The house where a childhood passed, always remains as a Paradise Place. My childhood passed
in old Siberian city Tyumen, at the wooden estate of 19th century, Volodarsky St., 7. This architectural relic was decorated with
fine wood carving in the past. Such houses in Siberia were being built and are still being built of coniferous wood, which blackens
and deeply cracks with aging, looses its initial strength and beauty.
Rarely a wooden house
can stay a century without serious repair. Sometimes the deserted house waiting its fate, stands for few years, remaining a hard
impression by view of fallen roof and empty windows, anyhow fasten with boards (Shipwrecked, 2002).
Hanging down fan-shaped boards of ceilings and roof lathings are moving with the strong wind
like wings flapping. Like the Soul of perishing house tries to take off the sinful earth, or giant bird fly to the perfect journey after
the people who once left the home, but still remember it as a part of life (Perfect Stranger, 2003).
Old high poplars, aged together with the house, seems germinated through the walls and roof. Filled
with rustle of leaves, they live its earth’s term and as a patient witness share our fate (Witness, 2002).
Old houses and trees always densely populated with birds (Perpetuum Mobile, 2001). They live in a starling-house, in attic,
build a nest in the stack of firewood and tree’s branches. Some birds live a very long life. Watching closely,
you always can find one or two old ones, marking out with its staidness, gentle behavior and hoarse, guttural cry. If you pay
attention to such bird, it surely also will turn keen look to you and will observe your business for long time. Who knows, may
be this bird was the witness of some events which couldn’t be covered by one man life.
I want believe such birds remember all seen – peoples life, appearance and disappearance of trees, houses, sometimes the whole
cities. That’s why the figure of old wise bird, closely observing for our life from the height of its nest-house, was called as The
Time Keeper (2003).
