My Russia - #3 - Gorokhovets

View of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, in the courtyards of Gorokhovets, Vladimir oblast.

Sent by Alina from Tobolsk in Tyuemen oblast, Russia.

Gorokhovets (Russian: Горохове́ц) is a town and the administrative center of Gorokhovetsky District in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the highway from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod. It also serves as a river port on the Klyazma River.

Population: 12,666 (2021 Census) 14,016 (2010 Census); 14,524 (2002 Census);15,783 (1989 Soviet census).

The name of the town originates from the Russian word "горох" (gorokh, "peas").

Gorokhovets was first mentioned in a 1239 chronicle, when it was sacked by the Mongols. It is believed that a minor fortress had existed there for several preceding decades.

In 1539, the Tatars of Kazan were about to burn it but retreated upon allegedly seeing a ghost in a shape of a gigantic knight with a sword. After that, the mount where the apparition was seen came to be known as Puzhalovo ("frightening one") (read more).

USA - Hawaii - Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historic Park

KALOKO-HONOKŌHAU NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK

The hālau wa’a (canoe shed) called the people to gather at the ‘Ai’opio fish trap in earlier centuries. This area was at the heart of daily activities as men launched canoes from the shore while women, with children at their sides, collected limu (edible seaweeds) and shellfish.

Sent by Michele from Hilo in Hawaii, USA.

Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the Kona District on Hawaiʻi Island in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. It includes the National Historic Landmarked archaeological site known as the Honokōhau Settlement. The park was established on November 10, 1978, for the preservation, protection and interpretation of traditional native Hawaiian activities and culture.

Kaloko and Honokōhau are the names of two of the four different ahupuaʻa, or traditional mountain-to-sea land divisions encompassed by the park. Although in ancient times this arid area of lava rock was called kekaha ʻaʻole wai (lands without water), the abundant sea life attracted settlement for hundreds of years.

Kaloko (meaning "the pond" in the Hawaiian language) is a site of fishponds used in ancient Hawaiʻi is on the north end of the park. The first reference to the pond comes from the story of Kamalalawalu, about 300 years ago. The kuapā (seawall) is over 30 feet (9.1 m) wide and 6 feet (1.8 m) high, stretching for 750 feet (230 m). Constructed by hand without mortar, the angle and gaps between the stones deflected the surf better than many modern concrete seawalls (read more).

USA - Oregon -Three Sisters

THREE SISTERS WILDERNESS

Cascade Mountains, Oregon

Reflections of a beautiful moonrise are cast in Scott Lake.

Sent by Shelby from Beaverton in Oregon, USA.

The Three Sisters are closely spaced volcanic peaks in the U.S. state of Oregon. They are part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Cascade Range in western North America extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. Each over 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) in elevation, they are the third-, fourth- and fifth-highest peaks in Oregon. Located in the Three Sisters Wilderness at the boundary of Lane and Deschutes counties and the Willamette and Deschutes national forests, they are about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of the nearest town, Sisters. Diverse species of flora and fauna inhabit the area, which is subject to frequent snowfall, occasional rain, and extreme temperature variation between seasons. The mountains, particularly South Sister, are popular destinations for climbing and scrambling.

Although they are often grouped together as one unit, the three mountains have their own individual geology and eruptive history. Neither North Sister nor Middle Sister have erupted in the last 14,000 years, and it is considered unlikely that either will ever erupt again. South Sister last erupted about 2,000 years ago and could erupt in the future, threatening life within the region. After satellite imagery detected ground inflation near South Sister in 2001, the United States Geological Survey improved monitoring in the immediate area (read more).

USA - Wisconsin - State Flower (Wood Violet) & State Bird (American Robin)

WISCONSIN

State Flower (Wood Violet) & State Bird (American Robin).

Sent by Angeliz from Wisconsin, USA.

Viola odorata is a species of flowering plant in the family Violaceae native to Eurasia. The small hardy herbaceous perennial is commonly known as wood violet, sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist's violet, or garden violet (read more).

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The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory bird of the true thrush genus and Turdidae, the wider thrush family. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the Old World flycatcher family. The American robin is widely distributed throughout North America, wintering from southern Canada to central Mexico and along the Pacific coast (read more).

USA - Ohio - Put-in-Bay

Put-in-Bay is a delightful resort community located on South Bass Island in western Lake Erie near Port Clinton, Ohio.

Sent by CJ from Ohio, USA.

Put-in-Bay is a resort village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States, 85 miles (137 km) west of Cleveland and 35 miles (56 km) east of Toledo. The population was 154 at the 2020 census.

The village is a popular summer resort and recreational destination. Ferry and airline services connect the community with Catawba Island, Kelleys Island, Port Clinton, and Sandusky, Ohio.

The bay played a significant role in the War of 1812 as the location of the squadron of U.S. naval commander Oliver Hazard Perry, who sailed from the port on September 10, 1813, to engage a British squadron just north of the island in the Battle of Lake Erie (read more).

USA - Nebraska - Nebraska Buffalo

NEBRASKA BUFFALO

North American Bison once roamed the plains of central and western Nebraska in large herds. Now only a few herds remain, among them one at the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, northeast of Valentine, Nebraska.

Sent by Debbie from Omaha in Nebraska, USA.

The change in the Nebraska landscape was dramatic. In just a few short years, cattle replaced the American bison as the leading, cloven-hoofed, grass-eating mammal on the Great Plains. In 1850, millions of bison ranged the grasslands and were the main natural resource for the region’s American Indians.

In 1868, the steel rails of the transcontinental railroad created a barrier that bison did not like to cross. That divided the great herd into northern and southern herds (read more).

Germany - Hamburg - Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus (2)

Hamburg.

Speicherstadt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sent by Ulrike from Syke, Germany.

This is my second postcard of Speicherstadt. My other one is here.

Germany - Bavaria - Pilgrimage Church Maria Gern

Snow-covered Pilgrimage Church of Maria Gern, Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria.

Sent by Eric from Freiberg, Germany.

Most famous pilgrimage churches in the Berchtesgadener Land: Maria Gern. Built in 1710, the church, with the imposing Watzmann mountain in the background, is one of the most popular photo motifs in the entire region (read more).

Finland - Ostrobothnia - Kaskinen

Kaskinen, an island in west coast of Finland.

Sent by Alisa from Järvenpää, Finland.

Kaskinen (Finnish: [ˈkɑskinen]; Swedish: Kaskö) is a town and island in Finland, located on the west coast of the country. Kaskinen is situated in Ostrobothnia, along the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Kaskinen approximately 1,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 17,000. It is the 284th most populous municipality in Finland.

Kaskinen covers an area of 10.64 km² (4.11 sq mi) (excluding sea areas) of which 0.16 km² (0.062 sq mi) is inland water (1 January 2018). The population density is 120.11/km² (311.1/sq mi).

Kaskinen is a bilingual municipality with Finnish and Swedish as its official languages. The population consists of 55% Finnish speakers, 28% Swedish speakers, and 17% speakers of other languages, which is well above the national average (read more).

Belarus - Church of Saints Simon and Helena

Watercolor painting of the Church of Saints Simon and Helena, also known as Red Church, located in Minsk, Belarus.

Sent by Ira from Bal’shavik in Belarus.

The Church of Saints Simon and Helena (Belarusian: Касьцёл сьвятых Сымона і Алены; Russian: Костёл Святого Симеона и Святой Елены, romanized: Kostel Svyatogo Simeona i Svyatoy Eleny); Polish: Kościół św. Szymona i św. Heleny w Mińsku), also known as the Red Church (Belarusian: Чырвоны касьцёл; Russian: Красная церковь, romanized: Krasnaya tserkov; Polish: Czerwony Kościół), is a Roman Catholic church on Independence Square in Minsk, Belarus.

This neo-Romanesque church was designed by Polish architects Tomasz Pajzderski and Władysław Marconi. The cornerstone was laid in 1905 and the church was completed in 1910. The bricks for its walls were sourced from Częstochowa, while the roof tiles came from Włocławek. Its construction was financed by Edward Woyniłłowicz (1847–1928), a prominent Belarusian-Polish landowner, businessman and civic activist. The church was named and consecrated in memory of Woyniłłowicz's two deceased children, Szymon and Helena.

After a small fire in part of the church in September 2022, officials banned the parish from continuing to use the church. Officials have rejected all attempts to have it reopened for worship (read more).

Indonesia - Jawa Tengah - Sam Poo Kong Temple

SAM POO KONG TEMPLE

The oldest Chinese temple in Semarang, Central Java. Originally established by the Chinese Muslim explorer Zheng He around 1400 - 1416.

Sent by Aghni from Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia.

Sam Poo Kong (Chinese: 三保洞; pinyin: Sānbǎo Dòng), also known as Gedung Batu Temple, is the oldest Chinese temple in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia. Originally established by the Chinese explorer Zheng He (also known as Ma Sanbao), it is now shared by Indonesians of multiple religious denominations, including Muslims and Buddhists, and ethnicities, including Chinese and Javanese.

The foundations of Sam Poo Kong were set when Chinese Muslim explorer Admiral Zheng He arrived in the western part of what is now Semarang via the Garang River; the year is disputed, with suggestions ranging from 1400 to 1416. After disembarking from his ships, Zheng found a cave in a rocky hillside and used it for prayer. He established a small temple before leaving Java but, having grown fond of the area, his deputy Wang Jing and several crewmen remained behind. A statuette of Zheng was installed in the cave (read more).

Indonesia - Sulawesi - Gorontalo

Traditional House in Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Sent by Dr. Arie from Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Gorontalo (Gorontaloan: Hulontalo) is a province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its inauguration as a separate province on 5 December 2000. The province is bordered by the provinces of North Sulawesi to the east and Central Sulawesi to the west, as well sharing a maritime border with the Philippines in the Sulawesi Sea to the north, and a coastline on the Gulf of Tomini to the south. The provincial capital, as well as the main gateway to the province and its most populated city, is Gorontalo (also often called Hulontalo). The size is comparable to Vanuatu.

The province covers a total land area of 12,025.15 square kilometres (4,642.94 sq mi) and had a population of 1,040,164 at the 2010 Census, and 1,171,681 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 1,213,180 (comprising 611,780 males and 601,400 females), resulting in a population density of 100.887 inhabitants per square kilometre (261.30/sq mi) (read more).

Remarkable Women #7 - Emmy Noether

Emmy Noether (1881 - 1935)

Mathematician and Theoretical Physicist.

Sent by Christian from Herbrechtingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Amalie Emmy Noether (23 March 1882 – 14 April 1935) was a German mathematician who made many important contributions to abstract algebra. She also proved Noether's first and second theorems, which are fundamental in mathematical physics. Noether was described by Pavel Alexandrov, Albert Einstein, Jean Dieudonné, Hermann Weyl, and Norbert Wiener as the most important woman in the history of mathematics. As one of the leading mathematicians of her time, she developed theories of rings, fields, and algebras. In physics, Noether's theorem explains the connection between symmetry and conservation laws.

Noether was born to a Jewish family in the Franconian town of Erlangen; her father was the mathematician Max Noether. She originally planned to teach French and English after passing the required examinations, but instead studied mathematics at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg, where her father lectured. After completing her doctorate in 1907 under the supervision of Paul Gordan, she worked at the Mathematical Institute of Erlangen without pay for seven years. At the time, women were largely excluded from academic positions. In 1915, she was invited by David Hilbert and Felix Klein to join the mathematics department at the University of Göttingen, a world-renowned center of mathematical research. The philosophical faculty objected, and she spent four years lecturing under Hilbert's name. Her habilitation was approved in 1919, allowing her to obtain the rank of Privatdozent (read more).

Remarkable Men - Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991).

Sent by Yvonne from Hannover, Germany.

Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of rock music, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. Mercury defied the conventions of a rock frontman with his theatrical style, influencing the artistic direction of Queen.

Born in 1946 in Zanzibar to Parsi-Indian parents, Mercury attended British boarding schools in India from the age of eight and returned to Zanzibar after secondary school. In 1964, his family fled the Zanzibar Revolution, moving to Middlesex, England. Having previously studied and written music, he formed Queen in 1970 with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. Mercury wrote numerous hits for Queen, including "Killer Queen", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Somebody to Love", "We Are the Champions", "Don't Stop Me Now" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". His charismatic stage performances often saw him interact with the audience, as displayed at the 1985 Live Aid concert. He also led a solo career and was a producer and guest musician for other artists.

Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987. He continued to record with Queen, and was posthumously featured on their final album, Made in Heaven (1995). In 1991, the day after publicly announcing his diagnosis, he died from complications of the disease at the age of 45. In 1992, a concert in tribute to him was held at Wembley Stadium, in benefit of AIDS awareness.

As a member of Queen, Mercury was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1990, he and the other Queen members received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. One year after his death, Mercury received the same award individually. In 2005, Queen were awarded an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors. In 2002, Mercury was voted number 58 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons (read more).

Stamp of Freddie Mercury

Remarkable Men - Georg Friedrich Creuzer

Georg Friedrich Creuzer (1771 - 1858).

German philologist and archaeologist.

Sent by Week-Family from Dreieich in Germany.

Georg Friedrich Creuzer (German: [ˈɡeːɔʁk ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈkʁɔʏtsɐ]; 10 March 1771 – 6 February 1858) was a German philologist and archaeologist.

He was born at Marburg, the son of a bookbinder. After studying at Marburg and at the University of Jena, he went to Leipzig as a private tutor; but in 1802 he was appointed professor at Marburg, and two years later professor of philology and ancient history at Heidelberg. He held the latter position for nearly forty-five years, with the exception of a short time spent at the University of Leiden, where his health was affected by the Dutch climate.

Creuzer was one of the principal founders of the Philological Seminary established at Heidelberg in 1807. The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Paris, appointed him one of its members, and from the Grand Duke of Baden he received the dignity of privy councillor. In 1844 Creuzer received a medal for his 40th anniversary of employment at the University of Heidelberg. This medal was made by the engraver Ludwig Kachel (read more).

20th Year of Postcrossing #11 - Cheonan, South Korea Meetup

Postcrossing's 20th Anniversary Meetup.

Independence Hall of Korea.

Cheonan, South Korea.

Sent by Suyoun from Daejeon, South Korea.