Holding out

There's still ice on the river, at least in parts.  This image taken along the canal that forms part of the Moscow River and runs along the Bolotnaya Embankment.

I attended a fascinating presentation this evening by Lee Farrow, expert on the Alaska Purchase, the sale of Alaska (or "Russia-America" as it was known) by the Russians to the USA in 1867 (it's topical this year because it's the 150th anniversary). The territory - all 580,000 square miles of it - was sold for $7.2 million, or, as is often pointed out, for 2 cents an acre (the total is apparently about $130 million in today's  money).

The sale had its genesis in the Crimean War in 1853-56 when Great Britain sided with the Ottomans against the Russian Empire.  Aside from the immediate practical concerns (the complexity and cost of running the place, etc), Russia was also concerned about Britain's dominance in the world and fearful of losing Alaska to the Brits.  Consequently, they preferred to see Alaska go to the Americans, also in the hope that the acquisition being a first step to America taking over British North America (i.e. Canada). There is of course lots more to it but it's fascinating to consider the context of those times in the context of today's world.

Post Blip:  I've swopped images.  Same view but replaced with one taken closer up and with more definition.  It's hard to find contrast in that very white landscape especially when there is no direct sunlight. That's the Ivan the Great bell tower in background.  For consistency's sake, my original image is posted in the extra blips!