By Anash.org reporter
A few weeks before the snow hits Moscow, photographer Levi Nazarov set out to take photos of the gilded perfection present in Sokolniki Park during this period. Known in Moscow as “Golden Autumn,” Nazarov saw this season as a perfect opportunity to capture the park’s exquisite beauty.
Sokolniki Park is the largest park not only in Russia, but in Europe as a whole. Located in northeastern Moscow, it covers 600 acres of land and contains thousands of diverse trees, 13 lakes and springs, and clean, fresh air.
Moscow has invested enormous resources in recent years to restore the ancient history of the place, and convenient trails are spread along the park’s length and breadth. A security guard is constantly present to ensure the preservation of its clean, quiet and serene ambiance.
To the east of the park is the Chaya Muska Institute, a magnificent mosed established 25 years ago by shliach and Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar. Dozens of Jewish girls go through the school every year where they receive a quality Jewish education and are inspired to lead a life of Torah observance.
In 1927 the Frierdiker Rebbe came to Moscow on a mission to abolish terrible decrees against Russian Jewry. After one particularly harrowing encounter during which several thugs entered the room with drawn guns and threatened his life, the Rebbe went out to breathe in Sokolniki Park.
In his diary, the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote: “Although the hour is late, my emotions are intense and my head is hurting. I think the good air and the light of the moon will calm me. I decide to take a walk. I chanced upon a good taxi, and I went to Sokolniki Park.”
Photos by Levi Nazarov
