Sketches from Russia 2012

Heading to Smolensk the bus driver had a great moustache and there were lots of huge borshevik plants by the road. They apparently burn the skin like fire upon contact, many were around 6ft tall – best avoided

Bus driver, moustache in Russian is said 'ous', lady waiting for the bus

1st stop on the 12 hour bus journey to Velizh

The beginning of the beautiful birch trees

Woodpecker sign and people in the bark

Birch

Evening view from where we camped and worked in the forest, smoke rising from the bania (or sauna) the children's camp built the other side of the wild field, the reddy bark visible only on a few pine trees in the fading evening light and the wispy mist engulfing the area in an eerie cloud.

Birch and local leaves, felt-tip, tippex and pen

Local plant

This little blue purple flower was my favourite

Vadim driving me out of the forest

Hermitage archaeological dig drawings

These are my photos of the drawings, scans are coming...thankfully

These artefacts were found in peat around the Dvina River, Smolensk region, Russia and in the silt riverbed, they are from two Neolithic pile-dwelling sites, around 4–5,000 years old.

Spearhead made from animal (elk?) bone

Fishing net sinker, clay wrapped in reed

Fishing net sinker, stone wrapped in reed

Stone sinkers and net made from twisted reeds

What the fishing net and wooden fence found would have looked like in the river

Fishing trap not being used

Fishing trap in place

Pile-dwelling 

Pile dwellings location along the river and activity next to the river