Pictures of summer 2001

Bike season opening at the end of april 2001 - the ferry from Kronshtadt to Oranienbaum. This picture is typical abroad (I mean, the number of bikes at one place ), in Russia you can see it once per year on a special occasion.

I've been there! At the bottom there's a snippet of my heavily modified Soviet-made "Tourist" bike, which I sold off two month later, two days before leaving to Finland - the frame was too big for me. Afterwards I spent the money from the contest on my first ever mountain bike, Merida Matts Drifter.

The former church in Primorsk (Koivisto) and very small Kostya Menshikoff.

The same, me instead of Kostya.

Vyborg (Viipuri), Monrepo park. Very cool place. Rocks, karelian nature and stuff.

Me and my groupmates. Our faculty building in the background.

My former groupmates, after the "Technology of programming" exam.

Shortly after arrival to Mikkeli! At the main city square, after having purchased my first mobile phone Nokia 3110 for 20$. Cheng showed me all the places where you can find used phones - there are around 5-6 of them in Mikkeli, per 30000 people. жителей.

Our student hostel, which everyone called MOAS. Have to admit, it is far more comfortable than russian student hostels. It is much more expensive also - around 100$ per bed per month. The main feature would have to be the free sauna in the basement which can also be used to accomodate guests for a couple of days.

The nearest lake. Standing with Alexei from St.Petersburg University, who lived with Chinese guys and thus learned to handle the sticks quite well. At the lake you can find the tower (5,7,10 meters) and everything else you may need for enjoyable sunbath and swimming. (and also occasional topplers, who are not a problem at all)

5 o'clock in the morning. Beer is gone, the nearest kiosk opens in two hours. Hence the art installation made from a flagstaff, a firtree, a thing used to bite the dust from the carpets a chair, and a mop. Concept: Ilari Mikkonen, implementation: Ilari and me.

Me and half-finn-half-italian Pasi, wating for the ferry across Saimaa lake. We're on our way to Ilari's summer cottage. Shortly after removing the silencer from Ilari's car.

On the ferry with Zhenya (everyone calls him Angel).

This is Ilari's parents' farm. They invited us to have dinner and there were eight of us there - we made quite a damage to the supplies I think!

Mina olen opiskelija venajassa. At the main entrance to the Mikkeli Polytechnic, where I was studying.

In Savonlinna. Bulging things on the towers are the most ancient toilets I've ever seen.

Same fortress, view from the railway bridge. There's an opera festival there in the summertime.

In Turku. Leaving to Stockholm on the Viking Line. ferry. Wow! That was probably the highlight of the whole summer. The prices are approximately 225 FIM per head for cabin ticket and 65 for cabinless one. If you go cabinless, you can sleep on the floor or (if you're quick) take a seat that's very much like on a plane. There's also a tax-free shop which unfortunately only sells useless things like alcohol and candies. It's forbidden to drink it on board so cabin owners pay not just for the bed but also for the way to hide from security's eagle-eyes. Or you can go to the countless bars if you don't mind ridiculous prices (even by Finnish standards!) - 25 FIM per beer, 28 per cocktail. There're also Internet terminals - 10 FIM per 15 minutes.

Stockholm, 7 o'clock in the morning. The city is so beautiful and lively, that I constantly forgot to make photos. Thus it turned out more boring than it actually is (usually the reverse is true).

Stadshuset. City Hall, that is.

Waiting for the small ship that goes between city park area Djurgarden and the old town Gamla Stan.

To the old town!

From left to right: our Stockholm guide Marten. He's studying physics and he came to my university to study at the Radiophysics Faculty, where he met Marina, who's staning next. Marina then came to Mikkeli where she met me (standing on the right, trying to display how fine I felt at the moment).

In the old town. Me and Kostya Menshikoff who drove us to Turku and back. This is his report (in Russian).

This is probably the widest street in the old town. It looks like everything is set up for the tourists - cafes and shops, but real people also live in these houses, Marten's parents assured me.

The biggest church in the old town - Tyskakyrkan.

Second from the left is Italian guy Jiammaria. There were four of us travelling to Stockholm - Marina, Kostya, Jiammaria and me.

On the main square. Notice the flag, put out by cafe's owners.

Royal palace. Despite tourists hanging around everywhere, the king does live here, Martin says.

Royal guard. Stands for the tourists who constantly make silly photos, very much like the guard of honour that used to stand at the Lenin's Mausoleum at the Red Square in Moscow.

Everything but the weather was fine in Stockholm: in the morning th sky was clean, but then it got cloudy and it rained accoasionally. Here Marina and me are trying to escape from the rain.

Parliament's building. Afterwards there were tons of interesting things and before too, but I simply forgot to take pictures (and before didn't take too much of them either).

Southern part of the city. Quite different to the northern - much more laid back and calm, but still has it's atmosphere. Both parts are worth visiting.

The ferry leaves soon! I'm certain that I'll be back - I got tickets to Radiohead and Air concerts, so there's no way back (er, I got to find money to get here twice more, that is).

Ah! Ilari and Julia are going to have some pizza in public place. This is not their daily outfit.

Me at the Salvador Dali exhibition in the art centre Retretti close to Savonlinna. The famous clock was there in a lot of versions, I chose the most appropriate for making a picure (that was forbidden by the way). Part of the centre is located in the caves which is very handy when it comes to the art installations - you can do everything you want with the light, sound and water.

From left to right: Julia, Ilari, Angel, my roommate Yuri. They try to go round the Savonlinna fortress.

Me and Julia. In the meantime, our heroes went further. They couldn't make a full circle, first because the rock climbing turned out to be much more difficult when they got further, second, because they were noticed by the police on a boat. The police limited themselves to the warning through the megaphone.

Angel at the kitchen. The hat was left by one German, the cape and the mushroom were picked up by Angel. A concept photo, as they say.

I'm blonde!

Me and Pasi at Mikkeli's central square.

The morning after the Radiohead concert. I slept at Marten's parents' place ( he left to Uppsala to study already). This is their house and Marten's mom Karen.

The same, with Marten's dad Lars.

Finnish fans of Radiohead (and one Russian) are waiting for the trains to Helsinki and to Oulu at the Turku Harbour station. There were around 50 fans on the ferry so I had someone to talk with.

Going to Stockholm for the third time (I'm crazy, I know). To see Air live, this time. Most of the time the ferry goes between Turku islands and Aland islands.

There's also the open sea (Baltic) but you always see land on the horizon.

Morning in Stockholm again - after Air concert. Lars took me to the Viking terminal by car - huge thanks for that. Being in a rush, I chose the wrong size of the t-shirt. I put it on nevertheless, hoping to find someone on the ferry. Found exactly one person, and even he slipped away every time I saw him, so I never got the chance to discuss the concert.

Back in Russia! Time to catch up with the studies. After the economics lecture.

My groupmates buy their monthly public transport passes.

Several attempts to take a picture with my cat. Only the last one is ok, and the film unexpectedly finished after that. I was sure it had 36 frames, not 24... So it's time to save money for the digicam...

	Bike season opening at the end of april 2001 - the ferry from Kronshtadt to Oranienbaum. This picture is typical abroad (I mean, the number of bikes at one place ), in Russia you can see it once per year on a special occasion.
	I've been there! At the bottom there's a snippet of my heavily modified Soviet-made "Tourist" bike, which I sold off two month later, two days before leaving to Finland - the frame was too big for me. Afterwards I spent the money from the contest on my first ever mountain bike, Merida Matts Drifter.
	The former church in Primorsk (Koivisto) and very small Kostya Menshikoff.
	The same, me instead of Kostya.
	Vyborg (Viipuri), Monrepo park. Very cool place. Rocks, karelian nature and stuff.
	Me and my groupmates. Our faculty building in the background.
	My former groupmates, after the "Technology of programming" exam.
	Shortly after arrival to Mikkeli! At the main city square, after having purchased my first mobile phone Nokia 3110 for 20$. Cheng showed me all the places where you can find used phones - there are around 5-6 of them in Mikkeli, per 30000 people. жителей.
	Our student hostel, which everyone called MOAS. Have to admit, it is far more comfortable than russian student hostels. It is much more expensive also - around 100$ per bed per month. The main feature would have to be the free sauna in the basement which can also be used to accomodate guests for a couple of days.
	The nearest lake. Standing with Alexei from St.Petersburg University, who lived with Chinese guys and thus learned to handle the sticks quite well. At the lake you can find the tower (5,7,10 meters) and everything else you may need for enjoyable sunbath and swimming. (and also occasional topplers, who are not a problem at all)
	5 o'clock in the morning. Beer is gone, the nearest kiosk opens in two hours. Hence the art installation made from a flagstaff, a firtree, a thing used to bite the dust from the carpets a chair, and a mop. Concept: Ilari Mikkonen, implementation: Ilari and me.
	Me and half-finn-half-italian Pasi, wating for the ferry across Saimaa lake. We're on our way to Ilari's summer cottage. Shortly after removing the silencer from Ilari's car.
	On the ferry with Zhenya (everyone calls him Angel).
	This is Ilari's parents' farm. They invited us to have dinner and there were eight of us there - we made quite a damage to the supplies I think!
	Mina olen opiskelija venajassa. At the main entrance to the Mikkeli Polytechnic, where I was studying.
	In Savonlinna. Bulging things on the towers are the most ancient toilets I've ever seen.
	Same fortress, view from the railway bridge. There's an opera festival there in the summertime.
	In Turku. Leaving to Stockholm on the Viking Line. ferry. Wow! That was probably the highlight of the whole summer. The prices are approximately 225 FIM per head for cabin ticket and 65 for cabinless one. If you go cabinless, you can sleep on the floor or (if you're quick) take a seat that's very much like on a plane. There's also a tax-free shop which unfortunately only sells useless things like alcohol and candies. It's forbidden to drink it on board so cabin owners pay not just for the bed but also for the way to hide from security's eagle-eyes. Or you can go to the countless bars if you don't mind ridiculous prices (even by Finnish standards!) - 25 FIM per beer, 28 per cocktail. There're also Internet terminals - 10 FIM per 15 minutes.
	Stockholm, 7 o'clock in the morning. The city is so beautiful and lively, that I constantly forgot to make photos. Thus it turned out more boring than it actually is (usually the reverse is true).
	Stadshuset. City Hall, that is.
	Waiting for the small ship that goes between city park area Djurgarden and the old town Gamla Stan.
	To the old town!
	From left to right: our Stockholm guide Marten. He's studying physics and he came to my university to study at the Radiophysics Faculty, where he met Marina, who's staning next. Marina then came to Mikkeli where she met me (standing on the right, trying to display how fine I felt at the moment).
	In the old town. Me and Kostya Menshikoff who drove us to Turku and back. This is his report (in Russian).
	This is probably the widest street in the old town. It looks like everything is set up for the tourists - cafes and shops, but real people also live in these houses, Marten's parents assured me.
	The biggest church in the old town - Tyskakyrkan.
	Second from the left is Italian guy Jiammaria. There were four of us travelling to Stockholm - Marina, Kostya, Jiammaria and me.
	On the main square. Notice the flag, put out by cafe's owners.
	Royal palace. Despite tourists hanging around everywhere, the king does live here, Martin says.
	Royal guard. Stands for the tourists who constantly make silly photos, very much like the guard of honour that used to stand at the Lenin's Mausoleum at the Red Square in Moscow.
	Everything but the weather was fine in Stockholm: in the morning th sky was clean, but then it got cloudy and it rained accoasionally. Here Marina and me are trying to escape from the rain.
	Parliament's building. Afterwards there were tons of interesting things and before too, but I simply forgot to take pictures (and before didn't take too much of them either).
	Southern part of the city. Quite different to the northern - much more laid back and calm, but still has it's atmosphere. Both parts are worth visiting.
	The ferry leaves soon! I'm certain that I'll be back - I got tickets to Radiohead and Air concerts, so there's no way back (er, I got to find money to get here twice more, that is).
	Ah! Ilari and Julia are going to have some pizza in public place. This is not their daily outfit.
	Me at the Salvador Dali exhibition in the art centre Retretti close to Savonlinna. The famous clock was there in a lot of versions, I chose the most appropriate for making a picure (that was forbidden by the way). Part of the centre is located in the caves which is very handy when it comes to the art installations - you can do everything you want with the light, sound and water.
	From left to right: Julia, Ilari, Angel, my roommate Yuri. They try to go round the Savonlinna fortress.
	Me and Julia. In the meantime, our heroes went further. They couldn't make a full circle, first because the rock climbing turned out to be much more difficult when they got further, second, because they were noticed by the police on a boat. The police limited themselves to the warning through the megaphone.
	Angel at the kitchen. The hat was left by one German, the cape and the mushroom were picked up by Angel. A concept photo, as they say.
	I'm blonde!
	Me and Pasi at Mikkeli's central square.
	The morning after the Radiohead concert. I slept at Marten's parents' place ( he left to Uppsala to study already). This is their house and Marten's mom Karen.
	The same, with Marten's dad Lars.
	Finnish fans of Radiohead (and one Russian) are waiting for the trains to Helsinki and to Oulu at the Turku Harbour station. There were around 50 fans on the ferry so I had someone to talk with.
	Going to Stockholm for the third time (I'm crazy, I know). To see Air live, this time. Most of the time the ferry goes between Turku islands and Aland islands.
	There's also the open sea (Baltic) but you always see land on the horizon.
	Morning in Stockholm again - after Air concert. Lars took me to the Viking terminal by car - huge thanks for that. Being in a rush, I chose the wrong size of the t-shirt. I put it on nevertheless, hoping to find someone on the ferry. Found exactly one person, and even he slipped away every time I saw him, so I never got the chance to discuss the concert.
	Back in Russia! Time to catch up with the studies. After the economics lecture.
	My groupmates buy their monthly public transport passes.

Pictures of summer 2001

Made by Alexander Kanavin. E-mail to ak@sensi.org