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#moscow graffitti #surprisingly cool #your woman in moscow

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Original Fresco from the Chapel of Saint Alexander Nevsky of the Christ the Savoir Cathedral, G. I. Semiradky (1843-1902)

#the original cathedral was famously of course torn down and turned into a swimming pool #before being resurrected not too long ago #but some of the frescoes were saved #this one describes an event in 1251 #whewn a group of cardinals with a papal bull arrived in Veliky Novgorod #Nevsky supposedly received messages from Pope Innocent IV with proposals to convert into Catholicism #in exchange the Pope offered the assistance of the Teutonic Knights in warring against the Tatars #Nevsky said no clearly #the icon and the axe #your woman in moscow

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#his serene highness #the commander accredited with forcing the french retreat from russia #and thereby its destruction #also he had an eye shot out in the crimean wars #pretty cool all around then #the icon and the axe #your woman in moscow

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The 1812 Museum

#a beautiful modern open space #could do with just a little more language support though #the icon and the axe #your woman in moscow

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#the 1812 museum #top and bottom are from a letter authorizing talleyrand to serve as bonapartes peace emmissary #middle are two of bonapartes signet rings #left behind after the russian retreat #the icon and the axe #your woman in moscow

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The 1812 Museum

#or as it is also known #the museum of the great patriotic war #there were at least two you see #the icon and the axe #your woman in moscow

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Christ the Savior Cathedral

#born again #out of the rubble of a stalinist swimming pool #originally built in honor of the defeat #or at least the retreat #of napolean during the war of 1812 #the icon and the axe #your woman in moscow

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The Kremlin Walls

#fun fact #the kremlin used to be painted white #unclear on when they realized it looked better #and was less expensive #red #the icon and the axe #your woman in moscow

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St Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow

#aka #the cathedral of vasily the blessed #Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat #and also #Pokrovskiy Cathedral #built by Ivan the Terrible #in commemoration of his taking both Kazan and Astrahan #the icon and the axe #your woman in moscow

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A Day in Mtskheta

#a mosaic in svetiskhoveli #not gonna lie #besides #procession #i'm not really sure what we're looking at here #other than a pretty solid work of art that is older than dirt #featured #your woman in tbilisi

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#svetiskhoveli is also the site of the grave of erekle ii #one of the last great georgian monarchs #who ruled over the not inconsiderable chunks that make up #kakheti and kartli #although he's also the one who #in 1783 #sold his sovereignty to russia in exchange for security #which went not very well #featured #your woman in tbilisi

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A Day in Mtskheta

#the tomb of mirian and nana is located nearby #samtavro #where we saw a baptism! #of a baby who was adorable and had no idea of what was going on #and a very young boy who was having #none #of #it #featured #your woman in tbilisi

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#and here's nino herself #along with the king and queen she converted #mirian and nana #nino's prayers supposedly saved nana from a wasting sickness #and then soon after mirian's blindness following a hunting accident #or so the story goes #featured #your woman in tbilisi

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A Day in Mtskheta

#the legend goes #that st nino moved that giant pillar #to hover over the location of christ's buried robe #having been brought to mtskheta in the first place #by elias a local jew #who witnessed the crucifixion #he gives it to his sister sidonia #who dies or is transmuted or whatever immediately upon touching it #and the two are buried together #until nino comes along #featured #your woman in tbilisi

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A Day in Mtskheta

#Svetitskhoveli (The Life Giving Pillar) Cathedral #a somewhat imposing holy of the holies to orthodox georgians #supposedly the burial site of christ's robe #according to #you know #the orthodox georgians #featured #your woman in tbilisi

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A Day in Mtskheta

#and a quiet moment of reflection #that took like 5 takes to get #the patience was much appreciated #featured #your woman in tbilisi

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Literary Witches by Katy Horan and Taisia Kitaiskaia

#folks lets hear it for #well all of these ladies #but especially the ones i haven't read yet! #who is this anne carson #and what up with the squirrel??? #and each figure has its meaning