Monday, September 12, 2011

Our World Tuesday: sorrow on ice

© Photo by Richard Schear, August 2011

Yaroslavl, Russia, a lovely city at the confluence of the Volga (left) and Kotorosl rivers. Last year, Yaroslavl was 1000 years old, and the promenade shown above was part of its millennium celebration.
Internet photo
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, attends a memorial service in Yaroslavl with flowers for each of 36 members of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the Russian hockey team whose chartered plane crashed into the bank of the Volga River shortly after takeoff September 7. Forty-three people died, including nine former National Hockey League players who were playing for the championship Yaroslavl team. One player survived with burns to 90% of his body.

The team was on its way to Minsk, Belarus, for the first game of the 2011-2012 Kontinental Hockey League season. The city will not be represented in the KHL this season.

Internet photo
Lokomotiv Arena 2000, where the Yaroslavl team
played its home games.


© Photo by Richard Schear, August 2011
Billboard in Moscow celebrating 65 years of Canada-Russia rivalry in International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships. 

Many countries in the world take the game of hockey very seriously. Russia is one such country, Sweden is another, Slovakia another, and of course there's Canada. Dick's excitement about seeing and photographing the above billboard was seriously tempered by the plane crash less than three weeks later, which claimed almost the entire Yaroslavl hockey team, including nine former NHL players.
Among them were Brad McCrimmon, once a star with Dick's favorite team, the Calgary Flames, about to start his first season as head coach of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, and Pavol Demitra, captain of the Slovakian national team, whose last season in the NHL was spent playing on the famous Sedin line for my hometown team, the Vancouver Canucks. McCrimmon was 52, Demitra was 36, and each of them is survived by a wife and two children.

Posted for Our World Tuesday
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32 comments:

  1. UnknownSeptember 12, 2011 at 1:51 PM

    Great post Kay. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  2. Tina´s PicStorySeptember 12, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    Beautiful seaside :)

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  3. Penelope NotesSeptember 12, 2011 at 2:05 PM

    The curved walkway in the first photo of Yaroslavl is lovely. But it does bring to mind a tragic event that is beyond understanding. In some ways the players in the airplane crash were like a family bound by the game of hockey. Their true families must feel horror and shock. Hopefully, we will learn more about how this could have happened and prevent a similar disaster in future. It does feel close to home, though.

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  4. jabblogSeptember 12, 2011 at 2:17 PM

    Very sad to see an entire team of young people destroyed in one fell swoop. It will take years for the team to recover - longer for their loved ones.

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  5. Sylvia KSeptember 12, 2011 at 2:18 PM

    Beautiful city, but how sad about the loss of the team! Hope you have a great week, Kay!

    Sylvia

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  6. Martha ZSeptember 12, 2011 at 2:28 PM

    A nice tribute to these athletes. Each life is precious but often it is only when many die at once that we take notice.

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  7. EbieSeptember 12, 2011 at 2:37 PM

    Oh, Kay, I remember that crash, it was sad. What an unfortunate event.

    Love the aerial view of the first photo.

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  8. EG CameraGirlSeptember 12, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    It's such a sad story. Hockey has had many sad stories this year. Very nice tribute to the team, Kay!

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  9. JoyfulSeptember 12, 2011 at 3:23 PM

    Such a beautiful setting for a city as your first photo shows. Such a tragic story but a wonderful tribute to the athletes.

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  10. eileeninmdSeptember 12, 2011 at 3:40 PM

    I remmember that crash too, it was very sad. What a nice post and tribute to the hockey team. Thansk for sharing.

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  11. FrikoSeptember 12, 2011 at 4:21 PM

    It's like when the Manchester United football team's plane crashed, a dreadful tragedy for the sport.

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  12. CarverSeptember 12, 2011 at 4:52 PM

    Great shots of a beautiful place but what a sad thing to happen.

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  13. JamesSeptember 12, 2011 at 5:37 PM

    It so sad about the hockey team. I was shocked to hear about it.

    I noticed your banner below. I don't know much about Stephen Harper but I'd love to make an even trade, your PM for our president! Heck I'll throw in the the VP too. :)

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  14. IndraniSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:32 PM

    That is most tragic.
    Cruel blow of fate.

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  15. Jenn JilksSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    You have amazing travels and photos. Well done.

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  16. RajeshSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:48 PM

    Great first shot. The crash is very tragic anf this is great tribute from you.

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  17. KaySeptember 12, 2011 at 6:50 PM

    Oh my goodness! This is so sad...

    Just dropping by for a quick "Hello." My life is still crazy over here. It should settle down in a few days after our guests leave.

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  18. Sallie (FullTime-Life)September 12, 2011 at 7:20 PM

    Oh how terribly sad.

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  19. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    Sweden is also in mourning for the loss of one of its ice hockey superstars.

    Lovely tribute.

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  20. Cezar and LéiaSeptember 13, 2011 at 2:06 AM

    Dear Kay,
    Your pictures are amazing, thanks for sharing!
    Léia

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  21. IngridSeptember 13, 2011 at 2:18 AM

    Real sad, all these young people. The city looks beautiful.

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  22. SquirrelQueenSeptember 13, 2011 at 3:04 AM

    I remember reading about the crash, it was a tragic event. How horrible for their families and for the sport.

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  23. ArijaSeptember 13, 2011 at 4:07 AM

    Such a tragic accident taking so many lives. Sometimes it is hard t understand why these things happen.

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  24. JackieSeptember 13, 2011 at 8:00 AM

    Beautiful first photo of the promenade and rivers.

    The aircrash and tragic loss of the hockey team of Yaroslavl and the others passengers involved was devastating.

    It brings back memories of the aircrash that killed the Manchester Football team many years ago.

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  25. AlSeptember 13, 2011 at 9:40 AM

    That does look like a beautiful area. I was saddened too by this crash, two ex-players of our team, the Colorado Avalanche, were killed in that crash.

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  26. Kay L. DaviesSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:16 AM

    @ Al — At first I intended to list all of the ex-NHL players who were killed, because so many of the names were familiar, but I decided I had to limit my post to the two from "our world". It is heartbreaking to think of all of them, though, including the young Russian players in Yaroslavl, a beautiful city we enjoyed so much.
    — K

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  27. carolina mtsSeptember 13, 2011 at 12:13 PM

    So sad to hear of this tragedy. Beautiful tribute.

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  28. Jenn JilksSeptember 13, 2011 at 4:19 PM

    Hubby and I are the only 2 Canadians who don't watch hockey!!! :-) Happy trails.

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  29. Powell River BooksSeptember 13, 2011 at 8:08 PM

    In 2006 the Powell River Regals hockey team went to Belarus to play in the Allan cup. Who knew. - Margy

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  30. JoSeptember 23, 2011 at 2:32 AM

    Oh Kay, I was out of circulation on 7 Sept and didn't know about this tragic accident. Hope you're having a great day. Hugs Jo

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  31. Gemma Wiseman aka Pamela AdamsDecember 31, 2011 at 12:57 PM

    That is an incredible tragedy! It must have been a shock to you, especially when you had just visited this area! In the midst of a 10000 year celebration there had to be deep sorrrow! That is hard!

    On a lighter note, I love the grand sweep of the promenade in the first photo! So beautiful!

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  32. CassieJanuary 1, 2012 at 5:08 PM

    Oh my, that was a dreadful crash. The nation must have been in deep mourning too. So very sad.

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