Russia 2008

Photos by Adam Jones

These photos were taken on a month-long trip to Russia in May-June 2008.

Gallery 6: St. Petersburg & Prokhorovka

I.

This photo and following: inside the Artillery Museum.

II.

The famous Katyusha multiple rocket-launcher, mounted on the chassis of a
Ford truck, which terrified German soldiers on the receiving end in World War Two more than any
other weapon. They nicknamed it the "Stalin Organ."

III.

Engines for 1950s-era Soviet nuclear missiles; a missile tail-section in the background.

IV.

Conscript soldiers chat outside the Artillery Museum.

Continuing with the military theme (don't worry, we will get over it):
from St. Petersburg, we headed 16 hours south on the overnight train to the city of Kursk, famous
as the crux of the titanic clash of arms in July 1943, when the Soviets repelled a German offensive
in the biggest tank battles ever fought, and threw Hitler on the defensive for the rest of the war.
Despite its name, the Battle of Kursk did not come close to Kursk itself; rather, the decisive engagement
was fought outside the small town of Prokhorovka, about two hours away by a slow local train. We had no
idea what we would find there, but it proved to be a delightful little community, with (fortunately) a hotel ...

V.

En route to Prokhorovka, we took some advice from young Andrei, a resident of the town who shared our railway
carriage. Andrei is a big soccer fan, and was eager to clue us in on the result of the Champion's League
final match, played between Chelsea and Manchester United in Moscow the night before. Man. U. won on penalties.

VI.

The author outside the Prokhorovka railway station. Photo by Griselda Ramírez.

VII.

Disembarking at the Prokhorovka station.

VIII.

The reason for that lone hotel in Prokhorovka is not the wartime history, but an Orthodox
monastery just across the street, reconstructed under the Boris Yeltsin regime in the mid-1990s.

IX.

The elegant lobby of the Hotel Complex Projorovskoe, where we stayed.

X.

It was Griselda who pointed out the theme of the sculpture in the lobby:
a Russian mother mourning her son killed in the war.

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