent: 24 November 2015   Received: 31 December 2015   Travelled: 37 days

Dragon

thanks to Natalia who sends this epic fantasy art card of a dragon.

Illustrated by Galla Yegorenkova. Thanks for nice stamps too.

Sent: 12 December 2015   Received: 12 January 2016   Travelled: 31 days