León Cathedral, Nicaragua

Hello Hello! Time for another post...which should've happened earlier but you know me and my laziness sometimes....and how this heat affects me in becoming the most-unproductive human being.
Well, after so much hoping for rain and drop of temperatures, we finally had some last night...but you know what they say, be careful what you wish for, since last night's thunderstorm was like one of the scariest I have ever witnessed...not cos of its strength,  but its length...it just went on and on and on....it felt like being part of some horror movie, something so surreal, that it is hard to explain (at least here we are not used to storms of that kind with 20 dead, a number of people missing, and injured, and the amount of material damage is out of the line). Well, I just hope that the storms forecast for the upcoming days won't be as the one last night....here is just a small glimpse of the actual situation last night...

So anyways, lets get down to some cards... I'm sure you are here for that, not for my whining and complaining :)

And the first one for today comes from Sissel and her trip to Nicaragua back in 2011...

The card shows the León Cathedral, also known as the "Real and Renowned Basilica Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (ok, is there a point in giving such complex names??!), which was awarded World Heritage Site status with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site's nomination is Nicaragua's third cultural landmark, following the ruins of León Viejo and El Güegüense .

The Cathedral's construction lasted between 1747 and 1814 and was consecrated by Pope Pius IX in 1860. Cathedral has maintained the status of being the largest cathedral in Central America and one of the best known in the Americas due to its distinct architecture and special cultural importance.

And a set of lovely butterflies' stamps, which actually have been cancelled, but that cancellation somewhat got smudged.
In the year of 2000, Nicaragua had issued a few sets of butterfly stamps and these come from one of those (the set has six in total, and I have the mini sheet in mint condition, thanks again to Sissel of course :D)

These three here show the, from left to right, Actinote thalia anteas, the Doxocopa laurentia cherubina, and the Napeopgenes tolosa mombachoensis - well, names meaningful to people like lepidopterists for example :)

Thank you Sissel for the great card and lovely stamps!!

Jaén, Spain

Last card for today came as an official sometime at the beginning of the year.

ES-203185

It is a really lovely card, from the city of Jaén, showing the grand Jaén Cathedral, which is one of the most important Renaissance-style cathedrals. Construction began in 1570 and was completed in 1802. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, and it was built to shelter the relic of the Holy Face, or Veil of Veronica, lodged at the major chapel and exposed to the public every Friday. Due to the length of time in its construction, different artistic styles can be appreciated, the most prominent being Renaissance; Andrés de Vandelvira the most important architect. He is the greatest exponent of the Andalusian Renaissance. It aspires to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

so, if it does get listed as UNESCO whs, I already have the problem solved :P

The stamp on the right is from a set of 3 "Civic Values" stamps issued in 2012. This one is about "Getting distracted at the Driving Wheel"
. The other guy..well you know him, Juan Carlos, and those Spanish definitives :)

Ha! Cant believe it I did another update in just a few days! Well, hope you liked the cards...till next time...enjoy your autumn/spring days..depending where on the Earth you are :)

Polatsk, Belarus

my last card for today comes from Belarus...actually it is two cards...and I received them both as officials, but I guess the second sender didnt know I already had it...so hence, sometimes you end up with duplicates :)

BY - 281619/BY-307758

The left side of the card shows St. Sophia's Cathedral, while on the right, as the back of the card says, "Dramatized knights' fights in Polatsk"

Polatsk is said to be the oldest city in Belarus, and one of the most ancient cities of Eastern Slavs, mentioned in ancient manuscripts dating back from 806. 

Im just not sure what the symbol behind the knights' fighting is, so contributions are welcome. 

as i said, i got two copy of the card and both with different stamps. the first one has 3 different stamps. The hare stamp is from a set of 5 stamps issued in 2008, showing wild animals. The one next to it is a Christmas stamp from a set f two issued in 2010, while the one below is another 2008 stamp from a set of 8 Garden Flowers' stamps, this one showing a Narcissus.

here we have more or less the same issues, just different stamps, which is good. the left one is from the Wild animals series, showing a Forest Marten, while the Garden Flower stamp shows a tulip.

so, that would be it...enjoy your weekend :)

Osijek, Croatia

A very nice card from Osijek received in....*cough cough*....2008.....yeah, I know, im awful!

I already wrote something about Osijek here. This card was also sent by Goran, I just wonder if he remembers at all he had sent this to me since it was so long ago :)

This card shows the Church of St Peter and St Paul, the co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek. The church was built in 1898 and is one of the city's landmarks.
Wikipedia gives some trivia about this church which are as follows:

- This is the tallest building in Croatia outside of Zagreb.
- Capacity of the church during the mass is over 3000 people.
- The church is built of three and a half million bricks, and has a colored stone altars.
- The four tower bells weigh 2665 kg, 1552 kg, 740 kg. and 331 kg

If some of this info is wrong, I would like to ask Goran to kindly correct me, since as we all know, Wikipedia aint always the 100% reliable source out there.

The stamp on the card was issued in 2008, presenting the General Conference of International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 in Cavtat 

Pitsunda cathedral, Abkhazia

Do I hear someone's teeth cringe? :D Well, let me spoil the surprise right away for you...the card aint written and stamped :) Though if all the cards from Abkhazia are like this, I doubt anyone could send them written and stamped....you know, the ones which have text all over the back and it aint possible to write a name or address...

This is the Pitsunca Cathedral, a Georgian Orthodox Cathedral located in Pitsunda, in the Gagra district of the de facto independent Republic of Abkhazia, internationally recognised to constitute a part of Georgia.
You will pardon me, but the comprehension of the politics and the countries' divisions and recognitions, dont go well with me....all I know is that Abkhazia (along with South Ossetia and Transnistria) seem fascinating to me....places I know soo little of, or almost nothing.

Pitsunda Cathedral was built at the end of the 10th century by King Bagrat III of Georgia. It served as the seat of the Georgian Orthodox Catholicate of Abkhazia until the late 16th century when Abkhazia came under the Ottoman hegemony. The cathedral contains vestiges of wall-painting from the 13th and the 16th centuries.

Looks like a lovely place, surrounded with nice nature!

Moscow, Russia

I think that this is one of the most famous and most favourited Russian postcards....and with a reason!

It simply looks more like coming from a fairy tale book than something real...thumbs up to N.H.Rahmanova who is signed as the photographer of this.
The card shows the St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, (also known as Cathedral of Intercession of Theotokos on the Moat) which is the city's main cathedral. It is a Russian Orthodox cathedral erected on the Red Square in Moscow in 1555–1561. Built on the order of Ivan IV of Russia to commemorate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan, it marks the geometric center of the city and the hub of its growth since the 14th century.It was the tallest building of Moscow until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600.
The building's design, shaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky, has no analogues in Russian architecture: "It is like no other Russian building. Nothing similar can be found in the entire millennium of Byzantine tradition from the fifth to fifteenth century... a strangeness that astonishes by its unexpectedness, complexity and dazzling interleaving of the manifold details of its design." The cathedral foreshadowed the climax of Russian national architecture in the 17th century but has never been reproduced directly.
The cathedral has operated as a division of the State Historical Museum since 1928. It was completely secularized in 1929 and, as of 2009, remains a federal property of the Russian Federation. The cathedral has been part of the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990

Russia is one of my top countries when it comes to stamps....they simply have fantastic issues!
The big yellow one in the middle one is from a set of 4 issued in 2004 representing an amber room and this one shows an engraved head....why this stamp is special to me is coz the head is really engraved and if you put your fingers over it you can actually feel the shape...something like when you read the Braille's alphabet...the stamp on the very left is also from 2004 from a set of 4, issued under the name "We glorify the Homeland" - this stamp in particular shows Marshal Zhukov. The stamp on the right is from a set of 5 issued in 2005, representing History of Russian State - Emperor Alexander II. The bottom stamp is a well known definitive from 2008, issued in a set of 15, representing a fox.

St. Florin Cathedral, Liechtenstein

well, I know I have another passion to focus on, but lets not neglect this blog either :)  And I just ended with another part of my work, which has stretched out for daaaaaaays, and I really got fed up, but I finally did it! So now I can steal a few minutes off at last!

this card came as a huge surprise from Daniela, who noticed how i had complained about Liechtenstein, wondering if their cards show ANYTHING else but their Vaduz castle! Well, from what she had told me, there is no variety of choice, but there still IS something different and she sent it to me!! And this is the.....ta-ra-ra-raaaaa....the St. Florin cathedral in Vaduz!!!! Yeah, it has to revolve around Vaduz anyhow :) But im really really happy to have this, esp since it came due to such great thoughtfulness!

The St. Florin's Cathedral is situated on the site of a medieval chapel. It was built in Neo Gothic style in the late 19th century by the Viennese architect Friedrich von Schmidt who also designed the City Hall of Vienna.

Vaduz became an independent parish after the consecration of the then church.

what makes this postcard the most special one is that it was actually mailed from Liechtenstein itself!!! so i can say that I am the proud owner of a card with a stamp and a postmark from Liechtenstein!! Which I consider to be quite rare. And the postmark itself is such a clear one...I love it!!!
The stamp was issued in 2009 in a set of two stamps called Four Seasons of Chateau Vaduz.

Chernihiv, Ukraine

a great surprising card from my dear Ksenia, who has started her studies in Ukraine this semester, so unfortunately, i cant keep much track of her and what is she up to...but i hope she is ok

this card shows the Saint Assumption cathedral of Yieletsk Monastery from the 12 century.
Its a beautiful cathedral, and ive noticed that all Ukrainian sacred places are actually. And they al have some similar shapes in nice colours...here it is green for example...reminds me of the St. Sofia cathedral in Kyiv for example...

did i tell you that i am the Winner of The Month for October??!! yeahhh...after a week really scarce on mail, yesterday i found 5 great cards in my mailbox due to this win...in case you know what im talking about :)
i dont usually win things, so i was more than surprised to see that out of 20+ people, i was th chosen one...so yeah, yesterday was a great mail, thanks to this and a few other people who surprised me with their cards...they know who they are :P

 

the stamp is from the set of 7 definitives, issued in 2007, featuring art and antique objects.

Kyiv, Ukraine

I have received some great mail today (and in a huge amount) so i really feel that i owe you an update...again :) Problem is, the reciprocity of cards i receive totally outnumbers the ones i upload here, so im just getting more and more behind with it all....and i had got my 101st country as well...but i wont tell you yet which one is it coz i simply havent been able to scan anything...and i dont wanna leave it until tonight or tomorrow or etc...so i guess you just have to stay tuned and patient until the next update to see it ;)

This magnificent card came as a lovely surprise from dear Ksenia. These Ukrainian cathedrals just have something special in them..i dont know if its coz of their colours but they certainly dont resemble a typical cathedral...this one is more like a castle that had come from a Disney Fairytale...i just cant decide if it belongs to Snow White, Cinderella,  Mulan or the Sleeping Beauty...though from the entire tranquil atmosphere around it, i would go for the Sleeping Beauty :)
This is the St. Sofia Cathedral, dating back from the XI century, and it is a UNESCO whs as well!! And no, i still havent updated my UNESCO list...i will, i promise.
The St. Sofia cathedral is an outstanding architectural monument of Kievan Rus'. Today, it is one of the city's best known landmarks and the first Ukrainian patrimony to be inscribed on the UNESCO whs list. The cathedral's name comes from the 6th-century Hagia Sophia cathedral in Constantinopole.
I havent come across the "Kievan Rus'" term before, and i was surprised to find out that it was a medieval state which existed from approximately 880 to the middle of the 12th century and was founded by the Scandinavian traders called Rus. Rus' polity is considered an early predecessor of three modern East Slavic nations, Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians. 
Is this another history lesson i hadnt paid attention to? 

From what i could gather, the stamp belongs to a set of 7 definitives, issued in 2007, featuring art and antique objects...i still need to get used to this 'definitives' word...

And Ksenia...dzięki! :)))))))

Moscow, Russia

A lovely card...thanks to dear Anasty!

This Moscow view is just stunning and more than beautiful..and yeah, the colours DO have something to do with it indeed.
This is The Cathedral of Christ the Redemeer...hmm, i would have used Saviour instead, coz i think thats more appropriate and common for the word 'Спасителя'....but if thats what i WOULD say, doesnt mean im right, right? If you check the net, you would get 'Redemeer' for the ones in Brazil, while for the one in Moscow 'Saviour' is used....ok, why am i complicating this in the first place? Its still the same cathedral afterall...but what can i do...language...syntax...grammar....morphology...my professional damages..

The enormous gleaming golden dome and gigantic structure of the newly built Cathedral of Christ the Savior is visible from all over central Moscow and is the largest church in Russia. The original Cathedral was built by the architect Konstantin Ton between 1839 and 1881 to commemorate Russia's victory over the French in the Napoleonic Wars. The church was later demolished in 1933 on Stalin's orders, but was built anew in the 1990s.
Clad in marble and granite, with huge bronze doors covered in relief depictions of the saints, the cathedral is an awesome statement of the re-found power and prestige of the Orthodox Church and one of Moscow's most impressive ecclesiastical buildings.

and here are the stamps from the card...something you dont often see from me....though this may change...but ill get down to it...

I have received several Russian cards with several various stamps on them....and i really like them.
Now....I know i never post stamps...ok, almost never...but there has been an itch inside me to actually change that...I do feel that they add a lot to the card...of course, if i get several cards in an envelope, i wont post the same stamps of the envelope on each card, or if they show another country...but for the majority of cards it would be nice to add the stamps as well me thinks...I think ill post a poll about it and see what YOU think, and please, be honest about it...after all, apart from doing this for my own satisfaction (this whole blog), I also love doing it for you out there, so YOUR opinion is more than valuable to me, and any sort of feedback as well...good comments, bad comments...whatever...either way, that old pool is acting crazy, coz votes keep appearing and disappearing...and i think that its been there long enough and i know your opinion and cards WITH text win big time (yay, thanks for that)...so...ill see how it developes, and probably will start slowly putting stamps as well...if your votes go to that option mostly, then ill continue with it...