Belarusian and Polish Art

Fiodar Fogt. Carnival 1935.  From the collection of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk

Sent by Tatiana in Homyel

Stanislav Zhukovsky. 1875-1955. In May 1916

Sent by Annie in Minsk

Stanislav Yulianovich Zhukovsky was a Polish- Russian artist born in Grodno. As a painter, Zhukovsky left a legacy from capturing Russian landscapes and pre-revolutionary sites and the interior of Russian estate houses. His social predisposition left him skeptical of the Bolshevik revolution, and in 1923 he left Soviet Union for his ancestral homeland Poland, then already an independent country.  After the German occupation of Poland, during the World War II he was arrested by the Nazis and held at the prisoner transit camp (Durchgangslager) at Pruszków where he eventually died in 1944.

 Vital Tsvirka, Belarus, 1913-1993, Morning in March, 1947

Sent by Tatiana in Minsk

Vitaly Tsvirko's art is special type of lyrical landscape — previously unknown in Belarusian art. The artist has created epic canvases which have become classical pieces of Belarusian painting.

J. Shretter. Portrait of two wives of Janusz Radziwiłł, Catherine and Mary Radzivill. 1646. From the collection of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk
Sent by Lyudmila in Postavy, Belarus

Vytynanky - Belarus paper cut art.
Sent by Oksana in Minsk

The handicraft of vytynanka is a Slavic version of the art form of papercutting, popular in Belarus, Poland and Ukraine.

Churches, Belarus

The Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gerviaty village, Grodno region

BY-1987079 from Igor 

 The Church of St. Simon and St. Helen, Minsk

Direct swap from Tatiana, Minsk

 Ice Hockey World Championship, Minsk 2014

 Chapel-tomb of the princes Svyatopolk-Mirski. Mir

Direct swap from Olga, Grodno

Catholic church of Mother of God of Angels and the Monastery of Franciscans, Grodno

Direct swap from Olga, Grodno, 

Chania Streets

Walking on the streets and alleys of the old town of Chania you can admire the buildings decorated with colorful flowers and plants or relax on a cosy cafe. Many of these buildings are homes, others house shops, stores, bars, cafes and restaurants. Several, mostly Venetian mansions, have been converted into hotels, while other buildings have been converted into museums and venues that host cultural exhibitions. 

And of course Grandmas :) 

  My favorite city! 

Postcards for the weekend 39: Traditional street scene

Castles

Sent by Anna-Maria in Linz, Austria

Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial summer residence located in Vienna, Austria. The 1,441-room Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historical monuments in the country. Since the mid-1950s it has been a major tourist attraction. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs

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Schönbrunnin linna on Itävallan Wienissä vanhankaupungin ulkopuolella sijaitseva keisarillinen palatsi. Keisarinna Maria Teresia rakennutti Schönbrunnin linnan, ja Habsburg-dynastian keisarilliset hallitsijat käyttivät sitä kesäpalatsina. 

Linnassa on 1 441 huonetta, joista 45 on auki yleisölle. Schönbrunnin linnassa on myös maailman suurimmat ja kalleimmat hevosvaunukokoelmat. Linnan pihalla sijaitsee maailman vanhin eläinpuisto, Tiergarten Schönbrunn. Puistoissa on lisäksi muun muassa ”roomalaiset rauniot” ja Maria Teresan aikaan palatsia vastapäätä korkealle mäelle rakennettu Gloriette-paviljonki. Puistossa on lisäksi yksi maailman vanhimmista palmuhuoneista sekä labyrintti ja sokkelo.

Schönbrunnin palatsi ja puutarhat on valittu UNESCOn Maailmanperintöluetteloon vuonna 1996.

Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Salzburg's "Old Town" is internationally renowned for its baroque architecture and is one of the best-preserved city centers north of the Alps. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. 

Salzburg was the birthplace of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the mid‑20th century, the city was the setting for the musical play and film The Sound of Music.

The Hohensalzburg Castle, literally "High Salzburg Fortress" sits atop the Festungsberg..  It is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. Hohensalzburg Castle is situated at an altitude of 506 m.

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Salzburg on Itävallan neljänneksi suurin kaupunki ja Salzburgin osavaltion pääkaupunki. Kaupunki sijaitsee Salzach-joen varrella Alppien juurella.

Salzburg on tunnettu ennen kaikkea Mozartin syntymäkaupunkina, historiastaan ja barokkiarkkitehtuurista. Salzburgin suosiota matkakohteena on lisännyt erityisesti Sound of Music -elokuva, joka kuvattiin kaupungissa ja sen lähialueilla.

Salzburgin vuoren päällä sijaitseva Festung Hohensalzburg on Salzburgin suosituin nähtävyys. Salzburgin vanha kaupunki on myös valittu UNESCOn maailmanperintökohteeksi. 

Australia Rainforest

Daintree National Park, Queensland

From Nadya in Melbourne, Australia

The Daintree rainforest is a national park in Far North Queensland, Australia, It was founded in 1981 and is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland. In 1988 it became a World Heritage Site. The park consists of two sections, with a settled agricultural area between them which includes the towns of Mossman and Daintree Village.

Daintree National Park is valued because of its exceptional biodiversity. It contains significant habitat for rare species and prolific birdlife. The name is derived from the Daintree River, which was named by George Elphinstone Dalrymple, an early explorer of the area, after his friend Richard Daintree.

Albania Attractions

Blue Eye

The Blue Eye is a water spring and natural phenomenon occurring near Muzinë in Vlorë County. A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river bubbles forth from a stunning, more than fifty-metre-deep pool. Divers have descended to fifty metres, but it is still unclear what the actual depth of the karst hole is.

The islands of Ksamili

The Ksamil Islands are four small islands located in southern Albania. The islands are remote and can only be accessed by boat. The village of Ksamil, after whom the islands are named, is located to the east of the islands. The combined areas of the four Ksamili islands is only 7.1 hectares (17.5 acres) and form part of the larger Butrint National Park.

 The bay of Kakome

Kakome Bay is located near the Albanian town of Saranda in Southern Albania, facing Corfu Island and on the border with Greece.

Saranda by night

Saranda or Sarandë  is a coastal town in Vlorë County, southern of Albania. 

The city is known for its blue deep waters of the Mediterranean and  typically has over 300 sunny days a year. In recent years, Saranda has seen a steady increase in tourists, many of them coming by cruise ship. Visitors are attracted both by the natural beauty of Saranda and its archaeological attractions. Sarandë has a Greek minority and is considered one of the two centers of the Greek community in Albania.

Next time with this book to the land of eagles.

Festivals

 Song and dance festival, Tallinn, Estonia

Taking place every five years and involving thousands of choir singers and dancers dressed in colourful national garments, the roots of this lively outdoor festival stretch back as far as 1869, the dawn of Estonian national movement and the first song celebration took place in Tartu.  From 1928 onwards the home of the much-loved festival has been the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds in the midst of the scenic pine grove on the coast of Tallinn. Dance celebration is a more recent tradition dating back to 1934 and today the two traditions are seen as inseparable by the modern audiences.

Postcards for the weekend

Tea Time

Elena likes to have a nice cup of tea while writing some beautiful postcards.

and Marieke likes creamy cupcakes.

Map Monday

 Countries and some cities around  the Baltic Sea.

Fron Helen, she lives on an island near Pärnu town in Estonia.  

Traditional costumes

Traditional Finnish costume representing the region of South Ostrobothnia in Finland - The Härmä national dress  by Virpi Pekkala

Traditional woman's summer costume by  Martta Wendelin. 

National costume from Kauhajoki town in South Ostrobothnia by Katri Lahtinen

In Finland every region has its own specific design of national costume. In these stamps you'll see some examples.

Postcards for the weekend 37: Traditional costumes

Art today

Edward Hopper.  Hills, South Truro, 1930 sent by Michael in Herford, Germany

Edward Hopper (1882 – 1967) was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While he was most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Both in his urban and rural scenes, his spare and finely calculated renderings reflected his personal vision of modern American life.

 Ivana Kobilca (1861- 1926), Woman Drinking Coffee, 1888 sent by Alenka in Koper, Slovenia

Ivana Kobilca is the most prominent Slovene female painter and a key figure of Slovene cultural identity. She was a realist painter who studied and worked in Vienna, Munich, Paris, Sarajevo, Berlin, and Ljubljana.She mostly painted oil paintings and pastels, whereas her drawings are few.The themes include still life, portraits, genre works, allegories, and religious scenes. 

 August Macke (1887 - 1914 ). Indians, 1911 sent by Heike in Bavaria/Germany

August Macke  was one of the leading members of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). He lived during a particularly innovative time for German art: he saw the development of the main German Expressionist movements as well as the arrival of the successive avant-garde movements which were forming in the rest of Europe.

 Hans Olde (1885-1917)  Grand duchess Caroline of Saxony Weimar, 1903 sent by Dietmas in Munich, Germany 

Johannes Wilhelm (Hans) Olde was a German painter and art school administrator.

 Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890). Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige) Paris, October - November 1887 sent by Amy in Manchester, England

Van Gogh admired Japanese woodcuts for their bright colours and distinctive compositions. He based this painting of a bridge in the rain on a print by the famous artist Utagawa Hiroshige. Van Gogh made the colours more intense than in the original.

 Alfons Mucha.  Window, St Vitus Cathedral, Prague from  Eliška in Prague, Czech Republic

The stained glass windows are of special to St. Vitus Cathedra and  Alfons Mucha, the Czech Art Nouveau painter, was responsible for the new stained glass windows in the north wall of the cathedral during the 20th century. 

Map Monday

 From Cherry Sue

Cherry's favorite is fish ball in Mong Kok.

 From Alex

Sunsets

The beautiful and historically significant Helsinki Cathedral is an Evangelic Lutheran church, and for many it is the symbol of Helsinki. The church was designed by architect Carl Ludwig Engel in the 19th century as part of the Empire-style-downtown Helsinki area. The cathedral was completed in 1852.

Häme Castle in Hämeenlinna is one of Finland's medieval royal castles. It is believed to have been built at the end of the 13th century.

Kristiinankaupunki / Kristinestad  was named by the Queen Kristina of Sweden.

Melting clocks

Salvador  Dalí (1904 –  1989), was a prominent Spanish surrealist painter born in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain. Dalí was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. The Persistence of Memory (1931) is one of his most recognizable works. This painting made Dali world famous at 28.

I must say I'm not a huge fan of Dali myself, but definitely his works are most interesting  with lots of details.