Beklemishevskaya Tower | Russia

This postcard was sent by Olga from Moscow via postcrossing [RU-624052]. It shows Kremlin's Beklemishevskaya tower.

The Beklemishevskaya Tower is one of the few towers in the Kremlin whose appearance has remained unchanged throughout the ages, and which has not undergone any serious reconstruction. Sometimes referred to as the Moskvoretskaya (Moskva River) Tower due to its proximity to the Moskvoretsky Bridge, it supposedly took its name from the boyar Beklemishev, whose manor lay nearby. The tower was always the first to come under enemy attack, as it was situated at the junction of the Moskva River and the moat. In this respect it served a very important defensive function. At the beginning of the 18^th century, during the Northern War between Russia and Sweden, bastions were constructed around the tower, and the loopholes of the tower were widened to accommodate more powerful cannonry.

During the storming of the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks in 1917, the top of the tower was destroyed, but was later restored. The tower is 46.2 metres tall.  [moscow.info]

Amsterdam | Netherlands

This postcard was sent by Anja from Amsterdam via postcrossing [NL-858186]. I have never been to the Netherlands, but it looks very nice!

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of 24 August 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population of 1,209,419 and a metropolitan population of 2,158,592. The city is in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.
 

Its name is derived from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were formed. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam (in Dutch: 'Grachtengordel'), located in the heart of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010.

The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and 7 of the world's top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. In 2010, Amsterdam was ranked 13th globally on quality of living by Mercer, and previously ranked 3rd in innovation by 2thinknow in the Innovation Cities Index 2009.

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world, is located in the city centre. Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, Anne Frank House, Amsterdam Museum, its red-light district, and its many cannabis coffee shops draw more than 3.66 million international visitors annually. [wikipedia]

Russian Barbie | Russia

This postcard was sent by Dinara from Russia via postcrossing [RU-335996]. It shows Matryoshka dolls, or "Russian Barbies". I also own a set of babushka dolls, but I didn't know their history!

A matryoshka doll, or babushka doll is a Russian nesting doll (Russian: Матрёшка) which is a set of matryoshkas consists of a wooden figure which separates, top from bottom, to reveal a smaller figure of the same sort inside, which has, in turn, another figure inside of it, and so on. The number of nested figures is traditionally at least five, but can be much more, up to several dozen with sufficiently fine craftsmanship. Modern dolls often yield an odd number of figures but this is not an absolute rule; the original Zvyozdochkin set, for instance, had an even number. The form is approximately cylindrical, with a rounded top for the head, tapering toward the bottom, with little or no protruding features; the dolls have no hands (except those that are painted). Traditionally the outer layer is a woman, dressed in a sarafan. The figures inside may be of either gender; the smallest, innermost doll is typically a baby lathed from a single small piece of wood (and hence non-opening). The artistry is in the painting of each doll, which can be extremely elaborate.

The word "matryoshka" (матрёшка), literally "little matron", is a diminutive form of the Russian female first name "Matryona" (Матрёна).

Orang Asli playing a nose flute | Taiwan

This is one of my favorite postcards so far! It was sent by Angel from Taiwan and it shows an Orang Asli (aborigine) playing a nose flute!! I didn't even know there was such an instrument!!

Orang Asli (lit. "original people", "natural people" or "aboriginal people" in Malay), is a generic Malaysian term used for people indigenous to Peninsular Malaysia. Officially, there are 18 orang asli tribes, categorised under three main groups according to their different languages and customs:

• Semang (or Negrito), generally confined to the northern portion of the peninsula
• Senoi, residing in the central region
• Proto-Malay (or Aboriginal Malay), in the southern region.

There is an orang asli museum at Gombak, about 25 km north of Kuala Lumpur.

Orang Asli kept to themselves until the first traders from India arrived in first millennium AD. Living in the interior they bartered in land products like resins, incense woods and feathers for salt, cloth and iron tools. The rise of the Malay sultanates, coinciding with trade in Orang Asli slaves, forced the group to retreat further inland to avoid contact with outsiders. The arrival of British colonists brought further inroads in the lives of Orang Asli. They were the target of Christian missionary and subjects of anthropological research.
During the Malayan Emergency of 1948 to 1960, the Orang Asli became a vital component of national security, as with their help, the Malayan army was able to defeat the communist insurgents. Two administrative initiatives were introduced to highlight the importance of Orang Asli as well to protect its identity. The initiatives were the establishment of the Department of Aborigines in 1950, and the enactment of the Aboriginal Peoples Ordinance in 1954. After independence, the development of Orang Asli become the prime objective of the government where the government adopted a policy in 1961 to integrate the Orang Asli into the wider Malaysian society.

Voronezh | Russia

This postcard was sent by Nataly from Russia via postcrossing [RU-534341]. It shows Voronezh.

Voronezh (Russian: Воро́неж) is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway (connecting European Russia with Ural and Siberia, as well as Caucasus and Ukraine), as well as the center of the Don Highway (Moscow—Rostov-on-Don). Population: 889,989 (2010 Census preliminary results). The city is divided into six administrative districts: Kominternovsky, Leninsky, Levoberezhny, Sovetsky, Tsentralny, and Zheleznodorozhny. [wikipedia]

Belorusskiy Railway Station | Russia

This beautiful vintage postcard was sent by Valerie, my postcard-pal. It shows Belorusskiy Railway Station in Moscow.

Belorussky Rail Terminal (Russian: Белорусский вокзал) is one of nine rail terminals in Moscow. It was opened in 1870 and rebuilt in its current form in 1910-12. Construction of the railway from Moscow to Smolensk, and then to Minsk and Warsaw, started in the second half of the 1860s. Construction of the station, known as Smolensky, began in late April 1869. A grand opening of the Moscow-Smolensk railway took place on 19 September 1870, the station became the sixth in Moscow. In November 1871 after the extension of the railway to Belarus, the station was renamed Belorussky Station. On the 15 May 1910 the right wing of the new station opened, and in 26 February 1912 and the left wing opened. The station was designed by architect Ivan Strukov. On the 4 May 1912 the railway was renamed the Alexander Railway, the station was renamed Alexander Station. In August 1922 the Alexander and the Moscow-Baltic railways were merged into the Moscow-Belarus-Baltic, so the station was renamed Belorussian-Baltic station. In May 1936 and, after yet another reorganization of the railways, the station received its present name - Belorussky Station. [wikipedia]

Painful Mountain | Turkey

This postcard arrived today!! It was sent by Selin from Turkey via postcarossing [TR-55471]. On top it shows Mount Agri [aka Mount Ararat], in the middle Sanliufra, in the bottom Lake Nemrut and on the wright Osvank Church at Erzurum.

Mount Ararat  is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat (the tallest peak in Turkey, and the entire Armenian plateau with an elevation of 5,137 m/16,854 ft) and Lesser Ararat (with an elevation of 3,896 m/12,782 ft). The Ararat massif is about 40 km (25 mi) in diameter. The Iran-Turkey boundary skirts east of Lesser Ararat, the lower peak of the Ararat massif. It was in this area that by the Tehran Convention of 1932 a border change was made in Turkey's favor, permitting her to occupy the eastern flank of the massif.

Mount Ararat in Judeo-Christian tradition is associated with the "Mountains of Ararat" where according to the book of Genesis, Noah's ark came to rest. It also plays a significant role in Armenian nationalism and irredentism.

from the Varangians to the Greeks | Russia

This postcard was sent by Larisa from Smolensk, Russia, via postcrossing [RU-306026]. It shows the tower "Gromovaja" of the Smolensk fortress wall, the monument to architect F. S. Kon.

Smolensk is one of the ancient Russian towns. Having been founded on the ancient rout «from the Varangians to the Greeks», it is a contemporary to Kiev and Novgorod. By the time of the first reference about Smolensk in chronicles of Ustug (863), the town had already been a great town with plenty of people. The finds in the krivichies' settlements testify about the antiquity of Smolensk civilization. This settlements are known as burialmounds in Gnesdovo. As a result of archaeological excavations, an earthenware pot with the super-scription «gorouscha» was found. This superscription means «mustard». It is the oldest superscription made before the middle of the X century.

The Smolensk principality reached the apogee of its power in the XII century. Till now the unique monuments of temple architecture dominates the town. They are: Peter's and Paul's Churches, the Churches of the St. John the Theologian and of the Archangel Michael.

A power splash in architectural activity was in 1596–1602. These were the years when the famous Smolensk fortress wall, the creation of the architect Fyodor Kon, was erected.

For many centuries Smolensk played an important role in the defense of the Russian State. In difficult times of Mongolo-Tatar yoke the town Smolensk, «chosen by God» didn't surrender the enemy. It withstood the lethal onslaught of Lithuanians and Polish interventions, became a tough nut for Napoleon.

And even during the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945) the town fulfilled its historical mission as a shield on the way of the German-fascists army, which tried to annex Moscow. Smolensk got the title of the «Hero-town», which well-deserved crowned its glorious war history. [Smolensk]

Frozen Novosibirsk | Russia

This beautiful nightview of Novosibirsk in Russia was sent to me by my postcardpal Valerie :) The last card I sent her was from Metsovo and I was writing to her that it was really cold because it was -2C. She writes me back that she laughed with that because at that time it was -38C at Novosibirsk!! I cannot even imagine how they can live at so low temperatures!!!!

Novosibirsk (Russian: Новосиби́рск) is Russia's third-largest city, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia with a population of 1.4 million (2010). It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District. The city is located in the south-western portion of the federal district and occupies an area of 477.2 square kilometres (184.2 sq mi).

Kolomna Kremlin | Russia

This beutiful postcard was sent to me by Dasha from Russia via postcrossing [RU-284234]. It shows the architectural ensemble of the Sobornaya Square of Kolomna Kremlin, as seen from Moskva river.

Kolomna Kremlin was built by the order of Vasily III to imitate the Moscow Kremlin and was equal to it in both size and beauty. On the territory of the Kolomna Kremlin there are the Dormition Cathedral (17th century), Tikhvinsky Cathedral, built in pseudo-Russian style, as well as the Novo-Golutvin and Brusensky monasteries, the Trinity Church, the Cross Cathedral and other historic buildings. Kolomna Kremlin is surrounded by a brick wall, which was erected by the orders of Vasily III. Previously, it had 17 towers, the four of which had gates. Of all the towers only six have survived; of the gates - only Pyatnitsky Gate, which had once served as the main entrance to the city. The names of most towers of Kolomna Kremlin coincide with the Moscow’s. For example, it also has the Faceted Tower, so named because of its shape – rectangular from the inside, hexagonal on the outside.