Water running down under the brige to the north of the Trinity Monastery of St Sergius in Sergiyev Posad close to the parking area. Voices and snow scrapers.

Recorded January 9th, 2012 (CA-14 omni + STC-9000)
Published January 11th, 2012.

It’s December, and by all means we are supposed to have some snow by now.
Alas, not this time!

It was one of those wet and muddy December days that I thought that some of the recordings made last winter will be of some use. I can vividly remember that night in 2010, about 9 pm, dark and cold, but not that cold that I didn’t make some recordings outside. Lots of snow. So, for those missing creaky, scratchy, squeaky sounds underfoot and sparkles all around – you can hear it right now.

These are the nine recordings of different types of snow and different sorts of movement in the snow. All of those recordings are under 30 seconds long.

Someone passing by:

I obviously had too much snow in my shoes:

Recorded January 31st, 2010 (CA-14 omni, A-B stereo)
Published December 9th, 2011.

No news is good news, no sound is a statement in itself.

What else would lead someone to do this, leaving for a deserted frozen water’s edge on a silent and dark November night? In my case, it was the curiosity – what is there where no one ever sane or busy enough would hardly ever go, is this worth to be documented?

What it feels like standing still in a place on the verge of the town, so lively in summer and so desolate at this time of year, listening to the faint sounds coming from miles away? With no one around to say a word, or even to make a squeaky step in the snow, or throw a stone to the ice-covered water, not even a bird to sing, nothing. How could I resist going there?

Korovka is a small lake by the pine woods in Sergiyev Posad stuck somewhere between Kozikha, the rural part of the town and the tower-blocks estates of Rabothcka and Severny. Normally, it is not allowed to swim in Korovka in summer but the place is still popular with the picnic-goers or just those with a desperate need to crack a bottle or two.

It’s all different now. These are the seven minutes spent in an environment that is so bland in terms of sound so that the silence becomes the main character.

I would suggest listening to this recording at a low to moderate volume in a quiet room. Since it is not a binaural recording wearing headphones is not essential but it may benefit the overall perception.

Recorded November 15th, 2011 (CA-14 omni mics + STC-9000 preamp)
Published November 21st, 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.

One of the things I miss about spending a day in the open country in Sergiyev Posad are the walking clubs. Although I believe there’s nothing better than taking a walk in the company of your own mp3 player, local-based rambling clubs would be a welcome addition to the whole idea of getting outside.

I do take walks but I don’t venture to go far – only walking just as long as I enjoy it. The relatively warmer and calm weather in the last couple of weeks in Sergiyev Posad was an encouragement to take another chance – so did I. I woke up early on Saturday, put my recording gear in a backpack, got a baseball cap from a far corner of the wardrobe to clip the Church Audio mics… and that’s it.

I arrived at the Uglitch bus station, North Sergiyev Posad at about 7 a.m. And before leaving for the the wild nature, made a farewell snippet of the civilization, the sound a laundry (heard on oontz.ru before – here). Then back to the bus station to go further East to the locality known as Birchwood Grove not far from the Grazhdanka area. The first recording was of a brook also known as Kontchura river (once navigable) in Sergiyev Posad. The town is now left behind, reminded only by the rumble of traffic.

Behind the water sounds, a raven call could be heard and here’s a closer listen. I love the sound of a train at the end also. It’s about 2 km between us stretching across the town but mind you, in the early hours sounds reach way further.

Recorded August 28th, 2011 (CA-14 + STC-9000)
Published September 4th, 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.