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Ashlee Bond Clarke seconds after completing her first round in the AIG One Million Dollar Classic in Thermal California. Ashlee was the last rider. Nayel Nassar (who had already won the Zoetis Million in New York) had just astounded the crowd with the fastest ride yet.
And then came Ashlee. Blazing. Perfect.
I think I may have taken some better images than this one. But this is my favorite. This is the moment we knew. After that ride I think most people there must have thought the same thing. We'd seen something extraordinary. And we knew it wasn't over.
youtu.be/32zvT014Lu0
The future.
When human population on earth reaches over 13 million people, the world's largest nations are waging a nuclear war.
Humanity has almost managed to exterminate itself and its planet.
Survivors of this catastrophe are hiding under ground, in bunkers and underground cities, for decades.
Military units made it their mission to leave the poisoned and uninhabitable planet.
After 40 years of research, a young man came into the focus of the military. He got his first doctorate at 17 and the second at 18. Due to the professor titles that followed in the next few years, nothing seemed impossible anymore.
The military came to the professor with a request to save humanity from extinction.
He should take on the apparently indomitable task and complete a teleportation machine which was in the making for over 40 years now.
The young professor was very happy to receive this complicated task and developed a great passion for it.
The eternal dream of finding a planet for humanity to survive.
Hello everybody,
this is my biggest project I've worked on so far.
The story, costumes, weapons, robots and the teleportation machine were invented and built by me to make the film possible.
I wasn't paid or sponsored by anyone.
All rights to the film belong to me alone.
Thanks to the best team you can have.
Guys, with all my heart "THANK YOU“
I hope that you (the audience) will be entertained by the short film and that you will see that it is possible to make a film with an old computer from 2013 and a smartphone.
Wish you all a good time
Loop Van Dike
Hallo Zusammen,
Habt ihr auch manchmal ein Bild vor dem inneren Auge, was aber bis dato in der Realität gar nicht existiert?
So erging es mir im November 2018, als ich mitten in der Nacht aufwachte und das Bild eines Astronauten auf fremden Planeten, umringt von einem Meer an illuminierten Aliens, im Kopf hatte.
Bewaffnet mit den Skizzen die ich mir in dieser Nacht gemacht hatte, entschloss ich mich am nächsten Morgen fort an diesem Traum nachzujagen.
Aus dem Gedanken ein "Making of" zu der Entstehung des Bildes zu machen, entwickelte sich nach 200 Stunden Bauzeit, der Anspruch meinen ersten eigenen Kurzfilm, passend zum Bild zu drehen.
"World of Cubes."
So sollte mein Film heißen.
Ich habe also beinahe jede freie Minute der folgenden 20 Monate dazu verwendet, Dinge die keinen Cent kosten,
zu futuristisch wirkenden Kostümen und Requisiten zu verarbeiten.
Rund 300 Stunden die dabei draufgingen sowie weitere 200 Stunden am Filmset, habe ich auf wenige Minuten zusammengefasst.
Wer Interesse hat, nachzuempfinden was alles in diesem Projekt steckt, und zu sehen wie man ohne riesiges Budget seinen Traum eines eigenen Science Fiction Films erreichen kann,
kann gerne auf den Link unten klicken, und sich das Making of anschauen!
Mich interessiert, ob einer von euch ein ähnliches Hobby hat, und wie ich, gerne bereit ist stundenlange Arbeit in kleine Komponenten eines Films zu investieren um diesen so authentisch wie möglich zu machen?
Falls ja, kann man sich gerne mal bezüglich eines Kollaborationsprojekts aussprechen, und sich Tipps zu den jeweiligen Bausteinen geben.
In diesem Sinne wünsche ich euch eine gute Unterhaltung und eine Gute Zeit.
Loop Van Dike.
Featuring the Million Dollar Pier that was demolished in 1967. The Vinoy Hotel at the right survives today in a scene in which high-rise apartments increasingly dominate the skyline.
Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, tr. Sankt-Peterburg,) is Russia's second-largest city after Moscow, with 5 million inhabitants in 2012, part of the Saint Petersburg agglomeration with a population of 6.2 million (2015). An important Russian port on the Baltic Sea, it has a status of a federal subject (a federal city).
Situated on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, it was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on 27 May [O.S. 16 May] 1703. During the periods 1713–1728 and 1732–1918, Saint Petersburg was the capital of Imperial Russia. In 1918, the central government bodies moved to Moscow, which is about 625 km (388 miles) to the south-east.
Saint Petersburg is often considered Russia's cultural capital. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Saint Petersburg is home to the Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world. Many foreign consulates, international corporations, banks and businesses have offices in Saint Petersburg.
A proponent of westernising Russia, Peter the Great, who established the city, originally named it, Sankt-Peterburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербург; note that the Russian name lacks the letter s between Peter and burg). On 1 September 1914, after the outbreak of World War I, the Imperial government renamed the city Petrograd (Russian: Петрогра́д, meaning "Peter's city", in order to expunge the German name Sankt and Burg. On 26 January 1924, shortly after the death of Vladimir Lenin, it was renamed to Leningrad (Russian: Ленингра́д), meaning "Lenin's City". On 6 September 1991, the original name, Sankt-Peterburg, was returned. Today, in English the city is known as "Saint Petersburg". Local residents often refer to the city by its shortened nickname, Piter (Russian: Пи́тер,).
The city's traditional nicknames among Russians are the Window to the West and the Window to Europe. The northernmost metropolis in the world St. Petersburg is often called the Venice of the North or Russian Venice because of its structure which is built on water and its strongly European-inspired architecture, which is combined with the Russian heritage too. Furthermore, St. Petersburg is called Venice of the North because of an annual natural phenomenon called White Nights which arise due to the closeness to the polar region. Just as Venice is associated with romance, in St. Petersburg the White Nights have a high value for love couples.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petersburg
www.thoughtco.com/when-was-st-petersburg-known-as-petrogr...
San Petersburgo (en ruso, Санкт-Петербург /sankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk/ Sankt-Peterburg) es la segunda ciudad más poblada de Rusia después de la capital nacional Moscú, con 5 351 935 habitantes (2018) y un área metropolitana de 5,85 millones. Está situada en la Región de Leningrado, nombre que compartía con la ciudad durante la época soviética (1924-1991). Los otros nombres de la ciudad fueron Petrogrado (en ruso, Петроград, Petrograd; del 31 de agosto de 1914 hasta el 24 de enero de 1924) y Leningrado (en ruso, Ленинград, Leningrad; después de la muerte de Lenin, el 24 de enero de 1924 hasta el 6 de septiembre de 1991). Conocida también como la “Venecia del Norte”, debido a sus más de 400 puentes que atraviesan a los numerosos canales que por ella pasan.
Fue fundada por el zar Pedro el Grande el 27 de mayo de 1703 con la intención de convertirla en la "ventana de Rusia hacia el mundo occidental". A partir de entonces se convirtió en capital del Imperio ruso durante más de doscientos años. Cuando estalló la Revolución rusa, la ciudad fue el centro de la rebelión. En marzo de 1918 la capital fue trasladada a Moscú. En enero de 1924, tras la victoria bolchevique, la creación de la Unión Soviética (1922) y el fallecimiento de Lenin (1924), San Petersburgo (en ese entonces llamado Petrogrado) cambió su nombre a Leningrado, en honor al dirigente comunista Lenin. Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, tuvo lugar el sitio de Leningrado, que duró 29 meses, en los cuales los alemanes bombardearon constantemente la ciudad y la bloquearon para que no pudiera abastecerse. Tras la derrota de Alemania en 1945, la ciudad fue nombrada Ciudad heroica por las autoridades soviéticas. Al desaparecer la URSS con el consiguiente colapso del comunismo, la ciudad fue renombrada San Petersburgo y se ha convertido en un importante centro económico y político de la actual Rusia.
San Petersburgo es hoy en día la segunda ciudad más grande de la Federación Rusa y una de las más grandes de Europa. El centro de la ciudad y otros monumentos de sus alrededores son considerados Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO desde 1990. San Petersburgo es, además, sede de la Corte Constitucional de Rusia.
El nombre de San Petersburgo es de origen alemán y significa "ciudad de San Pedro". Pedro el Grande la nombró así en honor a su santo patrono, rechazando el de Petrograd, que quisieron darle, en su honor, sus súbditos alemanes que había contratado para construir y trabajar en los astilleros y la ciudad.
La ciudad cambió de nombre varias veces: Se llamó Petrogrado (Петроград Petrograd, que significa ciudad de Pedro, adaptación al ruso del alemán Petersburg) entre 1914 y 1924, a raíz del conflicto con Alemania durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, y Leningrado (Ленинград Leningrad tras la muerte de Lenin) entre 1924 y 1991; y nuevamente San Petersburgo después de un plebiscito. Coloquialmente los peterburgueses y rusos en general llaman a esta metrópolis Peterburg o de manera aún más familiar Piter (en ruso Питер).
Fue fundada por el zar Pedro el Grande el 16 (27) de mayo de 1703 con el propósito de deslocalizar la capital ubicada en Moscú, y de hecho fue capital de Rusia de 1712 a 1918. Por ello y por su ubicación geográfica le dio el sobrenombre de "La ventana a Europa". Pedro había vivido y estudiado en los Países Bajos por algún tiempo, por eso decidió bautizar su nueva ciudad con un nombre derivado del holandés Sint Pietersburg: Sankt Piterburj; pero pronto se germanizó a Sankt Petersburg.
En la misma desembocadura del río Nevá los suecos tenían anteriormente una fortaleza llamada Nyenschantz (Nevanlinna en finés) y un arrabal llamado Nyen. Todo el entorno geográfico de la desembocadura del Nevá estaba ocupado por marismas antes de que se construyese la ciudad.
A fines del siglo XVII, Rusia veía estancado su crecimiento económico por no tener salida al mar. El sueño del joven zar, Pedro el Grande, era corregir la situación abriendo una “ventana a Europa”. Dado que no podía hacerlo por el sur, pues el Imperio otomano impedía el acceso al mar Negro, apuntó en dirección contraria, a un territorio de Suecia cercano al Báltico. A fin de materializar sus aspiraciones, en agosto de 1700 declaró la guerra a los suecos, Guerra del Norte, quienes al principio lograron repeler sus ataques. Pero él no se dio por vencido, y en octubre de 1702 los hizo retirarse del Ládoga, el mayor lago de Europa, que está unido por el Nevá al Báltico, del cual dista unos 60 kilómetros. Aunque los suecos se atrincheraron en la fortaleza insular de Nóteburg, cerca del punto donde el río sale del lago, Pedro logró tomar aquella plaza militar y le cambió el nombre a Shlissel’burg (ciudad clave).
Posteriormente, una guarnición sueca defendió el fortín de Nienshants, cerca de la desembocadura del Nevá. Rusia la derrotó el 26 de abril de 1703 y asumió el dominio de todo el delta. Sin demora, Pedro comenzó a construir una ciudadela en la cercana isla Záyachi (de las liebres) para controlar la boca del río. Así, el 16 de mayo de 1703, hace poco más de tres siglos, puso la primera piedra de lo que hoy se conoce como la Fortaleza de San Pedro y San Pablo. Esta es la fecha aceptada de la fundación de San Petersburgo, llamada así en honor del apóstol Pedro, santo patrón del zar.
La construcción de la ciudad bajo condiciones climáticas adversas produjo una intensa mortalidad entre los trabajadores y requirió un continuo aporte de nuevos obreros. Dado que aquella zona estaba muy poco poblada, Pedro el Grande utilizó su prerrogativa de zar para atraer forzosamente a siervos trabajadores de todas las partes del país. Una cuota anual de 40.000 siervos llegaba a la ciudad equipados con sus herramientas y sus propios suministros de comida. Habitualmente recorrían cientos de kilómetros a pie en filas, escoltados por guardas que, para evitar las deserciones, no dudaban en usar la violencia física. Como consecuencia de su exposición al clima, las deficientes condiciones higiénicas y las enfermedades, la mortalidad durante estos primeros años fue muy elevada, llegando a perecer año tras año hasta el 50% de los trabajadores que llegaban.
Dado que la construcción de la ciudad se inició en tiempos de guerra, el primer edificio nuevo de la ciudad fue un fuerte militar que se llamaría fortaleza de San Pedro y San Pablo y que se levanta aún sobre la isla Záyachi en la ribera derecha del río Nevá. Los diseñadores de la nueva fortaleza eran ingenieros alemanes invitados por el propio Zar, pero la mayor parte de la mano de obra la pusieron los siervos rusos también para las labores de drenaje de los alrededores del río y los palacios y otros edificios de piedra de las afueras. Era la ciudad más artificial del mundo, diseñada para convertirse en la capital de Rusia. Una ciudad con relativo paralelismo es Venecia, en la cual se inspiró asimismo el zar Pedro, que prohibió los puentes permanentes sobre el Nevá para que se asemejase al Gran Canal y fomentó la construcción de canales en las calles siguiendo el patrón de Ámsterdam.
Pese a los inconvenientes de su ubicación en el lejano norte, el zar siguió adelante con su empresa. Trajo la madera de la región del Ládoga y de Nóvgorod. Las piedras para las edificaciones las obtuvo de diversos modos. Uno de ellos fue estipular que todo ruso que introdujera productos comerciales en la localidad aportara unas cuantas a modo de cuota. Además, prohibió hacer viviendas de este material, primero en Moscú y luego en el resto de su imperio, lo que indujo a los albañiles desempleados a mudarse a la nueva población.
Según la Bol’shaya Sovyetskaya Entsiklopedia (la gran enciclopedia soviética), los trabajos marcharon “a un ritmo vertiginoso para la época”. No tardaron en aparecer canales de drenaje, pilotes, calles, casas, iglesias, hospitales y oficinas del gobierno. El mismo año de la fundación se iniciaron las obras de un astillero, conocido como el Almirantazgo, que llegaría a ser el cuartel general de la armada rusa.
En 1710 se comenzó el Palacio de verano, residencia estival de los zares. En 1712, la capitalidad pasó de Moscú a San Petersburgo, y con ella muchas dependencias oficiales. Como fue el caso del traslado de la Casa de la Moneda de Moscú a San Petersburgo en 1724. El primer palacio de piedra, construido en 1714 y aún en pie, tenía por ocupante a Aleksandr Ménshikov, primer gobernador de la zona. Aquel mismo año se colocaron en la Fortaleza de Pedro y Pablo los cimientos de la catedral de igual nombre, cuya imponente aguja dorada se distingue en la silueta urbana. También se erigió a orillas del Nevá el Palacio de Invierno, que fue reedificado en diversas ocasiones. Más tarde se levantó en su lugar el actual, que cuenta con unas mil cien habitaciones y que hoy forma parte de un céntrico museo estatal, el famosísimo Ermitage.
En su primer decenio de existencia, San Petersburgo registró un asombroso crecimiento, hasta el punto de estimarse en 34.500 el número de edificios existentes en 1714. Siguieron añadiéndose palacios e inmensas construcciones, muchas de las cuales demuestran el gran influjo de la religión en la historia de Rusia.
Entre ellas figura la catedral de Kazán, con su columnata frontal en semicírculo. Su imponente presencia contribuye a que la arteria más famosa de la ciudad, la avenida Nevski, sea considerada una de las más grandiosas avenidas del mundo. De fecha posterior es la catedral de San Isaac, edificada sobre 24.000 pilotes hundidos en suelo pantanoso y que ostenta una enorme cúpula revestida de 100 kilos de oro puro.
La arquitectura avanzó igualmente a pasos agigantados en el extrarradio. Así, en 1714 se empezó a edificar una residencia para el zar, el palacio Peterhof, en Peterhof (hoy Petrodvoréts). Al mismo tiempo, en la cercana localidad de Tsárskoye Seló (hoy Pushkin) se construía el suntuoso palacio de Catalina, la esposa de Pedro el Grande. En la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII se concluyeron otras dos lujosas mansiones en las afueras: Pávlovsk y Gátchina.
Realzaban la belleza de la nueva capital los centenares de puentes que cruzaban los brazos fluviales y los múltiples canales, por los que se ha ganado el apelativo de “Venecia del norte”. Arquitectos franceses, alemanes e italianos colaboraron con colegas rusos de gran talento para producir “uno de los núcleos urbanos más espléndidos y armoniosos de Europa”
La abolición de la servidumbre en 1861 por el zar Alejandro II de Rusia provocó una fuerte corriente de inmigrantes pobres provenientes de todas las regiones del país. La mano de obra barata permitió un intenso incremento de la industria en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX y San Petersburgo llegó a ser uno de los ejes industriales más grandes de Europa. En consecuencia, surgieron a su vez los movimientos obreros radicales.
La revolución de 1905 tras la derrota en la guerra ruso-japonesa comenzó en San Petersburgo y se extendió rápidamente por otras provincias. Como consecuencia el zar Nicolás II autorizó la creación del primer parlamento ruso o Duma.
Durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, se decidió que San Petersburgo era un nombre demasiado germánico para la ciudad y se le cambió por el de Petrogrado el 31 de agosto de 1914.
En 1917 San Petersburgo vio los primeros movimientos de la Revolución rusa. En primer lugar se destituyó al zar Nicolás II de su trono y se instaló en la ciudad el Gobierno provisional. En octubre una segunda fase de la revolución hizo que el poder pasase a los Sóviets y se formó el primer gobierno soviético de bolcheviques y socialistas revolucionarios (SR) de izquierda, el Sovnarkom. El líder bolchevique Lenin decidió trasladar la sede del gobierno de San Petersburgo a Moscú, por estar más alejada de los frentes de la Guerra Mundial y de los núcleos antirrevolucionarios. Moscú se convirtió en capital desde entonces hasta el día de hoy. Al morir Lenin en 1924, San Petersburgo tomó el nombre de Leningrado en su honor.
La pérdida de la capitalidad trajo un descenso poblacional a la ciudad, que se redujo a un tercio de lo que era en 1915.
Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Leningrado fue sitiada por las fuerzas armadas de la Alemania nazi (Wehrmacht) desde el 8 de septiembre de 1941 hasta el 27 de enero de 1944, un total de 29 meses. Por orden de Adolf Hitler, la ciudad era constantemente bombardeada y sistemáticamente privada de sus suministros. Se calcula que este asedio produjo la muerte de más de 1.500.000 personas, de las cuales cerca de 1.000.000 eran civiles. El 1 de mayo de 1945 (oficialmente el 8 de mayo de 1965) le fue otorgado a la ciudad el título de Ciudad Heroica.
Antes de la disolución de la Unión Soviética el 12 de junio de 1991, el 54 % de la población decidió restaurar el antiguo nombre de la ciudad, los de 39 calles emblemáticas y los de seis puentes. Tres meses después también se recuperó el escudo concedido a la ciudad por la emperatriz Catalina la Grande en 1780.
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Petersburgo
Millions of years ago, a multiple star system near the Orion Nebula ejected a single massive hot young blue star and sent it speeding away on its own toward the constellation Auriga.
The Star, AE Aurigae, is furiously burning through its supply of fuel for nuclear fusion and will end its life exploding as a supernova. But during its short life, it energizes the gases in IC405 the gas cloud in Auriga, making it glow red and pink. The blue dust filaments near the star reflect its beautiful blue starlight back to us.
This is the story of the Flaming Star Nebula.
17 hours of LRGB and hydrogen-alpha data. Taken with my Ceravolo 300mm astrograph (2700mm focal length) with an SBIG 16803 CCD camera.
C GP 291224 IMG_0986 C_edited
+ 51 million photos viewed by millions of visitors from all continents !
+ de 51 millions de photos vues par des millions de visiteurs de tous les continents !
Merci à vous tous, Thank you all... !
Pour en savoir davantage sur les lieux de reportages de chaque série de photographies, je vous invite à consulter les liens internet du ou des sites touristiques ci-dessous :
www.lyon.fr/lieu/tourisme/office-du-tourisme-et-des-congr...
Interior of the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood with its apse, its iconostasis and its many huge mosaic icons, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Some background information:
The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood is one of the main sights of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Other names include the Church on Spilled Blood and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. It was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded by political nihilists in March 1881 and funded by the imperial family with the support of many private donors.
Construction began in 1883 during the reign of Alexander III, two years after the assassination of his father Alexander II. The church was dedicated to be a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Estimates suggest that the construction cost 4.5 million rubles. The construction was completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907.
The church is prominently situated along the Griboedov Canal. Paved roads run along both sides of the canal. On 1st March, 1881, as Tsar Alexander II's carriage passed along the embankment, a grenade thrown by an anarchist conspirator exploded. The tsar, shaken but unhurt, got out of the carriage and started to remonstrate with the presumed culprit. A second conspirator took the chance to throw another bomb, killing himself and mortally wounding the tsar. The tsar, bleeding heavily, was taken back to the Winter Palace, where he died a few hours later.
A temporary shrine was erected on the site of the attack while plans and fundraising for a more permanent memorial were undertaken. In order to build a permanent shrine on the exact spot where the assassination took place, it was decided to narrow the canal so that the section of road on which the tsar had been driving could be included within the walls of the church. An elaborate shrine, in the form of a ciborium, was constructed at the end of the church opposite the altar, on the exact place of Alexander's assassination. It is embellished with topaz, lazurite and other semi-precious stones, making a striking contrast with the simple cobblestones of the old road, which are exposed in the floor of the shrine.
In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in 1932. During the Second World War when many people were starving due to the Siege of Leningrad by Nazi German military forces, the church was used as a temporary morgue for those who died in combat and from starvation and illness. The church suffered significant damage. After the war, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of Saviour on Potatoes. After management of the church had passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral in July 1970, the cathedral was restored. In August 1997, it was reopened after 27 years of restoration.
Architecturally, the cathedral differs from Saint Petersburg's other structures. The city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but the Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It intentionally resembles the 17th-century Yaroslavl churches and the celebrated St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.
The church contains over 7500 square meters of mosaics—according to its restorers, more than any other church in the world. This record may be surpassed by the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, which houses 7700 square meters of mosaics. The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day—including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel — but the church's chief architect, Alfred Alexandrovich Parland, was relatively little-known. Perhaps not surprisingly, the church's construction ran well over budget, having been estimated at 3.6 million rubles but ending up costing over 4.6 million. The walls and ceilings inside the church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics — the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures — but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture.
Saint Petersburg (in Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг) is Russia's second-largest city after Moscow, with currently 5.3 million inhabitants, part of the Saint Petersburg agglomeration with a population of 6.2 million (2015). An important Russian port on the Baltic Sea, it has a status of a federal city. Saint Petersburg is also the fourth-largest city in Europe, only excelled by Istanbul, London and Moscow. Other famous European cities like Paris, Berlin, Rome and Madrid are smaller. Furthermore, Saint Petersburg is the world’s northernmost megapolis and called "The Venice of the North", due to its many channels that traverse the city.
Situated on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, it was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on 27th May 1703. On 1st September 1914, the name was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd, on 26 January 1924 to Leningrad, and on 7 September 1991 back to Saint Petersburg. Between 1713 and 1728 and again between 1732 and 1918, Saint Petersburg was the capital of Imperial Russia. In 1918, the central government bodies moved to Moscow, which is located about 625 kilometres (388 miles) to the south-east.
Saint Petersburg is also the cultural capital of Russia. Today, the city is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as an area with 36 historical architectural complexes and around 4000 outstanding individual monuments of architecture, history and culture. It has 221 museums, 2,000 libraries, more than 80 theaters, 100 concert organizations, 45 galleries and exhibition halls, 62 cinemas and around 80 other cultural establishments. Saint Petersburg is home to the Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world. Every year the city hosts around 100 festivals and various competitions of art and culture, including more than 50 international ones. In 2017, the city was visited by 7.2 million tourists and it is expected that in the years ahead the number of tourists will still be on the rise.
Un Artista ha attaccato a questo palazzo in degrado una enorme quantita di banconote da 1 DOLLARO !!! (provate ad ingrandire se non ci credete...!) Florence Tuscany Italy
© ROBRAS 2000 ✈
I decided to dress modestly for this image, but in response to demand there will be another just for friends!
I remember what she used to be like. I remember the vigour and her passion for life. Alas, I have seen what ME/CFS does to a person. Give her life back, I plead. "Nothing can be done", they say. And so my humble contribution to #millionsmissing last year; A pair of shoes and the reflection of a memory.
To my wife i dedicate this poem:
"On the surface she smiles,
Its nothing but a masquerade,
To veil her true feelings in a shroud of dismay,
Because the surface is crumbling,
No one see her hurting,
All we see is the glimmering reflections of what was,
Off the broken shards that she was made up of
Broken pieces are scattered everywhere,
A life of imprisonment within herself,
An inhumane fate."
** You're giving me a million reasons to let you go
ou're giving me a million reasons to quit the show
You're givin' me a million reasons
Give me a million reasons
Givin' me a million reasons
Me donnes un million de raisons
About a million reasons **
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8lUW9SKquY
UNIQUE Poses - Spring Blossom
◦ Spring Blossom ◦
The set includes 6 Bento poses for women + 1 Exclusive and Hat / Flowers / Flower Crown and Fence (FATPACK ONLY)
✔ Copy
✔ Modify
✖ Transfer
Taxi:
2 Million Milestone
Thank you for taking the time to view, fave and comment.
One Million View (August 2012)
Thank you for 6.1 million views 2017-2020
The above image is a scan from an original Kodachrome™ slide. The default size is 2000 x 1250 pixels, so clicking on the photo will enlarge it for better viewing.
The original image comes from my slide collection, amassed over the past 40+ years. They are a combination of my own photographs and ones acquired over those years.
I created this Photostream in 2017 for the purpose of holding my slide collection as an archive, as otherwise they would just remain in binders and boxes, not being enjoyed by anyone, myself included.
Comments are welcome.
Aircraft MSN: 53458
Type & Series: Douglas MD-90-30
Registration: OH-BLU
Operator: Blue1
Location (when available): Salzburg SZG (thank-you Ramin)
If the Location is blank, and you can identify it, you are welcome to leave a comment below.
Remarks:
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And thankyou for all your visits, comments and faves.
:)
♪ ≡ ♫ = ♪ = ♫ ≡ ♪ = ♫
Obrigado a todos que aqui visitam, os que comentam e favoritam minhas fotos.
É uma satisfação receber as visitas e comentários, mas alguns são mais especiais e alimentam este sítio de fotos, gostaria de dizer pra vocês.
São os comentários agradecidos de quem não mora mais no Brasil e gostou de ver a Cinelândia após décadas ou o relato emocionado de uma idosa de ter chorado ao ver a foto da igreja onde foi batizada - Isso não tem preço.
:o)
* Foto visível por enquanto apenas para categoria Friends do Flickr.
I passed a Flickr milestone overnight. Thanks very much everyone for one million views of my photos! Much appreciated.
Southwest Colorado Landscapes. San Juan Mountains. Uncompahgre National Forest.
I help aspiring and established photographers get noticed so they can earn an income from photography or increase sales. My blog, Photographer’s Business Notebook is a wealth of information as is my Mark Paulda’s YouTube Channel. I also offer a variety of books, mentor services and online classes at Mark Paulda Photography Mentor
All images are available as Museum Quality Photographic Prints and Commercial Licensing. Feel free to contact me with any and all inquiries.
Follow My Once In A Lifetime Travel Experiences at Mark Paulda’s Travel Journal
Thank you for 9.2 million views, and 18,000+ faves since 2017
The above image is a scan from an original Kodachrome™ slide. The default size is 2000 x 1250 pixels, so clicking on the photo will enlarge it for better viewing.
The original image comes from my slide collection, amassed over the past 40+ years. They are a combination of my own photographs and ones acquired through trades or purchases.
I created this Photostream in 2017 for the purpose of holding my slide collection as an archive, as otherwise they would just remain in binders and boxes, not being enjoyed by anyone, myself included.
Comments are welcome.
Aircraft MSN: 25B-167
Type & Series: Learjet 25B
Registration: C-GBFP
Operator: Adlair Aviation
Location (when available): Yellowknife YZF Jul-1995
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• 🔹THANK YOU for the 409 MILLION VIEWS !
•🔹(ONWARD to 500 MILLION / HALF-A-BILLION VIEWS) .
•🔹• ADDA DADA's VIEW COUNT is :
•🔹•FOUR HUNDRED NINE MILLION VIEWS !!!!!!!!! (409,000,000+ VIEWS ) with over 11,000 followers !!!
( April 11, 2020)
•🔹•THANK YOU for visiting my virtual art gallery! Enjoy my social documentary photos of various events !
•🔹• ADDA DADA's photography presents a variety of adults at different public events . These photos do NOT imply the person's sexual orientation in any way. Everyone was asked and they consented to be photographed and posted.
•.🔹•Photos are properly marked SAFE or RESTRICTED ( 18+ only / nudity). There is NO porn, and, NO stolen photos on my site!
•.🔹•Viewers should be aware that these photos are viewed by a wide variety of folks . Inappropriate, RUDE, 'X' or 'R' rated comments shall be removed forthwith & you will be blocked.
•🔹•.MY photos are NOT to be reproduced, COPIED, BLOGGED, USED in any way shape or form. Use of them by anyone is an infringement of copyright ! © All rights reserved. Use without permission is illegal. •.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•. •
🔹•Check out ADDA DADA's other ALBUM
Thank you for 9.2 million views, and 18,000+ faves since 2017
The above image is a scan from an original Kodachrome™ slide. The default size is 2000 x 1250 pixels, so clicking on the photo will enlarge it for better viewing.
The original image comes from my slide collection, amassed over the past 40+ years. They are a combination of my own photographs and ones acquired through trades or purchases.
I created this Photostream in 2017 for the purpose of holding my slide collection as an archive, as otherwise they would just remain in binders and boxes, not being enjoyed by anyone, myself included.
Comments are welcome.
Aircraft MSN: 3456x48
Type & Series: Ilyushin 62M
Registration: RA-96540
Operator: Rossiya
Location (when available): Johannesburg JNB
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Thank you for 3.6 million views in two years 2017 to 2019
The above image is a scan from an original Kodachrome™ slide. The default size is 2000 x 1250 pixels, so clicking on the photo will enlarge it for better viewing.
The original image comes from my slide collection, amassed over the past 40+ years. They are a combination of my own photographs and ones acquired over those years.
I created this Photostream in 2017 for the purpose of holding my slide collection as an archive, as otherwise they would just remain in binders and boxes, not being enjoyed by anyone, myself included.
Comments are welcome.
Aircraft MSN: 4520424404018
Type & Series: Yakovlev Yak-42D
Registration: YL-LBT
Operator: Lat Charter
Location (when available): Zürich-ZRH
If the Location is blank, and you can identify it, you are welcome to leave a comment below.
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Thank you for 6.3 million views 2017-2020
The above image is a scan from an original Kodachrome™ slide. The default size is 2000 x 1250 pixels, so clicking on the photo will enlarge it for better viewing.
The original image comes from my slide collection, amassed over the past 40+ years. They are a combination of my own photographs and ones acquired over those years.
I created this Photostream in 2017 for the purpose of holding my slide collection as an archive, as otherwise they would just remain in binders and boxes, not being enjoyed by anyone, myself included.
Comments are welcome.
Aircraft MSN: 46707
Type & Series: Douglas DC-10-10
Registration: N65NA
Operator: Pan Am
Location (when available): Los Angeles LAX
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Thank you guys so much for all the support for over a year now. I never thought I would ever reach a million views!
It took 425 days to cross my first million. (February 24, 2017 to April 25, 2018)
It costs between $1.1 million and $4 million a year if you want to buy one of those flashy, digital or neon billboards that light up New York's Times Square, according to the Wall Street Journal. The owners of 1 Times Square -- the tall tower in the middle of the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue (it's not actually a "square") -- make $23 million a year from the billboards that cover it.
That makes it the most expensive set of billboards in the entire world.
It's relatively cheap, too. A spot in the Super Bowl costs up to $3.8 million, and that only lasts 30 seconds.
Times Square signs don't just get eyeballs from tourist traffic in the square itself. They also make tons of incidental appearances on TV shows.
And every New Year's Eve, of course, much of that investment pays off for Toshiba, TDK, Dunkin Donuts, Anheuser-Busch, Sony and the Dow Jones news ticker, as their signage gets primetime incidental TV exposure all over the world as millions tune in for the ball drop.
Thank you for 6.7 million views 2017-2021
The above image is a scan from an original Kodachrome™ slide. The default size is 2000 x 1250 pixels, so clicking on the photo will enlarge it for better viewing.
The original image comes from my slide collection, amassed over the past 40+ years. They are a combination of my own photographs and ones acquired over those years.
I created this Photostream in 2017 for the purpose of holding my slide collection as an archive, as otherwise they would just remain in binders and boxes, not being enjoyed by anyone, myself included.
Comments are welcome.
Aircraft MSN: 47045
Type & Series: Douglas DC-9-14
Registration: OH-LYI
Operator: Finnair
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... is the approximate amount of people living in the Hong Kong districts of Kowloon and Central, that you can almost fully see on the picture. Shot taken from Kowloon Peak, thanks to CoolbieRe for explaining how to get to this incredible spot. It was very hazy that day, the horizon with the islands and mountains can not be clearly seen, though it is still a very impressive and fascinating view.
The Rundāle Palace, Latvia.
What you're seeing here is a recreation of the original interior. The restoration cost over 8 million Euros, which, when you see the results, doesn't seem nearly enough to produce the splendors one encounters at every turn.
What's not clear to me is whether any of decoration is original and restored and how much is brand new. This always frustrates me because I'm hung up on the concept of authenticity. I'll just come right out and say I don't get the same satisfaction from replicas that I do from originals.
One way to resolve this conundrum is to say this is an authentic replica of an 18th century palace that was, as the text below explains, "demolished in 1812 during the Franco-Russian [Napoleonic] War," and then "demolished [again in 1919] by the men of the Bermondt-Avalov army," which was commanded by a Cossack warlord who decided to take over newly-independent Latvia instead of fighting the Bolsheviks.
Still, this begs the question of the meaning of such a place. A hot take is that it's an expression of Latvian nationalism. However, in the 18th century this region was ruled by Germans and then by Russians. Most ethnic Latvians were serfs. Perhaps the nationalist message is that the Latvians, once free from the rule of Baltic Germans, Czarist Russians, Nazis and the Soviets, had the wherewithal to recreate a palace once owned by an overlord and make it their own. To further make the point, the compound is now a major tourist attraction, so interiors once intended solely for the aristocracy, royalty and their hangers-on and servants are today filled to the brim with tourists like us.
Is is also a acknowledged center for the study of 18th-century interior design? The devil is in the details, and I haven't yet had time to delve into that.
If you're wondering why the point of view in these photos is from the top of the windows to the ceiling, it's because there were mobs of visitors that made it almost impossible to photograph whole walls, much less floors.
Here is the whole history of the construction of the palace from the palace's informative Web site. I recommend visiting it if for no other reason than to see the rooms devoid of visitors. Also, there's a section on the restoration.
The name of Rundāle comes from the German place-name Ruhenthal (Valley of Peace).
The Rundāle Palace built during the 16th century was located on the northern side of the pond. It can be seen in the design of F. B. Rastrelli as a small square field with towers in the corners.
Rundāle Manor was already created at the end of the 15th century. It belonged to the Grotthus family from 1505 to 1681 and the palace was mentioned in the list of Livonian castles in 1555.
Facade finishing components have been found in the territory of the palace – cast fragments and fragments of coats of arms carved in stone dating to the middle of the 17th century. In 1735 Ernst Johann von Biron bought the Rundāle property for 42 000 thalers.
The old palace was completely torn down, and the stones, bricks and even the mortar were used in the construction of the new palace.
Duke Ernst Johann died in 1772, and the palace was inherited by his widow Duchess Benigna Gottlieb; during her time orchards were formed around the palace. Duke Peter did not come to Rundāle often, he mostly resided in the smaller Vircava Palace near Jelgava.
In 1795 Duke Peter gave up his throne and the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was added to the Russian Empire. Catherine II gave Rundāle Manor as a present to Count Valerian Zubov who died in 1804.
During the distribution of inheritance Rundāle became the property of his brother Prince Platon Zubov, the last favourite of Catherine II.
During the time of Zubov the palace was refurnished, however the building itself remained untouched, only entrance porticos were added to the central building and several fireplaces were built inside.
The palace was demolished in 1812 during the Franco-Russian War – mirrors were smashed, silk wallpaper was torn down, the library given as a present from Catherine II was destroyed.
Prince Platon Zubov died in Rundāle Palace on 7 April 1822. His widow married Count Andrey Shuvalov, and Rundāle Manor belonged to this family until the agrarian reform of the Republic of Latvia in 1920.
The Shuvalovs rarely stayed in the palace, excluding the time period from 1864 to 1866 when Count Pyotr Shuvalov was the governor-general of the Baltic region and used Rundāle Palace as his official summer residence.
During this time unsuccessful renovation of the palace rooms was carried out, however during the 1880’s careful renovation of the interior design was performed. At the end of the 19th century part of the palace’s furniture and works of art was taken to Saint Petersburg.
During the time from 1915 to 1918 a German army commandant’s office and an infirmary was established in the palace. In 1919 the palace was demolished by the men of the Bermondt-Avalov army.
The palace was renovated in 1923 and some of its rooms were used as the primary school of Rundāle Parish. In 1924 Rundāle Palace was handed over to the Latvian Union of Disabled Veterans, but in 1933 it was taken over by the Board of Monuments which started the renovation of the building and the restoration of some of the rooms, and the western building was constructed for the needs of the primary school.
In 1938 the palace was handed over to the State Historical Museum that was planning to create a church art and decorative art museum there. The palace was also open to the public during World War II.
In 1945 a grain storage was formed in the halls of the palace, and the palace was closed to the public after that.
In 1963 some of the palace’s rooms were given to the Museum of Regional Studies and Art of Bauska, but in 1972 a permanent Rundāle Palace Museum was created and its main aim was to renew the whole ensemble of the palace by mainly orientating towards the condition of the palace during the second part of the 18th century.
The first restored rooms in the eastern building of the palace were opened to the public in 1981, gradually being followed by new interiors. Restoration of the palace was finished in 2014.
Construction history
Count Ernst Johann von Biron bought the Rundāle manor complex on 26 June 1735. In August of the same year the court architect of Russia Francesco Rastrelli came to Courland. From September until December agreements were being concluded with carpenters, masons, brickmakers, construction material suppliers, potters – stove makers.
The construction project was ready in January of 1736. The eight pages of the project are located in the graphic art collection “Albertina” in Vienna. It consists of a situation plan, two floor plans, a sketch of four facades and the altar of the palace church.
The first construction period from 1736 to 1740.
On 24 May 1736 the foundation-stone of the palace was set. Construction of the foundation was completed on 6 July, whereas on 13 October the central building was built to the level of the windowsill of the second floor. The construction of 12 brick-kilns and 12 brick storages was finished in June. 268 masons were working in the palace, but Rastrelli requested 500 men.
Construction was stopped on 1 November due to cold.
The construction works were restarted on 12 April 1737. On 28 May the central building was finished, and on 18 June covering was started to be placed on the side buildings, whereas the construction of the central building roof was finished at the end of June.
When the works were stopped on 10 October, one side building was roofed over, and the other one was covered with a temporary roof. The foundations of the stables were also ready. The bricklaying works were finished on 1 October 1737.
After Biron was elected Duke, he ordered to simplify the building. The finishing materials were produced by the master carpenters and woodcarver A. Kamaev of the Imperial Construction Bureau of Saint Petersburg, master potter I. Ushakov of the Neva brick factory with his team and painters I. Mizinov, I. Pilugin and I. Yevdokimov. Austrian potters were working in Vircava. The finishing materials were also being produced in Saint Petersburg.
In 1738 the volume of work in Rundāle decreased, as construction works of Jelgava Palace began. Some of the produced components were also taken to Jelgava. However, the works were moving forward – chimneys and room arches were being built, roofs were being finished.
From 14 June, when the construction of the main residence in Jelgava began, the construction works in Rundāle were moving at a slower pace. Master carpenter Eger had finished oak-wood panels for 33 rooms, as well as 13 oak-wood parquet floors. Ceilings boards were put up in the rooms, so that the plastering works could be started. In September the carpenters started working on the outside staircases. The construction of the gate tower was also started.
Entwurf von Rastrelli: die Nordfassade des Schlosses Rundāle mit dem Torturm
Rastrelli’s design, nothern facade of the palace with the gate tower.
In 1739 the interior plastering works were supposed to be carried out, but the Duke ordered to decrease the amount of plasterers and to simplify the work. Stucco formations were made only for the main staircase rooms and halls, the other rooms were left with smooth ceilings. Only ten craftsmen were working in Rundāle.
On 1 February after the order of Empress of Russia Anna Ioannovna all of the Saint Petersburg Construction Office masons were sent to Courland.
The components made for Rundāle, including carved doors, panels, parquet, Austrian potter stoves, plafonds painted on canvas and cast-iron facade decorations made by Bartolomeo Tarsia that can be seen in the Jelagava Palace facade, were transported to the main residence in Jelgava.
N. Vasilyev assisted Rastrelli in managing the construction works. Russian chamberlain Ernst Johann von Buttlar was in charge of finances and organisation and he was sending reports to Saint Petersburg regarding the work process.
In 1740 the woodcut altar of the palace church was transported to Jelgava. Supposedly the room decoration in the palace had been finished, but not all of the wall panels had been mounted and some of the stoves were also not set up, as a lot of the materials were in storage.
Work was stopped after the palace revolution of 20 November in Russia and the arrest and exile of Duke Ernst Johann. The prepared finishing materials and construction components were sent to Saint Petersburg, and some of the built-in components, such as doors, wall panels and parquet, were broken.
Overall more than a thousand different profession craftsmen and workers were employed in the construction works of the palace.
The second construction period from 1764 to 1770.
In 1762 Ernst Johann von Biron was granted mercy and returned to Courland in January of 1763.
In January of 1764 Johann Gottfried Seidel was appointed the court architect of the Duke, but in August Francesco Rastrelli returned to work for the Duke and was appointed to the position of main administrator of the Duke’s buildings.
During this time he arranged his construction designs and carried out general supervision of the Duke’s construction works.
The unfinished gate tower was torn down and the stable building construction was started. Latvian carpenters and woodworkers were sent from the Duke’s domain manors to Rundāle up until 1768. In 1765 woodworker Blanks, sculptor Zībenbrods, locksmith Šreibfogels, gold plating master Johans Endress, potter Šēfers, locksmith Horstmanis and coppersmith Mēmels were working in the palace.
In 1766 Severin Jensen from Denmark started working as the court architect. His style can be seen in the gateposts and in the stable buildings, which obtained a semicircular shape in contrast to Rastrelli’s rectangular design. A dating – 16 May 1766 – has been made in the keystone of the northern facade window.
In 1768 the gate was built and the forgings were placed.
The palace interior planning was changed slightly. By merging five smaller rooms the grand dining-room – the Grand Gallery – was created, whereas a dance hall known as the White Hall was created in the place of the palace church. Both front staircases, the Small Gallery, the lobby and galleries of the first floor were preserved from the original interiors of the first construction period.
The stucco decorative finishing of the interiors was carried out by the Berlin sculptor and stucco marble master Johann Michael Graff together with his team – his brother Josef and assistants Bauman and Lanz – from 1765 to 1768.
Sculpturesque decorations were made in twenty-seven rooms, but in two rooms of the Duke’s apartments and in the hall – synthetic marble panels. Works were started in the central building first.
The Marble Hall and the marble panel of the Gold Hall in which the dating has been engraved on the door lining, were finished in 1767. In July of 1768 Graff received payment for his final works – the White Hall, Oval Cabinet, Duchess’ Boudoir and vases for the 22 stair banisters.
The ceilings were painted by the Italian painters Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucchi from Saint Petersburg. They started working in August of 1766, but only the name of Martini is mentioned in documents starting with March of 1768. Francesco Martini received his last payment in March of 1769.
Ceilings of eight rooms, as well as the walls of two rooms were painted. One of the ceiling paintings got destroyed. The repainted wall paintings were later uncovered in the Grand Gallery and in the second study of the Duke.
The Duke came to Rundāle Palace in April of 1767 and stayed there until December with interruptions, although the finishing works were still in progress. The palace was also inhabited in 1768. The final works were carried out in 1770 when a fellow of J. M. Graff placed mirrors in the White Hall.
20.04.2018
I just passed the one million mark in total views on Flickr...thanks everyone, this has been an interesting adventure! Though there are some aggravations such as the ever-changing format, the occasional stolen photo, and a few ridiculous comments, it has also been fun to see so many great photos of others and to meet some amazing and talented people along the way.
Here, the Iowa Pacific special on the Wisconsin & Southern last month crosses the Rock River in downtown Janesville, WI, on its way to Edgerton for the night.
The Million Dollar Highway is a 23-mile stretch of U.S. Hwy 550 between Ouray and Silverton. It is one of the most scenic drives in the country.
Sunrise over East Point, Northern Territory on the first day of the wet season.
A couple enjoying an early morning fish. I did not ask them if they were here for this..........
The campaign, launched by NT Chief Minister Adam Giles, will see 76 Barramundi tagged and released across fishing locations in the Top End, one of them carrying a $1 million prize tag and the remaining 75 carrying $10,000 cash prize tags.
The Million Dollar Fish competition started today which is also the official start of the Wet Season in the Top End.
more info here www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-12/million-dollar-fish-compet...
Thank you everyone for the views! I'm also grateful to Flickr for such a broad democratic platform for contributors from all walks of life. It's been a very enjoyable and fulfilling 5 years of active contribution and viewing of others' fine photographic works.
A big Thank You to all my followers and friends here on Flickr!
Oh my goodness ... sometime over night I hit 1 million views. I can't believe it. Although I opened my Flickr account in 2011, I didn't participate or really start adding photos until 2015. I didn't shoot in .RAW until 2015!
I know some of you get a million views in a week or a month or a year. Got my first Nikon in November, 2011.
This old lady, who has been sick since before I even started photography with three cancer battles ... well, I'm delighted.
To Him be the glory forever and ever and ever, Amen!