Now on air
13:15
Palace of Сongresses in Strelna
Three centuries ago when Russian Tsar Peter the First decided to build a palace complex outside of St. Petersburg, in the town of Strelna, he hoped to demonstrate Russia’s power and greatness to his country and the world. Looking at the panorama of the Finnish Gulf and the canals forming the shape of Neptune’s trident foreign ambassadors were reminded that Russia was a strong state with both a navy and sea access. In the 21st century this idea of strength and greatness has been expressed in a new way. The state complex of the Palace of Congresses has become a site where representatives of different peoples and countries meet and implement policy on a global scale.
MESHCHORA NATIONAL PARK. THE RENAISSANCE
The vast low-lying regions in the center of the Eastern European plains have long borne the name of Meshchyora. In prehistoric times they were part of a gigantic forested area that extended from the Bialowieza Forest in the west to the Urals in the east. In days of yore, the thick Meshchorya forest served as a sanctuary – for princes’ military retinues hiding from Mongol attacks, for runaway serfs, and for swashbuckling bandits. These lands have historically had a reputation as a deep, dark, even enchanted place, the home of myriad forest sprits: rusalki (water nymphs) and vodyanie (water sprites), leshie (forest spirits) and Solovey Razboynik (Nightingale the Robber). Today, mythological and fairy-tale characters can be seen adorning nature trails: in 1992 Meshchyora National Park was established as a protected area. The forests and swamps are being restored, bird populations tracked an...
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13:30
MESHCHORA NATIONAL PARK. THE RENAISSANCE
Museum-Estate of the Artist Vasily Polenov
At the beginning of the 19th century, artist Vasily Polenov designed and oversaw the construction of his family’s home, a place where he would also work, high on the bank of the Oka River. Nowadays this place is home to The State Memorial History, Art and Natural Museum Reserve of V.D. Polenov, and is one of the most popular museums in the country. Many see the museum as a memorial to the outstanding Russian landscape artist, and the museum possesses one of the largest collections of Polenov’s work. The collection also consists of pieces from some of his famous contemporaries, including Ilya Repin, Konstantin Korovin, Ivan Shishkin and others.
Now on air
14:00