How much is the Cow on the Window?

Photo by Vahur in Varnja, 27 June.

Non Existent T-shirts

Non existent T-shirts of Estonian punk bands (of Soviet era). Voronja Galerii (https://et-ee.facebook.com/voronjagalerii) in an Old Believer village by Lake Peipus (Peipsi). Photos by Vahur, 27 June 2014

Matti and Kiwa

Legendary art collector Matti Milius and artist/musician/curator Kiwa, a legend in making. Opening of Voronja Galerii (https://et-ee.facebook.com/voronjagalerii) in an Old Believer village by Lake Peipus (Peipsi). Photos by Vahur, 27 June 2014

Rubber, Anybody?

Rubberland on Raadi Military Airfield. Notice the formula 1 tyres:) About the now abandoned airfield: strategic bombers carrying nuclear warheads used to take off and land every 10 minutes - used to watch them land through kitchen windows in 1980ies. Maybe next time I'll show the runway too, this time it was a bit dark for my shitty camera. Photo by Vahur, June 2014

Poet Marko

Poet Marko Mägi performing with Chungin and Kiwa. Opening of Voronja Galerii (https://et-ee.facebook.com/voronjagalerii) in an Old Believer village by Lake Peipus (Peipsi). Photos by Vahur, 27 June 2014

Restaurant for Animals

During winter, wild animals may end up starving. There's some stuff around, like treebark, frozen grass under the snow. Wild boars dig up leftover potatoes from fields, deer and rabbits come near houses and munch on young trees that people have planted a year before... But near the spring it's pretty hard as most of the resources are exhausted. Predators (wolves, foxes, lynx) are hungry, too, unless sleeping as bears do.

That is why humans, mostly represented by the hunting club members, serve the forest dwellers the high cuisine of potatoes, perfectly dryed hay and selected branches from young apple trees. Special animal feeding "restaurants" are built.

The whole are of Kääpa (Välgi) nature reserve is 2039,8ha of land plus 256,4ha of water. By the way, in spring, parts of the reserve are off limits for the man kind (besides authorised personnel) as the local wild bunch is making babies.

Photos by Vahur Afanasjev 7 March 2014, Välgi nature reservoir.

Weird and Beautiful Ice Vehicles

"Karakat" or "karakatitsa" is a self made vehicle for on-ice fishing. The huge tires (often the inner tyres of large airplanes) make the karakat unsinkable, so one can go winter fishing even if ice conditions are tricky. Each year a Karakatitsa Festival is held in Kallaste.

Karaktitsa is not the only option - some use custom made hovercrafts.

Photos of the Karakatitsa Festival by Vahur Afanasjev, 22 February 2014 in Kallaste, by the Lake Peipsi (Peipus), in the area mostly inhabited by Russian speaking Old Believers who fled to Estonia from repressions in Czarist Russian in 16.-17. century.

Karakatitsa

If  lake Peipsi (not to be confused with Pepsi) is covered with ice (seen already melting and piling on the photos) but you still feel you want to go fishing, you need a karakatitsa.

There's Russia on the other shore. And the April ice can move big stones and pull up trees on its way. Just like the ice in "Ice Age" animated film.

Karakatitsa is a rebuilt car, something like a monster truck, only it's not a heavy show off job, but rather a light and practical vehicle. The point is, it has to stay float, even if the ice breaks. Internal tires of airplanes are most commonly used to the wheel - and sometimes upgraded for better grip, as seen on the photos.

Photos, by the way, are taken in April 2009, in Nina village (The Nose village) in Eastern / South-Eastern part of Estonia).

NWC Vineyard

Shit is the father of bread, we say. The southern wall of the lavatory (NWC i.e. no water closet) at my mother's summer home has perfect light, temperature and nutritive soil conditions for growring grapes. They ripe in late August - early September. Btw, here it's wise to hide the vine-trees for winter, by covering them with fur-tree branches.

Yes, grapes in Estonia (latitude 59°), meaning almost ten degrees wrong (latitudes 30° to 50° being the "official" boundaries of viticulture). And trust me, they taste good and one can make wine, too, though I'd stick with eating, as the it's a bit cold for the noble wine grape varieties to grow.

Photos: Vahur Afanasjev

Onion domes

Onion domes of an orthodox skete in Vasknarva, where the river Narva starts from the lake Peipus. Photo by Vahur Afanasjev, July 2011

The day of the Airborne Troops

Den Desantnikov in Jõhvi. Scary, but stylish.

Some russian rock music to make the mood.

And, of course, there was a plane shooting out paratroopers.

Although this one might not have chosen the best colours for his parachute.

Info and pics of how they do it in Russia.

Photos by Mare Sabolotny and Vahur Afanasjev. 31st of July in Jõhvi.

15 feet of pure white snow

Photo by my mother, 31 January 2010

Straw Men

We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw
T.S. Eliot

Photo taken by my parents in Metsakivi/Kirepi village (Lake Peipsi area) 13 July 2009. The straw men look pretty alive and spooky, too. Should be taken to modern sculpture exhibition.

Estonian Dream Slavic Band

Nice female (with topless male drummer) Heavy-Metal from Estonian-Russian border town Narva. The band called "Cash". Read more about this town & Slavic sense. Photo by Aapo Ilves. Bike Weekend, Sammuli, 26. 06. 2009.

The Ring of Power

Paparazzi gather around Estonian president Toomas "Wild Cat" Ilves and the first lady. It's the Estonian independence day reception in the mostly Russian-speaking North-East of Estonia. Have you ever seen so much respect from the photohunters? They form a geometrically correct circle. We envy you, Tom! Photo by Andres Putting (freelance/Delfi), Jõhvi Kontserdimaja, 24th of February, 2009.