Blog Assignment #3 Church on the Golodnaya Steppe

Across the Golodnaya Steppe

A symphony of bells scatter across the sky as the inhabitants make their way across the flatlands of the steppe. The horizon gives way to a couple of small points that are distinguishable from arrows on a barn, closer it becomes more apparent that those are actually Russian orthodox crosses. Since the rule of the Russian empire not much has changed, the farmers are left to farm and go to church, those points might actually be the only signal that they are living in a Russian controlled Kazakhstan. The bell tower from which the sounds originated stands no taller than eight meters. It is a makeshift structure made from wood and rope, there are actually a series of small bells that hang from top and the main big bell is hidden below in the middle of the tower. These bells are all strung together to make a indomitable sound that is meant to heard for miles. On Sunday the steppe people arrive at this unassuming church settlement and fill the small church which is also made of wood. From out the window they can see a stone cottage close by and the plains stretching endlessly and disappearing into an afternoon haze.