«Russia in 1914»

Description.

The instrument measures the true solar time at the meridian of Orekhovra village, Kaluga region, and is provided with a scale of towns. When the gnomon shadow falls onto the town name the true solar noon is observed in this town. The spelling of the towns’ names corresponds to the toponymy and spelling rules in force in 1914. Some of these towns were small villages at that time, others – did not exist. This was an interesting and challenging job to find out how the towns were called at that time. Sergey (it is the name of my client) has done a great job exploring with me the toponymy of prerevolutionary Russia. Never before, the co-authorship of my client in making a sundial was so obvious and deserved. The special bronze plaque mounted on a pedestal confirms it. Sergei invented an ingenious motto as well. «All wisdom encased in me will be yours if you undertake a small investigation». This motto could decorate not only a small sundial in the village Orekhovra but also serve as a motto for the whole gnomonic in general.