This old dog hadn't heard the rumours.

---

After lunch I walked across the river, to see the war memorial on the other side. When I took my camera out of my pocket the batteries were frozen; while looking for a shop to buy some new ones I stumbled across a new district.

It is a very grey neighbourhood. Everywhere on ulitsa Gor'kovo is untidy and icy. With the wind blowing in my face minus 7 felt bitterly cold. The floors of all the shops are soaking where people have brought in dirty snow from the street, and the shelves are half empty. The buildings are in ruin - depressing blocks of flats and plain grocery stores with heavy wooden doors. The one exception is the local parliament which is beautifully painted. On every corner there is a small kiosk, selling newspapers or sweets, with a babushka sitting patiently inside it. I bought some batteries and went back to the statue, then across the river again.

As I was choosing a good part of the bank to slide down a sausage dog waddled past me. He thought he saw something in a pile of snow, skipped towards it and jumped inside without realising how high it was. His owner pulled him out in the nick of time, before he became too frantic.

Back on my side of the Volga I took the long way home to try and find my way around the town. Each street has a ploschad' (square) at either end, lined with fir trees that are covered with snow. This side of the Volga is also run-down, but more attractive with it.

Myself, Karin, Michael and Linda went to a kofeiniya in the evening, for a night-time coffee that would keep us up to watch the ice hockey.

---

Photos

The maritime statue.
Taken from the middle of the river.