h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In Russia, a shade under 530 years ago?

Blimey those Romans get about a bit!

Right I'm taking advantage of the the predicted fine weather and having a garden-day today; I've got a couple of odd-jobs need doing and some planintg I want to get done before August get's too far advanced.

So I'll be popping in and checking progress here periodically.

Leaves any guesses and suggestions as normal; and I'll reply en masse when I'm about.

Okay I'm declaring this one dead and buried.

1)Where is it?
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Nikola-Lenivets - a small sleepy village about 170 km South-West of Moscow, Russia



2)Who built it?
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A society of artists and artisans called 'The Collective'




3)What is it's purpose?
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It is one of several pieces of art that the Collective have produced that are scattered about the village, which has now become famous for it's cultural relevance on the cutting edge of avant-garde art.

The group's founder and ideological leader is Nikolai Polissky, is an artist who left Moscow for the countryside in the mid-1990s to paint landscapes, but eventually decided to seek out a more radical artistic medium.

In 2006 the first art festival was held in Nikola-Lenivets: about 500 architects, critics and curious guests attended the festival's opening. The exhibition contained objects by 17 architects from Moscow on a exhibition floor that stretched through groves, fields and clearings to the bank of the Ugra.

The actual construction work was done carpenters who were hired to build complex structures where safety was an issue, like Timur Bashkayev's "Half-Bridge of Hope," a giant wedge that plunges over the outcropping's edge and tapers to nothing at a height of about 10 meters above the ground.

http://static2.panoramio.com/photos/original/8056061.jpg

Abstaining from participation reflects one of the key messages of the artwork, which is - apparently - "about erasing the ego of the individual artist and extolling the creative power of the collective." They say "It is a revival of the anonymity of medieval art — we'll never know who made Russia's old churches and the icons inside them' - and a reaction to an art market where an artist's name is a brand and a work is a commodity."

The Archstoyanie festival was so successful it's become an annual event and the collection of artworks and cultural items in Nikola-Levivets has grown substantially.

This is the website of the annual art festival.

http://arch.stoyanie.ru/en/news

and some pictures:

http://arch.stoyanie.ru/en/objects






4) what is the connection amongst the former of the a) one of the seven deadly sins; b) an ancient battle?
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In the 15th century, Tatar troops approached the Ugra, sized up the Russians assembled on the opposite bank, were rebuffed in their attempts to cross the river, before retreating.

The battle or rather non-battle was the culmination of fighting between the forces of Akhmat, Khan of the Great Horde, and Grand Duke Ivan III of Russia, and occurred in the September of 1480, signifying the end of Tartar rule over Russia.

Ivan had refused to pay the customary tribute to the grand Khan Ahmed. When, however, the grand khan marched against him, Ivan's courage began to fail.

Ivan's refusal to share his conquests with his brothers, in their own principalities and was nearly always at a constant war with them. However the advance of Ahmed, gave him sufficient cause to restore his relations with his rebellious siblings (hence, the Great standing on the Ugra river). It took Ivan four days (from September, 30 to October, 3) to reconcile with his brothers and another 17 days (until 20 October) for his brothers' armies to arrive at the banks of the Ugra.

All through the autumn the Russian and Tatar hosts confronted each other on opposite sides of the Ugra, until the 11th of November, when Ahmed retired into the steppe. In the following year the grand khan, while preparing a second expedition against Moscow, was suddenly attacked, routed and slain by Ivak, the khan of the Nogay Horde which began the disintegration of the Khans and their empire.

Legend has it that the soporific spirit of the place made the Tatars give up, and the village name gained the word 'lenivets', or 'sloth'.




5) What happens if you try to cross the bridge today?
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You'd fall off.




6) What is it's full name?
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The Half-Bridge of Hope.

QI - Brooks and Dunn.
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Correct (+3)
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Taff - Sloth
Taff - Urals / Russia
Fesior - 'The Half-Bridge of Hope'


QI (+6)
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Robyn - 'Rainbow Bridge'
Mal - 'Bifrost'
Mckay - 'Omagh Bombing Tribute'




DGI (+1)
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Taff -'you'd fall off the stage'
Taff - 'built by some russian artist'
GT - 'Europe/Asia'



Klaxon (-5)
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Taff - 'Pride'
Taff - 'Envy'
Taff - 'Wroth'
Taff - 'Lust'
Taff - 'Gluttony'
Taff - 'Greed'
Taff - 'Red Army Vs. The Nazis'
Taff & GT - 'Mostar Bridge, Bosnia'.
GT - 'Venice'
GT - 'Hell'
GT - 'Purgatory'
GT - 'U.S.A'
jwf - 'Despair'
Lil - 'England'.




Elf (+2)
----------------------------
Clive




Totals
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Mckay +6
Mal +6
Robyn +6
Feisor +3
Clive +2
Lil -5
jwf -5
GT -24
Taff -32

Thanks Clive

Loved the links! Some fascinating stuff there!

Cheers Feisor!