Here are some other pictures of the Ryazan experience that might interest you.
Ryazan was the birthplace of Sergei Yesenin, one of Russia's great poets. Because Yesenin was born in Ryazan, of course there are many monuments built in his memory and many streets and building named for him. Here, at the right, are three.
A beautiful birch forest - typically Russian
This is located in a park off Lenin Street.
While in Ryazan, we did have access to e-mail so we could keep in touch with our families at home. But, if we wanted to call them, the best place was at the Ryazan Telephone and Telegraph Office on Pochtovaya Street. You would pay the lady for the number of minutes you wanted to talk, she would connect you, then you would go to one of the booths shown at left to make the call.
This is located in the stairway of Ryazan State Pedagogical University named for Sergei Yesenin.
Lenin is still a popular figure in Russia, especially outside of Moscow. In Ryazan, the statue on the left is located in Lenin Square. The photo below the statue is of Lenin Street, one of the main streets in Ryazan.
At the end of Lenin Street is the Ryazan Drama Theater. Most Russian cities of many cultural arts centers such as drama theaters, puppet theaters, circuses, and concert halls. At the right is a close-up photo of the Drama Theater. This theater was closed during the summer months so we were unable to attend a performance while we were in Ryazan.
This is located rather close to the Ryazan Kremlin.
While in Ryazan, we associated most frequently with the people on the left. At the far left is Aleksandr Pribylov (Sasha). He is the husband of Elena Biryukova (Lena) at his left. They were our hosts and spent a great deal of time with us. They ate with us in the cafe, traveled with us on weekend trips, and stayed with us while we worked in Meshchersky National Park. Sasha is a computer scientist with a strong interest in ecology. Lena is an ecologist and she assisted in planning the Ryazan Seminar. Next to Lena is Vladimir Rogatin, our Russian language teacher. Next to Vladimir is Sergei Demidov, our Russian history teacher. At their feet is Alyona, the daughter of Sasha and Lena. The items in the photo are gifts we left with them when we left Russia.
At left are Sasha and Lena doing the "Titanic" thing while we were on a boat ride on the Oka River which flows adjacent to Ryazan. On the right are Lena's mother, father, and daughter. Below Lena's parents is a photo of three of Lena's students, Marina, Zhenya, and Kolya. They were a big help while we were in Ryazan. Marina obtained train tickets for our trip to St. Petersburg. Zhenya and Kolya made several trips to various locations to assist in administrative matters. Also, Kolya has helped me personally by obtaining data from the State Statistical Committee. They are third-year Ecology Students.
At left is Sasha wearing an Arkansas Razorback shirt we gave him.
