23 June 2016. Our Great Russian Motherland: Morning Fog in Perm Krai

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Perm Krai is near the western slopes of the Ural Mountains, making it one of the easternmost parts of “Europe”. Most of the territory is in notional Europe, with only 0.2 percent in “Asia”. Of course, such distinctions are merely academic, as there’s little to mark the difference between the “continents” (indeed, I prefer to see it as “Eurasia”, as one unified continent and landmass). In short, it’s “Siberian”, with the same climate, folkways, and topography. 71 percent of the Krai is forest-covered.

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7 November 2015. Our Great Russian Motherland: Dalmatovo Assumption Monastery (Dalmatovo Raion. Kurgan Oblast. Ural Federal District)

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In 1644, Monk St Dalmat Ivanovich Mokrinsky founded this monastery when he built his cell in an isolated region to the east of the Ural Mountains (he came from Beryozovo in the Ural region). It endured until 1922, when the atheist authorities closed it. The property saw several uses… a theatre, commanders’ school in the VOV, factory. In 1989, the Church started to take over the property, a process complete in 1994. At present, there’s a small community of monks here, and the run-down buildings and property are under renovation.

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28 November 2012. Our Great Russian Motherland… the Ural Mountains… photography by Vadim Gippenreiter

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The Ural Mountains are the border between Europe and Asia. Once you’re through them, you’re in Siberia. This view of a mountain stream is by the famous Soviet-era photographer Vadim Gippenreiter.

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