Where to begin?

There are so many amazing sites in Moscow that I am not sure where to begin. In no particular order, here are some of the greatest things that I've seen:

1. Red Square: This is the place you always see in pictures of Russia. You probably recognize St. Basil's Cathedral, the church with all the crazy colored domes. Also there is Lenin's tomb. VI Lenin was the founder of the Soviet Union. When he died in 1924, his political buddies decided that his body should be preserved and put on display. We had to wait on a really long line, but it was worth it to see the body. It's kind of creepy and really weird. Sorry, I only have a picture of me outside the tomb - no cameras are allowed inside.

2. The Kremlin: Most old Russian cities have Kremlins, because in Russian "kremlin" means "fortress." Moscow's is especially important, though, because it is where seat of government for the entire country is. You will often hear in the news that "the Kremlin said" but what they really mean is that "the Russian government said." So it was pretty neat to see this big complex of buildings that has been the seat of government for tsars, the Soviet Union, and now democratic Russia.

3. The subway. The Moscow subway was built in 1935 and was designed not only for transportation, but also for beauty. Most of the stations have pretty mosaics on the walls. Some have huge statues, and there are even a couple with crystal chandeliers! I didn't take photos in there, though, because I did not want to stick out as a tourist. The subway can be a kind of dangerous place in any city, and I didn't want to put myself at greater risk.

4. The shopping! In Russia under communism, shopping was a tedious job. It meant waiting in very long lines to buy whatever happened to be available that day. Since there is no more communism, people love to shop, especially young people. You can find anything and everything in Moscow. This is a picture of GUM department store. Twenty years ago, this was a place where people lined up to get their bread, clothes, toilet paper, or some other necessity. Now it's a big mall that is as nice or nicer than any in the US.

Tonight I am going to the circus! The Moscow Circus is supposed to be the best in the world, mostly because of their amazing acrobats. Then tomorrow I am on a plane to come back home. I will land at JFK airport at 2:40 and I will be very happy to be home in the USA! This trip has really helped me to appreciate all that we have as Americans.

WOW!

I went to Red Square tonight. It was absolutely amazing. Even after seeing all the photos and reading about it, it took my breath away. I will be touring it tomorrow and Sunday, but it was so great to see it tonight and just be able to stand and enjoy it with my friends. Something interesting about it is where its name comes from. Many people think that it's called Red Square because red was the color of the Communist Party. Actually, it was called Red Square many years before the Communists came to power because in Old Russian, "krasna" meant "beautiful." Over time its meaning changed to "red." I agree with the original name - it certainly is beautiful.

Is it time to go home yet?

I fainted in the banya. At last count, I have 27 mosquito bites. And today, I burned my hand.

In my haste to get coffee at the hotel buffet after taking the night train from St. Petersburg to Moscow, I sloshed the pot and got really hot coffee all over my hand. It burned. Now, this would not be a huge problem in the US. In Russia, though, a minor injury is a cause for concern. You see, the Russians have some beliefs about health that we think are, well, odd.

First, a waitress smeared butter on my hand. It melted right away because my hand was hot. I felt like a piece of toast. Then, I tried to get some ice. The waitress and a manager brought me back to the kitchen, where about 12 Russians examined my hand and spoke in Russian about what to do. The only thing they said in English was, "no ice - ice bad." Then they sprayed some foamy stuff from an aerosol can all over my hand. I don't know if it was the butter, the foam, or the gallons of cold water that I let run over my hand once I was back in my room, but I am fine now. Everyone in my group is watching me every carefully now because I am so accident-prone.

Some other odd Russian ideas about health:
- Eating pure honey will keep you from getting sick.
- Exercising in the morning is bad for you.
- Sitting on cold surfaces will damage major organs.
- Sweating in a sauna and being beaten with birch branches is good for you.

Yesterday was our last day in St. Petersburg - more palaces and parks, a cathedral, and a folk culture show, which was really fun. It was a really long day, though, and after it we hopped the night train to Moscow, so we're really tired today. We arrived at our hotel this morning, cleaned up, and then went to a meeting at the New Eurasia Foundation, a not-for-profit group that is trying to help Russia adjust to the new economy and political system. Tomorrow we are going to have a tour or several sites in the city. Tonight some friends and I are going to Red Square just to look around and see what it's like. I'm so excited!

Parks and Palaces, Palaces and Parks

St. Petersburg is the city of the tsars, so we have spent a lot of time these last few days learning about kings and queens and touring their fancy homes. To be honest, I find it kind of boring. I like the stories about "regular" people, not the privileged few. But the gardens and the artwork are pretty to look at, and it always amazes me that some people would spend so much money and effort for their own glorification.

The thing that we've seen here that I've found the most moving is actually a cemetary. It is for people who died during the siege of Leningrad (the old name for St. Petersburg) during WWII. You should look up this important event online. It's really interesting. The German army laid siege to Leningrad. This means that they surrounded it and did not allow any people or supplies to move in or out. They also bombed the city. This siege lasted for 900 days - 900 days with no food coming into the city. An estimated 1 million people died, most of them from starvation. Many bodies were not identified so they were buried in mass graves. Years later, the Russian goverment established an appropriate and lovely memorial there.

You are probably thinking that I am sort of messed up, disliking pretty things like palaces and going on and on about a cemetary. But when I looked at that memorial, I was struck by an enormous desire for peace. It was powerful. 450,000 is just a number when you read it in your history textbook in the USA. When you know the history and culture of those people, when you can imagine their lives and their homes, they become individuals. This is why it's important to learn about other cultures and to meet people from different walks of life - to turn numbers into people, and hopefully bring about peace.

St. Petersburg

Hello friends! I arrived in St. Petersburg today and now I begin my travels as a true tourist. It's a big relief to be staying in a hotel at long last, eating what I want and not having to muddle through half-Russian, half-English dinnertime conversations. That being said, I did cry twice yesterday, once when I said goodbye to my friends in Murom and once when I said goodbye to my friends in Vladimir.

We rode to St. Petersburg on a night train. We slept in tiny bunkbeds in tiny traincars. Actually, we had a lot of fun. Not a lot of sleep, but a lot of fun. We get to do it again when we go to Moscow!

Check out St. Petersburg on a map. It's a really interesting place. First of all, it is built on a swamp. There is one major river, the Neva, that runs through the city, as well as numerous canals. Also, it's so far north that in the summer they have here what are called "white nights" when the sun goes down only for a few minutes. It's a little late for a true white night here, but it's 10:15 and still bright outside.

St. Petersburg also has a unique history. It was built 300 years ago, ordered by the tsar (king) Peter the Great. He wanted a city like the ones he saw when he traveled in Europe, and he also wanted Russia to have a great navy like the ones European nations had. So he ordered the building of St. Petersburg, what he called Russia's "Window on the West" and moved the capital here. Even though the capital was moved back to Moscow in early 20th century, today St. Petersburg still feels like a Western city. It looks like a city you might find in Italy or France, not very Russian. Now, this really was a rather silly place to build a city. Even in July it is cool and windy. The land is swampy. Combine these geographical challenges with the grand plans that Peter had for his city, and you have a recipe for disaster. Some scholars estimate that 70,000 peasants died to build this city. Yet most Russians are extremely proud of St. Petersburg. It is a beautiful city and is considered to be the cultural capital of Russia.

Well, I need to put on my sunglasses and head on back to the hotel!

Patronyms

Well, if you are observant you have probably noticed that my hosts in Vladimir were Galya, Anya, and Sergei, and my hosts in Murom were Anya and Sergei. It's a coincidence, but not a big one. Russians do not use the variety of first names that we do. To distinguish between Anyas and Sergeis and such, Russians have what are called patronyms. These are a little like middle names, but they are based on the name of your father. So Anya in Vladimir was Anya Anatolyovna, or "Anya, daughter of Anatoly." To make a patronym, start with your father's first name. If you are a boy, add the suffix -vich to the name. If you are a girl, add -ovna. So my name with patronym would be Audrey Williamovna. My father's name with patronym would be William Arthurovich. (It sounds better with the Russian names!) In modern Russian society this serves to distinguish between people with the same first name, and it is also used in formal settings.

The homestay part of my trip is over. I had a great time! I'm ready to see Moscow and St. Petersburg, but here are three things that I will miss about living with a Russian family:

1. Chai (Russian for tea). Russians love tea and drink it often, and it is always served with sweets. We linger for a while over the tea, sometimes talking, sometimes just enjoying a comfortable silence.
2. Laughing, laughing, laughing. Often in the USA we have an image of Russians as rather grim people. To be honest, they do appear this way in the street. At home with their friends, though, they love to laugh and tease and embrace.
3. Honesty. Russians have different manners from Americans. If they want something or don't want it, they just say so. If they want to know something, they ask. There is no sense that a question might be too personal. Of course, if you ask a Russian a personal question they might not give a straightforward response, but they will not be offended by your having asked it. And if they ask something too personal of you, you can just avoid the question altogether and they will not be offended. But for the most part, this direct questioning leads to honest answers and interesting conversation.

Tonight we take a night train to St. Petersburg. I have never slept on a train before and I am very excited to try it! Let's see how enthusiastic I am about it tomorrow morning . . .

Murom

Here I am in Murom! I have been here since Wednesday evening. It's pretty cool here because it's the oldest city in Russia, over 1100 years old! And the best part is my hostess. Her name is Anya and I am living with her and her husband, Sergei. (This is a photo of Anya and her cat, Alisa.) Anya and Sergei are in their 20s and are a perfect example of "New Russia."

Until 1991, the economic and political system in Russia was communism. This means that people could not own their own businesses or homes. The government owned everything, made sure everyone had a job, and paid everyone pretty much the same wages. People could choose to spend those wages however they liked, but there were not many choices because the government was the only producer of any goods. Democracy and capitalism came to Russia in 1991. It was a very difficult adjustment at first and still is hard for many people, but some people are doing well in this new economy. Sergei and Anya are an example of this. Sergei owns his own business. Anya just left the university with a diploma in social work, a field that did not exist in Russia until the early 1990s. She is going to continue her education to study and teach psychology. They own their own apartment and a car and eat at nice restaurants. It is nice to see people so young with such a bright future ahead of them.

Tonight we are going dancing at a club. I hope that I survive Russian club life. If I do not write again, please tell my story.