Sunrise to freedom the village in Russia…

Life in the village is simple and good. Water is gathered from what Russians call wells, but I call it a cistern. A well is always with water naturally and a cistern has to be kept full of water by an outside source, such as a well. A cistern is what we have and on top of the hill is a Soviet era well. The infrastructure use to be very nice and they had running water to many homes, but as many things in life, when population drops, so does the money available for repairs. Thus we now have to dip our water with buckets from as we call it our well…

We also have two natural, year around running springs. These springs are the life blood of the original monastery and springs like this village has is why you build a village in the first place. Water source is very important. When the village was developed during Soviet times, it was made into a school for the deaf and blind. Actually two schools were next to each other and made from the old female monastery that was originally here. The village also had a regular school for the village kids, its own store for supplies, a blacksmith shop and many other businesses. All in all it looks as if at one time several hundred people lived in this village…

The schools brought steam heat, oil for fuel and a whole bunch of infrastructure that helped the village to grow. So for many years this village was an important landmark for disabled kids. It is just in the last few years that the Orthodox church has been able to acquire all it s land back. Therefore, that is why the church is rebuilding the monastery…

Monastery here… — The village here…

For now I am getting acclimated to the village and in a few weeks will start all my projects. It is cold and wet still, but I am seriously contemplating staying all winter this year and that means serious work has to be done, for winters are very harsh in Russia. Boza and I have to stock plenty of food and firewood to allow us to get by, for once the snow sets in, we will not be traveling very far except on foot…

That means of course, that I would post articles from the village all winter as long as there was power available and internet. I think internet is the most stable item due to being by sim card and through Megafon and with my ability to post from a tablet, I have ways of charging said tablet, even with the power down. So I guess I would post with no issues… 🙂

I am going to find a good hurricane kerosene lantern and then Boza and I are set for the winter with necessities other than food and firewood…

This morning Boza and I took a long walk around the whole village and we found that the fish lake was full and stocked with fish. the men were out in the boat feeding the fish and the water was roiling with hungry fish vying for the food. That surprised me, for we are a month earlier than normal and the lakes are already fully stocked. One month ahead of normal. This is going to be  two crop season! What a fish farm this has become…

Well that is enough for today. I have to get Sveta up and out of bed. She has paperwork to get done in the village and I have some items to buy for repair of the home. If the day is good, I will BBQ this afternoon and that reminds me of grilling carp in the summer. Now that sounds really good…

Grilled Carp…

Have a nice day and come back tomorrow for the new story of the village…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…