Isn’t it way too familiar? This very carousel that I’ve found at one of the playgrounds in Zvyozdotchka, Sergiyev Posad sounds like a cross between the stone-age dial up modems screaming and a guitar solo played through a mobile phone speakers.

Recorded September 16th, 2011 (CA-14 + STC-9000)
Published September 17th, 2011.

This rain has caused major disruption in some parts of Sergiyev Posad recently. We have had 12 hour-long power outage, then hot water stopped running and moreover, internet connection got really shaky. I can’t think of any equally devastating rain to happen in recent years. It has been pouring all night with some showers the day before. During the storm, I recorded two pieces, six hours from each other.

This is how it sounded at 9pm…

…and when the lights went off, at 3am…

…and finally, the longer recording made at 3 am

I love those sounds of hundreds of thousands of leaves flopping and hissing up there (listen at 5:15). It’s like waves surging over making you feel a part of nature, not the ceo of it.

Recorded September 11th, 2011 (CA-14 + STC-9000, A-B stereo)
Published September 15thnd, 2011.

A couple of days ago, someone told me that a large flock of geese and ducks could be found at Banniy (or Bath in English) pond in Sergiyev Posad. The birds are reportedly nesting in the reed bed at the furthermost part of the reservoir that sits between the Kelarsky pond – its elder brother, the Trinity Sergius monastery and Kirovka area. There’s a wooden platform stretching out the the water at its southern shore – a nice recording, watching and feeding spot with the latter proved by the bread crumbs strewn around the wooden floor. Also, the good use of the two benches can be made – they are litter-free (rare!), close to the water and are near perfect if you need to sit and relax while feeding the ducks. I came there an hour before the pouring rain, a calm moment before the storm.

Recorded September 1st, 2011 (CA-14 + STC-9000)
Published September 2nd, 2011.

Standart Chistoty/Cleanliness Standard laundry located on Druzhby Street in North Sergiyev Posad. Birds, vapours and squeaky shoes.
Recorded from outside at 7 am.

Recorded August 20th, 2011 (CA-14 + STC-9000)
Published August 30th, 2011.

Beach volleyball comes to the Lesnoe lake shore each summer, it wasn’t even stopped by the long-lasting heavy turf smog and scorching heat approaching to 40 degrees Celsius last year. These are the mixed teams playing backed by the sounds of waves in the Ferma area of Sergiyev Posad. The ‘oouy’ shout is one of the teams’ self-encouragement battle-cry.

Recorded August 13th, 2011 (MS-TFB-2)
Published August 27th, 2011.

Recorded on the wooden bridge between Skobyanka and Ostrovok, the two remote areas in Sergiyev Posad: peal of bells from the two churches in the distance, trains’ clatter and horns, grasshoppers and flies on a hot summer day.

Recorded August 13th, 2011 (MS-TFB-2)
Published June 24th, 2011.

Some music this time – a violin duo consisting of traditionally clad male and female musicians performing at Skansen park. They play at a glade surrounded by the old houses brought from all over Sweden, open air cages are somewhere near, and a nice view towards Stockholm opens up at the Skansen’s hights not far away. Two tipsy gentlemen are approaching the stage, trying to sing along but they seem to be struggling.

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And a bit of a bonus – Alexandra Lebedeva, live at the Swedish Radio. Alexandra is from Nizhny Novgorod, she’s on an educational tour, and she never fails whenever there’s a piano around. Especially if this is a white piano at the Sveriges Radio hall in Norrkoping.

That was Day Thirteen.
For more information on the Swedish Days audiodiary please visit this page.