Life...The Vivere

A RUSSIAN JOURNEY 
May 26, 2012 

Russian patriotism is alive and well! 

Russia, the world's largest country, is a nation with a long, confusing, violent and fascinating history. It has a diverse population of 143 million souls, spectacular natural beauty and a great deal of unexpectedly jaw-dropping art, sculpture and architecture... to say nothing of its rich, extensive culture. For hundreds of years, journeying throughout Russia was fraught with difficulties no matter HOW you traveled. But, with the fall of communism, travel has become significantly less difficult and the tourism infrastructure continues to improve dramatically as more Westerners visit.

Michael and I sailed along Russia's rivers, lakes and canals (traversing 16 locks...)

from St. Petersburg to Moscow, visiting many little towns and villages along the way. Our small riverboat held many enthusiastic, eager, curious travelers just like us... from all over the world. The view of St. Petersburg's skyline from our room was a calm, lovely introduction to our busy journey.

We have many impressions to share with you... first, you have NEVER been in traffic until you've experienced Moscow traffic! It's ALWAYS heavy... even at 1:30 AM!!  :(  (The picture below was taken in those wee hours of the morning!) Moscovites have no concern for staying in their own lanes or respect for other drivers... the WORST we've ever seen... even worse than Palermo, Italy!!! Some of the larger cities have 12-lane roads going ONE WAY, and the traffic is STILL ridiculous!!

In the big cities, the Metro is well developed and  some of the stations are quite beautiful with art and sculptures as well as marble flooring and columns. The Metro is a very welcome relief from the extreme traffic above...the trains are faster and very efficient. But during rush hour(s)...WATCH OUT! The crowds are TREMENDOUS!!!   
 

 

The cities are surprisingly cosmopolitan with stylish shops, restaurants and new, modern buildings mixed in with the centuries-old structures. Too, old structures are getting face-lifts... government supported and encouraged. Moscow now boasts 7 skyscrapers!  

 

Cosmopolitan as the larger cities are, it's advised NOT to drink the water. Too, the people who speak English are few and far between... both facts are surprising considering Russia is a first-world country!

The price of gasoline is as it is here in our hometown (central New York) and the markets are  very reasonably priced and much more adequate than I would have expected.

That said, in Red Square in Moscow, there's a government owned and run Department Store (called THE GUM,) the largest in Russia, that sells primarily designer products from the West. (It's actually what we'd call a MALL!) Built in the late 1800's, it's a Russian showpiece of retail architecture... but the price tags on all items sold there are at least double what they are here in the United States. It IS a beautiful structure both inside and out, though!

We visited with some Russian folks along the way... a woman outside of Moscow who lives in her own home, a home that her parents built. She served us vodka cocktails mid-morning...it burned all the way down!!!!!  :)

We also visited with a young woman and her 3 year old son in St. Petersburg. Her husband, a university professor of philosophy, was at work. She was living in the home that her husband's parents had built... where her husband was born... that the government took over during "Soviet Union" time in response to the housing crisis in urban areas. It was (and IS, as they still exist... even in fashionable central districts) called a COMMUNAL APARTMENT or KOMMUNALKA. Since the home originally belonged to Victoria's husband's family, they were allotted an extra room, but the house is divided into rooms where 7 unrelated families live. Each family has its own ROOM...one room... that serves as a living room, dining room and bedroom for that entire family (no matter how large.) The hallways, kitchen, bathroom and telephone are shared among all the residents. The best part of this communal living is  that it's FREE. There's still a list of people waiting to get one of these rooms...some have been waiting for 20-30 years!!! Here's the ONE bathroom that Victoria and her family share with 6 other families... notice the 7 bars of soap on the chair!

There's a lovely tradition that exists throughout Russia... when a couple marries, they purchase a padlock that they take to a body of water and clamp it onto a nearby tree, fence, gate...and throw the key into the water. It's a lovely symbol for everlasting love. Unfortunately, Russia's divorce rate is as ours...HIGH!

Finally, THE ART...oooh, the art. It's everywhere. The theaters (and there are soooo many) are all showplaces with sculptures built into the exterior  walls;

the extensive gardens have sculptures scattered throughout,

the ancient buildings are works of art in themselves!! The palaces and churches are in a separate category altogether! Knowing that religious practices were outlawed during communist times, we were amazed at the beauty and condition of the churches and monasteries. With floor to ceiling frescoes and religious icons decorating every square inch of their interiors, they were extraordinary!! Here are some further photos from our journey...

Church of the Savior, St. Petersburg

Catherine's Palace (wife of Peter the Great) 17th century

Kirillov-Belozersky Monastery, 14th century

Lenin...in a park in Yaroslavl

View of passing shores from the riverboat

Kizhi Island's Church of the Transfiguration, built in the early 1700's, has 22 onion domes covered with hundreds of aspen shingles. The church is all wood! No nails were used in its construction.

Frescoes and an Icon from a variety of Russian churches

The following photos are all from Red Square and the Kremlin... a very impressive area, one we've known about since studying Russian history in middle school, hearing about it in the news. By the way, did you know that KREMLIN is the Russian word for FORTRESS? A kremlin is actually a group of buildings located within a fortification. THE Kremlin was built of brick in the 15th century.

Lenin's Tomb

Michael and I in front of St. Basil's Cathedral, built in the mid-1500's by Ivan the Terrible.

From Ivan the Terrible (1547-1584,) who was Russia's first Czar; through the Romanov Dynasty; Peter the Great (who modernized the country and is credited with founding the first factories, schools, raising the first army and  introducing the new calendar...among other things;) continuing through Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin to the more familiar names of recent history... Krushchev, Breshnev, Gorbachev, Yeltsin... and now, Vladamir Putin who has just been reelected as Russia's President... Russia's history dates back to the second half of the 9th century. We've experienced some of the glory that was and still is Russia as they work towards a democratic way of life. Her people are friendly and welcoming... we thank them all for our wonderful experience.

Thanks for joining me as I relived our Russian journey...hope you enjoyed it.

Hugs...'Til the next,
abbyj