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.

Just Getting By . . .

When I told people I was going to Russia, the first question everyone asked is, "do you speak Russian?" Well, I speak no Russian at all and neither do 13 of my 14 American colleagues here. For all our scheduled activities we have interpreters. The real challenge is speaking to our host families. In my host family, Anya sometimes translates, but it is exhausing for her and she is sometimes not home. Galya and I actually manage to talk quite a bit. Galya knows a few words of English and when we combine that with my few words of Russian, we can get along. When that fails, we signal to each other. It's a very long game of charades. When all else fails, we get out the Russian-English dictionary and point to the words we want to use. We get by, but it's a little frustrating because we can't really have any serious conversations that way. Anya's father, Toli, just speaks to me in Russian and I speak back to him in English. We do not understand each other and are probably having two totally different conversations, but it's very pleasant anyway.

This is a photo of Sergei, my "host brother" and his nephew Grisha. Sergei is 25 and Grisha is 6. Grisha told me (Anya translating) that I was going to have to start speaking Russian because he cannot understand me when I speak English. If only it were that easy . . .










Here is a photo of me and Galya. I am modeling the apron and oven mitt that Galya gave me as a goodbye present, along with her recipe for cyrniki! It was sad to say goodbye to my family last night.Today we leave Vladimir to go to a smaller city called Murom. I do not know if I will be able to a access the internet from there, but I will try.

Percy

Yesterday we heard a lecture from a man named Percy Guravitch. He will return this afternoon to give the second part of his lecture. He is a professor of political science at Vladimir University. He is 89 years old! Not only does he have a scholar's perspective on the last century of Russian history, but he has a personal perspective. You see, Percy was a political prisoner, first of the German Nazis and then of the Soviet Union. A political prisoner is someone who is imprisoned for his or her political beliefs. Percy spoke out against the Nazis and the Communists, and received a severe punishment.

I know that you know about the Nazi concentration camps. But you might not know about the Soviet Union's Gulag. The Gulag was a prison way up in Siberia, the frozen tundra of Russia. Inmates not only had to survive the cold, but they also had to survive the work that the prison guards forced them to perform. The smallest expression of unhappiness with the government could get a person sentenced to the gulag for years and years. Sometimes, people were sent to the Gulag without even being told what they had said or done wrong. This was a system of terror, designed to keep people from protesting or rebelling when the government did unfair things. The communist party wanted total control over the people.

Russia now is a democratic country. This means people can express their views freely. The democracy here is not perfect yet, but building a system based on freedom takes much longer than building a system based on terror. I am hopeful for the future of Russia, and Percy is too!

Listen to your Mama!

Yesterday I had an essential Russian experience - the banya. The banya is a public bathhouse that Russians go to about once a week. First, they go to a really hot sauna. After they get a good sweat going, they beat themselves or each other with a bundle of birch branches called a veniki. This is supposed to release toxins from your body. Then they go shower, and if they're really brave they jump into a cold pool. After this, they sit in a dressing room where they have drinks and snacks and chat. They repeat this process about five times over the course of two hours. Before I left for Russia, I read about the banya in my guidebook. I was so excited to try it and told my mother. She said, "Audrey, don't do it. You'll faint." I decided that I had to do it, because I would probably only be in Russia once and it is an important part of Russian culture. Besides, I didn't think that I would faint at the banya.

I fainted at the banya. The women there took excellent care of me, especially Galya. These Russians are tough people, let me tell you! They endure these brutally cold winters and can also endure the heat of the banya. Yesterday, though, the most important lesson I learned was how kind they are. Everyone there, even strangers, took good care of me. I had a long conversation with a young Russian woman who spoke English. And I know that I sent them all home with funny stories to tell their families about the silly American who fainted at the banya.

I am putting the best possible spin on this situation, but make no mistake about the moral to this story - listen to your mother!

Day in the Country

We had such a wonderful day yesterday. We went to the country to see what life is like there. We began at a dairy farm. Now, this was not the nicest part of the trip. I am afraid of cows. Also, the cows do not go to pasture. They stay in the barn all the time. They eat there, sleep there, and poop there. So we literally had to trudge through poop for about 30 minutes. Here is a picture of me and my friend Dierdre in our silly "sterile" outfits. Odd thing - we were told to put these scrubs on so that the cows wouldn't get sick. No mention of protecting us from the cow poo!

So after that, we were not in a great mood. But then we went to visit a small family farm. A farmer named Sergei and his wife Nina greeted us and showed us their farm. They have a large potato crop, a beautiful vegetable garden, and lots of animals including ducks, chickens, pigs, turkeys, and cows. Then they led us to a table full of goodies that came from their farm, including cheese, vegetables, berries, milk, honey and some baked goods. It was beautiful. Their kindness was truly touching and I know I will not forget them. This is a picture of Sergei toasting the occasion.

We went to a few more small businesses, then came back home to Vladimir. Today I am going shopping, Russian style! I will see how their malls compare to ours. Then I am going to the banya, a Russian bath house. It sounds cool. But tonight, I only want to sleep!

I have begun walking to the American Home every morning. It takes about 40 minutes. I enjoy it more than the bus. Even though the bus only takes about 15 minutes, it is hot and stinky because it is not air-conditioned. More importantly, I can see the city better when I walk.

My favorite part of my walk to work/school is when I pass this monument. It is a monument to what the Russians call "The Great Patriotic War" and what we call World War II. Almost every town in Russia has a memorial to the people who died in this war, and more are still being built. In The Great Patriotic War, more than 26 million soldiers and civilians (non-military citizens) died. 26 million - that is the population of Livingston times 1000! So really, every Russian family was affected by the war. If you are interested, the most significant battles of the war on the Russian front were the Battle of Stalingrad and the Siege of Leningrad. You can look these up online and find lots of information.

When Anya, my "host sister" graduated from high school a few weeks ago, the class had a ceremony at this memorial. This is a common Russian custom - when people are celebrating a milestone such as a graduation or a wedding, they visit a memorial or monument and have their photos taken there, or sometimes hold a ceremony there. I think that this is a very nice custom. When we are celebrating something good in our lives we should stop and reflect upon all the struggle that made it possible for us to have this good in our lives.

Let's Get Down to Business

Yes, I went to the factories today. But that's not the kind of business I am thinking of. I am thinking of . . . the toilet.

1. In homes, there is a separate room for just the toilet, and then one for the sink and tub. It actually makes sense. My family was very confused as to why I was taking pictures of the toilet.

2. Toilet seats are optional, as is toilet paper. This is true of many places, including the Palace of Culture, where you can see beautiful ballets and listen to brilliant symphonies.

3. And this was the toilet at a musuem that we visited today. Imagine this in a museum in the US - impossible, I think.

I know, it seems silly to write about this kind of thing. But when you are talking about the realities of everyday life, this is one that we must consider a few times a day. And it is probably more interesting to you than all the economics I learned today!

Prison and Parties

I went to prison today. Fortunately, I was not taken in cuffs. We went on a tour. It seems odd, but the goal of this seminar is to help us understand every day life in Russia, and I guess the logic is that prison is everyday life for some people. I really can't make any comparisons to American prisons, since I have never had the joy of being in one of those.


Well, last night's party was a blast! It was a very big deal because it was not only the 4th of July, but it was also the American Home's 15th anniversary. There were local officials and media there. There were emcees, Russian folk dancers, and an American-style rock band. The food was Russian but had little American flag toothpicks stuck in it. I was kind of craving a burger, but I satisfied myself with lots of Russian cucumbers. They are so good here!

I won this little guy last night. He's called a domavionuk. He's a house spirit. For hundreds of years Russians have believed that there are little spirits that live in the corners of their houses and either help them or mess things up for them. You are missing a fork? Blame the domavionuk. You find the fork? It must have been the nice domavionuk. This one is holding some hundred dollar bills, so I think he's supposed to bring me prosperity. When I get home I will put this little guy in the corner and see what happens. My guess is that if I work I will be prosperous but if I don't I will be broke. Same as always.

Tonight I will go home to my host family. Tomorrow we are going on a trip to a few factories and we will learn about the Russian economy. Paka, friends!

Fourth of July

Okay, so my father thinks he is very clever with his trick question, "is there a fourth of July in Russia?" Well of course there is! What else would come between the 3rd and the 5th? Now, it's not a holiday, like it is in America. But I am doing my studies through the American Home in Vladimir, so we are having a big picnic tonight. I am curious to see what kind of food the Russians prepare for an American party. I think I saw the makings of a giant salad yesterday. Now the question is, will they do the Russian thing and douse it in mayonnaise?

Okay, it is the Fourth of July and I am a little homesick. Here are some things that I miss about America:
- Large pots of good coffee, served with milk. The chai (tea) here is great, but it's not the same.
- American manners. The Russian mannerisms are different and I know that, so I am not offended, but I still miss American manners. For instance, Russians do not smile or say hello unless they know the person. In fact, if you smile at a stranger, he or she is likely to think that you have a bad intent. Also, Russians do not make eye contact. I stood right next to one of the American home teachers on the bus today. She is a lovely Russian woman and we have had many conversations. Yet she did not notice me at all because she stared straight ahead out the window the whole time. And when it was time to get off the bus, nobody said, "excuse me." They just shoved.
- American drivers. I know, this sounds weird. You know how in America some people have bumper stickers that say, "I break for dogs," or "I break for coffee"? Well, in Russia they should all have bumper stickers that say "I break for nothing." You must be very careful crossing the street. Every year many drivers and pedestrians are killed in accidents. Russians drive fast and consider the traffic laws mere suggestions. Add to that that most of them are driving cars that are about 20 years old, and it's a dangerous situation.
- American air. Every day when I wake up I am sure that I am getting sick because my throat and eyes hurt. But I am not sick - the poor air quality is causing these problems. The cities are crowded, the cars are old, and the environmental laws are not as strict. My delicate American body cannot take it!

Okay, so this seemed like a long list of complaints, right? Well, I'm happy overall. These are minor things. Every day here is a new adventure, and I am excited about that. But I still feel that, "there is no place like home."

The apartment

I think it is time to take you inside "my" Russian apartment.

There are 5 rooms plus the kitchen and bathroom in the apartment. This is quite large by Russian standards. Galina and her husband got such a large apartment in the Soviet era because, as they explained to me, they were "at the right place at the right time." Basically, they were lucky! Even though this is a large apartment by Russian standards, it is still a pretty small space for a family of 4 (I am including myself now) and even smaller for a family of 5, as they had when they moved in. There are three bedrooms, a living room, and a small entry room. Galina's oldest daughter Lena lives in a two room apartment with her husband, Sergei, and their son, Grisha. This is a standard living arrangement in Russia. They gave Grisha his own room and they sleep in the living room.

Because the homes are so small, many things must serve dual purposes. Notice that the hallway is also the clothes drying room, and that we all sleep on fold-out couches. People must be efficient and creative! You might also notice some fancy woodwork and fake brickwork in the apartment. These were changes that the family made in the 1990s. When the Soviet system ended, the apartments were privatized. This means that people were able to buy the apartments that they used to rent from the government. Because they owned them now, they were able to make improvements to make the house prettier. Galina's husband was a carpenter, so he added some decorative woodwork.

It's a different sort of home, but it is very comfortable and warm. Even though I have to open a set of three steel doors to get in.

The Dacha

Greetings everyone! This past weekend I experienced a very important aspect of Russian life- the Dacha. Because most people live in big, overcrowded cities, they keep small plots of land, called dachas, on the outskirts of the cities. There they keep lovely gardens where they grow fruit and vegetables as well as flowers. They usually have some kind of shelter on the land as well. This can be anything from a little shed to a huge, comfortable house. The one I went to was somewhere in between, a small cottage suitable for one or two people to spend a night. The dacha is a relaxing and very important place, and it really helped me understand the Russian people. Now I can see where they find peace and beauty. In the picture you can see my host family. The mother is Galya (short for Galina) and the daughter is Anya. I feel very lucky to have been placed in their home. As you can see from the spread on the table, they take very good care of me!

Today I went to an orphanage in Vladimir. The children are adorable, as you can see in the picture. We also went to a kindergarten (this is the name they have for what we call "day care" or "nursery school") and had a good discussion about education in Russia. Tonight I am going to do a few errands and then go home. Tomorrow we learn about the Russian Orthodox faith. Paka!