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Glowing domes of Novodevichy

Glowing domes of Novodevichy

Here is the picture from one of my first sightseeing tours with my clients when I took my new camera, Nikon D300, which I recently purchased (you are welcome to read my Hot News from Moscow :-)). What I can say about this camera after 3 weeks experience? - Nothing's wrong for a while, I am really excited to be owner of this really great camera with a lot of useful features which help photographer to get the great results in short time. It was not easy for me to start to work with this camera, because of my previous camera was Olympus and there are a lot of differences between these cameras to control the shooting process, but I am sure to say now that Nikon D300 fits the needs of advanced/professional photographer who is looking for a tool which can help him to improve his skills and get better results in photography. If compare with my old Olympus E500, most of buttons and manipulations of my new camera are quite new for me and I am still learning with curiosity and excitement about it's useful great features!

I would like to mention here that I am really impressed how works my zoom Nikkor lenses 18-200 mm. I am glad to have it, because of it feets perfectly for most of my needs and I am just excited that I don't need now to change in hurry lenses, as I did before with my Olympus. So that, needless to say, that reducing amount of times you have to unplug your lenses from a body can protect your camera from dust too. I can’t miss also to say thanks for Nikon's amazing software "Capture NX", developed for owners of Nikon cameras, but not only. It is very easy to use program and if you are shooting in RAW you can achieve great results and save a lot of time in your PP workflow.

Ok, now I think, it is the time to give a small historical note to the picture which I took recently in Novodevichy convent, which is one of the loveliest monasteries and major spiritual centers in Moscow from centuries back. On this picture you can see the magnificent 5-domed Smolensky Cathedral, the white church in Russian-Byzantine style with attractive big onion domes, which was erected in 1525 on the money given by Grand Duke Vasilily III (father of Ivan IV The Terrible) in honor of Muscovy's (Moscow Principality) great military and diplomatic triumph. When in 1514 the ancient city of Smolensk was reconquered by Russian forces after more than a century of Polish-Lithuanian rule, the Grand Duke has made a vow to raise a nunnery in the environs of Moscow and then he granted 3,000 rubles in silver plus several of his own villages to establish religious house and form a cornerstone of the new convent's prosperity. The image of Hodegetria, or Our Lady of Smolensk, to which the convent's cathedral was consecrated, became one of the greatest relics of Novodevichy. By the way, the convent was called "Novodevichy" probably (by one of several official versions) because of the family name of a nun, Elena Devochkina, who came from Suzdal and became the first prioress here.

The Novodevichy Convent reached the peak of prosperity in the last quarter of 17th century, during the rule of Tsarevna Sophia (1682-1689), who was step sister to Peter I The Great and governed Russia when Peter and his brother Ivan. Sophia lavished convent with donations and adorned it with new buildings in stone in "Moscow Baroque" style which was extremely popular at that time. On this picture, behind Smolensky cathedral from the left, you can see a remarkable five-storey bell-tower, 72 meters high, which was built in the last year of Tsarevna Sophia's regency to the east of the cathedral. Its two lower tiers contained chapels, the third and fifth provided space for bells. The bell-tower was the crowning triumph of the "Moscow Baroque" style at Novodevichy convent.

With BEST Regards,
Arthur Lookyanov
Photo Album "Novodevichy Convent"
Last Edited: Feb 11th, 2008

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Stephen & Bruno
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Date: 2006-07-29 17:40:14

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