I haven’t been to many places in Russia yet. I haven’t been to Siberia, to Baikal lake, Altay mountains. This is a list of places I want to visit.
I have seen mostly the North-Western part of Russia. This experience is connected with my work on the Viking river cruises in Russia. And now I can say I have my favourite place in Russia. I have such a place in my soul where I can take energy any time I need it and ask for it. This is “the Russian north”. If you are not from Russia, it is most probably not easy for you to understand what is “Russian north”. But once you come there (even for the first time in your life), this image will be imprinted in your soul. It is I think not only a geographical term. This is a metaphisical term. It signifies not just a land but some zone of sense. Or a possibility of sense. It is something like “a garden of paradise” in medieval mind or “unknown Kadat” in the novels by Lovecraft. It means that even though you are unable yet to discover its secret, “possess” its evergy and its sense, its existence already provides you with a сonfidence that this sense exists. I think for many people Tibet is a sort of such a place, such a zone which is both geographical and metaphisical. And this is not by chance that Russian artist Nykolay Rerih wrote that “cosmic” colors of his paintings were inspired by both Tibet and Russian north. I don’t know a better definition for the colors of the Russian north. They are really cosmic. No matter when you come there. Autumn, or summer, or even winter (winter experience in the Russian north… mm… overwhelming exotic! Minus 30 Celsius. Want to try??? ) And you feel there you are a part of Universe. No matter what is going on in your life at the moment. Have I really explained you what I feel there??? I’ve expressed just a little part. Not everything in our experience is expressable in the words. As Russian writer Nabokov wrote “I express just a little part of the sense which I feel but I can write it only because I know feel this sense”. For me Russian north is a mysterious place you can be happy any time. Any time of your life. Where… somehow collision of past, present and future is stopped.
This is not the only time I write about “my Russian north”. I will tell you more. This is just an introduction.
