Ekaterinburg, Russia

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"Shop "Parizhsky shik" (Paris Glamour), Pokrovsky Ave (named after the Protection of the Virgin). Nowadays it is Malyshev Street"

When I first saw this card I thought it was an old building stood in front of new ones but as I peered closer realised that it was an old black and white photograph at the place where the shop had stood.superimposed on top of a photograph of the street as it is now. It is a concept that could be done in many towns, like my own, where wonderful buildings have been knocked down in the past.

Ekaterinburg is probably most commonly remembered as where, after the Russian Revolution in 1918, the Tsar and his family were executed  in Ipatiev House. The house no longer stands as it was demolished in 1977 on instruction from the Politburo.  Now the newly built Church of the Blood stands there.

The vast landmass of Russia spreads from Europe to Asia and Ekaterinburg sits on the border between the two continents. Founded in 1723 on the eastern side of the Urals by the River Iset it is named after Saint Catherine, patron saint of miners.  Its first big industry was a large iron-making works and it is still a place of industry and research centres. During World War 2 many factories were relocated away from the war torn areas to the west so production could continue and a large part of the Hermitage's art collection was also temporarily transferred here.

Ekaterinburg is a great cultural centre for it has several dozen library, 30 museums and is famous for its many theatres.  I think my sender will find lots to do for she is staying in this town although she lives 99 kilometres away in the small town of Bogdanovich. If she takes the train the timetable will still refer to Ekaterinburg by its Soviet name, Sverdlovsk. The other exciting thing about the city is that it is an important railway junction for the Trans-Siberian Railway or Trans-Mongolian Railway, I've just had an imaginary journey here  My sender likes to travel although she would like to come in the other direction to the UK. The card came with

the 2009 definitive Kremlin stamps. Two 10R of Astrakhan Kremlin and the 3.00 of the Rostov Kremlin plus one of the 1998 .10 definitives of a combine harvester in a field.

Thank you Julia for this interesting card.