Promenade aboard the Coucousique. Part IDecember 110, 1320, 2009 Nizhny NovgorodMapA municipal tractor is driving along the median strip, engulfing the entire city in a sandstorm. Behind it a procession of road sweepers gropes its way forward. ![]() KirovMap
Before going on this trip I was prepared to bet my bottom rouble that the city had been renamed Vyatka long ago. Turns out that it hasn’t — it still goes by Kirov. ![]() The city is a piteous sight. ![]() On the plus side, there are beautiful bright red dumpsters in the courtyards. ![]() As well as special kiosks where you can buy water. ![]() Also, at every bus stop there’s a mobile phone top-up terminal. ![]() In Russia stop signs are usually attached to traffic light poles. Here they’re all mounted at a perplexing height on separate posts. ![]() You sometimes encounter outdoor advertising that completely paralyses your rational faculties. ![]() Help the beer brewers! As of 1 January 2010 beer excise duties will increase three-fold! PermMapThey’ve put up highly hideous bus stops as a matter of urgency. ![]() This hasn’t stopped the city from markedly improving the informative signage infrastructure on its roads. In fact, I can barely remember the last time I saw a variable-message sign displaying relevant information on Russia’s roads. But there you are! ![]() A couple of hours after the last photo was taken there was a fire in a local nightclub called “The Lame horse” in which 150 people lost their lives. A couple more hours after that the square in front of the nightclub was cleared and cordoned off, and stayed that way for almost a week. ![]() The fire (with some assistance from federal- level hysteria) left a most profound impression on the people of Perm. Anything that happened, any comment uttered was seen solely through the prism of the fire. As you can imagine, the reaction was one of distress. This too shall pass. ![]() We discovered that the city has curious yellow light boxes (bearing the street address and entrance number). Their intended use is somewhat reminiscent of that of the information light boxes in Kiev. ![]() Just like in Kirov (see above), kiosks selling filtered tap water have popped up on the city streets. ![]() We discovered a long-forgotten hammer and sickle on one of the lampposts near the city center. Another one to add to the collection of specimens from Pugachev, Vyazma, Pripyat, Novoaltaysk and Barnaul, Kineshma, as well as Kansk and Bratsk. ![]() Unexpected rationale. ![]() Street for a pedestrian [sic.]. There are traffic signs with warnings about dangerous stretches of road ahead dotted all over the Perm region. Sometimes they depict two cars crashing into one another, or a car running over a pedestrian. This one did have a pedestrian on it, but for some reason they erased him. ![]() LysvaMapOne hundred years ago. ![]() Sixty years ago. ![]() Thirty years ago. ![]() Always. ![]() Lysva is famous for its steel mill. We will visit it, but let’s take a stroll around town first. ![]() Rubbish bin. ![]() Advertising column. ![]() Dumpsters painted in the colours of the Estonian national flag. ![]() Traffic light. ![]() At one pedestrian crossing in addition to the lights they’ve also put in a loudspeaker endowed with that signature Lysva voice. ![]() The feature that sets the city apart is the elevated entrances to all of the shops. In former times, people didn’t need that many shops, so they built housing instead. But now everyone wants to be buying stuff and for that reason the ground floors are swiftly being converted into retail space. ![]() Let’s head to the factory. They make electric stoves and enamelware. Back when I was a kid we had a “Lysva” electric stove. Ugly as death, with three hotplates, which were very partial to cracking. Nowhere did they sell replacement hotplates. ![]() Making the stoves is dead easy. Slash some holes. ![]() And there you have it: a stove. ![]() Making the enamelware is trickier. ![]() For some reason, I had thought that enamel was a fine substance, untouchable. In fact, the opposite is true — you actually dip things into it with your bare hands. ![]() Every little ladle, every little lid gets dipped. ![]() Then into the furnace they go. ![]() They keep the process under strict control. ![]() Otherwise you end up with manufacturing defects. ![]() Substandard products. The crockery they make is excellent. They only proceed to ruin it during the final stage — when they stick on the pictures. ![]() “Ikea” also orders pots here, but on one condition — none of those cute little pinecones or squirrels. ![]() By contrast, Russians just love their teapots with cutesy bears and wild rowan berries on them. ![]() SuksunMapSuksun is famous because they started making samovars here before the people of Tula did. The Suksun samovar’s distinguishing trait is that it has a bucket, not a barrel, as its base. Something the people who made this sign were clearly not aware of. ![]() The samovar factory is a rather sorry sight. ![]() Production is frozen in every sense of the word. The temperature on the shop floor is below freezing. Notice the aforementioned buckets, now with legs attached, on the floor there. Samovars-to-be. ![]() There’s also a working American lathe here dating back to the Lend-Lease era. ![]() They also produce plastics in this town. They manufacture helmets, masks and other such useful things. ![]() And they also make safety glasses. This model has been in production since 1941. ![]() Suksun is a good place to own a dacha. Not only is there fresh air, but also shops right on your doorstep. ![]() |
october
Ukretnoexp. Bonus track. Kremenchug, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhie, Krivoy Rog, Cherkassy, Kiev |
november
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december 2009
Promenade aboard the Coucousique. I. Nizhny, Kirov, Perm, Lysva, Suksun
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december
Promenade aboard the Coucousique. II. Perm, Izhevsk, Kazan, Nizhny |
december–january
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