The roots of any civilization grow from the village.

The roots of any civilization grow from the village. These roots nourish the tree of life, they are deep and invisible. They are invisibly present in us in the form of ancient images and archetypes, despite the fact that life is violently rushed to the city ... Essay on Russian forest village wins and lost in the Bryansk forests and time. The main house - Mother Russian oven. She fed, and dry, and sleep bed. Here almost every day in the early morning belching smoke from the chimney, but dancing on the walls of the hut red glare. It cooks food for themselves and cattle, bread is baked on the coals, on the bed dried apples and herbs. The oven also and treats: bone ailment warms and pull.





Morning in the forest village. Around hear the bird chorus surprisingly harmonious with cries of roosters and cows mooing. The air felt faint smell of smoke from the Russian furnaces ... I must say that I had lived near the village on the forest ranger station, but appeared in Chuhraev often studying and removing the distinctive life. At first, the locals are very surprised at my strange for them to engage in, and the camera lenses are ridiculously called "pribaturiey." But after a couple of months I have become a sort of "their" could even spend the night in any house, but the camera itself, they have not noticed ...



In a small Russian hut no extra things, asceticism and eating soup with potatoes and bacon. In the corner of the icon are required and in the morning and evening - prayer before them. On the walls - pictures of relatives, living and dead. Probably, such a patriarchal hut - a small universe - the ship of life that has survived many storms - and on its board is very cozy and warm.



Go you watch? The house is only hours, and they constantly stop, but it does not matter. Everything here is subject to natural and circadian rhythms. Life is measured and a simple, urban man may even seem boring.



Sunrise: cat walks in the hall - the mistress expects - or rather, a bowl with milk. Then he went back to sleep in the barn.



The morning on the porch of the hut. It looks like summer shoes, but in the course of more than rubber boots ...



On the outskirts of the village - the world of wildlife, but there is no clear boundary, it is blurred. Now cows, and early in the morning you can see deer, wild boar is not afraid of people, they are even necessary to protect the gardens. The guest list of the forest can be listed for a long time: moose, wolves, foxes, ferrets, weasels, sparrow hawk, bears ...



The village in the morning mist. Of course, the simplicity of life, cut off from the "big world" and proximity to the wild make these elderly people open, easy to communicate, even naive. Life in the village - sometimes slowly and contemplative. And what a wonderful blessed spirit hovers over this place.



For hundreds of years, our ancestors moved with the horse. In the photo: a trip to the neighboring village. The hostess does not waste time in vain - on the road to collect medicinal herb - St. John's wort. Even at the end of the summer, the horse and more people are attacking mosquitoes. For them - the floodplain forest area - almost ideal habitat.



Mother moose killed by poachers, calf beaten to herd cows and went into the village. In the photo: calf awaiting his morning portion of the milk.



Milking cows. Although very difficult to contain the cow, but without it - even more difficult. This animal does not only milk, but also the ability to fertilize the ground garden manure, and so getting consistently good harvest of vegetables. Interestingly, there is no refrigerator in the house. Instead - a bucket of cold water in glass jars which give milk. And then it's sour cream and yogurt and cottage cheese, and shoot down the hostess - unusually tasty butter. Milk is added to the dough for baking homemade bread in the Russian oven, milk watered calves, give it to all pet ...



If the owner is not present, all have to make the most - to harvest and chop wood, mow and remove the hay, controlled with a horse.



Autumn works in the garden. Pictured: Pumpkin transferred to the cellar. Local residents do not use the word - the harvest, and they say - the land of freaks. This respect for the earth as the mother of all growing on it.



Gray Flycatcher make a nest right in the old bast. A dozen species of wild birds nest near the village yard.



At the village well.



Locals bathe in wooden barrels. It happens rarely, a few times a year, before the big church holidays.



Water is heated in an oven, first clean the host, then the hostess. This photo shows the process of washing carefully watching pig.



Wade on the forest river Nerussa.



Young cat returns home with the production of the fence of the yard of the village.



Village wins and it is in the floodplain Nerussa, and during the spring flood water can fill the village, so all the houses were built on the hill. It is no accident here favorite shoes - rubber boots.



On these roads - sleigh in winter, and the cart - in summer - the best transport. For many years, the village can be reached only on a tractor or all-terrain vehicle good.



The most difficult job in a year - it is hay. Grass should not only mow hand scythe, and dry it in the sun, and then - to collect in the stacks, and then seal them hay, moved to the stack. Next, the stack must be delivered to the yard. It takes a lot of time and energy. Moreover, in the evening and in the morning - "bite" mosquitoes, which in humid forest zone of active all summer, and in the afternoon - attacking gadflies and horseflies ...



Mow the morning dew. Home - sharp scythe, so every ten minutes made tool sharpening, well, at the same time - a short rest.



To rain is not broke, do mop higher. Later, when compacted hay, you can pull off or bring their stacks in stack or barn.



The consequence of the former collective farm - the beginning of a powerful collective forces residents meet regularly not only for work, but simply - to discuss the news. We can say that this forest village - one big family, where everyone has in common with all the beliefs, attitudes and thoughts.



In the courtyard of the hen pecks mosquitoes and flies straight from the cow. Here live and wild creatures. For example, manure is very attractive to snakes - as "incubator" for their eggs. Often creep here and quite uninvited guests - viper.



The farm allows the villagers to be autonomous and not depend on the outside world. Bacon, potatoes, eggs, cow's milk - the basis of nutrition. And as a supplement to the diet in the warmer - a variety of vegetables and herbs, and of course, forest products - berries, mushrooms. In forest lowlands winds hops - are local moonshine. Without homemade vodka does not do any one event in the village is - chuhraevskaya currency - the equivalent of labor.



Spring and early summer - the peak of the mosquito. Milk production drops sharply.



All suffer from mosquitoes. New and new swarms of these insects come from the surrounding swamps - and of whom there is no salvation.



A good way to protect against mosquitoes - get into a puddle of mud and smear it. Then you can take a nap in the sun and ... Have pigs, and even more - required in each village yard. Their presence - a reliable guarantee of survival: the state has long been the elderly did not expect ...



Moving on through the forest river ford Nerusso.



Ancient hunting with spear and torch still practiced, although much povybili fish poachers with electric rods.



And firewood, and building materials - from the forest, right on the outskirts. The picture shows the delivery of the wood oak pillars.



Easter in the countryside. Old women wear the best outfits. The picture shows the communication between two neighbors, one of them - a blank.



Heavy proportion of Russian women in the village. This constant care and exhausting labor on the farm. Looks can only assume. And this portrait, perhaps - is the very image of Russia - the country's long-suffering, but - good and wise.



The path to the kitchen garden.



The village is surrounded by dense forests Chuhraev and marshes where nesting black storks cautious. This photo shows a young black stork on the edge of the village sat down to rest after the hunt.



These pictures in this essay - a photo essay and not a chronicle of a dying village. Just an attempt to stop time, by means of photography to tell about the lives of our ancestors, dating back to oblivion.



Potatoes with bacon - a favorite food of local residents. Planted this plant a lot. All summer, people are fighting for the potato crop: weed it from weed spud collected and etched Colorado beetles. In the photo: digging potatoes in the basket.



A resident of the village in the evening looking for horses. Left hut with the signed order of logs for export to other settlements.



On the door of the hut - a large castle here for a long time no one lives, and the wooden roof is leaking in many places.



Burning things orphan of sawn wood at home is symbolic - the eyes of a whole era disappeared.



Time does not regret the wooden structure. First the roof collapses. During the night of the Russian huts you can watch the stars.



In contrast to the structure of stone and brick, Russian log hut did not live much more human, and no man breaks in 15-20 years. Soon this place will grow high nettles.



Before going to sleep on the Russian stove. With meager pensions have to save electricity, and it is served intermittently. A kerosene lamp - reliable and proven difficult times. In this image and end my essay about the patriarchal village - disappearing world of our ancestors.



Source: nikolay-shpilenok.com

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