Russia Poland August 2, 1998, Sunday

Tatiana told us more about life in Russia as the communist philosophy gradually collapsed and Russia had to turn to a free market economy. Much of what she talked about was from her own experience so her intimate knowledge opened up a window into the changing way of life there.

At noon we arrived at the island of Kizhi. All the buildings were of logs, including the church with many onion-topped domes, which were a spectacular sight. The log construction of the church was very professional and the many domes showed that skilled craftsmen had done their work well.

It was an amazing feat considering that all the logs had to be floated to the island or perhaps slid on the ice in the long frozen winter months. Just to keep alive must have been a chore on top of all the labor of constructing the churches.

I discovered there was an American couple aboard. They were east coast snow birds who winter in Florida. He had the same kind of camera as mine, a Minolta Freedom 140. I told him I liked mine.

There was a building with a large wind mill for grinding grain. The entire building could be turned so it faced into the wind. The log houses were snug retreats in the winter, where the inhabitants huddled in one room which they kept full of firewood at all times. There could be as many as 20 living in one house. They were self-efficient and had to invent ways of getting the job done.