Category Archives: Alexis

Hidden Treasures

June 8, 2019 shucka Leave a comment

Russia is filled with hidden treasures. It is the largest country on Earth, covering 17.1 million square kilometers and bordering 14 different countries. The natural world of Russia contains geographical wonders and mysteries. When we were on our ten day adventure around Siberia, we visited one of these wonders, the symbol of Siberia, Lake Baikal.

Before we jetted off to Ulan-Ude, we read Sacred Sea by Peter Thomson. In this book, an American journalist ventures to Lake Baikal with his brother. He documents their pilgrimage in order to bring attention to this sacred place and its importance to our environment.

So why is Lake Baikal so special?

For starters, Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world. It is around 397 miles long and 50 miles wide. It is also the deepest lake in the world as it is 1620 meters deep. It has some of the cleanest water in the world, and is home to more than 2,000 species. Of those animals, 2/3rd are endemic to Lake Baikal, including the only freshwater species of seals, nerpas.

To say the least, after reading and learning about the importance of this magnificent lake, I was very excited to see it. However, to quote Peter Thomson, “Some places are just a place, some places are a journey.”

During my time here in Russia, we have constantly been discussing the importance and significance of space and places. More importantly, what differentiates the two and what qualities quantify it? In terms of Lake Baikal, the actual space it took up was less important to me as was its characterization as a place as a result of our journey around it. Our interaction with it as a place traveling around it and visiting different locations in relation to it is what made it meaningful to me as we had many opportunities to see the lake from different points.

Our first encounter with the lake was during our road trip down to Усть-Баргузин.

We made this pit stop after traveling in our bus for around a couple of hours to not only stretch our lakes, but see Lake Baikal for the first time. At first, I couldn’t help but think about the ice on the lake. It was already the end of May! The second impression the lake had on me was its transparency. If you look at the first picture, you are able to see the rocks under the water because of its crystal clear view. After this, we were met with a small kitten, one of many animals we encountered on this trip. Amelia took a special liking to this kitten and it followed us around the entire time. Its fur reminded me of the ice and snow I saw on the lake.

Before arriving to our guest house, we made another pit stop at a different location on the lake. This location was filled with sand and trees, much different from our previous stop.

Following this day, we went to Чивыркуйский залив, located in the conservation zone of the Trans-Baikal National Park. At the park, we visited their visit center where we learned more about the ecology of the lake and the importance of its conservation. Personally, this park had the most beautiful views of the lake.

To top off our day here, we saw around 1,000 nerpas sun bathing on blocks of ice!

Our last direct interaction with the lake was on our trip to Листвянкa. In order to reach this location, we had to cross the lake by boat. This was definitely a highlight of the trip. We got to sit on the back and out boat driver talked to us about Baikal and Russian people. To quote him, “Russians are not bears, they’re people.”

We even stopped in the middle of our boat ride and the driver pulled out a pitcher where we were able to drink Baikals water straight from the source. Its taste is best described as pure.

We arrived at our new town and visited a museum about the ecology of the lake and we were able to see animals of the lake up close, varying from nerpas to microscopic ones!

These include all of my direct interactions with the lake as a space. Its categorization as a place is a direct result of my experiences and interactions I had while in its physical space. These experiences took many forms, from the picnic we had on the park to laying in the sand on its shore. The people I met and interacted with while there are forever categorized with my memory of the lake.

Lake Baikal as a place is a journey. Because of its size, it is able to be viewed from many different ways and points, each one unique. To me, this is analogous to Siberia. Similar to Baikal’s various aspects, Russia is filled with different cultures and beliefs. With each interaction I had with the lake, I was able to see something different and learn something new, each time being distinct from the last. Siberia as a space is indicated by its cold weather and vast empty lands. However, as a place, it is described by its history and cultures, including old believers, Decembrists, indigenous peoples, buddhism, shamanism, and exiles which many people tend to look past when thinking about Siberia. For this reason, Siberia is more than just its physical space but its place as a journey for these people who have taken this space and transformed it as a place, their home.

Alexis, Outside the Box

Умом Россию не понять

June 2, 2019 shucka 1 Comment

Умом Россию не понять

Every Russian knows this poem.

Умом Россию не понять,

Аршином общим не измерить:

У ней особенная стать –

В Россию можно только верить.

– Федора Тютчева (1866)

If you look up a translation of this poem, you will get thousands of different variations.

Here is my own personal translation of the poem:

Russia cannot be understood by the mind

She cannot be measured by any ordinary standard

She has a unique character –

One must only believe in her.

The first line, “Умом Россию не понять” is something that has stuck with me throughout these last ten weeks. I cannot articulate this country with words. I have learned something new each and everyday. Every experience has presented me with something new and indescribable. The rich history of this country is something I constantly encounter and am reminded of. I cannot thank Carleton or my professor, Diane Ignashev, enough for this opportunity that has shaped my life forever.

As already mentioned, Russia cannot be simply understood by the mind. It is complex and ever changing. For this reason, I have put together a collection of photographs that for me, truly embody this famous line.

“Russians are not bears, we’re people”- quote from our boat driver when crossing Lake Baikal

Hmmm…. an interesting art piece found at a flea market outside the Tretyakov Gallery

I really enjoyed this art piece at the Garage Museum

My first time drinking water straight from the source. Russia has made me stronger.

Cows and Buddhist Temples in Siberia. Not typically what you would think of when you think of Russia!

American and Russian leaders in a palace in St. Petersburg

The cast of a four hour long play of, “Master and Margarita”.

Alcohol is considered more than just a drink here. It’s art.

Wearing little booties over your shoes is a common practice in clinics and museums here.

A very important site location is GUM, a large shopping center located at Red Square.

Although I did see Lenin’s actual preserved body, this is another art piece of it at the Garage Museum.

I couldn’t get enough of these tanks at the Victory Day parade!

Nothing more Russian than gymnastics! As a former gymnast myself, this piece really stuck with me.

We fed these camels lots of lettuce and carrots.

World’s largest cannon that has never actually been fired.

An interesting specimen on display in a museum near the border of Mongolia.

Bells are very significant in Russian culture and at the Kremlin, you can see their largest bell!

A sphynx imported from Egypt in St. Petersburg.

A stunning Orthodox Christian church in Irkutsk.

A yummy Georgian dish accompanied with tea.

Kvass, also known as the “peasants drink” as peasants used to drink this after working in the fields all day. It tastes almost like a watered down coke or very light, sweet beer.

We saw Swan Lake at the Hermitage theater in St. Petersburg. I think that is the most Russian sentence I have written so far.

Flower at a botanical garden, similar to Blue Monday in Northfield!

As you can tell, I really enjoyed seeing pieces that were connected to America. The way America is presented was interesting to me because of past and current relations between the two countries and of course my own personal connection. In addition, I found photos of things that were not stereotypically “Russian” important to include as Russia is a very large, vast country. It is filled with people of different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. In addition, today it is still influenced by its history and continues to change politically and socially. Its history is reflected in a variety of means, including its food, ballet, religious buildings, and artwork.

Russia, to me, can not be described through a simple definition. I hope, through these pictures, that your perception of what you think Russia is has now been altered. It is more than its harsh winters and communist past. However, even so, after ten weeks, I still do not have a firm grip on what this country is, only what it now means to me.

P.S. look up, “Умом Россию не понять” on youtube, you won’t be disappointed.

Alexis, Around Moscow, Moscow

Never Talk to Strangers!

June 2, 2019 shucka Leave a comment

Learning a second language is HARD, especially when that language is Russian.

The alphabet, pronunciation, cases, verbs of motion, and don’t even get me started on genitive plural.

When studying at Carleton, speaking Russian is generally limited to conversations with my fellow classmates where their American accents make it easier for me to understand. In addition, its a lot less anxiety inducing knowing they are also not fluent speakers and make mistakes.

However, practice makes perfect and talking with actual Russian speakers is absolutely necessary when actually living in Russia. Who would have guessed! Therefore, for one of our first assignments, we were assigned the task of striking up a conversation with a Russian stranger in one of Moscow’s neighborhoods.

This assignment served two purposes; to practice our speaking skills and to explore the city outside of central Moscow.

In preparation, we read Lisa Dickeys book, Bears in the Streets. In this novel, an American women travels throughout Russia, documenting the people she meets over the span of three visits in thirty years, each visit ten years apart. Throughout her journey, she meets and interviews complete strangers and documents their lives in order to show how Russia’s changing political and social status over time has affected them.

So, if this woman was able to get countless of Russians to talk to her and even invite her to their homes, would we be able to get a Russian stranger to answer a few questions about their neighborhood?

The answer is no.

The face of two smiling Americans who think they are going to easily accomplish this task on their way to Izmailovsky

Turns out we grossly miscalculated the difficulty of this task.

Now, to be clear, it IS possible to talk to random Russian strangers. Since this assignment, I have had multiple encounters with strangers when out and about ranging from conversation topics about my passport in a cafe to different types of shampoo in the grocery store. Additionally, other students were able to accomplish this task easily. So, where did we go wrong?

Well, it all started on a very rainy Sunday afternoon. To give you an accurate depiction of how rainy it was, please see the below.

Even the dog was raining a raincoat which was more than I had at the time. It even had a hood?!

After a lengthy metro ride, we arrived at Izmailovksy. Izmailovsky is truly a beautiful neighborhood. It has an amazing park which many people stroll through, even on this extremely rainy day tons of people were there. It is filled with small cafes, stores, and apartment buildings. In addition, it has a great indoor flea market where you can buy lots of cheap goods!

We figured our best bet would be to stroll through the park where the conversations would just happen naturally.

Wrong.

Here are a few of our attempted conversation starters:

” Do you have a minute to talk about this neighborhood?”

“What kind of bird is that?”

“Hello we are Americans and we were wondering if you have a minute to talk?”

“Hello”

*Just a very long stare hoping they will strike up a conversation*

In all of these cases, we were shut down and kinda feeling a little defeated. Lisa Dickey, how DID you do it?!

After our attempts, we headed to the indoor flea market to hopefully get a few words from a vendor. Ian decided to buy some tea from a kind gentleman and afterwards asked him his thoughts about the neighborhood in which he told us that it “was a great place to live.” He had other customers and did not really have time to talk so we figured it was better than nothing.

Overall, I would not call this a failed assignment only because it did manage to teach me some things. It also gave me more respect for all those second language learners who are able to integrate into different countries and make friends with locals because it is definitely not just a “walk in the park” (pun intended).

Alexis, Baikal

I’m Married!!

June 1, 2019 shucka Leave a comment

I got married!! Yes, its true. I went to Russia and am now a married woman. Who would of guessed it would only take visiting Siberia to make it happen. I am also the proud mother of two twins. They are the first two of an expected 18 children that I will have. What more could a girl want?

Look how happy I am.

So, this is how it all went down.

During our great 10 day adventure around Lake Baikal, we visited an old believer (старообря́дцы) house. In case of confusion, old believers are a religious group who refused to accept the reforms imposed upon Russian Orthodoxy by Nikon. As a result, many were exiled to Siberia. We were lucky enough to visit one of these communities and get to talk with them and experience real old believer life.

Upon arrival, we were met by a very kind older woman. She was dressed in traditional old believer dress (please see above picture of me). Traditional Old Believer dress for women includes first a long sleeved collared shirt followed by a colorful dress, which is followed by layers of almost apron like garments. To top off the outfit, very large necklaces are worn comprised of large beads and a headdress is worn.

After our introduction, the old lady kindly showed us around her house. We got to see the farming tools in the backyard, the inside bedrooms, kitchen, and icons which are traditionally placed in the corner of the house. After our tour, we were invited to our feast!

Besides my wedding, this was the second best part of our day. Everything we ate was homemade, besides the sugar and salt. We had fresh vegetables, honey, sweets, mashed potatoes, soup, juice, and most importantly, homemade vodka! I very graciously accepted refills of this delicacy.

It should be noted here that prior to my wedding, I did not know I was going to be getting married..

Stuffed to the brim, we made our way outside and enjoyed a show of Old Believer songs and dancing which involves quite a bit of foot work and high notes. Then, it was my time to shine!

My soon to be husband, Nick, was escorted away with a fellow man to be prepared while I was sat in the very front of room.

Not knowing what was going to happen, my hair was first being braided into two long braids with ribbon and tied into little knots on top of my head. Following this was my transformation into a traditional Old Believer outfit. I looked great and more importantly, I was very warm in my numerous layers.

I was soon informed that one of the Old Believer ladies was going to by my mom and she wanted to marry me off as I was becoming older and in desperate need of a husband. Luckily, my knight in shining armor Nick would soon arrive in search of a lovely Old Believer wife.

Now, marriages do not just happen spontaneously. That would be ridiculous! Instead, my family met with Nicks family and some negotiating took place, some arguing, but it ended with a nice compromise and we were soon to be married. Yippee!

We immediately celebrated together with a traditional Old Believer dance in which we circled each other numerous times. Additionally, as a couple, we had to choose from a circle of different cups. Thankfully, we chose the cup that had sugar in it. A sweet marriage was predicted!

Afterwards, we were whisked away to live happily ever after.

This wasn’t the end of our story though.

After a harsh winter we returned, with two little bundles of joy! Twins! A sweet life indeed.

Alexis, Moscow

The Moscow Metro: A Photo Essay

May 31, 2019 shucka Leave a comment

The Moscow Metro

A Photo Essay

“Oсторожно, двери закрываются.” This phrase has forever been implanted in my head. I can literally hear the voice of the woman and her tone of voice every time I think of this phrase. The Moscow metro has become a significant place for me. It is my main form of transportation around this city. It brings me pride to think of how far I have come since my first ride here. I can easily navigate my way, knowing which colors lead to which lines and destinations. A metro ride represents a daily activity for most Muscovites as they travel to their various destinations throughout their day. In this photo essay, I wanted to highlight the use of light in the metro. Most metro stations are decorated with chandeliers and beautiful light structures and I wanted to express this through the shadows they create in these pictures. In this way, I present the depiction of light in an underground world. I have placed these photos in an order starting from the larger overview of a station, to the smaller pieces in the station, to actually inside the subway car to present a feeling of traveling through the metro.

Alexis, St Petersburg

St. Petersburg

May 14, 2019 shucka Leave a comment

St. Petersburg, a popular song by Brazilian Girls

Over midterm break, we embarked on an adventure to the “Window to the West”, aka St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg is a dream city. It has a beautiful river running through it, accompanied by numerous canals and bridges. The streets are filled with buildings of different styles and colors, each adding its own unique taste to the overall architecture. As the former capital of Russia, the city has a vast variety of monuments, museums, and palaces. It also has a rich history, filled with triumphs, wars, floods, fires, and the infamous 900-day siege. For these reasons, today, St. Petersburg is no doubt a tourist city.

Moscow is also a tourist city. Frequently, I see tour groups when visiting major museums and monuments downtown. However, St. Petersburg wins in terms of numbers. This was apparent not just from simply the tourists I saw, but from the English signs, hotels, and souvenir shops I came in contact with.

Our hotel the first night in St. Petersburg

In some respects, it is easy to see how tourism may result in a negative reaction while in other ways the tourism industry in the city may have helped highlight important aspects of the place. Because of this, it was hard for me to determine my own opinion of the city. Furthermore, it helped me bring to face my own position in this country as a foreigner studying the language and culture of the country. Tourism is a major industry, bringing money and jobs. Personally, I believe it has a lot of advantages. Economically, it contributes to both private and local incomes by providing jobs in hotels, restaurants, transportation, etc. This dependence then provides incentives for the city to preserve major historical sites and the surrounding environment to better promote the city. Additionally, increasing globalization brings more cross- cultural collaborations. In this way, it promotes awareness for both locals and tourists through these interactions and subsequent understanding between the two.

Undoubtedly, tourism has its consequences. Many more authentic and local places are being replaced by souvenir shops and crowds. This contributes to the strain of local infrastructure and businesses. This is because they suffer as a result of accommodating for the increasing number of tourists. In addition, tourism has environmental problems with the continued and growing waste with the expansion of sites.

On a boat tour in St. Petersburg which interferes with the natural habitat

What sets me apart from other tourists? In what ways am I also damaging the “authenticity” of the country and city that I am staying in? As much as I want to consider myself not just another “tourist” am I just fooling myself?

When visiting another country, you are exposed to different languages, beliefs, food, and environments. In a lot of ways, traveling helps create a more informed, open-minded perspective of the world. It helps to break down stereotypes through first-hand experiences and relationships formed. I believe every visit is an opportunity to learn something new and embrace the complexity and diversity of the world. Even if you do visit a country as a tourist, you are granting yourself an opportunity to meet new people and expand your knowledge. However, to understand a culture, it takes more than just simply visiting a place. It requires effort forming relationships from first hand experiences and understanding between people by learning from each other.

Alexis, Rus', Suzdal

Small Town Traditions

April 29, 2019 shucka Leave a comment

Living in Russia’s capital, I am exposed to only a glimpse of Russian life and what this vast country has to offer. I am surrounded by a variety of museums, parks, restaurants, cafes, etc. Living in this giant metropolis allows me to explore the history and culture through the vast number of establishments available to me. However, it also limits my own idea of Russia and Russian culture because it is only based on what I see and experience in Moscow. Fortunately for me, I recently embarked on a weekend getaway to two smaller towns, Vladimir and Suzdal. These towns allowed me to enhance my knowledge of Russian life by providing me a different perspective on what life in Russia can look like for people who aren’t living in its capital. It was in these small towns that I appreciated the traditions of Russian culture and the importance of its history.

To begin our journey, we departed on a three-hour train ride from Moscow to Vladimir. Already on the train, I began to notice our descent away from the skyscrapers, cafés, metro, and overall bustling city life. The buildings quickly disappear and are replaced by trees, parks by fields, and apartment buildings by small houses.

It is around evening when we arrive in Vladimir. When I step off the train, I am engulfed by a drastically different atmosphere. The number of people in the station has diminished. Additionally the shops encircling the station are limited. Our hostel is a quick walk from the station. We walk down a dirt path where few cars drive past. Already, I can sense the slower pace of life this town has in comparison to Moscow. When we arrive at our hostel and settle in, I take off my shoes in order to put on my slippers, a Russian custom, and head upstairs to rest.

The next day, we embarked on our adventure to an even smaller town, Suzdal. Our one day there highlighted the importance of small towns and their history through its preservation and traditions. I would describe our time there as a nearly perfect one. To get there, we had to take a thirty minute bus ride from Vladimir. The ride there included amazing views of open fields. It is a very walkable town, with a beautiful river running through it. It is also filled with an assortment of historical buildings and museums. For this reason, Suzdal is a prime example of historical preservation. The town feels as if time has stopped here. From each direction, you can see a religious building, whether that be a church, cathedral, or monastery. This is illustrative of Suzdal’s rich history as the religious center of medieval Rus. For instance, by the 14^th century, it had over 50 churches. Preservation of this town’s history is revealed through its citizens. For example, you can take a horse carriage around the center, shoot a bow and arrow as the Russians once did, and purchase one of the hundreds of antiques available in the city square.

The traditions of this town truly makes it unique. For example, multiple vendors here sell медовуха, а Russian alcoholic drink made with honey. Another unique aspect of this town are its twin churches. Located throughout the town, twin churches are built side by side, a larger one for summer standing alongside a smaller one for winter. In addition, this town offers a domestic museum, which represents what typical huts looked like in Suzdal. In this house are traditional 17^th century furniture and decorations. Here you can see a traditional stove, the most important piece of the house in these huts because of the warmth it brought. It was also where the eldest member of the family slept. Likewise, the museum has icons on display in the corner where they are traditionally kept. Lastly, the bell tower and the ringing of the bells in the city represent the city’s religious traditions and are an important feature of Russian history and culture through the beautiful music they make.

Our day ended here with a walk back to the train station with the sun slowly setting. It was on this walk that I could truly appreciate the small traditions Suzdal preserves in order to illustrate its vast history. Suzdal allowed me to see a different side of Russian life outside its bustling capital. Likewise, it made me appreciate the laid-back notion all small towns seem to have. Suzdal, to me, captured the importance of historical preservation and natural beauty.

Alexis, Moscow, Moscow University

A Beginner’s Guide to MSU

April 15, 2019 shucka 1 Comment

I have been in Moscow for two weeks now. Somehow, these two weeks have been the longest and shortest of my life. Each day I learn something new about Moscow. I feel currently confident enough to explore on my own. Thinking back to my first day, I felt like a lost puppy. Before my arrival, I had almost no expectations of what my life was going to be like as a university student here. I scanned various articles, trying to imagine and depict what my new life was going to be like, but failed to grasp it. Even now , most of my beliefs I had about living here have been completely false. However, some still stand true, including the most obvious differences between life at Carleton and life at Moscow State University. For example, Moscow State is a vastly larger university, with around 36,000 enrolled students. It is located in a large metropolitan area with most students live off campus in apartments. On the other hand, Carleton is a small, residential college located in a quiet town. In Moscow, students explore the city, go to bars, eat out, drink at cafes etc. In Northfield, social life consists of going to class, the library, and your dorm. Not to say I do not love Carleton, but living in a metropolitan area does have it perks.

Similar to most European universities, most students do not live in dorms, but rather in apartments throughout the city. However, there are dorms available, like the one I am currently residing in. This dorm houses mostly international students. For example, my first two days I was rooming with a Danish girl who was studying journalism. In my dorm. I live with a German girl who is studying psychology. I have met various other students on my floor, ranging from a PHD student who has been here for three years to a French teacher who has been here for only three months.

There are noticeable differences that have stuck out to me since arriving. My first day, I noticed, in order to get into the building, students have to go through a security bar scanner and present your student ID to a guard there. Honestly, this took me aback at first as it wasn’t anything I had experienced at Carleton. However, now I know that going through security scanners are pretty common here and are found in shopping malls, museums, or any other school building. Following this I walked to my dorm building, again where I had to present my student ID to a guard to enter the elevator. The people who work here take their positions very seriously. I have exited the building, made eye contact with the lady working at the desk, and returned within one minute and she will look at my ID for a good forty five seconds as if she has never seen me. Following this, when I arrived at my floor, in order to obtain my keys to my room, I had to meet with the floor woman who has a desk in the middle of the lounge. There is someone always working in the lounge and I have even seen mine sleeping on the couch here in the middle of the night. She then took out a big notebook and flipped through it to write down my information before handing me the keys to my room. At this point, I was becoming familiar with the non-electronic system the university uses. This is in stark contrast to Carleton, where almost everything is done electronically.

In terms of classes, the building in which I take all my classes is about a seven minute walk from my dorm. Surrounding the building are students hanging out in circles, talking, some smoking in proximity to signs that say, “Don’t Smoke”, running, and even playing sports. When you first enter the building, on the left is a huge area with hangers for students to hang up their jackets . These wardrobes are common throughout places in Moscow including restaurants, museums, buildings, etc. At first, I was very hesitant to use it as I was scared that I was going to lose my belongings, but now I feel accustomed to it and appreciate them. I even wish they were used in Northfield, so I would always have a place to store my ankle-length coat every time I entered a building.

Where all the students hang up their jackets during the school day.

My final observation are the elevators, currently, the bane of my existence. Elevators here do not wait for anyone or anything. They are ruthless and consistently close on people. I am now getting used to preparing for my sprint in and my fight out of them. While nervously waiting for one the other day, I encountered the Lyman of MSU. Being used to Lyman’s warm greetings, I immediately approached him for a pet. In return for my affection, I was greeted with a nice, loud, hiss. Following this the floor lady told me not to let him get onto the elevator. So, I very bravely picked him up and carried him off. This was a proud moment for me as the whole time the cat was complacent and didn’t fight back. So, hopefully, like Moscow, we will gradually warm up to each other.