Oct. 16, 2003

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A few radom photos of Staritsa to give you an idea of the place

 

[the bridge]	The landscape of Staritsa is defined by hills over the Volga and a bridge between them.
[the old woman]	The symbol of the city is this old woman who said to have sat out the Mongol invasion in a cave.
	Lenin stands neglected and in the summer obscured by trees, with the old woman above in Lenin's usual place. That was one of the little things that prompted me to make my choice in favour of Staritsa.
	A cow on the main ("Lenin") street in front of the local newspaper's building. The figure you may notice in the window is looking with curiosity not at the cow but at me with my camera - someone being amused by cows wondering city streets is a rare site indeed.
	Horses are still used as transportation for real, not as a tourist attraction.
[local history museum]
This is Asya, the best of Staritsa's cafe keepers. This town of 10 thousand has a remarkably high number of grocery stores and cafes, possibly a leftover from its merchant past. If you are here as a group, Asya can be invited to cook for you.
	That's the cafe itself. It is officially called "Bylina" but is knows under the name of "Shayba" (hockey puck) for its round shape. This cafe is our official meeting place, and you can get there by horse without having to venture into the city or cross the bridge.
[hotel]
Children's shelter	I periodically get inquiries about sending things or making a donation to the orphanage. Parcels can be sent to my Moscow address. I can also assist with money transfer, and with providing feedback on how your money was spend. More on the orphanage project
Staritsa typifies small-town Russia, and its surroundings are a picture-perfect Russian countryside. If you are looking for tourist-brochure type attractions, I recommend Suzdal. If you want to see the real thing, Staritsa is a good choice. It is also conveniently positioned to become part of your Moscow to St. Petersburg trip.

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