Capturing Russia from white to black, north to south, east to west

Posts Tagged "Solovetsky Island"

Solovetsky Island Retiree

SOLOVETSKY ISLAND: As I walked to one of the few stores on Solovetsky Island, I stopped to take some photos of sheep and a cow nearby. This older man walked over and began to chat with me. He said his family moved to Solovetsky Island from Belarus more than 50 years ago. Consequently, he grew up here. Now 55, he said he is retired. When the conversation ended, I excused myself and said I was headed to the store. He said he was going there as well to get a bottle, but quickly explained, "I will not drink tomorrow. I am going into the forest." I asked if he was going to the forest for some sort of part-time work. Timber after all is one of the main sectors of the North Russia economy. ''I am going to gather mushrooms," he said. Autumn is the season to pick mushrooms, which are plentiful in the northern forests.