A Slice of Life from Vladimir Makovsky (music by Petula Clark in French)

The Peredvizhniki artwork of Vladimir Makovsky combines with Petula Clark singing a Russian-themed song in French. Russian, English, and French, oh my! (It works, though. That is all that matters!!)

The Last Battle. Dmitri Khvorostovsky

A moving song in tribute to fallen soldiers is matched with art by contemporary Russian students. It is sung by Dmitri Khvorostovsky with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. They haven’t forgotten… the motherland never forgets!

BMD

Ilya Repin. St Nicholas Prevents the Falsely-Accused from Being Executed. 1888

St Nicholas Prevents the Falsely-Accused from Being Executed

Ilya Repin

1888

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Today is the feast of St Nicholas on the Roman calendar. For my Roman friends, I offer this picture of good St Nick (the real thing, not Santa!). As for Orthodox who use the Roman calendar, that isn’t a good thing, but I agree with the late Archbishop Antony Bartoshevich of Geneva. It’s an error, but it isn’t heresy, so one shouldn’t break with people on that ground. I find “Old Calendarists” and their ilk both tiresome and a bother. They wish to fight and dispute over the smallest deviations from their fancies. We should be better than that, and we should show the love of Christ to one another, not the disputation and discord of Hell.

BMD

Leonid Baranov. Untitled (04). undated

Untitled (04) (Leonid Barnov, undated)

Dede is up to his old tricks again! It looks as though he is making “snow angels!” Baba has been diverted from her work, but, she is raising a smile. There is life in the old dog yet!