This Samara resident SEWS models of temples

There are many temples in Samara: the Pokrovsky Cathedral, which looks like a fairy-tale ‘terem’ (country house), the old Sofia Church made of red bricks and the Russian-style chapel of St. Alexis. And, if you go for a walk on the old part of the city, you will definitely see the house of local artist Nikolai Samokhin. It is easy to recognize: in front of it are light, almost airy models of temples, which Nikolai makes with his hands from cardboard and decorates with improvised materials.

Samokhin’s unusual hobby began over a decade ago. For many years, he worked as a driver’s assistant on a diesel locomotive, then became a boiler plant operator. In order not to get bored between equipment inspections, he decided to do some simple needlework, which he remembered studying in school, and began to build - first a single-dome - and then more complex temples.

Thus, gradually, some truly amazing works began to appear, among which are modest chapels, as well as the majestic Savior-on-Blood in St. Petersburg, the Samara Temple of Sofia and a huge Preobrazhenskaya church with 22 domes in Kizhi. Work on a typical single dome temple takes about ten days, while on such a huge area as the church in Kizhi – several months.

The technique is quite simple, but labor-intensive: the basis is a dense cardboard, which is then covered with material from shiny bags; Samokhin, meanwhile, makes the crosses on the domes of his models with copper wire. He skillfully wields needle and thread, connecting different parts, building neat walls and golden domes, step by step.
Nikolai Samokhin willingly shows everyone who stops at his house his sewn temples and, sometimes, even gives away some of them.

Credit: Georgy Subbotin/Rodina magazine

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How Soviet and U.S. troops met on the Elbe River

The historic meeting took place on April 25, 1945, in northwestern Saxony. The first to arrive at the Elbe were units of General Courtney Hodges' 1st American Army.

The troops halted at the line and began to wait for the approach of the Soviet allies. Meanwhile, several U.S. reconnaissance groups crossed to the opposite bank.

At about 11:30 am, in one of the villages, Lieutenant Albert Kotzebue's group noticed a rider in a Soviet military uniform. However, he did not make contact and disappeared.

Two hours later, near the town of Riza, Kotzebue came upon a group of Soviet soldiers, led by Senior Lieutenant Grigory Goloborodko of the 58th Guards Rifle Division. The American went to the location of the Soviet troops and stayed there until evening.

On the same day, the groups of Guards Lieutenant Alexander Silvashko and Lieutenant William Robertson met near the town of Torgau. The Soviet soldiers saw a uniformed soldier on the bell tower and wanted to open fire, but he began waving his arms and shouting, "Moscow-America!"

It was one of Robertson's scouts. Soon, the officer himself appeared and invited Silvashko to the location of the U.S. troops.

On April 26, a full-fledged ceremonial meeting was organized in Torgau with the participation of soldiers and command staff, which included photo sessions, feasts and the exchange of gifts.

It was then that the famous joint photograph of Robertson and Silvashko, which traveled around the world, was taken against the backdrop of a poster reading "East meets West".

Credit: Allan Jackson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images/Alexander Ustinov/Georgy Khomzor/Sputnik/William E. Poulson

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