This village isn’t on the map, but we have photos from there. The village of Semyonovo is an imaginary place that appeared as a result of travels of Semyon Semyonov, who is the one of the oontz.ru regular listeners. He has sent in several recordings from different areas, including the village of Zolotilovo to the southwest of Sergiev Posad and Dushishchevo to the northeast.
We begin in Zolotilovo, and perhaps Semyon took a risk when he rang the village alarm bell. Normally, this loud sound is reserved for emergency situations — a fire, or the like — and the whole village is dashing to help.
But a single surgical hit on the piece of rail went without consequences. Semyon returned to Zolotilovo later in the evening to record this sample of village ambiance.
There is a pond to the west of this area. ‘There used to be a lot of hazel trees here, and now I feel nostalgia tormenting me, so I decided to visit. Previously, the lake was fuller‘, says Semyon.
Next is the farm in Dushishchevo. Currently, there are twenty-odd people permanently living there, ten times less than before, when the local people have been earning their living by gluing bullet cartridges and unwinding silk.
Semyon gets back home to Khotkovo, and it is almost night in here.
More field recordings from Sergiyev Posad and its area are streamed live 24 hours at the oontz.ru/radio. You never know what plays next – join us!