#zagorsk

Zagorsk opens with a frank, fresh, true-to-life birch-bud note bookended on either side by green cypress and fruity cayenne. In the heat of summer, it's as crisp and energizing as a lash from a vihta, the ritual bundle of water-dipped birch boughs with which Finnish sauna-goers lightly flog themselves to achieve health and purity. I found it invigorating from the get-go.

It doesn't last long after that first startling moment; there's a flicker of lemony frankincense, but (despite the cayenne) not enough heat to melt it. Still, it's an interesting essay: incense unburnt; an ancient cedar box full of loose and dusty nuggets of pale yellow resin. I have held such riches heaped in the palm of my hand, breathed in its placid scent, and been reminded of its unreleased potential...

Despite its lack of staying power, Zagorsk still intrigued me more than Ouarzazate. What good is persistence, however impressive, if all one has to voice is a platitude repeated a thousand times before? Zagorsk may be a monosyllable, but it at least it is a highly original one.

I'm listening.

Repose of the Venerable Sergius, Abbot and Wonderworker of Radonezh

Saint Sergius of Radonezh was born in the village of Varnitsa, near Rostov, on May 3*, 1314.  His parents were the pious and illustrious nobles Cyril and Maria. God gave Cyril and Maria a son whom they named Bartholomew.  At the age of seven, Bartholomew was sent to study together with his two brothers: his older brother Stephen, and his younger brother Peter. His brothers learned successfully,…

(via Documentary Photography By Valery Shchekoldin | English Russia)