Today is another day to lock up your daughters, and certainly to wear protective footgear around fountains to avoid a huge amount of broken glass!
Photo Credit: Jennifer Eremeeva
It’s Paratroopers’ Day, and this year marks the 80th anniversary from the first jump of the first unit of twelve paratroopers in Voronezh. Like the Border Guards, the Paratroopers take their holiday very seriously, and hold informal reunions across Russia, generally centered at the city’s major fountain, and involving a certain amount of liquid spirits. This year, I decided to go along and join them.
HRH was a little hesitant, as he always is about me venturing into this kind of scenario, and told me to keep in touch on the phone. After four hours in Gorky Park, I dialed his number.
No one, except us
~ Slogan of the Paratroopers
“This is the best holiday of them all!” I gushed, “I’ve had three marriage proposals, ten invitations to go for a beer, and two guys asked me to swim with them.”
“Great,” he said, “what time is dinner?”
Pictures are not always worth a thousand words, but I think, in this case, they might be!
Congratulations to all the paratroopers of Russia! You guys sure know how to put on a great party!
It’s never as sexy as it is in one’s mind, is it? Ix
Oh…I don’t know…how about the two in the shade with the flags? don’t they appeal?
I still can’t get past the blue striped muscleman t-shirts. Looks like everybody was having a good time, especially the two in the shade with the flags.
I’ve only recently stumbled upon your blog. What a hoot! It’s nice to see how much use fountains get. Looks like it was a truly excellent party.
A typically hilarious post, beautifully highlighting the difference between your bravura investment in the holiday and the mean-spirited way it was reviewed by some other sources – who billed it as an occasion to beat up Dagestanis and indulge in vandalism. Great photos, and a nice example of your eye for comedy.
Hi like your blog a lot can you join this forum? I set it up for people like us. Its a bit empty at the mo but please join and we can hopefully get it going. Thanks.
http://livingabroad.freeforums.ms/index.htm
Magnificent photos – Jen!!! Bravo as usual!!