May 12, 2020

Winner, Winner, Saving Sinners


Winner, Winner, Saving Sinners
The winning cathedral in Telma Screen shot RT

Every two years, the international architectural competition Baumit Life Challenge judges the best facades in Europe. This year’s results were recently announced, and a church in Irkutsk Oblast won first place for the world's best façade in the category Historical Restoration. Built in 1816, the Cathedral in Honor of the Kazan Mother of God Icon is located in the village of Telma.

As noted on the architecture competition’s website, the cathedral “is a unique example of a rotunda Church in Eastern Siberia, and it also has an expressive, finely designed original decorative design of the facades. The facade decoration is typical of classicism, with a laconic, but subtly and meticulously drawn decor.”

The competition included over 300 sites from around the world. Russia had 11 buildings in the competition, including the Lenfilm building, the Cathedral of Kazan, the Kunstkamera, and the Admiralty.

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Some of our Books

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The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
The Little Humpbacked Horse
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The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Life Stories
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The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

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