london diary

january 2005

 

my london diary

in the middle of the month we had another festival in trafalgar square, a new event, red square, sw1, a russian winter festival. the date was chosen to celebrate russian new year, as marked by the old calendar.

it was a long event, run in cooperation with moscow city government and many russian businesses trading in the uk to give a spectacular event, although i only stared for the first few hours, missing the big celebrations, the rock concert, the ice skating at somerset house and more.

apparently parts of the event were going out live to 20 million listeners on russian radio, and one of their presenters was on hand. i couldn't follow her russian, but it was clearly less nauseating than the cod demagogic patronising presenter from some uk radio station we were favoured with.

ken livingstone opened proceedings along with the deputy mayor of moscow, giving me a chance to have a bit of a rest and a fine but overpriced baltika beer, imported from st petersburg. at a sensible price i could develop a taste for it. apparently ken's dad took part in the hazardous process of transporting materials to russia through the baltic sea during ww2. it was the kind of sea that turned immediately to ice when it splashes over the hull and rigging, the weather often sinking the ships that evaded the torpedoes. as a celebration of war-time cooperation against hitler, a number of british legion standard bearers formed up in front of the stage.

then it was time for the alexandrov red army choir, founded in 1928 to glorify the revolution by the composer of the soviet national anthem. despite regime change, the choir is still going strong, and their voices filled the square, stirring many of us.

however it wasn't a very visual event, and though i tried a few ideas, i soon gave up and abandoned myself to the music.

as they finished, i went to the side of the stage to photograph the men as they came down. there i met two irish women, one clutching an old LP, leaning next to me over the security barrier. as a schoolgirl she had attended a red army choir performance in dublin in the 1950s, and the record was from 1956. she had come to hear the choir perform again, and brought the record for them to sign.

she attracted the attention of a young musician and told him her story. he looked at the picture on the sleeve, and told her that although obviously he was not on it, some of the others there today were, as was his father. he called over some older musicians, and an animated discussion followed.

i was well placed to photograph the men, and made the most of it. the highlight was when the most fantastic bass soloist came across, a large barrel of a man. His speaking voice had much the same timbre as his song, and he treated us to a short demonstration of those resonant deep bass sounds.

finally i tore myself away to photograph some of the other choir members, and got sidetracked by various people in fancy dress, including a 'father frost' or saint nicholas and his rather attractive female helper, the snow maiden. a few weeks earlier i had been talking to a young russian woman who worked for the police and annually played the job of father frost's helper.

oh yes, there was fake snow on the lions, some very weird folk dancing involving things that looked rather like dustbin lids weilded by fur-coated women with a lot of heavy breathing rather than singing, russian dolls, food and more.
more pictures

earlier i was photographing a rather more serious event, a march by falun gong supporters to the chinese embassy. to me, falun gong seems a harmless form of meditation exercises, available to anyone without charge and following the admirable principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance, but the chinese government seem to regard it as the most dangerous form of terrorism.

the chinese leadership apparently see falun gong as a return to a traditonal way of life that must be stamped out, and the weapon they use is brutal tortures in forced labour camps. physical tortures, including beatings, electric shocks, immersion, chaining for hours and days and the infamous 'tiger bench' are used together with psychological attacks including humiliation and sleep deprivation.

the demonstration included both dancers celebrating traditional chinese culture and also reminders of the many who have suffered and died in the torture camps, as well as some of the torture re-enactment that have shocked many who have seen them.
more images

as usual, january for me started with the new year parade in westminster...

read more on page two

 

 

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some of my work gets put into nice organised websites.

this isn't meant to be like that, but you can see some of the rest at

london pictures
londons industrial history

and you can read what I think about photography at

>Re:PHOTO

All pictures on this section of the site are © Peter Marshall 2005;
to buy prints or for permission to reproduce pictures or to comment on this site, or for any other questions,

contact me

your comments may be added to the site - or not.
Payment may be waived for acceptable non-profit uses.

some of my work gets put into nice organised websites.

this isn't meant to be like that, but you can see some of the rest at

london pictures
londons industrial history

and you can read what I think about photography at

>Re:PHOTO

All pictures on this section of the site are © Peter Marshall 2005;
to but prints or for permission to reproduce pictures or to comment on this site, or for any other questions,

contact me

your comments may be added to the site - or not.
Payment may be waived for acceptable non-profit uses.


Red Square, SW1- Russian Winter Festival

Trafalgar Square, London. 15 January 2005

British Legion Standard Bearers in Trafalgar Square, London, January 15, 2005

Red Army Choir members talk to Irish fan, Trafalgar Square, London, 15 Jan 2005.

 


Bass soloist from the Red Army choir about to sign fan's record from 1956. Trafalgar Sq, London.


A chilly looking lion in Trafalgar Square, though the Russian winter here is fake snow.


The Snow Maiden and Father Frost in Trafalgar Square, London, 15 Jan, 2005

more pictures

 

Falun Gong Demonstrate - Chinese Torturers

Westminster - Portland Place, London, 15 Jan, 2005

Woman carrying picture decorated with flowers of Falun Gong practioner tortured by Chinese.
Chinese dancers - Falun Gong supporters - march to Chinese Embassy to protest against torture. London, 15 Jan, 2005
Pictures of tortured supporters on display later in Trafalgar Square, London, 15 Jan, 2005.
more pictures

read more on page two


 

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