Monday, May 5, 2014

Spring in Belarus through the Lens!

Spring in Belarus through the Lens!

Spring
Photo credit: http://i.blog.fontanka.ru/
The frosty and icy Belarusian winter gives way to a new colorful season - Spring, that is green, bright, and optimistic. A warm feeling of spring can be felt on trees and bushes. Small buds arise, and later turn into new fresh leaves. The bright sun shines, and snow thaws, tiny brooks run everywhere. Long icicles cane be seen hanging down from the roofs which melt, and send small water drops to the ground as if crying. In this way, winter says good-bye, and will be waiting for a new meeting in December. In Belarus there are three spring months, March, April and May. 

In spring everything greatly changes in nature. Birds return back from warm overseas countries, build their nests, and start singing their beautiful songs enjoying the sunny spring. Feeling the warm rays of the sun, all other living creatures stop hibernating, open their sleepy eyes and bask in the sun. High in the clear light-blue sky, snow-white fluffy clouds sail fast, giving a smile to people. There are first spring flowers - snowdrops, which push through the rest of snow and impress everyone with their beauty. The first mild grass glitters like emeralds in the sun, especially after a warm spring rain, that usually brings a rainbow. Spring is considered to be like a fairy, who makes nature awake with her wand after a long sleep of cold winter. Spring is often associated with a new begging, new discoveries.

Alexander Pushkin, the famous Russian classic of the 19th century wrote the following line about spring: "Spring, spring, time of love!"

It is absolutely true as in spring you can feel a great amount of love inside yourself , and as if two wings growing behind you and you fly in the air. Come to Belarus in spring and experience its special atmosphere full of life and love! 

Birch trees have dressed up in their new greenish coats! 

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 Beautiful Aspen trees in their new long ear-rings - catkins!

Spring_in_BelarusAn aspen tree is an unusual tree, as it always feels cold and shivers with its leaves both on a windy or still day. There is even a famous saying in Russia: "Why are you shivering like an aspen-tree leaf?"

According to one existing legend, the aspen-tree betrayed Our Lady with the baby- Jesus Christ by shivering of its leaves, when they were hiding under it from their persecutors. They also say that the wooden cross, on which Jesus Christ was crucified, had been made from the aspen-tree.

Believe or not! But it's only a legend that was transferred from one person to another. 

Soft buds of the pussy-willow tree like fluffy small kittens!

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 Buds of the pussy-willow tree in spring! 

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In old times, in old Russ, after spreading of Christianity, a pussy-willow branch became an important attribute of a religious holiday such as Easter. It became the substitute of a palm branch, with which dwellers of Judea welcomed Jesus Christ at the entrance to Jerusalem.

Blooming buds of the pussy-willow tree in spring! 

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Small spring suns - Coltsfoot-flowers! 

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One of the 1st spring flowers are the coltsfoot flowers. They are usually attached to a big dark-green leaf. In Russian, the name of these flowers is "mother" and "stepmother", and there is an explanation for it. If you touch the upper surface of the coltsfoot flower leaf, it would be very cold like a heartless cruel stepmother. On the contrary, if you touch the under surface of its leaf then it would be very soft, and warm like a loving mother.

 Spring Time Walking near a River

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Nature's reflection 

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A family of graceful swans in spring! 

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Back to Belarus from warm overseas countries!  

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The Swan!
"A symbol of purity and faithfulness"
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Spring has come!

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A blooming plum-tree

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A fluffy fatty bumblebee on a blooming plum tree

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One more fluffy bumblebee on a plum tree

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A blooming pear tree in spring


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Like a solemn bride in a snow-white wedding dress

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Red and white tulips 

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Spring is here



A Busy Bumblebee on a Blooming Maple Tree


Spring Yellow Sun


A hard-working bee on a yellow dandelion

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A thoughtful starling bird in spring

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A dreaming bird on a tree branch in spring

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Fluffy Spring Clouds over Belrussian Skies! 


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 A rainbow in spring! 


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A rainbow in spring! 

A rainbow in spring!

The Western Anemone Flower!

The Western Anemone Flower!

The Western Anemone Flowers

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Yellow western anemone flowers in spring!

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Red-eared tortoises basking in the sun!

Red-eared tortoises basking in the sun!

A blooming chestnut tree!

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Blooming chestnut trees!

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Blooming apple trees! 


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Blooming daisies in spring!

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Lily of the valley in spring! 

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Young budding leaves on trees in spring!


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Purple lilac bushes in spring!   

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White lilac bushes in spring!

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Purple lilac bushes in spring! 


 Purple lilac bushes in spring!


Blooming pine trees in spring!



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A garden in spring!


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Purple tulips in spring! 


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White clover in spring!

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Birch trees waiting for their spring green coats!

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Beautiful oak tree with budding leaves!

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Purple lilac bushes in spring!  

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Blooming pine tree in spring!  

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Trees in spring!  

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Snowdrops - the first spring flowers in Belarus!

snowdrops
Photo credit: http://www.wallpage.ru/


A list of interesting things to do in spring in Belarus!
Some we put together just for you!

  • Enjoy a view of floating melting ice in spring. This scene is very nice, thousands and thousands small pieces of ice sail fast down the river to nowhere.
  • Go to the forest and be impressed by the beauty of the 1st spring flowers - "Snowdrops". You will find yourself as if in a fairy-tale, standing on a forest glade full of snow-white snowdrops.
  •  Go to a park or on a bank of some river / lake especially in the evening and enjoy splendid and breathtaking songs of nightingales.
  • Visit amusements parks, ride a merry-go-round and see from a bird's eye a beautiful panorama of the capital of Belarus - Minsk.
  • Read a book outside in the park, or on the lawn.
  • Visit the bridges of love and put your love lock in it making the relationship with someone you love much stronger and everlasting. Don't forget to throw the key to the river water.
  • Take a long walk with someone you love along the streets.
  •  Go for a bike ride.
  • Take a picture looking at a new blooming flower with your camera.
  • Sketch a blooming flower.
  • Sketch a rainbow.
  • Go for a picnic to the park or to the bank of a beautiful lake.
  • Sketch a tree with its budding leaves.
  • Compare your writing abilities with the Russian classic - Alexander Pushkin, and write a poem:"Spring, spring, time of love". 
  • Celebrate the folk Belarusian festival "Maslenica", when people say good-bye to a cold winter and welcome to a warm sunny spring.
  • Experience a new holiday for yourself, that is celebrated on the 8th of March and called "The Women's Day!". Make your sweetheart happy on that day by preparing some surprise and giving a lovely spring bouquet of tulips, daffodils or mimosas.
  • Write in your journal, "Ten Reasons why I Love Spring".
 The Alley of Starling-birds!

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Photo credit: http://www.interfax.by
In the Cheluskincev Park, in Minsk, there is a nice alley, called "The alley of starlings". As, its dwellers are real starlings, who in spring return back to their houses from warm overseas countries, and males start their beautiful serenades to entertain females while laying eggs. You can have a nice walk, breath a fresh spring air, and enjoy a variety of colorful bird-houses of starlings, while visiting the Cheluskincev park.

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Photo credit: http://www.pierre-markuse.de/

Spring Season Family Trips!  

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Photo credit: http://www.toonpool.com

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