We are fresh into spring. Spring is fresh and I thought I should contribute with something fresh.
Today I took a walk in the biggest park in town. A walk of relaxation and delight. Enchantment for nature and life. I'm not saying anything new, everyone knows that spring is also seen as a rebirth of nature and a symbol of victorious life.
A walk of relaxation, delight, and photos. My walks always have a purpose. Usually, the main purpose is... to walk. This time the purpose was photography.
I remember when my boy was a child. He was sitting at the table and learning, doing his homework for school. Always when I would ask him what he was doing he would say he was training! Like in sports!
Now, 35 years later, it's my turn to copy my son and say I went to the park to train. To practice photography.
In conclusion, this time I paid more attention to what I photographed than the walk, nature, flowers, water, people, and other creatures.
Before entering the park
Here is a square and a building. A building that reminds us of the country's communist past. A building built in five years, between 1952 and 1957. I was born in 54 and am a little older than the building.
Why do I say it reminds us of communism? Because of the architecture, copied after imposing Moscow buildings such as Lomonosov University. At that time the USSR ruled Eastern Europe, which Russia now wants again.
Researching here for this post, I found out that in Poland there is a building with the same architecture taken from the USSR, namely, the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.
Entering the park
The first sight at the entrance to the park is a parking lot. I don't like seeing that. In my city, cars are the boss and I see them everywhere. I can't stand them anymore. Now I see them where I shouldn't.
There are many entrances to the park and I could avoid this one where the parking lot is, but there is something here that attracts me. The view from behind the cars is where you can see the tallest buildings in the city.
There is an interesting optical illusion going on here which, unfortunately, is not well seen in the photos and that is why I have to explain it. Seen from this point, those buildings look quite close...
... but behind the cars is the lake, quite a big lake and these buildings are much further away. The further we go down to the lake shore, so we get closer, the buildings are seen further and further away, so they get further away!
Rose Island
This park also has an island that I have long not perceived as an island. I didn't think that if there is a bridge at one end and another bridge at the other end, that means that this piece of land is surrounded by water. So it's an island!
It's called Rose Island. From the beginning of May until winter there are plenty of blooming roses here.
All these brick pillars will be covered with climbing roses. A real beauty!
Taras Shevchenko
Ukrainian poet and national hero.
It was by chance that I arrived in the park where the statue of this poet so loved by Ukrainians was located, on the day of his birthday.
Shevchenko was born on March 9, 1814, in the village of Moryntsi, located in Ukraine’s central Cherkasy Oblast.
Now many Ukrainians are living in my country. Refugees because of the war. Surely some of them brought the flowers that are on their national flag.
In his 1838 poem, “Shall we ever meet again,” Shevchenko instructs Ukrainians:
“Love your dear Ukraine, adore her / Love her…in fierce times of evil / In the last dread hour of struggle.”
It is understandable the admiration Ukrainians have for Taras Shevchenko, especially at this time when it is so difficult for their country.
The source of this information and data on T.S. is here. Whoever wishes can read more.
The Spring
Although you can see the young, barely emerged leaves of the willows in some of the photos above, I have much stronger evidence that spring is here.
In all its glory!
Some of the first trees to bloom. Spring plum.
Usually, when I talk about a walk, I bring a lot of information about the place, the city, and my country. I try to make the walk post a little travel blog about the place where I live. I think it's necessary to tell stories about the places where we live so that we all learn about the world we live in.
I haven't done that now. I intentionally didn't mention the name of the park, the name of the city, and the name of the country. Because I don't want this post to be confused with a travel post.
If anyone wants this information, I am waiting for their questions.
I hope it will be accepted as a post where the theme and main character is... photography. Photography without technical parameters. Photography made not of science. Photography done for pleasure!
