Sunday, February 28, 2010
As luck would have it, St. Petersburg has not gotten this much snow in over 100 years. To put that in perspective the Romanov family was still in power at that time, lets just say it has been awhile. Not that I am complaining, if I came to Russia and there was no snow I would be rather disappointed. But recently the weather has started to brighten up and all that snow is beginning to melt. Literally muddles up to my knees. There could be flood warning out, not that I would ever know it.
It is so bad that downtown, hopping from the sidewalk onto the street trying to cross is a nightmare. The city has done their best, setting out pieces of styrofoam to act as stepping stones through the slush trenches. Sorry about the sarcasm.
I am really looking forward to spring. If a city can be this beautiful when covered in snow and mud, I can't imagine how majestic it will look in the spring. They city has been dubbed "the Venice of the north," due to the hundreds of canals that run through the city. As of now, the small rivers are frozen but hopefully soon they will begin to melt. Even frozen however, they are a unique addition to the city.
We have become very comfortable in certain parts of town thus far into the semester. Nevsky Prospect, the main street pictured earlier has become a main hub for all of us students. On the corner right outside the metro is Дом книги, The house of Books, that is a weekly stop. The three story book store has everything one could imagine. I have been stocking up on Russian books in hopes of one day being able to read Tolstoy in his native tongue. We have been just wandering around the city more now that the weather has improved. It really is a vast city with so much to see.
Yesterday was our weekly cultural excursion. Today was focused on the siege of Leningrad from 1941-1944. During this time, the Nazis invaded the city and cut Leningrad from any land connections. An estimated 1.5 million people died during the siege. Majority caused by famine. The amount of bread given to a civilian daily was 125 grams. Most of this was made with sawdust, glue and other inedible ingredients. The civilians were then plagued by destroyed homes, dirty water and disease. This siege in history is the biggest single loss to a city in the modern world.
Many monuments are dedicated to those who gave their lives fighting for Russia and the civilians who suffered. The first we visited was the Piskariovskoye Memorial Cemetery. There is an eternal flame lit at the entrance and along the right are buried, in unmarked graves, civilians. And on the left are soldiers and sailors. The statue in the middle dubbed "Mother Motherland" symbolizes Peace. The entire experience was extremely moving. They have opera music playing at all times and the places made chills run up my spine. It captured so much tragic history.
The second monument is called Victory Square. In the middle of the square is a monument with various statues, symbolizing the soldiers, volunteers and civilians who gave their lives to their country. Underneath the square is the museum. This was probably the most beautiful museum I have ever seen. The wall were covered in mosaics dedicated on one side to the fall to the Nazis and victory day on the other. Because the museum is underground there are no windows. They light the museum with 900 candles, symbolizing the 900 days and nights they were occupied. The entire museum was lit by these candles. This was by far the most exquisite place I have visited in Russia.
It is so bad that downtown, hopping from the sidewalk onto the street trying to cross is a nightmare. The city has done their best, setting out pieces of styrofoam to act as stepping stones through the slush trenches. Sorry about the sarcasm.
I am really looking forward to spring. If a city can be this beautiful when covered in snow and mud, I can't imagine how majestic it will look in the spring. They city has been dubbed "the Venice of the north," due to the hundreds of canals that run through the city. As of now, the small rivers are frozen but hopefully soon they will begin to melt. Even frozen however, they are a unique addition to the city.
We have become very comfortable in certain parts of town thus far into the semester. Nevsky Prospect, the main street pictured earlier has become a main hub for all of us students. On the corner right outside the metro is Дом книги, The house of Books, that is a weekly stop. The three story book store has everything one could imagine. I have been stocking up on Russian books in hopes of one day being able to read Tolstoy in his native tongue. We have been just wandering around the city more now that the weather has improved. It really is a vast city with so much to see.
Yesterday was our weekly cultural excursion. Today was focused on the siege of Leningrad from 1941-1944. During this time, the Nazis invaded the city and cut Leningrad from any land connections. An estimated 1.5 million people died during the siege. Majority caused by famine. The amount of bread given to a civilian daily was 125 grams. Most of this was made with sawdust, glue and other inedible ingredients. The civilians were then plagued by destroyed homes, dirty water and disease. This siege in history is the biggest single loss to a city in the modern world.
Many monuments are dedicated to those who gave their lives fighting for Russia and the civilians who suffered. The first we visited was the Piskariovskoye Memorial Cemetery. There is an eternal flame lit at the entrance and along the right are buried, in unmarked graves, civilians. And on the left are soldiers and sailors. The statue in the middle dubbed "Mother Motherland" symbolizes Peace. The entire experience was extremely moving. They have opera music playing at all times and the places made chills run up my spine. It captured so much tragic history.
The second monument is called Victory Square. In the middle of the square is a monument with various statues, symbolizing the soldiers, volunteers and civilians who gave their lives to their country. Underneath the square is the museum. This was probably the most beautiful museum I have ever seen. The wall were covered in mosaics dedicated on one side to the fall to the Nazis and victory day on the other. Because the museum is underground there are no windows. They light the museum with 900 candles, symbolizing the 900 days and nights they were occupied. The entire museum was lit by these candles. This was by far the most exquisite place I have visited in Russia.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
So I understand everyone back home is enjoying some nice, dare I say warm weather over the past few days. Well, I cannot relate to you. The weather is already bad and just getting worse. We have had temperatures down to -25 degrees F. So needless to say our trips outdoors have been limited to basically supply ourselves with the essentials; sushi and chocolate.
But the city is still beautiful with all of the snow. Right now there is a blizzard outside, and whether it be Russian or Minnesotan, I still love the snow. Probably a good thing considering where I chose to spend the semester.
On Saturday we visited the Museum of Political History. The museum is in what used to be the private mansion of Матильда Кшесинская (Matilda Kshesinskaya), a very famous Russian ballerina who became the mistress and constant distraction of Nicholas II. The mansion later became central location for Lenin's большевики (bolshevik) party.
I was really hoping for more out of Defender's Day, maybe a parade of some sort. But it is really just an excuse for old Russian men to get obnoxiously drunk in public and ride the metro. After realizing this fact we decided to celebrate Defender's Day with some comfort food. After all it is defending our sanity. Thus, I ate my first Russian Big Mac. It is the first real protein I have had since the extremely rancid chicken fiasco. Getting good meat here is a problem.
For example, the boys who live next door set out to make us some stew one night and went to the store to get meat. Long story short they came back with neck meat. We don't know how old it was or really from what type of animal it was, but it was neck meat. The butcher just pointed to his neck when describing it and, naturally, not a single one of them could understand him. And because of the huge butcher knife in his hand, the boys quickly realized they did not want to say no. So we had neck meat stew.
Everyone keeps asking about the most exciting thing I have done. Well, its hard to pinpoint it because just being here is exciting. In a completely mysterious, I have absolutely no idea what is going on right now kind of way. Every trip outside is an adventure. We get lost, pick-pocketed and hassled but every part of it is a good time. Completely exhausting, but always exciting.
But the city is still beautiful with all of the snow. Right now there is a blizzard outside, and whether it be Russian or Minnesotan, I still love the snow. Probably a good thing considering where I chose to spend the semester.
On Saturday we visited the Museum of Political History. The museum is in what used to be the private mansion of Матильда Кшесинская (Matilda Kshesinskaya), a very famous Russian ballerina who became the mistress and constant distraction of Nicholas II. The mansion later became central location for Lenin's большевики (bolshevik) party.
I was really hoping for more out of Defender's Day, maybe a parade of some sort. But it is really just an excuse for old Russian men to get obnoxiously drunk in public and ride the metro. After realizing this fact we decided to celebrate Defender's Day with some comfort food. After all it is defending our sanity. Thus, I ate my first Russian Big Mac. It is the first real protein I have had since the extremely rancid chicken fiasco. Getting good meat here is a problem.
For example, the boys who live next door set out to make us some stew one night and went to the store to get meat. Long story short they came back with neck meat. We don't know how old it was or really from what type of animal it was, but it was neck meat. The butcher just pointed to his neck when describing it and, naturally, not a single one of them could understand him. And because of the huge butcher knife in his hand, the boys quickly realized they did not want to say no. So we had neck meat stew.
Everyone keeps asking about the most exciting thing I have done. Well, its hard to pinpoint it because just being here is exciting. In a completely mysterious, I have absolutely no idea what is going on right now kind of way. Every trip outside is an adventure. We get lost, pick-pocketed and hassled but every part of it is a good time. Completely exhausting, but always exciting.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Today is the start of our 5 day weekend. We never have classes on Fridays and Monday is Defender of the Fatherland Day. It is very similar to veterans day and commemorates the first mass draft into the Red Army in 1918. So school is canceled both Monday and Tuesday, for recovery purposes.
So far into my semester my most amazing sight was without a doubt Catherine's Palace in Pushkin. The palace is a masterpiece itself but is also home to the Amber Room. This room is completely decorated in Amber, everything from the walls to the pieces of furniture. The room now is a recreation of the original. The first Amber Room is actually quite a mystery. It was taken down after the German invasion and supposedly stored away. However, the pieces of the room were never seen again. For years people have searched for the original Amber Room but they are still missing after being taken by the Germans. Typical.
We toured as much of the palace as we could, only to realize that about 5/6 of the palace was not open to us. Most of it is under reconstruction from being destroyed years ago.
This past weekend was Масленица, or butter week. It celebrates the end of the cold winter. Well, I think they jumped the gun a bit because right now it is -10 F. The Масленица festival was held on the Gulf of Finland. And when I say on the Gulf of Finland, its frozen, so it was literally on the Gulf of Finland. It was an absolutely beautiful sight. Nearly every part of my body was solid ice after standing outside for more than 5 hours but the scenery was well worth it.
As always, the city looks like a snowy fantasy land. It snowed quite a bit earlier in the week and yesterday we could actually see the sun. Not that I need it after all the vitamin D pills I have been throwing back.
All in all, I couldn't imagine studying abroad anywhere else, this place is perfect.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A brief game of catch-up
As of today I have been outside the United States for three full weeks. And while being cut off from reality while in Russia seemed ideal before I left, I have realized that my mother, along with many others, needs some verification that I am still alive. Thus I am starting this blog to put her mind at ease.
So I will start with just a bit of background. I am studying in St. Petersburg, Russia with a program called The American Institute for Foreign Study (which I am still concerned is involved in the Russian slave trade). The program began with a two day layover in London where we were introduced to others in our program and toured around London. We then flew to St. Petersburg on January 31st.
I am studying at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, a renowned university for engineering. Precisely the reason I am taking all history classes. I have roughly 3 full hours of Russian daily while my two history courses, one focusing on the communist era and the other on the contemporary life and politics, meet only once a week. All of my professors are absolutely wonderful; I will just have to resist their attempts to convert me to a commi.
The first few weeks of this trip have gone by extremely fast. We have seen many of the main tourist attractions. These include the Hermitage, Catherine’s Palace in Pushkin, the Church on Spilled Blood and of course, Rasputin’s penis.
Everything I have seen has been absolutely fascinating. Russian history has always enthralled me and now I am just feeding my addiction. Every place in the city is dripping with history, to the point that I feel I have not even scratched the surface.
On the other hand, between moments of complete joy are those moments when I ask myself “how the hell did I end up here?” which are really a daily occurrence. For example today, we had to pile all of our stuff onto our beds so our rooms could be fumigated for cockroaches. I don’t handle cockroaches. Or the fact that my roommates and I are unable to open our freezer door solely because there is a container of rotten, odiferous chicken inside that we have no idea what to do with, so it is literally just chillin’ in the freezer.
Don’t get me wrong, I am loving every single moment here. And to quote one of my professors, “you need to lookout, Russia is very addicting.” I know exactly what she means.
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