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Hi all!
There I'm planning to place the short stories and notes about Moscow.
No negative, no politics!
If you had some questions I would be glad to answere.
(if I could )
If you enter the Red Square from the side opposite St. Basil's cathedral, you will see an oval stone platform behind a wrought iron gate located somewhat asymmetrically in the Square. Most tourists have no idea what it is -- but should. This is Lobnoye Mesto, conventionally translated as "The Place of Skulls" (although "lob" really means "forehead"). A monument to Russia's bloody history, it's probably the only place of execution in the Western world that survives pretty much intact, with the scaffold still in place and bearing its original name. It is unique. In Paris, the infamous Place de Greves has been renamed and its architecture changed, and there isn't a plaque to indicate its history. In London, Smithfield bears no trace of its morbid history. But in Moscow, the stone scaffold, erected in the 1530's, can still be observed as it was during its first execution.
It is here that Stepan Razin, a Cossack revolutionary and a republican, was dismembered in 1671 for mounting a rebellion against the Tsar. Streltsy, the royal guards, were executed here en masse for their rebellion in 1698, while Peter the Great looked on. Yemelian Pugachev had his head lobbed off here in 1775 for leading a peasant uprising under the pretense of being Peter III. Countless rebels, outspoken writers and fallen courtiers were beheaded, tortured, whipped, or had their ears cut off on this very spot.
Something to think about when you are standing nearby, clicking away with your camera.
...It is here that Stepan Razin, a Cossack revolutionary and a republican, was dismembered in 1671 for mounting a rebellion against the Tsar.
...
Yemelian Pugachev had his head lobbed off here in 1775 for leading a peasant uprising under the pretense of being Peter III.
...
It is mistake! These persons was killed no there! I was doing on the Bolotnaya Ploschad (sump square). This place is not so far from there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redisca
Streltsy, the royal guards, were executed here en masse for their rebellion in 1698, while Peter the Great looked on. Countless rebels, outspoken writers and fallen courtiers were beheaded, tortured, whipped, or had their ears cut off on this very spot.
It is true. But with small correction. On the Lobnoe Mesto (forehead place) only says about executions - this place named as saint. Strleltsy (shutters) were executed near - on the temporary built wooden scaffold.
It is mistake! These persons was killed no there! I was doing on the Bolotnaya Ploschad (sump square). This place is not so far from there.
I am skeptical. Between the name of the place AND the overwhelming amount of contemporary evidence AND the fact that it has a fixture for placing execution equipment, it's a safe bet Lobnoye Mesto was a place of executions. Probably not the ONLY place, but certainly the most prominent one. And there is enough tradition to the effect that both Razin and Pugachev were executed there to assume it's probably true. At least for a tourist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Riiksman
Strleltsy (shutters) were executed near - on the temporary built wooden scaffold.
Shutters: шторы, ставни
Streltsy is technically "shooters", but you should translate idiomatically. In idiomatic translation, they were royal guards.
Question to Redisca: Why did you choose this nick? Are you ex-russian?
Yep. From Moscow, too.
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)
Warm winter 2008
Moscow ZOO, september 2008
