Hello my lovies! I fear another weekend has passed. I now have one month left in my dear Moscow and so much still left to do. Of course, I shalt never waste a day. My classmates went to Kazan for the weekend, meaning that class was canceled...again. Francesca was feeling upset so Susan and I took her out for a nice girls' day out full of Nazis and bloodshed. But let me explain...
Now, Susan was a War Studies major in college. Needless to say, she knows a thing or two about military history. After WWII, the Soviet Union built a large memorial commemorating the Russian sacrifice (Russia lost more people than anyone else). That memorial is now Victory Park, which itself is full of history. Victory Park was once a large hill where anyone arriving in Moscow would get their first glimpse of the city. It is the spot where Napoleon stood waiting in vain for the keys of the city. It overlooks Moscow State University and much of the city. In other words, very cool spot. In Victory Park stands the Museum of the Great Patriotic War along with the WWII memorial, a small orthodox church and mosque (a synagogue was added last minute – Russians don't like to acknowledge the Holocaust all that much...). Behind the museum is this really creepy statue that most people believe is a Holocaust monument, but which really isn't – see above comment.
So, with Susan as our tour guide, we set off to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. After a small argument with the angry desjornia, of course. When you walk into the museum, look up and you will see thousands of strings (they are not really strings, but it is hard to explain) with crystals hanging on the ends. These strings cover a large part of the bottom floor and lead up to a monument to people who dies during the war. The strings, you soon find out, are part of the Hall of Sorrows with each one representing a serviceman or woman who died in the war. That is probably the most moving room of the holiday. From there, you can get to a number of dioramas. Then its off to the second and main floor. Walking onto the main floor is like walking into a palace. The room is absolutely massive with marble floors, golden and crystal chandeliers, high ceilings, a large marble staircase, and stained glass. In the middle of the staircase is another memorial which goes all the way up the staircase and to the stained class walls. Between the glass are doors leading into the Hall of Glory, which is even grander than the main hall.
You walk into the hall and are immediately drawn to a 12 meter high statue signifying the Russian soldier. The room is a rounded dome and all along the walls are written the names of all the servicemen and women who received medals during WWII. Above their names is a large banner made out of rock which encircles the room. It depicts the main battles and cities in the war – Moscow, Kiev, Stalingrad... At the the very crown of the dome, some 25 meters high is the USSR emblem with the red star. Going out of the room leads you to all kinds of artifacts from the museum which take up most of the floor. The third and fourth floor holds paintings and portraits, only some of which are related to the war.
Overall, it was a very grandiose museum of epic proportions. Unfortunately, besides a fews rooms (such as the Hall of Sorrows), it, as Francesca rightly stated, shows you the war, but doesn't make you feel it. It is not very emotive, at least, not for what I expected of a country that lost so much. If I stay here longer, I will try to go back on Victory Day when it should be more evocative.
From there, it was just off for coffee at a chain (did I mention how much I hate chains?). Then Susan and I went shopping and got stuff so we can cook! After the whole food poisoning issue, I have been trying to stay away from the cafeteria...
On Sunday, Sarah and I met up with Hongda and went to the Kuskovo Palace. After yet another argument with the desjornia, we walked around the grounds for a bit. Well, they walked and I alternatively threw myself into the snow, slid down the frozen staircases, and pretended I was in Titanic due to the partially-melted ice. The estate is very beautiful, but the slush made it a little less pleasant. We went inside the main palace and had another argument with the desjornia. You see, students are allowed in free and, thus, the desjornia at the main gate saw no need to give us tickets to ever single building. However, the desjornia to the palace wanted us to have tickets. She yelled at us and I yelled back that I was a student and, therefore, free. So why do I bloody well need a ticket? She yelled a bit more until one of the other desjornias yelled at her to stop yelling at us. Are you following? Yeah, I didn't either. In the end, the other desjornia gave us our tickets (a sheet of paper with a stamp – stupid Russia with their stamps...) at which point we walked the (literally) two feet to the other desjornia so she could rip out ticket and let us through. Because that makes sense...
The palace was nice, nothing super special but interesting to look at anyways. We left the estate, which is literally across the street from MosGu (where Jason and Hongda go) and walked through campus. Then we stopped by the dorms and I saw Jason for a bit. After that, it was off to Islmaylovo and the sketchy restaurant I love so much. It was fun as usual. I got lots of cheap, tasty fruit and was able to, somehow or other, find my way to the restaurant by myself. Go me! Anyways, going out again tomorrow. Bulgakov House with Susan and then Yeliseev's with Jake who gets back from Kazan in the morning. Right now, I need to go to bed. Silly time-change...
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Shady Restaurants and $.66 Tickets to the Bolshoi
So, Wednesday was AWESOME! Started out as class per usual, but after, I went out with a friend who is leaving in a couple of days. We went to Ismalovo Market (that really big market I went to over the weekend) and, in the Vietnamese section of the market behind the chicken feet and fish guts, was this awesome little Chinese restaurant. They spoke no English and only a little Russian, but fortunately, my friend is from China. He ordered and we sat down next to a lady plucking a chicken while a guy climbed in and out of the window and a cat sat on the table. It was so cool. Silly American health codes which don't allow this. Then, the lady came with our food which was supposed to be duck stir fry and chicken soup. As she put down the food in front of us, she told us that she wasn't quite sure what meat it was, but that it might be duck. It was absolutely delicious. I am going to see if I can find it again and through darts at the board to order since I can't read it anyways. Hongda pointed out a couple more shady restaurants that he likes, so I am going to have to try those. I love this country...
After lunch, I was all excited and made him show me a good place to buy desserts. Next to some more dead fish was this little stand that sold an assortment of fried animal parts and some desserts. We had a rice paste ball coated in sesame seeds with a red bean paste filling. Yum, yum, yum.
After lunch and dessert, I met up with Susan outside the Bolshoi Theater. For almost every performance, the theater has a student section. Basically, a bunch of students line out in front of the ticket office in the freezing cold and wait around for a couple of hours. At exactly 5:30pm, the office opens for students and blood and mayhem ensues... The first 40 students that survive the destruction that is a Russian queue get tickets to the night's performance for 20 rubles (which is basically $.66). Yep, that's right, I got tickets to the Bolshoi Theater for less than what it takes me to buy a candy bar. Granted, they are not the best seats in the world. Actually, they are usually not even seats. Once the performance starts and everyone takes their seats, the students are filed into the top tier and told to sit in the extra seats (or lean against the wall if there are none). We went and saw Giselle, which is one of the most popular ballets, so it was pretty crowded and we ended up standing the first half. After that, some people moved and we got seats along the side. But still, it was pretty awesome. We are going next week, and the week after that, and maybe the week after that... Why didn't I discover this sooner?!?!
So, there is a little secret for y'all – cheap tickets to the Bolshoi. Now, no telling...
After lunch, I was all excited and made him show me a good place to buy desserts. Next to some more dead fish was this little stand that sold an assortment of fried animal parts and some desserts. We had a rice paste ball coated in sesame seeds with a red bean paste filling. Yum, yum, yum.
After lunch and dessert, I met up with Susan outside the Bolshoi Theater. For almost every performance, the theater has a student section. Basically, a bunch of students line out in front of the ticket office in the freezing cold and wait around for a couple of hours. At exactly 5:30pm, the office opens for students and blood and mayhem ensues... The first 40 students that survive the destruction that is a Russian queue get tickets to the night's performance for 20 rubles (which is basically $.66). Yep, that's right, I got tickets to the Bolshoi Theater for less than what it takes me to buy a candy bar. Granted, they are not the best seats in the world. Actually, they are usually not even seats. Once the performance starts and everyone takes their seats, the students are filed into the top tier and told to sit in the extra seats (or lean against the wall if there are none). We went and saw Giselle, which is one of the most popular ballets, so it was pretty crowded and we ended up standing the first half. After that, some people moved and we got seats along the side. But still, it was pretty awesome. We are going next week, and the week after that, and maybe the week after that... Why didn't I discover this sooner?!?!
So, there is a little secret for y'all – cheap tickets to the Bolshoi. Now, no telling...
Dead People, Ice Skating, and Art Markets
Cheerios darlings! Due to some issues with not having a classroom, my classes have been moved around a bit. Now, instead of having Tuesdays off, I have Mondays off. Generally, it's not so cool since most things are closed on Monday. However, it does mean that I have a better chance of being able to travel outside the city. I don't know how much I will be able to do, but St. Petersburg, at least, is a must. Bimini, here I come! I think I will tag along with some of my friends about mid-April, so hopefully I'll see you then...
Anywho, I had to be a bit creative on Monday since everything (literally, everything) was closed. So, I thought, what are some places that will never be closed on a Monday? Stores – I have been wanting to see the oldest store in Moscow. Parks – I still have sculpture park to go. The occasional random house-museum – the Bulgakov Museum is closed on weekends, which means I can only go on Monday. What else? Ah ha! Cemeteries! Woohoo! So, yes, I headed out Monday to go grave-hopping. There are quite a few really interesting cemeteries around the city, some of which I have seen. The one in the Kremlin, then the Novadevichey. However, besides those two, the best place to get buried in Moscow is at the Vagankov Cemetery, only a few miles away from MGU. I got lost on the way (forgot to make a transfer and ended up walking a couple of miles), but found it eventually. A large park in the middle of a concrete city can be quite conspicuous at times... Oh! And I ran into the World Trade Center while I was lost and somehow ended up in a restricted section. Don't ask, I don't know...
So, at the cemetery, I saw the graves of many athletes and of one of the mafia bosses who was killed by a sniper in the 90s (they played the theme to The Godfather at his funeral). But the best grave was Yesenin's. For those who don't know, Yesenin was the “heart-throb poet” as he was called. A girl even committed suicide on his grave because she was so upset that he died (committed suicide or was murdered, whichever theory you prefer). She is now buried behind him. There was this scary old babooshka who guarded his grave like a shrived-up old hawk, so I wasn't able to stay long. Eventually, she deserted her post (I came to found out she doesn't actually work there) and I took some pictures and recited some of his poems (because, apparently, that is now my thing...). Overall, it was interesting, but not nearly as cool as some other cemeteries.
After that, I headed down by the New Tretyakov Gallery to walk around for a bit. I found sculpture park, but didn't go into the main part. However, I have a new find! Alongside the river, beside sculpture park, and through the perehod is a massive art market. Artists who study or work at the Central House of Artists and the school attached to it go there to sell their art. Some of it is kinda expensive, but its all negotiable. I wish I had more room in my bags! Ahh! It was fun just to walk around though and look around. This might make the list...
Finally, I finished the day by going ice-skating with friends. Well, they went skating and I did homework. But don't look at me like that! It was this crappy little indoor rink where these little wanna-be ice-skating children were having lessons. We wanted to go to the outdoor rink in Gorky Park, but it was closed. One of my friends is an Olympic-class ice-skater (she was almost in the Olympics, long story) so I wanted to see her skate. It was cool and a nice time overall.
Went out and did stuff today (Wednesday) but am too tired to write. Will write again later. Loves!
Anywho, I had to be a bit creative on Monday since everything (literally, everything) was closed. So, I thought, what are some places that will never be closed on a Monday? Stores – I have been wanting to see the oldest store in Moscow. Parks – I still have sculpture park to go. The occasional random house-museum – the Bulgakov Museum is closed on weekends, which means I can only go on Monday. What else? Ah ha! Cemeteries! Woohoo! So, yes, I headed out Monday to go grave-hopping. There are quite a few really interesting cemeteries around the city, some of which I have seen. The one in the Kremlin, then the Novadevichey. However, besides those two, the best place to get buried in Moscow is at the Vagankov Cemetery, only a few miles away from MGU. I got lost on the way (forgot to make a transfer and ended up walking a couple of miles), but found it eventually. A large park in the middle of a concrete city can be quite conspicuous at times... Oh! And I ran into the World Trade Center while I was lost and somehow ended up in a restricted section. Don't ask, I don't know...
So, at the cemetery, I saw the graves of many athletes and of one of the mafia bosses who was killed by a sniper in the 90s (they played the theme to The Godfather at his funeral). But the best grave was Yesenin's. For those who don't know, Yesenin was the “heart-throb poet” as he was called. A girl even committed suicide on his grave because she was so upset that he died (committed suicide or was murdered, whichever theory you prefer). She is now buried behind him. There was this scary old babooshka who guarded his grave like a shrived-up old hawk, so I wasn't able to stay long. Eventually, she deserted her post (I came to found out she doesn't actually work there) and I took some pictures and recited some of his poems (because, apparently, that is now my thing...). Overall, it was interesting, but not nearly as cool as some other cemeteries.
After that, I headed down by the New Tretyakov Gallery to walk around for a bit. I found sculpture park, but didn't go into the main part. However, I have a new find! Alongside the river, beside sculpture park, and through the perehod is a massive art market. Artists who study or work at the Central House of Artists and the school attached to it go there to sell their art. Some of it is kinda expensive, but its all negotiable. I wish I had more room in my bags! Ahh! It was fun just to walk around though and look around. This might make the list...
Finally, I finished the day by going ice-skating with friends. Well, they went skating and I did homework. But don't look at me like that! It was this crappy little indoor rink where these little wanna-be ice-skating children were having lessons. We wanted to go to the outdoor rink in Gorky Park, but it was closed. One of my friends is an Olympic-class ice-skater (she was almost in the Olympics, long story) so I wanted to see her skate. It was cool and a nice time overall.
Went out and did stuff today (Wednesday) but am too tired to write. Will write again later. Loves!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Bread, Beer, and Bargains
Hello all! I am back! I am feeling much better (we figured out that I did indeed have food poisoning, blech) and am making up for my lost weekend. I was in a little tizzy because I realized I only have about 5 weeks left (NOOO!!!!), so I have been trying to do as much as possible.
Last Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day, so some friends and I went out to celebrate. We tried to find this Irish bar everyone had heard of, but, alas, it was closed. So, instead, we went to Hard Rock and just hung out for the night. Oh, and ate lots of brownie sundaes. Met a lot of really cool new people, who I went out with this weekend.
This Saturday we FINALLY started our politics class. Because it is at such a very awkward time (11am on Saturdays) and the group I have class with goes out of town a lot, it has been repeatedly canceled. First class was a blast and I think it is going to turn out to be a very interesting class. The professor is relatively young, which is a nice change, but just old enough to have remembered a lot of the things he is teaching us (politilogy from transition onward) which makes the class all the more relevant.
After class, I planned to finally go to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War with Susan, but she had made plans to go out of town for the day. So, I decided to just explore a bit. I started off at Kropotkinskaya (my perpetual starting ground), picked a direction, and went. I passed by this really interesting market with tasty desserts, a nice little park, and some beautiful old houses. Eventually, I stumbled upon the Burganov Museum (it was not even in my guidebook. Gasp! It is fallible!). Burganov is an artist and sculptor who did the Pushkin and Natalia sculpture out in front of the Church of the Great Ascension. After paying the ecquivalent of $.66, I went into the museum and promptly outside. Not because it was terrible, but because the museum is outside. It was very unique. Burganov does (well, did, he died last year) a lot of very modern sculptures, some of which are massive. He had one of Pushkin, which I swooned over for a while. After exploring around the sculpture garden, you can go in a number of different studios (some of which are still being used) that hold paintings and photographs. Finally, you go into the main indoor building – up a rickety scaffolding, inside a gold door, across some more rickety scaffolding some 20 ft. in the air and then finally down some steps onto a mulch floor. Another one of the more unique museums around Moscow. I loved it! :-)
After that, I headed to the ring line down by the river to see a Gulag memorial museum. It was founded by the wife of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Sakharov. It is located right on an embankment by the Moscow River and right in front of this beautiful little park which I couldn't get into for the life of me (sigh). The museum itself is very small (one large room plus a library) but completely gut-wrenching. It was like going to the Holocaust museum for the first time. The room is filled with the personal effects of many of the people at the concentration camps. Along the walls are photographs of different people from the camp. But the most moving parts are the execution and personal files of individuals who lived and died at the camps. I could only understand parts, but I was near tears by the end. Very, very moving. The museum is very well documented and you can find information about many of the people from the camps. While I was there, a man came in with his young son and showed him one of the files who turned out to be his grandmother.
After that, I went shopping a bit to raise my spirits (yea for capitalism!) and talked to mum. Then, I went out with some friends for dinner. It was an Azerbaijani holiday, so we went to this great little Azerbaijani restaurant with some of my friends from class and these two new Turkish guys I met on St. Patrick's Day. They are very interesting and were nice enough to let me ask them lots of questions about their culture and what-not. I got into a little feminist debate with one of them about whether or not women and men should have equal rights. It was fun. Next thing you know, I will be visiting Turkey. So if I am not home soon, you will know where I am...
Today, we finally made it to the Ismalovo Market, one of the biggest and most famous markets in Russia (and the world for all I know). Yes mom, that's the one Anthony Bourdain talks about all the time. The actual market only makes of the fraction of the whole thing which is a couple of km squared. Huge. I got lost, repeatedly. They sale anything and everything. We went to the unofficial market for a while, but Susan hates getting touched and it was very crowded, so we left for the official part (basically, its the difference between stuff for tourists and stuff for regular shoppers). It was a lot of fun. Susan and Francesca got cold and bored pretty quick, so Jake (one of the guys from my class) and I left them at a cafe and went out. We had great bread and beer from some one of the vendors (oh, yum, you have no idea...) and got down to business. I think I found my calling: Hannah, Professional Bargainer. I never thought I would be able to bargain well, but I am actually quite good. (go figure) Which was awesome. Jake was entertained and I got lots of stuff for cheap. Nobody ever expects the tiny little bouncy girl. Cue evil laugh here... We only got to see a fraction of the market, so I think we will go again in a couple of weeks. There are a couple more markets around town I want to check out as well. I need to hone my bargaining skills...
Gaahh! So much to do and so little time! Classes were moved this week, so I am going out again tomorrow. I am gong to go check out this cool little cemetery I found (no, that's not creepy) then may meet up with some friends for ice-skating at Gorky Park, Sculpture Park, art shopping, cafe, and Yeliseev store. Big days, big days! Wednesday, Susan and I are going to a ballet and then, weekend again! I am going to go see if I can make it out of town. Yasnaya Polyana? Hmmm.....
Last Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day, so some friends and I went out to celebrate. We tried to find this Irish bar everyone had heard of, but, alas, it was closed. So, instead, we went to Hard Rock and just hung out for the night. Oh, and ate lots of brownie sundaes. Met a lot of really cool new people, who I went out with this weekend.
This Saturday we FINALLY started our politics class. Because it is at such a very awkward time (11am on Saturdays) and the group I have class with goes out of town a lot, it has been repeatedly canceled. First class was a blast and I think it is going to turn out to be a very interesting class. The professor is relatively young, which is a nice change, but just old enough to have remembered a lot of the things he is teaching us (politilogy from transition onward) which makes the class all the more relevant.
After class, I planned to finally go to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War with Susan, but she had made plans to go out of town for the day. So, I decided to just explore a bit. I started off at Kropotkinskaya (my perpetual starting ground), picked a direction, and went. I passed by this really interesting market with tasty desserts, a nice little park, and some beautiful old houses. Eventually, I stumbled upon the Burganov Museum (it was not even in my guidebook. Gasp! It is fallible!). Burganov is an artist and sculptor who did the Pushkin and Natalia sculpture out in front of the Church of the Great Ascension. After paying the ecquivalent of $.66, I went into the museum and promptly outside. Not because it was terrible, but because the museum is outside. It was very unique. Burganov does (well, did, he died last year) a lot of very modern sculptures, some of which are massive. He had one of Pushkin, which I swooned over for a while. After exploring around the sculpture garden, you can go in a number of different studios (some of which are still being used) that hold paintings and photographs. Finally, you go into the main indoor building – up a rickety scaffolding, inside a gold door, across some more rickety scaffolding some 20 ft. in the air and then finally down some steps onto a mulch floor. Another one of the more unique museums around Moscow. I loved it! :-)
After that, I headed to the ring line down by the river to see a Gulag memorial museum. It was founded by the wife of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Sakharov. It is located right on an embankment by the Moscow River and right in front of this beautiful little park which I couldn't get into for the life of me (sigh). The museum itself is very small (one large room plus a library) but completely gut-wrenching. It was like going to the Holocaust museum for the first time. The room is filled with the personal effects of many of the people at the concentration camps. Along the walls are photographs of different people from the camp. But the most moving parts are the execution and personal files of individuals who lived and died at the camps. I could only understand parts, but I was near tears by the end. Very, very moving. The museum is very well documented and you can find information about many of the people from the camps. While I was there, a man came in with his young son and showed him one of the files who turned out to be his grandmother.
After that, I went shopping a bit to raise my spirits (yea for capitalism!) and talked to mum. Then, I went out with some friends for dinner. It was an Azerbaijani holiday, so we went to this great little Azerbaijani restaurant with some of my friends from class and these two new Turkish guys I met on St. Patrick's Day. They are very interesting and were nice enough to let me ask them lots of questions about their culture and what-not. I got into a little feminist debate with one of them about whether or not women and men should have equal rights. It was fun. Next thing you know, I will be visiting Turkey. So if I am not home soon, you will know where I am...
Today, we finally made it to the Ismalovo Market, one of the biggest and most famous markets in Russia (and the world for all I know). Yes mom, that's the one Anthony Bourdain talks about all the time. The actual market only makes of the fraction of the whole thing which is a couple of km squared. Huge. I got lost, repeatedly. They sale anything and everything. We went to the unofficial market for a while, but Susan hates getting touched and it was very crowded, so we left for the official part (basically, its the difference between stuff for tourists and stuff for regular shoppers). It was a lot of fun. Susan and Francesca got cold and bored pretty quick, so Jake (one of the guys from my class) and I left them at a cafe and went out. We had great bread and beer from some one of the vendors (oh, yum, you have no idea...) and got down to business. I think I found my calling: Hannah, Professional Bargainer. I never thought I would be able to bargain well, but I am actually quite good. (go figure) Which was awesome. Jake was entertained and I got lots of stuff for cheap. Nobody ever expects the tiny little bouncy girl. Cue evil laugh here... We only got to see a fraction of the market, so I think we will go again in a couple of weeks. There are a couple more markets around town I want to check out as well. I need to hone my bargaining skills...
Gaahh! So much to do and so little time! Classes were moved this week, so I am going out again tomorrow. I am gong to go check out this cool little cemetery I found (no, that's not creepy) then may meet up with some friends for ice-skating at Gorky Park, Sculpture Park, art shopping, cafe, and Yeliseev store. Big days, big days! Wednesday, Susan and I are going to a ballet and then, weekend again! I am going to go see if I can make it out of town. Yasnaya Polyana? Hmmm.....
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Ugh...
Well, I am sick. There has been a flu going around and I think I caught it (and maybe food poisoning as well - stupid uncooked kidney beans and Russians who don't know how to make food not involving potatoes or cabbage). But ignore me, I am just grumpy.
So, the weekend's been ruined, but I have gotten the chance to rest, which is good. I am actually virtical for the first time in three days.
Since I did not do anything this weekend worth posting, I will tell you about banya day! For those of you who don't know, the banya is the Russian version of a sauna. Basically, you go into a steam room for a bit where you flog yourself with birch branches and then walk out into a cold pool or frozen lake. Break for vodka and tea and then repeat as necessary. Classically Russian.
I was a little freaked out at first (especially considering that this is typically done naked in a room full of people), but a group of about 15 from MGU decided to go last week. We rented a private banya and hung out for a bit. It was a lot of fun. Eventually, one of my friends (Cara) and I got bored and decided to go running out onto the street in out bathing suits (keep in mind that it is still below freezing). We did that a couple of times and provided amusement to all the people walking home from work. Come to think of it, that may be one of the reasons I am sick. Hmmm..... Oh well, too late now.
Next time, we are going to do a full night of it, I think. Smuggle in fondue and champagne and then go out for sushi after. Should be fun.
On another note, I have officially been here two months as of today. Which means I only have a month and a half left. Doesn't feel that long. Am considering staying part of the summer. I love it too much here to leave. Go Russia!
Anyways, that is all for now. Hopefully will get to feeling better soon and will have more stories. Loves to all!
So, the weekend's been ruined, but I have gotten the chance to rest, which is good. I am actually virtical for the first time in three days.
Since I did not do anything this weekend worth posting, I will tell you about banya day! For those of you who don't know, the banya is the Russian version of a sauna. Basically, you go into a steam room for a bit where you flog yourself with birch branches and then walk out into a cold pool or frozen lake. Break for vodka and tea and then repeat as necessary. Classically Russian.
I was a little freaked out at first (especially considering that this is typically done naked in a room full of people), but a group of about 15 from MGU decided to go last week. We rented a private banya and hung out for a bit. It was a lot of fun. Eventually, one of my friends (Cara) and I got bored and decided to go running out onto the street in out bathing suits (keep in mind that it is still below freezing). We did that a couple of times and provided amusement to all the people walking home from work. Come to think of it, that may be one of the reasons I am sick. Hmmm..... Oh well, too late now.
Next time, we are going to do a full night of it, I think. Smuggle in fondue and champagne and then go out for sushi after. Should be fun.
On another note, I have officially been here two months as of today. Which means I only have a month and a half left. Doesn't feel that long. Am considering staying part of the summer. I love it too much here to leave. Go Russia!
Anyways, that is all for now. Hopefully will get to feeling better soon and will have more stories. Loves to all!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Cold War Bunker
Tuesday was the last day of my long weekend so I met up with Lisa and a group from Connecticut for a trip to a Cold War Bunker. Individuals are not allowed inside the facility, so you must go with a group. The bunker is alongside one of the metro stations, 60 meters underground. It was designed into 4 Blocks, each designed to withstand a nuclear attack and be completely self-sufficient for 90 days. Over 600 people are able to be in the bunker at one time and, when it was fully functional, 2,500 people worked in it (all shifts). The bunker was built at the same time as the metro station so it was able to stay secret from the public until the collapse of the Soviet Union when its existence was acknowledged. It is now used as a conference facility and site for groups. We got a complete tour of the facility and watched a film about the Cold War which, as our guide acknowledged, occasionally erred on the side of propaganda. I would like to get an American and Russian history textbook, set them side by side, and compare how they document history. Hmm, perhaps another senior research project...
Anyways, after we left the bunker, I headed down to Novaspasskiy Monastery to see if it would make my “Off the Beaten Path” list. I tried to get there on Saturday, but got lost, so I walked along the river which made it much easier to find. The Novaspasskiy Monastery is most famously known for the location where Princess Tarakanova (remember my favorite painting?) was confined. Unfortunately, it did not live up to reality. While it is very beautiful and can claim home to one of Russia's oldest churches, many parts of blocked off and other parts are crumbing. I got yelled at by the guards because, apparently, women are required to wear skirts and head coverings even just to walk around the grounds (usually it is just inside the churches). That kind of put me in a bad mood to start out with, which served to dim the experience a bit. Oh well. So, while it is very beautiful and has a very interesting history, the Novaspasskiy Monastery will not be making my list. It's worth a stop if you are in the direct neighbor (which you probably won't be – there is nothing else around for a 1km), but other than that, it is not worth it.
It was still early in the day when I left the monastery, so I headed back to Kropotkinskaya to hit some of the museums I missed on my other trips (there are at least half a dozen within 100 meters of each other). I walked around a bit and was rewarded with two sights that are going to make my off the beaten path list. The first is the Roerich Museum, located directly behind the Museum of Private Collections and across from the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, down an alley. The museum documents the life, works, and ideals of Roerich and his family, which traveled Asia to learn about different spiritual paths, the culture and people. The museum reflects their travels and spiritual life in a very unique way. It is scented by joss sticks and has music playing. It is very calming and quite beautiful. It is a bit pricey according to typical museum prices (it costs more than the Pushkin Museum), but is definitely worth a visit.
Finally, I ended up at the Glazunov Museum, which holds the works of Russians most famous, living artist. He mainly does portraits and historical scenes, but is most widely known for his room-size, modern paintings portraying multiple scenes and historical figures in a shocking display. He is alternatively loved and hated. Think of a modern-day, Russian Salvador Dali with less propriety. It was awesome. And that was my day. Now it is back to the grind until next weekend. Jason and the other students from GRINT are headed off to St. Petersburg in a week, so I will stare at them in envy. I might go out of town. We'll see...
Anyways, after we left the bunker, I headed down to Novaspasskiy Monastery to see if it would make my “Off the Beaten Path” list. I tried to get there on Saturday, but got lost, so I walked along the river which made it much easier to find. The Novaspasskiy Monastery is most famously known for the location where Princess Tarakanova (remember my favorite painting?) was confined. Unfortunately, it did not live up to reality. While it is very beautiful and can claim home to one of Russia's oldest churches, many parts of blocked off and other parts are crumbing. I got yelled at by the guards because, apparently, women are required to wear skirts and head coverings even just to walk around the grounds (usually it is just inside the churches). That kind of put me in a bad mood to start out with, which served to dim the experience a bit. Oh well. So, while it is very beautiful and has a very interesting history, the Novaspasskiy Monastery will not be making my list. It's worth a stop if you are in the direct neighbor (which you probably won't be – there is nothing else around for a 1km), but other than that, it is not worth it.
It was still early in the day when I left the monastery, so I headed back to Kropotkinskaya to hit some of the museums I missed on my other trips (there are at least half a dozen within 100 meters of each other). I walked around a bit and was rewarded with two sights that are going to make my off the beaten path list. The first is the Roerich Museum, located directly behind the Museum of Private Collections and across from the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, down an alley. The museum documents the life, works, and ideals of Roerich and his family, which traveled Asia to learn about different spiritual paths, the culture and people. The museum reflects their travels and spiritual life in a very unique way. It is scented by joss sticks and has music playing. It is very calming and quite beautiful. It is a bit pricey according to typical museum prices (it costs more than the Pushkin Museum), but is definitely worth a visit.
Finally, I ended up at the Glazunov Museum, which holds the works of Russians most famous, living artist. He mainly does portraits and historical scenes, but is most widely known for his room-size, modern paintings portraying multiple scenes and historical figures in a shocking display. He is alternatively loved and hated. Think of a modern-day, Russian Salvador Dali with less propriety. It was awesome. And that was my day. Now it is back to the grind until next weekend. Jason and the other students from GRINT are headed off to St. Petersburg in a week, so I will stare at them in envy. I might go out of town. We'll see...
Puppet Theaters, Women's Day, and Off the Beaten Path
On Sunday, I went out with one of my friends from work, Hongda. We went back to Vinzavod to the Best of Russia Photography exhibition. Vinzavod is an old factory that has since been converted into a number of art studios and an art school. It is a really neat location, though the quality (and cost) of exhibits vary. Many of the exhibits were closed, but it was fun anyways.
After Vinzavod, we met up with Lisa, one of the other SRAS students, Josh (my boss), and his wife for a puppet show. Now, before you laugh, the puppet theater is one of the best in the world and is quite acclaimed. The one we saw was an opera based off a Pushkin poem. It was really interesting though difficult to understand as they were singing in the Russian equivalent of Shakespeare style.
After the theater, I went to one of my friends dorms for a party in celebration of Women's Day. One of the guys bought Soviet champagne, which was hilarious, and we hung out and talked for a bit. I left around 3.30am, but fortunately had Monday off due to Women's Day.
One Monday, I was supposed to go out with Joe, but he had to bail. I went out anyways in search of stuff for my Off-The-Beaten-Path list and made a couple of good finds. First, I headed out to the Red Square and walked towards the Kitai-Gorod (one of the oldest parts of Moscow). Along the way I found a couple of interesting churches and, secreted between a couple of these churches, the old palace of the Boyars Romanovs. I think it may make the list. I was surprised that it is not well-known considering the fact that it is just a 10 minute walk from the Red Square. But that is one of the cool things about Moscow – there is always interesting, hidden places to see right off the tourist traps.
After the palace, I continued on to Kitai Gorod where I promptly got lost. I was trying to make my way to Lubyanka (close to the Mayakovsky museum), but ended up is some random part of town. Of course, as is often the case, I found more interesting places I might not have found otherwise. The first was this old Jewish Synagogue and, diagonal to that,a convent that was once the dumping grounds for unwanted wives and sisters of the czars. Unfortunately, the convent is under some serious construction, so I couldn't see a lot of it. Yet, what I did see was very interesting. One of the nuns (former royalty) has a casket right in the middle of the church. Odd, but interesting.
I finally found my way out of Kitai-Gorod and to Lubyanka. I decided to (finally) go see the Mayakovsky Museum. It is absolutely crazy – literally. Melted chairs and wardrobes make up many of the exhibits with poems and descriptions randomly littered around. I didn't understand most of it, so I will be going back later. This is definitely one to see.
Finally, I headed back to the metro. But first, I stopped by the Perlov Tea House – an old tea house designed by a merchant in hopes of receiving a visit by the czar – which is gold plated and crawling with painted dragons. They sell an assortment of teas, coffees, and pastries. A bit on the expensive side, but worth a trip just for the decor and wonderful smells.
Thanks to Women's Day, I had one more day off, which started with a visit to Stalin's Bunker...
After Vinzavod, we met up with Lisa, one of the other SRAS students, Josh (my boss), and his wife for a puppet show. Now, before you laugh, the puppet theater is one of the best in the world and is quite acclaimed. The one we saw was an opera based off a Pushkin poem. It was really interesting though difficult to understand as they were singing in the Russian equivalent of Shakespeare style.
After the theater, I went to one of my friends dorms for a party in celebration of Women's Day. One of the guys bought Soviet champagne, which was hilarious, and we hung out and talked for a bit. I left around 3.30am, but fortunately had Monday off due to Women's Day.
One Monday, I was supposed to go out with Joe, but he had to bail. I went out anyways in search of stuff for my Off-The-Beaten-Path list and made a couple of good finds. First, I headed out to the Red Square and walked towards the Kitai-Gorod (one of the oldest parts of Moscow). Along the way I found a couple of interesting churches and, secreted between a couple of these churches, the old palace of the Boyars Romanovs. I think it may make the list. I was surprised that it is not well-known considering the fact that it is just a 10 minute walk from the Red Square. But that is one of the cool things about Moscow – there is always interesting, hidden places to see right off the tourist traps.
After the palace, I continued on to Kitai Gorod where I promptly got lost. I was trying to make my way to Lubyanka (close to the Mayakovsky museum), but ended up is some random part of town. Of course, as is often the case, I found more interesting places I might not have found otherwise. The first was this old Jewish Synagogue and, diagonal to that,a convent that was once the dumping grounds for unwanted wives and sisters of the czars. Unfortunately, the convent is under some serious construction, so I couldn't see a lot of it. Yet, what I did see was very interesting. One of the nuns (former royalty) has a casket right in the middle of the church. Odd, but interesting.
I finally found my way out of Kitai-Gorod and to Lubyanka. I decided to (finally) go see the Mayakovsky Museum. It is absolutely crazy – literally. Melted chairs and wardrobes make up many of the exhibits with poems and descriptions randomly littered around. I didn't understand most of it, so I will be going back later. This is definitely one to see.
Finally, I headed back to the metro. But first, I stopped by the Perlov Tea House – an old tea house designed by a merchant in hopes of receiving a visit by the czar – which is gold plated and crawling with painted dragons. They sell an assortment of teas, coffees, and pastries. A bit on the expensive side, but worth a trip just for the decor and wonderful smells.
Thanks to Women's Day, I had one more day off, which started with a visit to Stalin's Bunker...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Fairytale Houses, Operas and Getting Lost, Again
This past weekend was a long weekend due to Women's Day. Women's Day is the one day a year where Russian men respect women and do housework. The concept makes me twitch, but I got my first holiday since being here, so that was nice. On Saturday, class was canceled, so I went exploring and tried to find stuff for my Off the Beaten Path list. I picked a random metro stop in the northern part of the city and walked around. In a shady neighborhood between a couple of run-down apartment complexes, I found the Vasnetsov House Museum. It was very, very cool. Vasnetsov was an artist and architect who has many works on display in the Tretyakov Museum such as Peter Riding the Grey Wolf (one of my favorites) and Aladdin on the Flying Carpet. In fact, he designed part of the Tretyakov. He depicts whimsical, fairytale scenes and designed his house in the same way. It is completely wooden with much of the interior and furniture carved to display different scenes. But the real treasure is his studio, secreted in an attic upstairs. At the entrance is a staircase which leads to a museum with ceilings over 20 ft. tall. In the room are some of his painting, a few of which span the length of the wall in every direction. It is very, very cool. It is definitely making the list.
After the Vasnetsov Museum, I headed down south a bit to try to find the Novaspasskiy Monastery. After 2 hours and about 3 miles later, I gave up and got blini. Then I received a call from Valentina who invited me to the theater, conveniently at the same metro stop. Valentina's sister is training to be an opera singer and her studio was putting on a concert. It was really nice. I love opera...
After that, we went to dinner at this really cool, reasonably cheap Ukranian restaurant that had a vegetarian menu! I love Lent! After some weird metro happenings – they randomly stopped the metro and made everyone get out – I made it home safe and sound. And then there was Sunday...
After the Vasnetsov Museum, I headed down south a bit to try to find the Novaspasskiy Monastery. After 2 hours and about 3 miles later, I gave up and got blini. Then I received a call from Valentina who invited me to the theater, conveniently at the same metro stop. Valentina's sister is training to be an opera singer and her studio was putting on a concert. It was really nice. I love opera...
After that, we went to dinner at this really cool, reasonably cheap Ukranian restaurant that had a vegetarian menu! I love Lent! After some weird metro happenings – they randomly stopped the metro and made everyone get out – I made it home safe and sound. And then there was Sunday...
No, That Was Not Edible...
Guess what I found? A Honey Fair! As in a entire event purely for honey. When I went out with the GRINT students to Kolomenskoe, they mentioned that it was going on. So last Tuesday, I grabbed Susan and we trekked to the Krelim and the Central Hall where it was being held. O...M...G... The entire hall (which is very, very large) was filled will hundreds of people selling honey. Figurines made out of bee wax. Dozens of types of honey. Honey souvenirs. A lot of stuff I couldn't figure out (but which I ate anyways – bad, bad idea). And, of course, Medavooka!! Did I mention how awesome medavooka is? It is this wine/beer thing made out of honey. It is sooo tasty. I had some at Kolomenskoe and wanted to buy more, but didn't know where. Success! There were probably 5 or 6 different kinds, so I randomly grabbed a couple of bottles.
After the honey fair, Susan and I went to our favorite little cafe off the Red Square for a great vegetarian dinner. Then I met Joe at his office to give him some medavooka and hung out for a bit. We went to Scans for dinner and drinks and closed the restaurant, again. Fun days...
After the honey fair, Susan and I went to our favorite little cafe off the Red Square for a great vegetarian dinner. Then I met Joe at his office to give him some medavooka and hung out for a bit. We went to Scans for dinner and drinks and closed the restaurant, again. Fun days...
The First Day of Spring and the End of Maslenitsa
On Sunday, I met up with Dasha at Kolomenskoe for the final day of Maslenitsa. The last day of Maslenitsa is officially the first day of spring and Russians see off winter by burning a large straw doll. It is one of the biggest Russian holidays and everyone goes out to the Red Square, Kolomenskoe or some other place for a festival There were hot air balloon rides and sledding, dancing, singing, and, of course, lots of blini. It had snowed the night before, so we made a snowman – my first ever. It was a lot of fun. Dasha is absolutely great and Kolomenskoe was as beautiful as always.
After the festival, we met up with one of Dasha's friends from university and went to the Gorky Cafe near the center. The cafe is decorated like a cross between Moulin Rouge and a circus with a tented ceiling and large lamps made out of Cancan dresses. By this point, all my friends were waking up (yes, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon). I have officially become the resident tour guide, apparently. I received around 30-40 text messages within an hour of people asking me the best places to go for Maslenitsa. I think I shalt set up a business...
So, that was Maslenitsa. Lots of fun, as per usual. Now, I have 40 days of Lent and vegetarian food to look forward too. Urrah!
After the festival, we met up with one of Dasha's friends from university and went to the Gorky Cafe near the center. The cafe is decorated like a cross between Moulin Rouge and a circus with a tented ceiling and large lamps made out of Cancan dresses. By this point, all my friends were waking up (yes, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon). I have officially become the resident tour guide, apparently. I received around 30-40 text messages within an hour of people asking me the best places to go for Maslenitsa. I think I shalt set up a business...
So, that was Maslenitsa. Lots of fun, as per usual. Now, I have 40 days of Lent and vegetarian food to look forward too. Urrah!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Maslenitsa Continued
Farewell, Maslenitsa. Farewell to medovyka and dancing Misha bears. Farewell to hot air balloons, snowmen, and candied roosters. You shalt be dearly missed. Maslenitsa is officially over. Not more excuses to eat massive amounts of blini or burn straw dolls. But, it was fun while it lasted.
Last Saturday (the last of February), everyone parted ways to do their own version of Maslenitsa – a group went to Suzdal for one of their organized excursions and everyone else just slept. But I refuse to be deterred! Still in my “I am a strong, independent woman” phase (which is really just an excuse not to sound pathetic), I decided to take a section of the city and do everything that could be done. Thus, I woke up early and headed out west of the Red Square. After thinking I was lost, but prevailing thanks to my lovely guidebook, I went to the pretty, yellow church with the freakishly imposing interior where Pushkin got married. They were in the middle of some type of service, so I backed away slowly and walked around the little park right outside. There is a large statue of the happy newlyweds looking anything but happy. While the church was not nearly as cool as I hoped, it made me giggly nonetheless. Pushkin, swoon...
Directly across the street from the Church of the Great Ascension is the Gorky-House Museum. Long listed as one of the top 20 places to see in Moscow, the building housed Gorky for the last five years of his life and acted as a writers' club of-sorts during the 1930s. The architecture is quite amazing (it was built in Style Moderne with an enormous marble staircase in its center), it did not live up to its reputation. Nevertheless, it was “bez platno” (free), which makes its worth going to.
To finish off the little cluster of historical funness, I went to Alexei Tolstoy's house, located directly behind the Gorky House-Museum. The lesser-known family member of Leo Tolstoy, Alexei Tolstoy was a historical writer (with the likes of Peter I to his credit) and Deputy of the Supreme Soviet. The director of the house-museum was delighted at my visit (apparently, not many people go to the museum) and gave me a personal tour of the house – in Russian. And, wait for it – I understood most of it. (cue choir music) Yeah, I did. It was cool. And, being the only visitor, rules and red tape did not seem to apply to me. Which was also cool. The museum would have been quite disappointing without my little tour, but the desjornia knew all kinds of cool facts which made it interesting. Plus, there was lots of little puppets scattered around priceless, historical objects, which was quite entertaining. “Why yes, this is the first manuscript of Peter the First. And yes, that is Pinochle sitting on top of it. We haven't finished the whale yet, so the book will have to do for now...” Apparently, due to the lack of visitors, the museum also doubles as a children's theater of sorts. Now that is capitalism.
I still had hours before I was supposed to meet Jason's group in Kolomenskoe for a Maslenitsa party, so I picked a direction and starting walking. On the way, I passed the Moscow Operetta where The Count of Monte Cristo is playing (yes, entirely in Russian), a cool little church, the Archilogical Museum, and some other places before I ran into the Central Exhibition Hall and, thus, Red Square. All roads lead to the Red Square? Why yes, yes they do. I watched a changing of the guards outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; ate ice cream and my perquisite blini at the Menage (an overpriced, underground mall),;went to Red Square and had a look in some of the churches; went to the Maslenitsa party; visited the State Historical Museum; and listened to a guy dressed in Medieval clothing play the accordion (they seem to be a fan of accordions here...). And all of this before 2 o'clock. Oh yes, I am really that good.
Eventually, I made my way to Kolomenskoe where Jason decided to not go to the Maslenitsa party (ok, so he was sick, but still – Jason, I am going to start dragging you our of your room). Tsk tsk. While the main celebration in on Sunday (the official first day of spring), there are festivals all weekend. I met up with the GRINT group and we were shown around Kolomenskoe by a lady dressed like a Medieval noblewoman (I think I am sensing a theme...). I love Kolomenskoe. It is the former residence of Peter the Great and former site of the wooden palace that used to be called by many as the 8th wonder of the world. Only a couple of churches and building remain, and the rest of grounds is a park so large it stretches down to the Moscow River. I would show you pictures, but my camera is ornery and doesn't like to work. Sigh.
After our little tour of Kolomenskoe with much talk about beards being stored in celery (hehe – don't ask), we were treated to an interactive theater of sorts. It was a blast. Now, generally, I am not a fan of organized excursions, but this was pretty awesome. We walk into the museum (wearing our approved, plastic museum shoes, of course) and get taken into this room up the stairs. On the way, we are handed a giant straw doll. We walk into the room and are immediately greeted by a group of women, dressed in (you guessed it) more medieval costumes and singing Russian folk music. Oh, and don't forget the guy in laderhosens with his accordion. The ladies grab us with out straw doll and pull us into a dance, singing all the while. I will try to see if I can find the songs online, because it was really very beautiful.
After our dance, we are greeted by our “hostess” (another noblewoman) and led to tables. The hostess begins by explaining to us the history of Maslenitsa (in Russian) which our guide brokenly translates. The other women occasionally break out in song and serve us massive amounts of blini and tea. At random intervals, they grabbed one or two of us from the table and made us do something. I was an evil stepsister and then a smitten young girl. Of course, we were supposed to act our parts, which led me to literally throwing myself on my “love” (who happened to be Russian and, thus, completely freaked out). But the best part, by far, was the dancing Misha bear. One of the guys was pulled aside, handed a bear costume to put on and told to dance. He just happened to know the Russian dance (the one where you cross your arms, crouch down and throw your legs out – very difficult), which he then proceeded to do, to the delight of our hostess and her servants turned gypsies. They were quite enamored with him. Eventually, we were led outside and bid adieu.
On my way home, I get a call from Francesca who wants to go see a movie. As I am completely hyped from the trip to Kolomenskoe, I agree and we literally run the length of Arbat for fear of being late (not a good idea for my poor knee). We get to the theater, find out that nothing is playing in English and all the Russian movies look like crap (imagine a Russian version of Dumb and Dumber). So instead, we decide to walk around on Arbat (which looks like Vegas in many ways) where I am mistaken for a prostitute two times within 5 minutes. But that is besides the point...
As generally happens when I don't know what to do, we head into Dom Knigi – the biggest book store in Moscow – and peruse their selection until it closed. We head back to the university with no movies but way too many books than can be considered healthy (they were cheap! What did you expect me to do?).
And then there was spring...
Last Saturday (the last of February), everyone parted ways to do their own version of Maslenitsa – a group went to Suzdal for one of their organized excursions and everyone else just slept. But I refuse to be deterred! Still in my “I am a strong, independent woman” phase (which is really just an excuse not to sound pathetic), I decided to take a section of the city and do everything that could be done. Thus, I woke up early and headed out west of the Red Square. After thinking I was lost, but prevailing thanks to my lovely guidebook, I went to the pretty, yellow church with the freakishly imposing interior where Pushkin got married. They were in the middle of some type of service, so I backed away slowly and walked around the little park right outside. There is a large statue of the happy newlyweds looking anything but happy. While the church was not nearly as cool as I hoped, it made me giggly nonetheless. Pushkin, swoon...
Directly across the street from the Church of the Great Ascension is the Gorky-House Museum. Long listed as one of the top 20 places to see in Moscow, the building housed Gorky for the last five years of his life and acted as a writers' club of-sorts during the 1930s. The architecture is quite amazing (it was built in Style Moderne with an enormous marble staircase in its center), it did not live up to its reputation. Nevertheless, it was “bez platno” (free), which makes its worth going to.
To finish off the little cluster of historical funness, I went to Alexei Tolstoy's house, located directly behind the Gorky House-Museum. The lesser-known family member of Leo Tolstoy, Alexei Tolstoy was a historical writer (with the likes of Peter I to his credit) and Deputy of the Supreme Soviet. The director of the house-museum was delighted at my visit (apparently, not many people go to the museum) and gave me a personal tour of the house – in Russian. And, wait for it – I understood most of it. (cue choir music) Yeah, I did. It was cool. And, being the only visitor, rules and red tape did not seem to apply to me. Which was also cool. The museum would have been quite disappointing without my little tour, but the desjornia knew all kinds of cool facts which made it interesting. Plus, there was lots of little puppets scattered around priceless, historical objects, which was quite entertaining. “Why yes, this is the first manuscript of Peter the First. And yes, that is Pinochle sitting on top of it. We haven't finished the whale yet, so the book will have to do for now...” Apparently, due to the lack of visitors, the museum also doubles as a children's theater of sorts. Now that is capitalism.
I still had hours before I was supposed to meet Jason's group in Kolomenskoe for a Maslenitsa party, so I picked a direction and starting walking. On the way, I passed the Moscow Operetta where The Count of Monte Cristo is playing (yes, entirely in Russian), a cool little church, the Archilogical Museum, and some other places before I ran into the Central Exhibition Hall and, thus, Red Square. All roads lead to the Red Square? Why yes, yes they do. I watched a changing of the guards outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; ate ice cream and my perquisite blini at the Menage (an overpriced, underground mall),;went to Red Square and had a look in some of the churches; went to the Maslenitsa party; visited the State Historical Museum; and listened to a guy dressed in Medieval clothing play the accordion (they seem to be a fan of accordions here...). And all of this before 2 o'clock. Oh yes, I am really that good.
Eventually, I made my way to Kolomenskoe where Jason decided to not go to the Maslenitsa party (ok, so he was sick, but still – Jason, I am going to start dragging you our of your room). Tsk tsk. While the main celebration in on Sunday (the official first day of spring), there are festivals all weekend. I met up with the GRINT group and we were shown around Kolomenskoe by a lady dressed like a Medieval noblewoman (I think I am sensing a theme...). I love Kolomenskoe. It is the former residence of Peter the Great and former site of the wooden palace that used to be called by many as the 8th wonder of the world. Only a couple of churches and building remain, and the rest of grounds is a park so large it stretches down to the Moscow River. I would show you pictures, but my camera is ornery and doesn't like to work. Sigh.
After our little tour of Kolomenskoe with much talk about beards being stored in celery (hehe – don't ask), we were treated to an interactive theater of sorts. It was a blast. Now, generally, I am not a fan of organized excursions, but this was pretty awesome. We walk into the museum (wearing our approved, plastic museum shoes, of course) and get taken into this room up the stairs. On the way, we are handed a giant straw doll. We walk into the room and are immediately greeted by a group of women, dressed in (you guessed it) more medieval costumes and singing Russian folk music. Oh, and don't forget the guy in laderhosens with his accordion. The ladies grab us with out straw doll and pull us into a dance, singing all the while. I will try to see if I can find the songs online, because it was really very beautiful.
After our dance, we are greeted by our “hostess” (another noblewoman) and led to tables. The hostess begins by explaining to us the history of Maslenitsa (in Russian) which our guide brokenly translates. The other women occasionally break out in song and serve us massive amounts of blini and tea. At random intervals, they grabbed one or two of us from the table and made us do something. I was an evil stepsister and then a smitten young girl. Of course, we were supposed to act our parts, which led me to literally throwing myself on my “love” (who happened to be Russian and, thus, completely freaked out). But the best part, by far, was the dancing Misha bear. One of the guys was pulled aside, handed a bear costume to put on and told to dance. He just happened to know the Russian dance (the one where you cross your arms, crouch down and throw your legs out – very difficult), which he then proceeded to do, to the delight of our hostess and her servants turned gypsies. They were quite enamored with him. Eventually, we were led outside and bid adieu.
On my way home, I get a call from Francesca who wants to go see a movie. As I am completely hyped from the trip to Kolomenskoe, I agree and we literally run the length of Arbat for fear of being late (not a good idea for my poor knee). We get to the theater, find out that nothing is playing in English and all the Russian movies look like crap (imagine a Russian version of Dumb and Dumber). So instead, we decide to walk around on Arbat (which looks like Vegas in many ways) where I am mistaken for a prostitute two times within 5 minutes. But that is besides the point...
As generally happens when I don't know what to do, we head into Dom Knigi – the biggest book store in Moscow – and peruse their selection until it closed. We head back to the university with no movies but way too many books than can be considered healthy (they were cheap! What did you expect me to do?).
And then there was spring...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
A Request...
Hello all!
For those of you who have been to Moscow, what were some of your favorite places to go/favorite things to do/best places to eat? Also, what were some of the cooler "off-the-beaten-path" places? I am putting together a guide for my internship and need ideas. Everyone who comments gets cookies upon my return! Thanks!
For those of you who have been to Moscow, what were some of your favorite places to go/favorite things to do/best places to eat? Also, what were some of the cooler "off-the-beaten-path" places? I am putting together a guide for my internship and need ideas. Everyone who comments gets cookies upon my return! Thanks!
Monday, March 2, 2009
I Am A Strong, Independent Woman
Didn't have classes on Tuesday, so I decided to do a bit of wandering and shopping. Made plans with Francesca to go grocery shopping, but she bailed because she forgot about classes. Then made plans to go sightseeing with some friends, but they bailed because they were not feeling well. I decided to just go ahead by myself. Made it back to Kropontkinskaya (by the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts) and found one of Pushkin's old houses, a Tolstoy Museum, and the main Museum of Photography.
Pushkin's House is OK. It's free, which was cool. Few displays are in English, which made it difficult at times. Many of the items in the museum are copies from the main Pushkin Museum in St. Petersburg. In total, the museum consists of 10 rooms, each dedicated to one poem Pushkin wrote. It very exhaustively documents Pushkin's life and works which is great if you are a big fan (I mean, really really big). Overall, not the best museum I've been to. I was the only visitor, which meant all the desjornias followed me around. However, there are lots of his papers from school and whatnot which are very cool. It seems that he got bored easily because they are all filled with doodles. If your in the area, drop by for a couple of minutes, but do not make a trip for it.
Went to the Tolstoy Museum but decided not to go in. It did not look that impressive (especially for the price) and my guidebook confirmed that opinion. His house near Park Kyturie is much more interesting. Also, went to go to the Museum of Photography, which I had heard great things about, but couldn't find the entrance. I think it is under repairs at the moment, since the entire building was sheathed in plastic. May try again later. Finished my day with a short shopping trip and bought the Russian version of ramen. Should be interesting...
Pushkin's House is OK. It's free, which was cool. Few displays are in English, which made it difficult at times. Many of the items in the museum are copies from the main Pushkin Museum in St. Petersburg. In total, the museum consists of 10 rooms, each dedicated to one poem Pushkin wrote. It very exhaustively documents Pushkin's life and works which is great if you are a big fan (I mean, really really big). Overall, not the best museum I've been to. I was the only visitor, which meant all the desjornias followed me around. However, there are lots of his papers from school and whatnot which are very cool. It seems that he got bored easily because they are all filled with doodles. If your in the area, drop by for a couple of minutes, but do not make a trip for it.
Went to the Tolstoy Museum but decided not to go in. It did not look that impressive (especially for the price) and my guidebook confirmed that opinion. His house near Park Kyturie is much more interesting. Also, went to go to the Museum of Photography, which I had heard great things about, but couldn't find the entrance. I think it is under repairs at the moment, since the entire building was sheathed in plastic. May try again later. Finished my day with a short shopping trip and bought the Russian version of ramen. Should be interesting...
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