The last picture is St. Sofia, the oldest church in Russia. The middle church is the one I ran around 3 times and the others are various pictures from the village including one of my stalking pictures from the wedding.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Novgorod
Yesterday I guaranteed myself a happy and successful marriage. I am not kidding.
During our tour of Novgorod, our guide pointed out a church in the middle of the city. Traditionally, women who ran three circles around this church were destined for a "happy and successful" marriage. When we approached, a group of young girls, about six years old, were running around the church followed by three more who looked a bit older than myself. So, naturally, when a guarantee like that is thrown my way, I could not resist. Along with the rest of the girls in my group, we ran around the church three times. And the boys, true to form, narrated the run as if it was a race and cheered us all on. I am surprised they didn't put bets on it. Anyway, it's nice to know I have helped my future along a little.
Our visit to Novgorod yesterday was quite eyeopening. The bus ride completely removed us from Petersburg. Inside the city, it is hard to imagine how dismal the state of the country really is. But outside, living conditions plummeted. The main road was lined with half-standing houses and junk yards. The difference between city life and country life is indisputable. It was hard to relate, as we sped past these villages in the safety of our bus.
When we finally arrived in Novgorod, it was not really what I was expecting. First of all, it is one of the largest cities in Western Russia. I was expecting a somewhat smaller version of Tallin, but what I got was s smaller version of St. Petersburg. We saw the Kremlin in Novgorod which houses the oldest church in Russia. It was built during the 11th century and has been added to and remodeled many times since then. Inside the church were original works of art and sculptures. One original piece is that of the virgin Mary. As legend would have it, when Novgorod was attacked by a neighboring city in its early history, one of the attackers' arrows hit the painting just above the eye. The painting then began to weep and Novgorod rallied and won the battle. This has been preserved in a glass case and to this day, one can still see the sight the arrow damaged the eye.
What I found most interesting about the trip however, was the open-air museum just outside the city. During WWII, Novgorod was severely damaged. Novgorod was, and still is famous for wooden handicrafts. This applied to their houses as well. So after the war, the city gathered many original wooden homes of Russian peasants and moved them to this open air exhibit. The houses were absolutely beautiful, as were the numerous churches and other building that made up this quasi-town.
We even happened to stumble upon a wedding taking place in the village and stayed to watch the traditional Russian wedding. When I say this I mean culturally traditional, not Russian Orthodox. I can't say I knew what was going on but it included a whip, a blindfold and and some vodka. You can draw your own conclusions.
I will post a few pictures of the houses. They really are spectacular piece of architecture, especially considering the were built in the 18th century.
Exam season has now come to Russia. I thought I could escape it half way around the world, but no. I really have learned so much about Russia just being here. I thought I knew a sufficient amount before I came, but I was completely mistaken. Living here is the only way to learn the rules of Russia.
For instance, when you have the opportunity to budge someone in line at the grocery store, you do it because everyone behind you will hassel you if you don't. And if you bump into someone, too bad for them. You don't say sorry, they would think you were creepy. And this is probably the only place where when going for a run at three o'clock on a Monday afternoon you are going to have to be weary of running into drunks. It really is a strange, strange world. I just hope I don't shove too many old ladies at home, before I break my Russian habits.
Peace.
During our tour of Novgorod, our guide pointed out a church in the middle of the city. Traditionally, women who ran three circles around this church were destined for a "happy and successful" marriage. When we approached, a group of young girls, about six years old, were running around the church followed by three more who looked a bit older than myself. So, naturally, when a guarantee like that is thrown my way, I could not resist. Along with the rest of the girls in my group, we ran around the church three times. And the boys, true to form, narrated the run as if it was a race and cheered us all on. I am surprised they didn't put bets on it. Anyway, it's nice to know I have helped my future along a little.
Our visit to Novgorod yesterday was quite eyeopening. The bus ride completely removed us from Petersburg. Inside the city, it is hard to imagine how dismal the state of the country really is. But outside, living conditions plummeted. The main road was lined with half-standing houses and junk yards. The difference between city life and country life is indisputable. It was hard to relate, as we sped past these villages in the safety of our bus.
When we finally arrived in Novgorod, it was not really what I was expecting. First of all, it is one of the largest cities in Western Russia. I was expecting a somewhat smaller version of Tallin, but what I got was s smaller version of St. Petersburg. We saw the Kremlin in Novgorod which houses the oldest church in Russia. It was built during the 11th century and has been added to and remodeled many times since then. Inside the church were original works of art and sculptures. One original piece is that of the virgin Mary. As legend would have it, when Novgorod was attacked by a neighboring city in its early history, one of the attackers' arrows hit the painting just above the eye. The painting then began to weep and Novgorod rallied and won the battle. This has been preserved in a glass case and to this day, one can still see the sight the arrow damaged the eye.
What I found most interesting about the trip however, was the open-air museum just outside the city. During WWII, Novgorod was severely damaged. Novgorod was, and still is famous for wooden handicrafts. This applied to their houses as well. So after the war, the city gathered many original wooden homes of Russian peasants and moved them to this open air exhibit. The houses were absolutely beautiful, as were the numerous churches and other building that made up this quasi-town.
We even happened to stumble upon a wedding taking place in the village and stayed to watch the traditional Russian wedding. When I say this I mean culturally traditional, not Russian Orthodox. I can't say I knew what was going on but it included a whip, a blindfold and and some vodka. You can draw your own conclusions.
I will post a few pictures of the houses. They really are spectacular piece of architecture, especially considering the were built in the 18th century.
Exam season has now come to Russia. I thought I could escape it half way around the world, but no. I really have learned so much about Russia just being here. I thought I knew a sufficient amount before I came, but I was completely mistaken. Living here is the only way to learn the rules of Russia.
For instance, when you have the opportunity to budge someone in line at the grocery store, you do it because everyone behind you will hassel you if you don't. And if you bump into someone, too bad for them. You don't say sorry, they would think you were creepy. And this is probably the only place where when going for a run at three o'clock on a Monday afternoon you are going to have to be weary of running into drunks. It really is a strange, strange world. I just hope I don't shove too many old ladies at home, before I break my Russian habits.
Peace.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Take me to Finland please
In one of my first classes here, my soviet-spy-edition professor, Igor, said "Russia borders 16 countries, but really, we just want to be alone."
I assumed that the domineering personality that is Russia would have infiltrated most of its surrounding countries. Meaning these unassuming countries of Finland, Estonia, Ukraine and Belarus (to name a few) would have adopted Russian mannerisms and thinking. I thought people would be just as unfriendly and irritated and bossy as they are in St. Petersburg. I was prepared for more of the same, which I honestly have actually grown extremely fond of in Russia.
So my first encounter with a Finnish citizen literally left me speechless. After the train ride I was, as usual, a tad grumpy and dirty and hungry (I was channeling Stephy). Meaning talking to me was really not in your best interest. But I managed to find a place selling bagels in cream cheese, two things I keep in very high regard and as it would happen, not available in the Russian Federation. So I did like I usually do in Russia; I stand an awkward distance away from the cashier to pick out what I want, count out exact change and practice what I am going to say in a pep talk before I finally head up to the register. The blond woman behind the counter saw me standing there and said something in Finnish (I will get to that language in a minute). When I looked utterly lost and helpless, typical I know, she smiled and switched to English. She said "If you don't know what to get, this one is my favorite," and pointed to one of the bagels. She then helped me order a drink and threw in a cookie (probably because I looked like I had just gotten off a train from Russia) and said she hoped I would enjoy my stay. It is astonishing how different this would have played out if this was in Russia.
I would have been yelled at for 1)Not knowing enough Russian 2)Not having the exact number of kopecks 3)Smiling 4)Not knowing the name of the drink 5)Not knowing enough Russian. Going to the grocery store, or really any store for that matter, is absolutely terrifying. I know enough Russian to converse, but after about a syllable and a half they know I an not Russian. Which means they are not going to be nice to me. It has literally gotten to the point where I get up to the register, give her my bills and then hold out a handful of various change and the cashier rummages through my hand to get what she needs. This is a daily occurrence. But I have become rather fond of this system. I really think the cashier lady and I have begun to bond, but that could be totally in my head.
It is amazing how different these countries are when they lay next to one another. Especially considering that Finland and Estonia were both under Russian authority for quite a substantial part of history. Finland gained independence in 1917 during the Russian Civil War and Estonia in 1991. And now, neither country seems to exude the unfriendliness and arrogance so prevalent in Russia. While it may sound like I am complaining about Russia right now, I truly am not. It has become a system and way of life around here. While at first I was surprised by the Russian demeanor, I have now come to embrace it. It is part of what makes the history, and the country itself so mysterious and interesting. It is why I studied here, and every day I am exceedingly glad I took on the challenge of studying abroad in Russia. Undoubtedly, I will come back here one day. It is a place so unlike everywhere else in the world. Some call it European, some call it Asian. But it is neither, it can truly only be called Russian. It is the largest country in the world and has managed to isolate itself in the past two decades. Not many people immigrate to Russia, but not many people leave it either. It is truly a culture that you can only understand if you are raised in it. So while I have spent four months here, everything is still a mystery to me.
So back to Finland. On the train ride home we concluded that it is a country of fairies, because nobody else will eve be able to understand it. Russian has 6 cases: genitive, instrumental, accusative, dative, nominative and prepositional. Finnish has 23 cases. That fact literally makes me want to laugh, because it obviously cannot be real. Finnish sounds so different from any other language I have ever heard, and trying to get around was pretty impossible. Our saving grace was that Swedish is also a national language. Thus it is printed on all street signs underneath the Finnish. Swedish is a lot like Spanish, anyone can recognize enough words to keep themselves from dying.
The other reason we decided Finland is a country of fairies is because of the people. Every person we encountered was exceedingly nice and friendly with a very laid back attitude. It really was just a magical place.
But just when I thought things couldn't get much better, we went to Estonia. We took a walking tour of the historic city of Tallin and I became fascinated with a city I still cannot find on a map. It has the old city feeling with churches leading back to the 13th century but still holds many of the secrets that make Russia so bewildering. For instance, one building has all the bottom windows blocked up. Turns out this was the old KGB headquarters and there is one room inside that nobody is allowed in. When the building was sold and the headquarters in Tallin dissolved, there was a clause saying nobody will ever be allowed in this room. To this day, the room remains unseen by anyone and the building is once again for sale (don't tell my mom, it looks like a fixer-upper). We also saw another room in the center of the city which is also bricked up. Legend has it, the Devil's wedding party took place in this room and the morning after the owner sealed everything up and now from the street you can still see the fake curtains painted on the bricks.
I am always a sucker for a good mystery and both cities, Helsinki and Tallin, kept me satisfied.
In all, our excursion to Finland and Estonia was indeed a nice break from school and Russia. But I am still as thankful as ever I chose to spend my semester here. What would be the point of going abroad if everything was going to be easy? Don't get me wrong, I am really looking forward to a little sunbathing when I get home. Let's be honest, A LOT of sunbathing.
Peace out
I assumed that the domineering personality that is Russia would have infiltrated most of its surrounding countries. Meaning these unassuming countries of Finland, Estonia, Ukraine and Belarus (to name a few) would have adopted Russian mannerisms and thinking. I thought people would be just as unfriendly and irritated and bossy as they are in St. Petersburg. I was prepared for more of the same, which I honestly have actually grown extremely fond of in Russia.
So my first encounter with a Finnish citizen literally left me speechless. After the train ride I was, as usual, a tad grumpy and dirty and hungry (I was channeling Stephy). Meaning talking to me was really not in your best interest. But I managed to find a place selling bagels in cream cheese, two things I keep in very high regard and as it would happen, not available in the Russian Federation. So I did like I usually do in Russia; I stand an awkward distance away from the cashier to pick out what I want, count out exact change and practice what I am going to say in a pep talk before I finally head up to the register. The blond woman behind the counter saw me standing there and said something in Finnish (I will get to that language in a minute). When I looked utterly lost and helpless, typical I know, she smiled and switched to English. She said "If you don't know what to get, this one is my favorite," and pointed to one of the bagels. She then helped me order a drink and threw in a cookie (probably because I looked like I had just gotten off a train from Russia) and said she hoped I would enjoy my stay. It is astonishing how different this would have played out if this was in Russia.
I would have been yelled at for 1)Not knowing enough Russian 2)Not having the exact number of kopecks 3)Smiling 4)Not knowing the name of the drink 5)Not knowing enough Russian. Going to the grocery store, or really any store for that matter, is absolutely terrifying. I know enough Russian to converse, but after about a syllable and a half they know I an not Russian. Which means they are not going to be nice to me. It has literally gotten to the point where I get up to the register, give her my bills and then hold out a handful of various change and the cashier rummages through my hand to get what she needs. This is a daily occurrence. But I have become rather fond of this system. I really think the cashier lady and I have begun to bond, but that could be totally in my head.
It is amazing how different these countries are when they lay next to one another. Especially considering that Finland and Estonia were both under Russian authority for quite a substantial part of history. Finland gained independence in 1917 during the Russian Civil War and Estonia in 1991. And now, neither country seems to exude the unfriendliness and arrogance so prevalent in Russia. While it may sound like I am complaining about Russia right now, I truly am not. It has become a system and way of life around here. While at first I was surprised by the Russian demeanor, I have now come to embrace it. It is part of what makes the history, and the country itself so mysterious and interesting. It is why I studied here, and every day I am exceedingly glad I took on the challenge of studying abroad in Russia. Undoubtedly, I will come back here one day. It is a place so unlike everywhere else in the world. Some call it European, some call it Asian. But it is neither, it can truly only be called Russian. It is the largest country in the world and has managed to isolate itself in the past two decades. Not many people immigrate to Russia, but not many people leave it either. It is truly a culture that you can only understand if you are raised in it. So while I have spent four months here, everything is still a mystery to me.
So back to Finland. On the train ride home we concluded that it is a country of fairies, because nobody else will eve be able to understand it. Russian has 6 cases: genitive, instrumental, accusative, dative, nominative and prepositional. Finnish has 23 cases. That fact literally makes me want to laugh, because it obviously cannot be real. Finnish sounds so different from any other language I have ever heard, and trying to get around was pretty impossible. Our saving grace was that Swedish is also a national language. Thus it is printed on all street signs underneath the Finnish. Swedish is a lot like Spanish, anyone can recognize enough words to keep themselves from dying.
The other reason we decided Finland is a country of fairies is because of the people. Every person we encountered was exceedingly nice and friendly with a very laid back attitude. It really was just a magical place.
But just when I thought things couldn't get much better, we went to Estonia. We took a walking tour of the historic city of Tallin and I became fascinated with a city I still cannot find on a map. It has the old city feeling with churches leading back to the 13th century but still holds many of the secrets that make Russia so bewildering. For instance, one building has all the bottom windows blocked up. Turns out this was the old KGB headquarters and there is one room inside that nobody is allowed in. When the building was sold and the headquarters in Tallin dissolved, there was a clause saying nobody will ever be allowed in this room. To this day, the room remains unseen by anyone and the building is once again for sale (don't tell my mom, it looks like a fixer-upper). We also saw another room in the center of the city which is also bricked up. Legend has it, the Devil's wedding party took place in this room and the morning after the owner sealed everything up and now from the street you can still see the fake curtains painted on the bricks.
I am always a sucker for a good mystery and both cities, Helsinki and Tallin, kept me satisfied.
In all, our excursion to Finland and Estonia was indeed a nice break from school and Russia. But I am still as thankful as ever I chose to spend my semester here. What would be the point of going abroad if everything was going to be easy? Don't get me wrong, I am really looking forward to a little sunbathing when I get home. Let's be honest, A LOT of sunbathing.
Peace out
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Venice of the North
On May 27, 1703, Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg as the capital of Russia. Since its founding, the city has been seen as the most westernized city of Russia and rightfully dubbed "Venice of the North."
Upon arriving in St. Petersburg, I was unaware of the size of the city. As of now it is the third largest city in Europe following Moscow and London. But after living here for three months now I believe it is undoubtedly true. Every metro station leads to a new corner of the city with its own vibe and aura. And every time you emerge from the darkness of the metro, a new city awaits.
This feeling of continuiously rediscovering the city stems from the weather. It seems that the city truly does come alive when the sun comes out and what was a frigid and stereotypical Russian metropolis is now a European hub of culture and beauty. Thousands of people have emerged from their Russian hibernation to strut on the city streets.
This may be surprising but St. Petersburg has a definite fashion sense that I can rarely achieve on a good day. And Russian women can do absolutely anything in heels for any amount of time. The standard Russian woman is tall with long straight hair. She wears tall stiletto boots and tight dark jeans with a cropped leather jacket. Each and every one of them looks more put together than I could ever dream. I am choosing to blame my lack of trendiness on the small amount of clothing I could get in my suitcase.
Speaking of, this Thursday we leave for Finland. And Helsinki, just happens to be home to one of the first ever H&M stores. Rumor has it the store could cover a square city block and is three stories high. I will report back with my findings.
Along with the people, the true treasures of the city are beginning to come out of hibernation. St. Petersburg is commonly know as the "Venice of the North." This name comes from the hundreds of canals that stream throughout the city. Upon arriving here, these canals merely looked like streets winding in and out of the center. Now however, these waterways have melted and have added remarkable charm to St. Petersburg.
Overall, I wish I had come to St. Petersburg when the weather was warm and the city was bustling. I have experienced more of the people, culture and the city itself in the past few weeks of warm weather. And every day I spend getting lost in the city, the more I feel myself becoming attached.
Upon arriving in St. Petersburg, I was unaware of the size of the city. As of now it is the third largest city in Europe following Moscow and London. But after living here for three months now I believe it is undoubtedly true. Every metro station leads to a new corner of the city with its own vibe and aura. And every time you emerge from the darkness of the metro, a new city awaits.
This feeling of continuiously rediscovering the city stems from the weather. It seems that the city truly does come alive when the sun comes out and what was a frigid and stereotypical Russian metropolis is now a European hub of culture and beauty. Thousands of people have emerged from their Russian hibernation to strut on the city streets.
This may be surprising but St. Petersburg has a definite fashion sense that I can rarely achieve on a good day. And Russian women can do absolutely anything in heels for any amount of time. The standard Russian woman is tall with long straight hair. She wears tall stiletto boots and tight dark jeans with a cropped leather jacket. Each and every one of them looks more put together than I could ever dream. I am choosing to blame my lack of trendiness on the small amount of clothing I could get in my suitcase.
Speaking of, this Thursday we leave for Finland. And Helsinki, just happens to be home to one of the first ever H&M stores. Rumor has it the store could cover a square city block and is three stories high. I will report back with my findings.
Along with the people, the true treasures of the city are beginning to come out of hibernation. St. Petersburg is commonly know as the "Venice of the North." This name comes from the hundreds of canals that stream throughout the city. Upon arriving here, these canals merely looked like streets winding in and out of the center. Now however, these waterways have melted and have added remarkable charm to St. Petersburg.
Overall, I wish I had come to St. Petersburg when the weather was warm and the city was bustling. I have experienced more of the people, culture and the city itself in the past few weeks of warm weather. And every day I spend getting lost in the city, the more I feel myself becoming attached.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
A Brand New City
Like I said in my last post, St. Petersburg is beginning to thaw. And it seems to have happened overnight. Snow banks have disappeared revealing sidewalks, garden plots and even cars. One of my teachers said "In St. Petersburg, if you see a small snow pile, it is a car. If you see a bigger one, it is a house." And we have definitely witnessed cars emerging from the snow. Still waiting on the house however.
Yesterday was one of the best days I have spent in the city. Our group met downtown and walked to Yusupov's Palace. This palace is located in the center of the city and pretty much just sneaks up on you. From the outside, there is nothing particularly impressive about the building. The inside however, proved to be my favorite thing I have seen in this city.
The Yusupov family bought the house in 1830 and continued to live there until the revolution, five generations lived there. They were an extremely wealthy, aristocratic Russian family. Their house was absolutely beautiful. But also, it was the first palace we have visited where you could actually imagine someone living there. In many of the palaces they seem fake. This house however, was made for a family and you could tell.
However, the house gains most of its fame because this is the location of Rasputin's murder. It is said that the youngest Yusupov, Felix, along with four comrades, planned to poison Rasputin. However, as Felix's memoir states, the poison never took effect and he was forced to shoot Rasputin. Only this too did not kill him. Instead he fought his way out of the palace where he was once again shot numerous times. They then threw his body off a bridge onto the Neva river.
We actually stood in the same room where this all happened and walked the same staircases. It truly was a bizarre and eerie experience. Just another example of Russia's mysterious and perplexing history.
I assume everyone has heard about the bombings in Moscow last week. The situation with Chechnya remains hostile, as it has been for a number of years. But the militsia have taken extra precautions and are now vigilantly stalking every metro stop. It is a small sense of security, but at least it is something. But we are all alert all the time. And believe me, our directors have been enforcing this with us since day 1.
And if it is any consolation, next Thursday, April 15, we leave for Finland. I am very excited about leaving the country for a few days, it will be nice to get away from Russian cuisine for awhile. I can only handle so many potatoes. However, I have discovered Sherma. This delicious wrap of mystery meat, mystery sauce and cabbage can be found on every street corner and looks legit about 50% of the time. But it always tastes good.
I know everybody says not to eat street food, but really, where is the fun in that? It's almost a game. How many Sherma can I eat before I get food poisoning? Well, I already lost, so hopefully I am in the clear for the rest of the semester and can gorge myself on Sherma at my leisure.
Happy Easter Everyone! Mom, I am warning you, do not eat the ears off my bunny.
Yesterday was one of the best days I have spent in the city. Our group met downtown and walked to Yusupov's Palace. This palace is located in the center of the city and pretty much just sneaks up on you. From the outside, there is nothing particularly impressive about the building. The inside however, proved to be my favorite thing I have seen in this city.
The Yusupov family bought the house in 1830 and continued to live there until the revolution, five generations lived there. They were an extremely wealthy, aristocratic Russian family. Their house was absolutely beautiful. But also, it was the first palace we have visited where you could actually imagine someone living there. In many of the palaces they seem fake. This house however, was made for a family and you could tell.
However, the house gains most of its fame because this is the location of Rasputin's murder. It is said that the youngest Yusupov, Felix, along with four comrades, planned to poison Rasputin. However, as Felix's memoir states, the poison never took effect and he was forced to shoot Rasputin. Only this too did not kill him. Instead he fought his way out of the palace where he was once again shot numerous times. They then threw his body off a bridge onto the Neva river.
We actually stood in the same room where this all happened and walked the same staircases. It truly was a bizarre and eerie experience. Just another example of Russia's mysterious and perplexing history.
I assume everyone has heard about the bombings in Moscow last week. The situation with Chechnya remains hostile, as it has been for a number of years. But the militsia have taken extra precautions and are now vigilantly stalking every metro stop. It is a small sense of security, but at least it is something. But we are all alert all the time. And believe me, our directors have been enforcing this with us since day 1.
And if it is any consolation, next Thursday, April 15, we leave for Finland. I am very excited about leaving the country for a few days, it will be nice to get away from Russian cuisine for awhile. I can only handle so many potatoes. However, I have discovered Sherma. This delicious wrap of mystery meat, mystery sauce and cabbage can be found on every street corner and looks legit about 50% of the time. But it always tastes good.
I know everybody says not to eat street food, but really, where is the fun in that? It's almost a game. How many Sherma can I eat before I get food poisoning? Well, I already lost, so hopefully I am in the clear for the rest of the semester and can gorge myself on Sherma at my leisure.
Happy Easter Everyone! Mom, I am warning you, do not eat the ears off my bunny.
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