brian doyle essay joyas voladoras

May 15, 2024

published by phi beta kappa

Print or web publication, joyas voladoras.

Revisiting an ode to the heart by one of our best-loved writers

Since this short essay by Brian Doyle was published in the Scholar 15 years ago, it has been read hundreds of thousands of times on our website and often borrowed for classroom use. It is the lead piece in a just-published collection of Brian’s essays called One Long River of Sound: Notes on Wonder. Brian died at the age of 60 in 2017.

Listen to a narrated version of this essay:

Consider the hummingbird for a long moment. A hummingbird’s heart beats ten times a second. A hummingbird’s heart is the size of a pencil eraser. A hummingbird’s heart is a lot of the hummingbird.  Joyas voladoras , flying jewels, the first white explorers in the Americas called them, and the white men had never seen such creatures, for hummingbirds came into the world only in the Americas, nowhere else in the universe, more than three hundred species of them whirring and zooming and nectaring in hummer time zones nine times removed from ours, their hearts hammering faster than we could clearly hear if we pressed our elephantine ears to their infinitesimal chests.

Each one visits a thousand flowers a day. They can dive at sixty miles an hour. They can fly backwards. They can fly more than five hundred miles without pausing to rest. But when they rest they come close to death: on frigid nights, or when they are starving, they retreat into torpor, their metabolic rate slowing to a fifteenth of their normal sleep rate, their hearts sludging nearly to a halt, barely beating, and if they are not soon warmed, if they do not soon find that which is sweet, their hearts grow cold, and they cease to be. Consider for a moment those hummingbirds who did not open their eyes again today, this very day, in the Americas: bearded helmet-crests and booted racket-tails, violet-tailed sylphs and violet-capped woodnymphs, crimson topazes and purple-crowned fairies, red-tailed comets and amethyst woodstars, rainbow-bearded thornbills and glittering-bellied emeralds, velvet-purple coronets and golden-bellied star-frontlets, fiery-tailed awlbills and Andean hillstars, spatuletails and pufflegs, each the most amazing thing you have never seen, each thunderous wild heart the size of an infant’s fingernail, each mad heart silent, a brilliant music stilled.

Hummingbirds, like all flying birds but more so, have incredible enormous immense ferocious metabolisms. To drive those metabolisms they have race-car hearts that eat oxygen at an eye-popping rate. Their hearts are built of thinner, leaner fibers than ours. Their arteries are stiffer and more taut. They have more mitochondria in their heart muscles—anything to gulp more oxygen. Their hearts are stripped to the skin for the war against gravity and inertia, the mad search for food, the insane idea of flight. The price of their ambition is a life closer to death; they suffer more heart attacks and aneurysms and ruptures than any other living creature. It’s expensive to fly. You burn out. You fry the machine. You melt the engine. Every creature on earth has approximately two billion heartbeats to spend in a lifetime. You can spend them slowly, like a tortoise and live to be two hundred years old, or you can spend them fast, like a hummingbird, and live to be two years old.

The biggest heart in the world is inside the blue whale. It weighs more than seven tons. It’s as big as a room. It  is  a room, with four chambers. A child could walk around it, head high, bending only to step through the valves. The valves are as big as the swinging doors in a saloon. This house of a heart drives a creature a hundred feet long. When this creature is born it is twenty feet long and weighs four tons. It is waaaaay bigger than your car. It drinks a hundred gallons of milk from its mama every day and gains two hundred pounds a day, and when it is seven or eight years old it endures an unimaginable puberty and then it essentially disappears from human ken, for next to nothing is known of the the mating habits, travel patterns, diet, social life, language, social structure, diseases, spirituality, wars, stories, despairs and arts of the blue whale. There are perhaps ten thousand blue whales in the world, living in every ocean on earth, and of the largest animal who ever lived we know nearly nothing. But we know this: the animals with the largest hearts in the world generally travel in pairs, and their penetrating moaning cries, their piercing yearning tongue, can be heard underwater for miles and miles.

Mammals and birds have hearts with four chambers. Reptiles and turtles have hearts with three chambers. Fish have hearts with two chambers. Insects and mollusks have hearts with one chamber. Worms have hearts with one chamber, although they may have as many as eleven single-chambered hearts. Unicellular bacteria have no hearts at all; but even they have fluid eternally in motion, washing from one side of the cell to the other, swirling and whirling. No living being is without interior liquid motion. We all churn inside.

So much held in a heart in a lifetime. So much held in a heart in a day, an hour, a moment. We are utterly open with no one in the end—not mother and father, not wife or husband, not lover, not child, not friend. We open windows to each but we live alone in the house of the heart. Perhaps we must. Perhaps we could not bear to be so naked, for fear of a constantly harrowed heart. When young we think there will come one person who will savor and sustain us always; when we are older we know this is the dream of a child, that all hearts finally are bruised and scarred, scored and torn, repaired by time and will, patched by force of character, yet fragile and rickety forevermore, no matter how ferocious the defense and how many bricks you bring to the wall. You can brick up your heart as stout and tight and hard and cold and impregnable as you possibly can and down it comes in an instant, felled by a woman’s second glance, a child’s apple breath, the shatter of glass in the road, the words  I have something to tell you , a cat with a broken spine dragging itself into the forest to die, the brush of your mother’s papery ancient hand in the thicket of your hair, the memory of your father’s voice early in the morning echoing from the kitchen where he is making pancakes for his children.

Brian Doyle , an essayist and novelist, died on May 27, 2017. To read Epiphanies, his longtime blog for the Scholar , please go here.

● NEWSLETTER

Brian Doyle once wrote, ‘stories are prayers.’ He has left us with many.

In the first sentence of Brian Doyle’s frequently anthologized essay, “Joyas Voladoras,” Doyle asks the reader to “Consider the hummingbird for a long moment.” In a time when so much pessimism permeates the publishing industry, I propose that we consider Brian Doyle’s success and his influence on the landscape of American letters—for much longer than a moment.

Though Doyle died of brain cancer on May 27 at age 60, he left behind a shelf-full of books and dozens of essays. His prose will remain contemporary for many more years. What will his lasting legacy be? Will critics discuss his work a century from now? And when will his work be more fully regarded in our time? Perhaps those who have read him for so long have taken him for granted. Perhaps we have grown too accustomed to reading his books and encountering his essays, seemingly all over the place. Has his ubiquity spoiled us?

His honors include the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature, a Catholic Book Award, three Pushcart Prizes and Foreward Reviews’ Novel of the Year award in 2011. Doyle earned the 2017 John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished Nature Writing for his novel Martin Marten. He wrote the short story collections Bin Laden’s Bald Spot and The Mighty Currawongs, the novella Cat’s Foot and the novels Mink River, The Plover and Chicago.  

Since 1991 Doyle was the editor of Portland Magazine, the well-regarded alumni publication for the University of Portland, where he received an honorary doctorate this spring. He also made the final selections and introductions to the volumes of The Best Catholic Writing of the Year from 2004 to 2007.

I am having a hard time realizing that somewhere in Portland, Doyle is not writing any more sentences that swing and sing and bounce along the page with rollicking musicality.

One fall morning in October of 2010, I heard Brian Doyle read from his essay “Playfulnessness: A Note” at Fordham University, where he said the essay genre “is the most playful and coolest form because it is the most naked.” He paced back and forth before us, looking up from his pages, saying, “The essay is the form with the most pop and verve and connective electricity.”

I am having a hard time realizing that somewhere in Portland, Ore., Doyle is not writing any more sentences that swing and sing and bounce along the page with rollicking musicality. “I get teased a lot for my style,” Doyle told Oregon Public Broadcasting in 2015. “People are saying, wow, a sentence will start on Tuesday and it doesn’t end ’til Friday. But I want to write like people talk. I want to write like I’m speaking to you,” he said.

“Joyas Voladoras” first appeared in The American Scholar in 2004. It was later reprinted in both the Pushcart anthology for that year and The Best American Essays. In all, Brian Doyle’s essays have been selected to be reprinted in The Best American Essays series seven times. Are there any other American Catholic writers who have been more prolific in both secular and Christian publications? If that sounds hyperbolic, consider his production in terms of papal service. During Benedict XVI’s papacy, Doyle published five books. Since Pope Francis has been in Rome, Doyle has published 14 more.

For much longer than a moment, let us consider Doyle’s literary generosity. Other contemporary writers who are Catholic, like Annie Dillard, Alice McDermott and Tobias Wolff, have garnered more fame. Wendell Berry has published more books. The best-selling memoirist and award-winning poet Mary Karr, who writes about her conversion to Catholicism in Lit: A Memoir, has received more acclaim. But I cannot think of any other contemporary American Catholic writers who have published as many books about spiritual matters as Doyle while also being a frequent contributor to some of the country’s most esteemed secular literary journals and magazines, including Creative Nonfiction, Orion, The American Scholar and The Sun. And he regularly appeared in Christian magazines, as well, like this one, America, writing about his faith without apology.

After Oregon State University Press published a new edition of Doyle’s Wet Engine: Exploring the Mad Wild Miracle of the Heart in 2012, the Iowa Review called him “a writer’s writer, unknown to the best-seller or even the good-seller lists, a Townes Van Zandt of essayists, known by those in the know,” proclaiming a “new Brian Doyle essay is a mini-event, the first name you turn to in the table of contents, the first click on a literary web site.”

Doyle wrote shamelessly about Catholic customs, beliefs, practices and mysteries.

Maybe Doyle hasn’t been placed at the same table as Wolff, Karr and McDermott because many of his earlier works were released by independent presses. Maybe some looked down on Doyle’s fascination with Catholicism. Whatever the case may be, Macmillan published his last four novels, including his most recent, The Adventures of John Carson in Several Quarters of the World , a n h o m a g e t o t h e w o r k o f R o b e r t L o u i s S t e v e n s o n. The New York Times reviewed it in April of this year. The reviewer’s analysis echoed a sentiment that some readers share about Doyle’s work in general, namely, that it can be “a matter of individual taste,” that either you admire his prose or find it “flirts with excess in ways that can seem annoying or self-indulgent.” The reviewer was ultimately “won over despite myself by his loving reconstruction of an era of storytelling now lost.”

We can consider Doyle an American Catholic writer because he practiced the religion and published about it, but, more important, he wrote shamelessly about Catholic customs, beliefs, practices and mysteries, partially because it’s “illogical, unreasonable, unthinkable, unprovable, nonsensical, counter-cultural, and in direct defiance of all evidence and human history. Isn’t that great?” he wrote in the prologue for his essay collection Grace Notes.

“To grow up Catholic is to be especially lucky as an artist,” he told Nick Ripatrazone in an interview , “because you are soaked in miracle and mystery and symbol and smoke and the confident assertion that every moment is pregnant with miracle and possibility and stuffed with holiness like a turducken.”

Let us consider for much longer than a moment that part of Doyle’s generosity consists of his courageous willingness to search for enduring truths in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in the Sandy Hook elementary school murders and in cancer. “Stories are prayers of terrific power,” he wrote in response to a fan letter from an 11-year-old in Korea. If you have never read his essay “Leap,” go find it online and marvel . Listen to how this prayer begins: “A couple leaped from the south tower, hand in hand. They reached for each other and their hands met and they jumped.” He continued:

Their hands reaching and joining are the most powerful prayer I can imagine, the most eloquent, the most graceful. It is everything that we are capable of against horror and loss and death. It is what makes me believe that we are not craven fools and charlatans to believe in God, to believe that human beings have greatness and holiness within them like seeds that open only under great fires, to believe that some unimaginable essence of who we are persists past the dissolution of what we were, to believe against such evil hourly evidence that love is why we are here.     

If you haven’t already done so, go read “His Last Game,” about watching pick-up basketball with his terminally-ill brother in the car, and think about how Doyle crafted the essay without a whiff of sentimentality. Or read “Dawn and Mary,” about the two women at Sandy Hook who “leapt out of their chairs and they ran right at the boy with the rifle” to defend children.  

In his essay “On ‘Not’ Beating Cancer” he declares, “Cancer is to be endured, that’s all.” He implores readers: “Use real words. Real words matter. False words are lies. Lies sooner or later are crimes against the body or the soul. I know men, women and children who have cancer, had cancer, died from cancer, lived after their cancer retreated, and not one of them ever used military or sporting metaphors that I remember.”

My admiration for Doyle’s work is not puffed-up, feigned applause for the posthumous author who died too young. I admire how he wrote about his faith with humility and humor. I admire his devotion to his writing vocation—not writing that is devotional, but essays and stories where the insights, scenes, climaxes and larger, more universal significance are not dependent on a readers’ religious beliefs. You do not generate quality work like Doyle’s without minding your craft, without applying continual energy to the habitual act of writing.

Some may find Doyle’s run-on sentences to be an irritation, but that’s also part of his genius. When we don’t land on the deep breath of a period and instead skip by on another comma, we are looking at a subject with Doyle’s sustained gaze, and eventually he takes us to a fresh metaphor, or an unexpected insight. The memorable last sentence of “Joyas Voladoras” comes to mind:

You can brick up your heart as stout and tight and hard and cold and impregnable as you possibly can and down it comes in an instant, felled by a woman’s second glance, a child’s apple breath, the shatter of glass in the road, the words I have something to tell you, a cat with a broken spine dragging itself into the forest to die, the brush of your mother’s papery ancient hand in the thicket of your hair, the memory of your father’s voice early in the morning echoing from the kitchen where he is making pancakes for his children.

Doyle found ways to write about humanity with punch and vibrant courage and sentences that sometimes lasted for days, but his artistry granted us, his readers, access to the human condition we would not have had without his narrative prayers. He left them for us to read.

This piece, published first on the web, has been updated with material developed for the print version.

James M. Chesbro's essays have appeared in The Writer's Chronicle, The Washington Post and Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality. He teaches at Fairfield Prep.

The first Brian Doyle work I read was "The Wet Engine". It was so moving a meditation that I offer it to retreatants. Rejoice in eternity with the Risen Lord, Brian!

Thanks for this tribute to Brian Doyle. Having first encountered the lyricism of his essays long ago, I was delighted to read "Mink River" a few years later, and then "The Plover", and since then, every book I can find with his name on it. "The Kind of Brave You Wanted to Be ... Prose Prayers and Cheerful Chants against the Dark", published by Liturgical Press, 2016, is another lovely gift. Indeed, he has left us with many a wonderful prayer and story. Peace and tender thoughts to his family.

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Why Learning About Other Animals Makes Us Better Writers

Gina chung on how bats, octopuses, and other animals helped her better understand humanity.

There’s a short essay I love by the late writer Brian Doyle called “Joyas Voladoras” in which he examines various animal hearts to talk about the emotional capacity of the human heart. “No living being is without interior liquid motion. We all churn inside. So much held in a heart in a lifetime,” Doyle tells us three-quarters of the way through the essay, after five paragraphs about the hearts of hummingbirds and whales.

This is the point of the essay at which I felt chills run down my spine, as I realized that we were in completely different emotional territory than where we had started. I knew that I wanted to write something like this someday, using the natural world as a means for conveying complex emotional truths.

Years after I read Doyle’s essay, during my first year in my MFA program, I wrote, for a final project in one of my classes, a story that I had started in Austin, where I’d gone for a friend’s wedding that fall. While in Austin, I went to see Congress Avenue Bridge, home to the world’s largest urban bat colony and where, every night at sundown from the summer months into the fall, Mexican free-tailed bats fly out into the darkening sky to hunt.

Something about the flight of the bats and the fact that they had found shelter in such an unexpected place, under a concrete bridge in a major city, moved me deeply. I found myself wanting to write about these often feared little creatures of the night, and I decided that, like Doyle does in “Joyas Voladoras,” I would use the bats to tell another story, about a character who, like a bat, is drawn to darkness and flight and is similarly misunderstood.

I began by doing research and taking notes on everything that seemed interesting to me. I studied the photos and videos I had taken that evening in Austin, read interviews with chiropterologists, and listened to and watched footage of the bats themselves. I learned that only mother and baby bats live in that particular colony (adult males live in another part of town), that the wings of a bat are really its hands, and most surprising to me, that bats sing to one another, both to defend their territories and to seek out mates.

I found myself wondering how I could use these facts in my story. What was the connection between my main character and these bats? In what ways would my descriptions of the bats reflect back on her and her emotional landscape? The story that came out of these musings, “The Love Song of the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat,” went on to become one of my first short story acceptances, in F(r)iction , and it taught me how writing about animals could lead to new understandings about my characters.

When I began writing my debut novel Sea Change , which is about a 30-year-old Korean American woman named Ro Bae who is grappling with loss, I began with the idea of an octopus changing colors. “This morning, Dolores is blue again,” I wrote. From there, Dolores the giant Pacific octopus came alive for me, in all her shimmering, color-shifting glory. “Who is telling this story,” I thought to myself, “and why does Dolores matter to her?” And then, my protagonist Ro came into being, as did her voice and the aquarium where she works and interacts with Dolores.

I realized that Ro had just had her heart broken, and that her relationship with her parents (especially with her marine biologist father, who discovered Dolores before disappearing at sea) would be important to the story, as would the setting of the aquarium itself.

And yet, Ro herself, despite being rather forthcoming about her external problems (a breakup with a boyfriend who is leaving her to join a trip to colonize Mars, a difficult relationship with her critical mother, an ambitious best friend who might be leaving her behind on the path to adulthood), remained frustratingly elusive to me. Why was she the way she was? And why had she let down so many people, including herself, over the years?

Octopuses, which are both predators and prey, are known for being solitary and secretive, and it took time for Ro to reveal herself to me, too. Like I had done before with the bats of Austin, I researched my way into answering the larger narrative questions I had. I learned, among many other things, that octopuses have three hearts, that they can be playful and curious, and that when female octopuses breed, they usually die, brooding over their eggs for months, sometimes years, not even eating until they simply fade away, in a process known as senescence.

This last fact seemed especially poignant to me, especially when I decided that Ro’s mother and her conflicted relationship with motherhood would be key to the story as well. While all animals, including humans, go through senescence, the female octopus’s slow and difficult death is particularly brutal, and it seemed to me like a metaphor for a particular kind of model of motherhood, in which a mother is expected to sacrifice everything just to ensure that her children can survive.

While drafting, I kept a running document of relevant octopus facts, with links to several articles and videos that I thought might come in handy. In that same document, I noted anything that jumped out to me as interesting, funny, or moving, or that I felt I could use to flesh out my protagonist—her worries, hopes, fears, concerns. I realized that Ro’s response to her problems was to hide away, just like a wounded octopus might.

Withdrawing and brooding was her first and strongest instinct, and I couldn’t blame her—it was all she had known and seen modeled throughout her life. In a way, what I had learned about the slow death of a mother octopus felt applicable to Ro, too, as a daughter who has inherited her mother’s ways of seeing the world.

But I didn’t want that kind of ending for Ro. I wanted her to learn how to live. Just as an octopus must eventually leave its lair in order to hunt and eat, Ro must learn how to hunger and hurt again, to identify and fulfill her own needs. To understand her place in the world, she must rejoin it.

“It’s a muscle, you know. It takes practice, talking about yourself and asking people for what you need or want or expect from them,” Ro’s cousin Rachel tells her later on in Sea Change , and it’s one that Ro must exercise in order to break free from her traumas and self-defeating perspectives.

In C. J. Hauser’s essay “The Crane Wife,” she writes, while on a research trip on the gulf coast of Texas, about what is needed for an animal to survive: “It turns out, if you want to save a species, you don’t spend your time staring at the bird you want to save. You look at the things it relies on to live instead.” Animals are incapable of experiencing shame for their needs or denying them in the way that we humans so often do.

This is why I find the act of observing or learning more about animals to be extremely clarifying and grounding, and one that can help us, as writers, learn more about our characters and allow them to be honest with us, so that we can plot their courses and steer them home. By paying attention to and learning more about the animals that might snag our attention, we can better understand what makes us human, and how we—and our stories—fit into the fabric of our incredible, complicated, and always-fascinating universe.

______________________________

Sea Change by Gina Chung is available via Anchor.

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“Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle Essay

Introduction.

Human beings are the part of the natural world that is why human relations, qualities, and attitudes can be discussed with references to the relations between animals as the reflection of the humans’ world where social interactions are meaningful. From this point, it is possible to accentuate the definite features of the human relations basing on the examples from the animal world.

Thus, animals can be also presented as social beings because they live and communicate in groups which are organized according to certain hierarchies. Although wolves are often discussed as the symbols of independence and freedom in the natural world, these animals can successfully exist only in groups where two wolves make a pair in which relations are based on dedication and constancy.

Wolves are fearsome not only for the other animals in the wood but also for those individuals who decide to take a walk in this dark wood. Wolves are free and fearless creatures. They are traditionally discussed in different cultures as the symbols of strength, freedom, and independence. Wolves are superb animals, and their strength is in their cold will and grace. People are inclined to be afraid of wolves and associate them with some kind of brutality.

These misinterpretations and misunderstandings are typical for many persons. These people know little about the nature of a wolf. The unhappiest creature in the wood is the lone wolf which leaves its pack and tries to find the new home. It is almost impossible for wolves to live out of their pack because of the necessity to interact and struggle for living in a group. To be lonely is their punishment. Wolves live in the pack, and they do not know any other ways to live to satisfy all their needs. The lone wolf is an unhappy wolf.

Wolves’ souls do not orient to loneliness as the part of their independence. Their souls are directed toward the dedication to their group. Packs are organized round the most experienced and honorable pair of wolves. The strength of this pair is in the fact of the incomparable devotion of the wolves to each other.

Wolves form a kind of a family to live in a wood and be ready to any difficulties and obstacles because the wolf’s family is its pack, and the pack is the strong organization the main principles of which are to protect each other. Wolves are not aggressive in relation to the members of their own pack. The wolves’ enemy is any animal-stranger. Strong animals win, and wolves win because of their unity.

The pack is the family in which relations are based on the traditional hierarchy. The head of the family is the father, the head of the pack is the leader, and its offsprings are also the members of the pack. Dedication and constancy are the basics of the wolves’ pair relations. It is impossible for wolves to change partners till the death of the wolf from the pair.

Wolves have no ability to think over emotional conflicts and any ethical barriers, and they are only devoted to each other and live according to the natural laws. It is the moment when natural laws can be discussed as the moral laws which are accessible for everyone living in the world.

Wolves can impress people not only by their beauty and loftiness but also by the specifics of their group relations. Wolves easily follow those norms which are presented for people in the form of different ethical codes and principles of morality.

People are inclined to think about wolves as the representatives of the wild natural world where only the laws of strength can work. It is one of the people’s mistakes. Wolves are protective, and they are persistent in their desire and duty to find the conditions for their packs’ living. The search for food is not the only goal of the animals’ existence.

Wolves can have enough food, but there is no such food which can prevent wolves from sufferings after the other wolf’s death. The lonely wolves seek for the partner to form the pack and be the part of a group. Those wolves which live in the pack organize their life according to the principles of responsibility, constancy, and protection. When the pack is at risk to suffer from attacks of the other aggressive animals in their struggle for food, wolves are inclined to protect each other as the loving family members.

The wolf is not sole in the natural world in its monogamy and devotion to the partner. Swans and doves are the birds which cannot live without their partners. Their soul suffers from that pain of loneliness which can be understood by each living creature. Beavers and gibbons are the mammals which live in pairs as wolves.

Thus, the pain of loneliness is that factor which can connect people and animals because these sufferings have the same roots in the natural desire to live in a community and feel the other beings’ support. Humans often lack the protection of the group, but such mammals as wolves and gibbons can provide this protection to the members of their group. It is not a kind of a paradox, but it is a result of the social and personal development.

They say humanity and morality are the qualities which are characteristic only for people. They say these things because they want to believe in the fact and hide their animal nature. People do not like the comparisons with animals because they often accentuate the intellectual supremacy over the animal world, and they do not prefer to accentuate their animal nature.

Moreover, the intellectual superiority is closely associated with the emotional development. Morality and responsibility are discussed as human qualities, but animals are often more responsible and fair in relation to their partners than humans can be. Animals do not believe in anything, the moral contradictions are not at their level of development. They follow their instincts, and these instincts become extremely significant for understanding the importance of people’s moral actions.

In spite of animal instincts, wolves do not betray their partners. It is impossible to refer to the laws of the natural world while discussing the problem of the person’s morality because it can appear that definite animals are more morally developed than people. People can find a great number of arguments to justify their immoral actions and the fact of betrayal instead of changing their behaviors and attitudes. People live in the community and should follow its laws.

In his work “Joyas Voladoras”, Brian Doyle discusses the possibilities of the heart with references to a hummingbird’s heart and a whale’s heart. Living creatures have hearts, and these hearts can suffer from the pain as well as people’s ones. The problem of the living beings’ devotion and ability to live in a group or community without betraying the partner and the group members was discussed in this essay with the help of referring to the wolves’ pack.

Similarities of the two essays are in the approaches to explore the moral problems and concepts accentuating the person as the part of the natural world where all the creatures and all the processes are interconnected and can be presented with references to animals or birds.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, August 6). “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle. https://ivypanda.com/essays/joyas-voladoras-2/

"“Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle." IvyPanda , 6 Aug. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/joyas-voladoras-2/.

IvyPanda . (2019) '“Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle'. 6 August.

IvyPanda . 2019. "“Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle." August 6, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/joyas-voladoras-2/.

1. IvyPanda . "“Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle." August 6, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/joyas-voladoras-2/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "“Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle." August 6, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/joyas-voladoras-2/.

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Joyas Voladoras

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• Body and Mind
• The Natural World

Brian Doyle

Correspondence

We discussed the figures and statistics in Doyle’s piece at length before choosing to include it as a Dog-Eared Page, with particular attention paid to the inaccurate weight that you cite. We ultimately decided to print the essay the way Doyle wrote it, because his untimely death prohibited us from running any changes by him.

Perhaps we’ve added to the misinformation about the weight of the blue whale’s heart, but we hope the essay’s beauty — and Doyle’s characteristic sense of wonder — make up for the error.

Ever since my brother sent me “ Joyas Voladoras ” [Dog-Eared Page, January 2020], I’ve read as many of Brian Doyle’s essays as I can, but I keep returning to this one. I come close to crying every time, mainly because Doyle mentions a father making pancakes for his children. My father, who died when he was fifty-eight years old, used to do the same for us. He could have made us a lot more pancakes.

I’m sad that Doyle died when he was sixty. He could have given us a lot more essays.

In his essay “Joyas Voladoras,” Brian Doyle writes that a blue whale’s heart weighs more than seven tons. A cursory Internet search reveals that this is untrue, and that the heart weighs more like four hundred pounds. Fact check, anyone?

I love The Sun , but I also love science, and this annoyed the bejesus out of me.

I almost made it through Brian Doyle’s essay “Joyas Voladoras” without crying, but when I got to his very last line, about the memory of a father making pancakes for his children, the tears came.

My father introduced me to The Sun five years ago. The following year, after a short jail sentence, he left my mother for another woman. Though my relationship with my father became strained, The Sun , and Doyle’s work in particular, was a touchstone for us — full of compassion and a love for nature that we could relate to when there was little else we felt comfortable talking about.

My father was diagnosed with bone-marrow cancer in 2016 and was hospitalized the following year. I visited him nearly every day. He was in constant agony and, though I tried to help him, he insisted he could get dressed and go to the bathroom by himself, leaving me frustrated. At the suggestion of the woman he chose to love, I began reading to him from Doyle’s novel Martin Marten at night. It eased my father’s anxiety, connected us, and became the one time in that hospital when I felt I could do something meaningful for him.

In May my father was told he didn’t qualify for a risky surgery he’d signed up for, because his heart was not strong enough. He was released and told he had about six months to live. That night he began to bleed internally, and he died within three days.

I tried to connect with Doyle a few weeks later, to thank him for his words and to share how meaningful it had been to read his novel to my father. That’s when I learned he had also died that May, having been diagnosed with a brain tumor, also in November. Doyle’s swift decline seemed to mirror my father’s.

I was never able to thank Doyle, but I can thank The Sun for continuing to publish his writing . His voice is exactly what we need: tender and alive to the inexplicable magic of life — a magic that, despite all that threatens it, still exists.

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Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle

Table of Contents

The essay “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle tackles the concepts of life, love, and the frailty of existence. The phrase “flying jewels” refers to hummingbirds, which are used as a metaphor for life’s transience in the title.

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- In the essay’s opening paragraph, Doyle describes the physical traits and behaviours of hummingbirds, highlighting their incredibly quick heartbeat and capacity for hovering in midair. 

He then elaborates on this statement to explore the notion that although hummingbirds are among the tiniest animals on Earth, they are incredibly vibrant. As a result, he starts to think about the nature of the heart and how it relates to life.

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- In his reflections, Doyle compares the amazing velocity at which hummingbirds’ hearts beat—up to 1,260 times per minute in some cases—to the rapidity of their lives. He compares the human heart to the heart of the hummingbird, saying that both are vulnerable and weak but also capable of great love and compassion.

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Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- As Doyle explores the different emotions and experiences that the heart embraces, the essay adopts a reflective tone. Using examples from nature, such as the love that mother whales have for their offspring or the devotedness of penguins to their partners, he talks on the enormous capacity of the heart to love. 

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- Doyle emphasises the transforming nature of love, emphasising how it has the power to both offer joy and cause grief.

Doyle turns his attention to human hearts and their capacity for both love and grief in the second half of the essay. He muses on the transitory nature of life as well as the unavoidable frailty and death of the human condition. Doyle contends that, despite its fragility, life is valuable and beautiful because of how transient it is.

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- A profound reflection on the interdependence of all living things is included in the essay’s conclusion. Every heart, whether human or animal, according to Doyle, is a “hummingbird heart” that is weak, strong, and capable of love. He emphasises the value of cherishing life and appreciating existence’s beauty despite its fleeting nature.

The essay “Joyas Voladoras” examines the fragility and beauty of existence in a lyrical and introspective manner. Brian Doyle reminds readers of the value of every heartbeat and the importance of embracing love and compassion in the face of life’s impermanence through colourful descriptions and thought-provoking comments.

About Brian Doyle

Brian Doyle (1956-2017) was an American author, essayist, and poet. He was born in New York and raised in a large Irish-Catholic family. Doyle’s writing style was characterized by its lyrical and heartfelt nature, often blending personal experiences with reflections on spirituality, nature, and the human condition.

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- Doyle published numerous books, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Some of his notable works include “Mink River,” “Martin Marten,” “The Plover,” and “Leaping: Revelations and Epiphanies.” His writing received critical acclaim and won several awards, including the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature.

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- As an essayist, Doyle was known for his ability to find beauty and meaning in the ordinary aspects of life. His essays often explored themes such as love, family, faith, and the natural world. They were characterized by their rich imagery, emotional depth, and a sense of wonder.

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- Tragically, Brian Doyle passed away in 2017 at the age of 60 due to complications from a brain tumor. Despite his untimely death, his writing continues to inspire readers with its profound insights and celebration of life’s joys and sorrows.

Brian Doyle’s literary legacy lives on through his works, which continue to resonate with readers seeking contemplation, connection, and a renewed appreciation for the world around them.

“Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle is a poignant and evocative essay that delves into the themes of life, love, and the fleeting nature of existence. Through his exploration of hummingbirds and their remarkable hearts, Doyle invites readers to contemplate the fragility and beauty of all living beings, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the human experience with the natural world.

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- Doyle’s lyrical prose and vivid descriptions paint a picture of the immense vitality and vulnerability present in every heartbeat. 

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- He reminds us that despite the brevity of life, it is precisely this brevity that gives it meaning and significance. Love and compassion emerge as central themes, with Doyle highlighting the transformative power of these emotions and their ability to bring both joy and sorrow.

Ultimately, “Joyas Voladoras” serves as a reminder to cherish and appreciate the preciousness of life, embracing its transient nature. 

Joyas Voladoras Essay Summary By Brian Doyle- It encourages us to cultivate love, compassion, and an awareness of our interconnectedness with all living beings. Through his eloquent writing, Doyle invites readers to reflect on their own lives, encouraging them to live fully and appreciate the beauty that exists in every fleeting moment.

Q. What is the meaning of “Joyas Voladoras”? 

Ans. “Joyas Voladoras” translates to “flying jewels” in Spanish. In the context of Brian Doyle’s essay, it refers to hummingbirds, which serve as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life and the delicate beauty found within it.

Q. What are the main themes of “Joyas Voladoras”? 

Ans. The main themes explored in the essay include the fragility and brevity of life, the power of love and compassion, the interconnectedness of all living beings, and the significance of embracing and appreciating the transient nature of existence.

Q. What is the significance of hummingbirds in the essay? 

Ans. Hummingbirds symbolize the fragile yet vibrant nature of life. Their fast heartbeat and ability to hover in mid-air reflect the fleetingness of existence. They serve as a metaphorical representation of the delicate beauty and vitality that can be found in the world.

Q. How does Brian Doyle connect the hummingbird’s heart to the human heart? 

Ans. Brian Doyle draws parallels between the hummingbird’s heart and the human heart to highlight their shared vulnerability and capacity for love. He reflects on the rapid heartbeat of hummingbirds and suggests that, like their hearts, human hearts are fragile and capable of immense compassion and affection.

Q. What is the overall message of “Joyas Voladoras”? 

Ans. The essay encourages readers to cherish and embrace the preciousness of life, despite its transient nature. It emphasizes the importance of love, compassion, and appreciating the interconnectedness of all living beings. Doyle reminds us to live fully and appreciate the beauty found in every fleeting moment.

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Analysis of “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle

These days, people predominantly lead a speedy lifestyle, they always hurry for coming in time to work or university, run for important meetings, and do their best to fulfill deadlines. The modern pace of life can be compared with a continuous rush without the finish point. Time management is the term, which is constantly heard everywhere – in blogs, articles, and self-developing books. People are less careful of others, their feelings, and ask for help, as they have no opportunities to be late for their meaningful errands. Passengers in the street do not notice the beauty of the architecture and some changes in the local areas and do not pay attention to nature, as they are deeply in thoughts about their plans and the methods of managing the time. In the article, «Joyas Voladoras» Brian Doyle addresses this hot-button issue and presents his reflections on the pace of life and love. This way, the purpose of the paper is to analyze the article «Joyas Voladoras», determine its message, lessons, and the extent, to which they get across.

Despite having a small size, the essay contains profound meaning, which can hardly be understood after reading for the first time. It is worth starting with an explanation of the title of the article. “Joyas Voladoras” is a metaphor, this phrase means “flying jewel”, namely hummingbird (Doyle). This name was created by the first white explorers in America, and Brian Doyle highlights that the New World appears to be the only habitat of hummingbirds. In the article, the writer attempts to transmit his ideas by drawing an analogy with animals, their physical characteristics, and their behavior. “The main characters” of this story are a skillful hummingbird with brief life, a slow tortoise, which lives up to 200 years, and a giant blue whale with the biggest heart in the world. Comparing these animals and their lifestyles, Brian Doyle supplies his considerations on life, its pace, and love.

The author starts his narrative by describing this creature and making the readers admire it. Although it is tiny, and its heart is compared with a “pencil eraser”, the abilities of the little creature are surprising. Hummingbirds can visit more than a thousand flowers a day, dive at sixty miles per hour, fly backwards, and travel for a long time without rest. This list is impressive; however, the bird is very close to death while resting. During cold nights they are highly likely to starve, during periods of hunger, they may die unless they find something sweet. Moreover, such high activity takes a significant amount of energy. The author marks: “the price of their ambition is a life closer to death; they suffer more heart attacks and aneurysms and ruptures than any other living creature” (Doyle). This way, the life endurance of hummingbirds is only two years. Brian Doyle outlines that every organism on the earth has a limit for heartbeats, which consists of two billion times, and the little bird spends her limit exceptionally rapidly due to its multiple abilities.

By contrast with hummingbirds, tortoises are slow, and their activity is not varied. Therefore, they spend their two billion heartbeats significantly longer than the aforementioned creature, and their life span may reach two hundred years old. The writer notices: “It’s expensive to fly. You burn out. You fry the machine. You melt the engine” (Doyle). Comparing a small but rapid and skillful bird with a slow tortoise, the author draws attention to the two options of the pace of life. The first is full of action, travels, and adventures, but very short. It reminds me of the modern lifestyle, which people stick to predominantly. The second approach is off-speed, peaceful, calm, and much longer than the previous one. Brian Doyle does not insist on a particular solution or approach, he encourages readers to reflect on this topic, match their dreams and current activity, and make their own conscious decision.

Another message of the essay regards love, and the author draws an analogy with the natural world, too, to introduce this topic. The writer presents information on the structure of the hearts of different animals, for instance, mammals and birds have four chambers hearts. Highlighting that people hold a lot of feelings and concerns in this organ during life, Brian Doyle describes blue whales as the most giant animals in the world with the biggest heart. He poetically compares it with a room: “It’s as big as a room. It is a room, with four chambers. A child could walk around it, head high, bending only to step through the valves” (Doyle). Being the largest animals in the natural world, blue whales are the ones, which appear to be one of the less explored ones. People have obtained relatively little information about their ways of communication, mating and eating habits, and travel patterns. However, the fact that blue whales with the biggest hearts always travel in pairs and their moaning cries can be heard for miles underwater is precise.

This way, these two primary messages of the article logically transmit the lessons, which the author wants the readers to teach. The first presents a point that every single second of life is meaningful, and every moment and happening should be taken advantage. To introduce the second lesson, he mentions another metaphor and compares the heart to the house, in which a person lives alone. The person lets the new acquaintances in his or her life by opening the windows. Therefore, people can choose who they are willing to share their emotions and experience with, but the majority prefer to live alone due to their “constantly harrowed heart” (Doyle). During growing up, the hearts are “bruised and scarred, scored and torn, repaired by time and will, patched by force of character, yet fragile and rickety forevermore” and then repaired (Doyle). However, there are still unforgettable and touching happening, which make opening the windows of the heard worth doing.

In conclusion, despite the simplicity and briefness of the essay, its sense should not be underestimated. The author manages to impress, intrigue, touch the bottom of the heart, and provide readers with deep insights into each person’s most vital aspects, which are their life and love. The messages and lessons of the article are very close and vital and inspire us to reconsider habits, lifestyles, and values. The writer highlights the hazard of the rapid pace of life, which is common nowadays. People do not manage to enjoy each second, remember the pleasant moments and pay attention to the wonderful events, which they are surrounded. Moreover, Brian Doyle gently encourages the reader not to be afraid of opening their hearts and souls to new people and acquaintances. These aspects make life adventurous, enjoyable, and full of unforgettable experiences.

Doyle, B. “Joyas Voladoras.” The American Scholar, 2012, Web.

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Freedom Writers — Summary And The Main Idea Of Brian Doyle’s “Joyas Voladoras”

Summary and The Main Idea of Brian Doyle’s "Joyas Voladoras"

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“Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle. Summary and Symbolism Analysis Essay

Joyas voladoras essay: introduction.

The “Joyas Voladoras” essay by Brian Doyle speaks of hummingbirds and hearts, the life of whales, and the life of man. That’s a profound reflection on life, death, and the experiences in between. In other words, the essay examines the similarity of every creature on Earth. In this paper, I make an analysis of the piece of literature, describe its main ideas, identify the author’s purpose, and share my impressions about Joyas Voladoras.

When reading the essay, one cannot help but be immersed in the distinct imagery created by the writer. In Joyas Voladoras, Brian Doyle elaborates on the fierceness of life embodied in hummingbirds and creates a sharp image of a small beating heart for the reader, a heart producing billion heartbeats infinitesimally but strongly, faster even than our own.

He elaborates both scientifically and metaphorically. At the same time, he structures this particular piece of prose in such a way that people who read it should not concentrate on the scientific, for that is all that they will see. Instead, they should examine the essay in terms of the metaphoric.

After literary analysis it is clear that “Joyas Voladoras” is filled with metaphorical symbolism . Let’s take as an example the following phrase in one of the paragraphs: “ the animals with the largest hearts in the world generally travel in pairs .” While scientific in appearance, it is a metaphor for love in which the essay states that people with love in their hearts are never alone.

Even references made by Doyle to the Hummingbird are another metaphoric symbolism of the abruptness of love and the value which we should place on it. Basing on the various metaphorical symbols seen throughout Joyas Voladoras, one can say that the text symbolizes different kinds of love in the world and the way they are experienced.

The Symbolism of Brian Doyle’s Hummingbird

If one would pose a question of how to interpret the different animals portrayed in “Joyas Voladoras” essay as various aspects of love, then the Doyle’s Hummingbird could be symbolic of the concept of Eros or “erotic love.” This type of love is more commonly associated with the first stages of a relationship wherein love is based on physical traits, intense passion, and sudden affection. The intensity of the Hummingbird’s beating heart is symbolic of the passionate energy of love based on Eros.

The description of a “flying jewel” attributed to the Hummingbird is similar to how the love, based on Eros, is considered to be flashy and noticeable. Identical to a hummingbird love based on Eros alone does not last, it burns brightly just like the life of a hummingbird yet in a short time fizzles out.

Brian Doyle’s “Joyas Voladoras” has the purpose to state that this particular love is the worst kind to have since he symbolizes the people who are addicted to this type of love as experiencing emotional turmoil and heartache, as expressed by the heart of the Hummingbird slowing down when it comes to rest.

The line “if they do not soon find that which is sweet, their hearts grow cold, and they cease to be” is actually symbolic of the way in which people who prefer Eros love are actually addicted to the concept of loving and being loved forever moving from lover to lover, just like a hummingbird moves from flower to flower.

Joyas Voladoras: The symbolism of the Whale

The symbolic nature of the Whale as a type of love for Doyle takes the form of Philos, namely a kind of love which is based on the friendship between two people. While the phrase “the animals with the largest hearts in the world generally travel in pairs” is indicative of Philos love, other aspects of this particular type of love are also apparent.

An analysis of the type of grammar used by Doyle in describing the Hummingbird and the Whale shows that, for the Hummingbird, Doyle uses action gerund words which utilize the word “and” rather than a comma.

The result of such grammatical usage is thus an almost breathless mannerism in which readers read the parts detailing the life of a hummingbird. This is symbolic of the breathless nature of erotic love wherein those who ascribe to it find themselves flitting from action to action without heed or care.

On the other hand, when describing the blue Whale, Doyle utilizes exceedingly long sentences and traditional words interspaced with commas, which have the effect of slowing down the reader. This is intentional on the part of the author since Philo’s type of love is a form of love that begins after a long and prosperous friendship.

It is a type of love that builds up over time, creating strong affection, emotions, and a feeling of longing to be with that person. The nature of the size of whale hearts is symbolic of the intense emotions and love that build up over time, resulting in a type of relationship where two people stay together for a lifetime.

Joyas Voladoras: Summary

What is the main idea of “Joyas Voladoras”? Based on what has been presented in this paper, it can be seen that one aspect of the essay “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle is that it uses symbolism to express the concepts of Eros and Philos. While the paper possess other forms of symbolism, these particular aspects were chosen since they help to relay the message of the author that there are different types of love out there, each having its unique characteristics.

In summary, it is due to viewing the essay in this particular way that the continuous use of the word “heart” can thus be interpreted as symbolic of people continuously searching for love with the author warning in the ending of the possible pain that comes with this search.

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Joyas Voladoras Essay: Introduction The “Joyas Voladoras” essay by Brian Doyle speaks of hummingbirds and hearts, the life of whales, and the life of man. That’s a profound reflection on […]

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Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy, materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes, offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development.

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy, with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

Elektrostal's fascinating history, vibrant culture, and promising future make it a city worth exploring. For more captivating facts about cities around the world, discover the unique characteristics that define each city . Uncover the hidden gems of Moscow Oblast through our in-depth look at Kolomna. Lastly, dive into the rich industrial heritage of Teesside, a thriving industrial center with its own story to tell.

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