the glories of the Russian empire now gilded by tourist dollars shine forth between the crumbling facades of the grand buildings lining Nevskiy Prospect once-great; many times fallen and restored the Russians bide their time making the new capitalism in their inimitable form the wild, wild East with no vigilantes
Kazan cathedral gets a facelift while the beggars line the makeshift walkway the metro, pride of Leningrad displays ornate light fixtures for the common people the once-famous Russian navy sits rusting in the waters of Kronstadt harbour while the Hermitage museum can't find all of its treasures
faces of the ethnic montage
that was the Soviet Union
meander past your wandering eyes
dark, round, slanted eyes or slate-blue
individualism has erupted from its slumber
look out for yourself! especially when crossing the street
Daryl Culp
darylculp@yahoo.com