Welcome to HMKV's blog.

This blog currently documents a research trip to twelve former Soviet Republics for a new regional project of the Goethe-Institut (2015-17). Earlier entries document the "Afro-Tech and the Future of (Re-)Invention" research trip to Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria (10-25 April 2014, Anne Bergner and Inke Arns), and the INDUSTRIAL on Tour trip to five industrial cities in Poland (27 Sep - 9 Oct 2011, Thibaut de Ruyter, Inke Arns et al.)



Researching a new regional project for the Goethe Institute (2015-2017) / Recherche für ein neues Regionalprojekt des Goethe-Instituts (2015–2017)


EN Thibaut de Ruyter and Inke Arns have embarked on a new adventure: Researching a new regional project for the Goethe-Institut (2015-2017)! The first trip brought us to Russia and Belarus -- Moscow (Aug 17-23, 2015), St. Petersburg (Aug 23-28, 2015), Yekatarinburg (Aug 28 - Sep 1, 2015), Novosibirsk (Sep 1-4, 2015), and Minsk/Belarus (Sep 4-6, 2015). The second trip brought us to Central Asia -- to Almaty/Kazakhstan (Nov 24-29, 2015), Bishkek/Kirgistan (Nov 29-Dec 3, 2015), Tashkent/Uzbekistan (Dec 3-9, 2015) and Dushanbe/Tadjikistan (Dec 9-13, 2015). The third trip brought us to the Ukraine (Kyiv, 25-31 Jan 2016). The fourth trip saw us in the Caucasus (Baku/Azerbaijan, Tblissi/Georgia, Yerevan/Armenia, 3-19 May 2016). And, finally, our fifth trip will bring us back to Russia (Moscow, 14-21 July 2016, and Vladivostok, 22-28 July). Expect to read more on this blog!

DE Thibaut de Ruyter und Inke Arns sind zu einem neuen Abenteuer aufgebrochen: die Recherche für ein neues Regionalprojekt des Goethe-Instituts (2015–2017)! Die erste Reise führte uns nach Russland und Belarus -- Moskau (17.-23. Aug. 2015), St. Petersburg (23.-28. Aug. 2015), Jekaterinburg (28. Aug. – 1. Sept. 2015), Nowosibirsk (1.-4. Sept. 2015) und Minsk/Belarus (4.-6. Sept. 2015). Die zweite Reise ging nach Zentralasien -- nach Almaty/Kasachstan (24.-29. Nov. 2015), Bischkek/Kirgisien (29. Nov. - 3. Dez. 2015), Taschkent/Usbekistan (3.-9. Dez. 2015) und Duschanbe/Tadschikistan (9.-13. Dez. 2015). Die dritte Reise führte uns in die Ukraine (Kiew, 25.-31. Januar 2016). Die vierte Reise ging in den Kaukasus (Baku/Aserbaidschan, Tblissi/Georgien, Jerewan/Armenien, 3.-19. Mai 2016). Die fünfte und letzte (Recherche-)Reise führt uns nochmals nach Russland (Moskau, 14.-21. Juli 2016, und Vladivostok, 22.-28. Juli 2016). Mehr dann auf diesem Blog!



Yerevan, Armenia: Mies van der Rohe's subway entrance

It reminds me of something ...
... what was it ...
... somehow this looks strangely familiar ...
... even the roof construction ...
... it's the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin (1968)!











 



Tbilisi, Georgia: Dinner at the Black Lion

Amazing food at the Black Lion restaurant in Tbilisi. Inke is speaking about the Nigerian connection. Now everybody at the table wants to apply for the NSK State in Time citizenship. Watch out for mass applications from Georgia! Photo by Nutsa Chikvaidze.



Tbilisi, Georgia: Museum of Word

When in Tbilisi, don't miss this show! Here's an article in English. It's at the Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Georgian Literature, and it's on view until 16 May 2016!



Tbilisi, Georgia: Food porn II

Food porn, Tbilisi, Georgia: Khinkali - delicious traditional meat dumplings. Check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khinkali for more information.



Tbilisi, Georgia: Georgian - Klingon

The Georgian script does not resemble any other known script or language - except Klingon.



Tbilisi, Georgia: Pleased to meet you (იოსებ ბესარიონის ძე ჯუღაშვილი)

Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name ...
Plaster copy of the death mask of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (birth surname: Jughashvili; 18 December 1878 – 5 March 1953), as seen in Hüseyn Haqverdi's studio in Baku, Azerbaijan.














Stalin's birth name in Georgian was Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili (იოსებ ბესარიონის ძე ჯუღაშვილი). He was born an ethnic Georgian; Georgia was then part of the Russian Empire. The Russian-language version of his birth name was Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Ио́сиф Виссарио́нович Джугашви́ли). 




Baku, Azerbaijan: The mud volcanoes of Gobustan

Pleased to meet you: I am a mud volcano. As seen in Gobustan, Azerbaijan
See more on the muddy buddies here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud_volcano
Some volcanoes are burning because of the methane that's being released.
No, we did not take a bath. The mud volcanoes are cold.



Baku, Azerbaijan: Food porn I

 Mutton balls
A not-so-happy Baku goat on a wheelbarrow being driven to the butcher
A cow's head, intestines and feet hanging in the streets of Baku
 Walnuts (entire, black) and baclava
Sweets and tools



Baku: State emblem of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1920-1991)


EN Cotton, oil, wheat and Socialism.

DE Baumwolle, Öl, Weizen und Sozialismus.



Soviet squares: how public space is disappearing in post-communist cities

EN "Privatisation is stripping cities in Russia and Eastern Europe of their public assets, leaving a chaotic mix of advertising, dilapidation and new development ..." An interesting article by Owen Hatherley, published in The Guardian on 21 April 2016 -- http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/21/soviet-squares-public-space-post-communist-cities



Caucasus: Looking for yet another border between Asia and Europe

EN What the English Wikipedia says about the Caucasus.
DE Was die deutsche Wikipedia über den Kaukasus weiß.



Kyiv: Ya Gallery


EN Olena Blank's amazing exhibition at Ya Gallery, Kyiv. Pumpkins in porcelain.
EN Pavel Gudimov, gallery director, giving us a tour of Olena Blank's exhibition.



Next stop: Kyiv

EN We are getting ready for our next trip. Tomorrow we will be flying from Berlin to Kyiv, arriving in the Ukrainian capital on Monday 25 January 2016 early afternoon. Poyechali!