This tiny messenger of goodness and rebirth has been highly significant throughout history and throughout the world. In Greek mythology, the swallow was an attribute of Aphrodite, the goddess of love; in Egyptian mythology, it served as the guise of the most revered goddess of fertility, Isis; and in Slavic mythology, it was one of the birds that guarded the keys to Iria, the Vedic paradise. These migratory birds mate for life, able to sense and understand each other with just a single flap of their wings. Perhaps this is why a nest built by swallows under the eaves of a house is still considered a wonderful omen and a guarantee of a happy family life.

Moscow, 2015