Autumn (Осенние)
A dreary time! And yet — enchantment for the eyes!
How dear to me your parting grace, your farewell gifts —
I love the rich decay of leaf and countryside,
he forests all decked out in gold and crimson tints.
Within their halls a fresh wind stirs about and sighs,
The heavens cloak themselves in rolling folds of mist;
How rare the sun, the morning frosts that do not stay,
With grizzled winter’s stormy threats still far away
Alexander Pushkin
It's Thanksgiving week in the US which means millions of dead turkeys are currently dethawing in peoples refrigerators. Not all countries celebrate the holiday, and those that do, celebrate it a bit differently. In most counties, it's a harvest celebration, giving thanks to natures bounty and having food for the long winter ahead.
In Russia, there is no actual Thanksgiving day, but there are a series of celebratory feasts. The first, is the Honey Feast of the Saviour, which is celebrated on August 14th. The second, the Apple Feast of the Saviour is observed on August 19th.. The third and final celebration of harvest is the Nut Feast of the Saviour, which is celebrated on August 29th. The feasts honor harvest food items which are blessed by the church and consumed by the faithful.
The holiday's have a pre-Christian origin and are associated with the harvesting of ripe fruits, especially apples. In East Slavic folklore, they mark the beginning of autumn and the transfiguration of nature and the seasons. During the feasts, the people of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus eat pies, foods and other dishes containing the food the day is celebrating.
Even when there's been a bad year, and the crops aren't as plentiful, thanks is given. Being thankful is often more meaningful when there's been a loss or when it's been a particularly difficult year. For many, that's certainly been the case in 2020. Despite the shocks, sad events and disappointments of the year, Russian model Artyom thought it was more important than ever to follow his passion for modeling and continue to shoot. Artyom connected with his friend photographer Igor Kuryukin to celebrate the colors and beauty of the harvest season.
'When Igor suggested that I go to an abandoned but protected estate near St. Petersburg. Of course, I didn't hesitate to answer and immediately agreed. The next weekend we went there, to the place that beckoned us with its mystery. Upon arrival, we saw a beautiful historical building, surrounded by a magnificent garden with marble vases, elegant wrought-iron bars and wild grapes. The doors and Windows of the house were boarded up and there was no way to get inside, although it looked very interesting. We were not upset by this, though as we were so happy with the environment.'
'We were not stopped by the fact that people are walking around, the building is monitored by a security guard, or the fact that it was only 10 degrees with rain the forecast. We were impressed by the environment, we started to have ideas about where and how to take a picture, and we started the process. The time passed quickly, but we managed to take a lot of photos. I am very happy with the results of that photo shoot. Autumn is a wonderful time of year when nature is transformed and looks fabulous. We will wait for the winter and fantasize again about new photo shoots.'
