About the Image(s)

We were fortunate to take the Trans-Siberian railroad on a private train from Vladivostok to Moscow in 2017 (when you could still visit Russia). The trip passed through endless Siberian birch forests that went on and on for days of travel. The train periodically stopped at villages and cities along the route. One stop was in Ulan Ude, reputed to hold the world’s largest head of Lenin. When the Soviet Union fell in the early 1990’s, many residents wanted nothing more to do with Lenin and Communism, but many older residents lamented its fall. Two sides pitched their various views in an on-going pro and con dispute centering on removing the head from its position in front of what was their equivalent to the city hall. Legend has it that the dispute reached the ears of Vladimir Putin who, in an unofficial opinion as legend has it, weighed in by purportedly saying: “Let the head stand-It is part of our history.” Thus ended the Russian version of a dispute over political correctness, Russian style, and the head stands today.

Gear: Olympus EM-10, m-Zuiko 14-150mm, opened to 36mm
Data: ISO 200, f 11, 1/500 sec.
Metering: Pattern
WB: Manual, measured directly, Kelvin Temperature not recorded
EV: -.3
Date Image created: August 10, 2017