Monday, December 29, 2014

Debates about basically nothing

As the year approaches its end, it would be very pertinently to ask, what happened this year, what we have achieved, what new and unusual is awaiting ahead. And such thoughts are not vain: a year passed, leaving a lot of different events, good and bag, behind. The fourteenth year of the New Millennium will not be left behind as something grey, forgotten or better-to-forgret. At one point, a lot of things happened, and on the other, nothing tremendous. What I mean is, let's suppose you live a hundred years since now, and studying history. You are preparing yourself for the exam. You know that in the morning of the next day your teacher will ask you: "Okay, my darling, tell me what happened one hundred years before now?". And you will stand at the backboard, shy, not knowing what to say.
Lies. In this publication I'll try to explain why.
A New Year tree, decorated in front of
"Motherland" cultural center, Kovrov
Weather is kidding.
"A little Venice" in Kovrov
after the rain on 18 Dec.

A lot had happened this year. If you are wondering what exactly, I'd suggest you to visit the YouTube website and watch the so-called viral video there, under the name "YouTube Rewind: Turn Down for 2014". Check it: it's already there and had been for twenty days already. This is, to be said, a completely different topic to discuss. At some point that video represents the modern culture, and how the year outgoing will be remembered in future. Remember the 2114 history lesson: what after watching that video will you come up with to tell the teacher?
Victory square memorial under reconstruction.
Building governance house-building combine's
brand crane.

Obviously, it's all about the culture. The culture, as you know, can be divided into two types: popular and elite. It is commonly confused that the popular culture is "cheap, inexpensive and so-called "dirty" - i.e. not morally and ethically right, but meeting the needs of the majority", while the elite culture is "best but inaccessible, velvet, glamorous, &tc." Again wrong. The difference is, the popular culture represents the common interest, like the video to which I've linked you above represented the videos uploaded on YouTube this year, which were watched most of the times. This is a great illustration of popular culture for it represents what music did people generally listen this year, what videos and entertainment did they like. Elite culture is something very different. It can't be measured with numbers: page visits, newspaper or magazine circulation, &tc. Let's suppose you are a big fan of making snowmen. It is your most adored bobbie: you know which weather is the best to make a snowman, what humidity, and things like that, you know how exactly to make and what to decorate it with, so it is best. And the snowmen you make are masterpieces. There are a very few people who can make snowmen like you do. And this is what elite culture is. It's not about numbers because it's not for everyone.
One of the abandoned industrial buildings, 
center of Moscow (Garden ring, Novinsky blvd).


If someone asks me on which of the
cultures I am more focused, which
one of them do I find my favorite, I
will not give the certain answer.
Maybe because I love both. For the
first, I write. To be more specific, I
like essays or anecdotes more.
From the things I wrote this year,
mostly everything is to be read
for/by children, which doesn't
automatically mean that it wouldn't
be interesting for other audience.
It's popular.


In such warm, where did the ice cubes came from?

For the latter, it's a number of things.
To illustrate, who knows that I love
skateboarding? I've opened this field,
which is sport, hobbie and passion at
the same time, for myself very
recently, and found it enough exciting
to devote a lot of my time, efforts and
energy to it. This year I became a
really big its fan, but I don't
mention it because not all my readers
are interested in it.
This culture is, again, elite.



Is that tree an addition to the porch?
Returning back to the modern history, this year I was a New York Times newspaper subscriber. I do not regret it, because every day I had a number of articles to read. After enjoying them, I did not put the paper in the recycling bin, as many do, but collected it for future reference, because almost every article was interesting and specific to the topic it was about. I just came ip with a thought that I've collected a very big and detailed history textbook for this year.
20th of December. Sunset on Volgograd avenue.

New Year tree made of golden balls - who said it's too mainstream? Atrium, 22nd of December.
Architecture changes, toilet remains!
The construction being unfinished for 5th year or more.





CAT is high.



Just a photo. Greetings to those who is
still reading captions. Butovo, 24th of Dec.



The subway introvert.
Fur money. Used to be a currency once.
"Are you paying with cash, credit or fur?"
From State Historical Museum.

As I predicted, this year was a kind of "fairy-talish", especially in my works. I wrote a lot of children stories as well as same stories for grown-ups; anecdotes, non-fiction essays and many, many more. Mostly my works were focused on children. I wrote about them and for them. And some of my short stories, which I'm the best in, were already rated by my younger relatives.



In State Historical Museum, the antique lighting attracted my attention as well.

 Another question, which appears on such pre-New Year days is, what are we looking forward to see in the year following? This is not less important. The attitude, with which we will see the New Year in will remain with us for its entire length. Will Smith once said, "If every morning you will wake up with a thought that this day something great will necessarily happen, it will." This suggestion is, without any doubt, true. The moral attitude is sometimes the most powerful weapon as well as demotivation.

Exhibits of State Historical Museum.
So, what the year ahead will surprise us with? My predictions are, with a lot of pleasant things. Looking back in history and analyzing political and economical situation of the World in modern times,  it seems to me that at present time we are reaching some sort of civilization peak, which will occur during next three years with the continuance to the next six years. The situation will not only remain stable, but will continue to improve. Maybe in six years something will change, maybe the economical crisis will start, maybe the war will ignite, or the volcano in Yellowstone will erupt, who knows? Anything can happen. But for six more years humanity will live calmly and happily. And the three years ahead, especially next one, will bring a lot.
in Kovrov railway terminal.
The shops and food court

To be more certain, we can expect a lot in popular and elite culture. A lot of new, different and hence interesting. My personal forecast is very positive, at least before early 2021. We should expect more innovations in both real and virtual cultures: we will see a lot of new musicians, artists, and other cultural figures which will be adored. A lot of new will be introduced into the Internet culture as well: many bloggers, YouTubers, critics, essayists, and other persons will appear under the spotlight, showing their talented works.
I congratulate you with the beginning of the New Year, and wish you much health, happiness, love and wealth. One more year I will sincerely be with you here on Blogger, as well as on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. It is very likely that I will broadcast myself through some other sources; in that case, I will announce.

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