Photographer Captures ‘Golden Autumn’ in Russian Park

A few weeks before the snow arrives in Moscow, the capital of Russia, and as Moscow’s “Golden Autumn” season concludes, Muscovite photographer Levi Nazarov headed out to “Sokolniki Park” to photograph the atmosphere of the place during this beautiful period, like many other photographers and photography enthusiasts, for whom this short period of fall in Russia takes them out of their warm homes for spectacular shots of Hashem’s wonders.

Shedding is a natural phenomenon in trees,especially those that are broad-leaved. As they shed their leaves in the fall, the leaves change color in different stages, until they are completely shed. And when looking at the pictures, we can’t help but notice the trees whose leaves fell off immediately at the beginning of fall, alongside trees whose leaves are still attached and holding on.

Sokolniki Park is located in the northeast of Moscow, and covers an area of 600 dunams, containing hundreds of thousands of diverse trees, 13 lakes and springs, and fresh, clean air. In recent years, the Moscow Municipality has invested enormous resources to restore the ancient history of the place, and comfortable paths are spread throughout the length and breadth of the magnificent park. The place is also guarded by a permanent guard to maintain cleanliness, order, and peace. About seventy years ago, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe was in Moscow for the purpose of Jewish affairs, to cancel terrible decrees against the Jews of Russia. After very strenuous and difficult activity disputing the decrees, some thugs entered the Rebbe’s room with a drawn gun and threatened his life. To calm down after the traumatic event, the Rebbe went out to get some air in “Sokolniki Park”, and in his diary the Rebbe wrote: “And I think that the good air and the moonlight will calm me down, and I said let’s go for a walk… and I went to the “Sokolniki Forest”.

And who knows, maybe that’s why the park merited that on its eastern side it borders the “Chaya Mushka Institute” complex – named after the Rebbetzin, daughter of the Rebbe Rayatz – one of the many magnificent institutions established about 30 years ago by the Chief Rabbi of Russia, HaGaon Rabbi Berel Lazar Shlita. This is where hundreds of Jewish girls are educated in the observance of Torah and mitzvot, with many of the graduates already serving as Shluchos in vaious countries alongside their husbands, graduates of the Chabad yeshivahs in Russia.

Photos: Levi Nazarov