You so are fine with gray-blue eyes of the rivers and lakes,
in magnificent clothes of woods and apple and cherry orchards,
You are magnificent in beads from berries of a mountain ash,
with a crown from field colors:
......of the camomiles,
......the cornflowers,
......the little blue handbells.
The rich bride!

You own boundless open spaces,
......the small and the big cities,
......and the great record in history, culture and science.
My Russia! Beauty!
I do not know anybody finer than you.

But why are you so indifferent to the destinies
......of your many unfortunate children - like a mother,
......who throws her own child into an orphanage?
Yes, you never surrendered your own beauty and rest
......for the sake of your of the best poets.

Pushkin, Lermontov, Yesenin, Mayakovskiy,
Tzvetaeva, Blok and Mandelshtam
......were lost young because of their heavy problems.

The bullets of envious persons, injustice and insults,
......a persecution of the governments or simply poverty and famine
......have killed all of them or have forced them to end their lives voluntarily.
None of them wanted to die so early!

Beauty Russia! If you, our mother,
......had caressed and had protected them,
they would have glorified you in their poems
for many more years.

My Russia!
You have became even more beautiful!
Your capitals sparkle with lights,
Your earth gives diamonds and oil.

But you again care
......only about your own beauty
......and you want to know nothing
......about many your unfortunate children.
You never will recollect me, either.
As you are so cruel in your indifference,
I cannot call you mother.

But you so are fine with your gray-blue eyes of the rivers and lakes,
in magnificent clothes of woods and apple and cherry orchards,
in the beads from berries of a mountain ash
and in a crown from field flowers.

That is why, in spite of all,
......thrown away and forgotten by you,
I continue to love you so much,
as I will not able to love
any other country of the world.

* * * * *

Nizhniy Novgorod's Kremlin* ( The old soldier)


Above a pulsating arrow of two great Russian rivers,
there, where Oka merges to Volga
......and already flows farther downstream,
......to the Caspian sea, an ancient, wise Kremlin stands - like a soldier
......on high coast of the ancient city of the Russia, Nizhni Novgorod.

Kremlin looks very attentively at boundless meadows
......and at cultivated fields and forests and villages,
......the small and big cities of the Nizhniy Novgorod territory.
The white ships float past,
They salute of the old soldier and ask its blessing.

Birches and mountain ashes, wild cherries and apples
......in springtime decorate this coast with fresh greenery and flowers,
In the autumn, with gold of leaves and with red fruits.

The ancient Kremlin looks far and does not sleep never.
It observes all around and welcomes the ships,
......recollects the events, the dates, people.

Maybe, sometime Kremlin will recollect me,
Because I was born in ancient Nizhniy Novgorod,
......on the high coast of these two great Russian rivers.

*Nizhniy Novgorod's Kremlin* is like Moscow Kremlin, But  it stands up above the great Russia rivers Volga and Oka.

* * * * *

"For Whom the Bell Tolls?"

                        Ernest  Hemingway

Do you hear sound of bells?
Do you hear weeping of bells?
The Inconsolable bells of churches are crying.

In the sky the bell - sun and the bells - stars are crying,
On the September land
All trees and flowers, like the bells, are crying.
On first of September terrorists - executioners
Have killed the biggest children's holiday:

"The Day of Knowledge"
In the small city of Beslan,
And In all Russia.
On first of September terrorists - executioners
Have shot joy and smiles of children.

On first of September terrorists- executioners
Have blown up love of parents and care of teachers.
On first of September terrorists - executioners
Have crushed hope and have brought fear everywhere.

On first of September in Russia
Was a murder
Of the most remarkable children's holiday:

" The Day of Knowledge" --
Pain of bells,
The bells' memories.
For whom do the Bells toll?

For all people
Who have been killed by terrorists - executioners
In Russia, the USA, in Israel --
In the different countries...

Do you hear sound of bells?
Do you hear cry of bells?

Brilliant St. Petersburg

Ah, what beauty around!
This day began deliberately.

Even the sky agreed with the river Neva
......to pour a blue colour into each other.

Between them domes fly,
......and a thin steeple rises
......with a little gold ship at the top.
In the Smolnom Cathedral,
the bells whisper.

On the Gulf, calm and silence prevails.
I see unearthly beauty
......in the lacy lattices of fencings;
......lanterns guard bridges for you,
my St. Petersburg-Leningrad!

Here, palaces have stretched wings.
Here are fountains, as if a mirage.

The architects and masters
......of the different countries and epochs
......have constructed the Hermitage
......next to the Neva.

Delightful cathedrals,
......and the most elegant Summer Garden.

This proud facade of city is the fruit of a talent,
......the tears and the loving of them.

Stone lions and sphinxes sit observing the Neva.
They look mysterious, even strict,
......as if they store secrets and the past of my city
......in these restless, difficult days.

I see the Neva prospectus in flood of lights,
and the Summer Garden -- the SILENCE lives there!

I see for a window of my love and memory
So many different, beautiful days!

* * * * *

Night St. Petersburg

How lovely night St. Petersburg!
The Neva prospectus
Is still the the most beautiful view in the world,
With his color fires
Through 300 years,
Through many, many days.

The silhouettes of bridges
And ancient lanterns still - are fine!
Here the charming old lattice keeps
Old Summer gardens near the river of Neva,
Here among ancient lindens
Marble sculptures talk with each other.

In the lake are two white swans
They are the bewitched Prince and Princess.
And the moon looks at all this beauty
......more than 300 years.

The night in St. Petersburg!
In windows of fine houses.
Silent waltz in the nights
And the shadows of gentlemen and ladies
Who lived here some time are dancing here

The Neva prospectus,
Have good luck always!
Give us your fires, love and charm again,
Ah, How lovely you are,
my night-time St. Petersburg!

* * * * *

The White Night in St. Petersburg

Lilac, lilac, lilac!
Shadows of forgotten days,
Heroes of ancient legends
And simple fairy tales
......are walking along the the fine Nevsky Prospectus.

Day celebrates a wedding
He marries today!

White Night will be his wife,
Day is cheerful, generous and drunk.

A narrow silhouette of the river Fontanka,
And gentle embrace
Of lacy gates above her.

Do you see?:
......Everywhere are flying
......The colour dreams,
......And Day has thrown his clothes
......At the feet of White Night.

Wedding has ended.
And White Night
already the wife.

The memoirs about many famous people
Are sitting on the benches
Near sculpturesin the Summer Garden.

Fine music is playing,
And Alexander Block*
Enters into the city.

- In the St.Petersburg during May-June the "White Night" is only light all-night twilight and it is almost a same as day, because the sun is only 8 or 10 degrees below the horizon in the middle of the night. The sky doesn't get at all dark.

- The mention of Alexander Block is to one of Russia's great poets. He lived in the St.Petersburg.

* * * * *

Olle Lukoye

(He is the hero of the stories of Hans Christian Andersen)

My favourite magician is Olle Lukoye
......from stories of Hans Christian Andersen.

He is a little man in a black hat
......and boots with the big shoe buckles.

He has two umbrellas.
Olle puts up the black umbrella
......above bad children.  
And they cannot see nice dreams.

Olle puts up the coloured umbrella
......above good children,
And  they see fine dreams.

In Russia, there are many unhappy children
......without their own parents and homes.

Dear Olle!  Come here, please!
Try to make happy childhoods for them  
And take me, please,  to be your assistant!