Summer In Russia

Slide Show Now Available

rrafferty — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:05:56 +0000

A collection of more than 50 images of this trip are now available. Please click this link to view the slide show.

Russian Food by Caryn Painter

rrafferty — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:04:58 +0000

One of my favorite parts of traveling is trying new foods. Typically, I will try anything at least once, and I adhered to that policy throughout my stay in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Borsht, or beet soup, is a classic Russian dish which I was not particularly looking forward to, but I had promised my Mom before I left the States that I would try it. As it turned out, the stuff was pretty good, and I ate it a couple more times during the remainder of the trip. Shi, which was basically borsht made with cabbage instead of beets, was tasty as well. Aside from those two traditional Russian dishes, I also learned to like dill. They put dill on EVERYTHING, so if you had a problem with it, you were often hard pressed to find a dish without it. I was also very impressed with Russian baked goods (mostly the bread) and their desserts. I probably went a little overboard on my consumption of fresh bread on the trip, but it was just so good! Concerning desserts, I was amazed at the huge variety that seemed to be available everywhere. There were always fresh pastries, cakes, tiramisu, and ice cream available in mass quantities in dessert cases in the cafes and small restaurants. Lastly, I really liked the fresh produce stands that seemed to be located about every twenty feet or so along the sidewalks. It was nice to be able to make a quick stop for some fresh cherries or berries to snack on for the day. Overall, I definitely think that Russian food ranks pretty high on my list of favorites from my travels. I gained a few pounds from trying so many new foods, but it was well worth it.

The Moscow Times by Ryan Deutschendorf

rrafferty — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 11:53:52 +0000

The Moscow Times is a newspaper published in Moscow that is written in English. Unlike other newspapers in Russia The Moscow Times is not controlled by the government. I admire the ability of this newspaper to remain independent while many other newspapers have succumbed to government control. The reporters and journalists that write for this paper come from a variety of nations. This is a good approach because having writers from a variety of countries enables the writers to present different perspectives because of their different backgrounds. The goal of this paper is to present information that looks at the issues from different viewpoints while trying to remain fairly neutral. The paper has a circulation of roughly 500,000 readers and is financed by the money it receives from advertisements. The editorialists are allowed some freedom when choosing topics for their articles. They are allowed to write about topics that they may have a particular amount of knowledge about, or something that may be of interest to them. I think this is also a good practice because articles written on a subject of personal interest usually generate more dynamic articles.

A note from our Russian friends

kvolk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 20:06:22 +0000

Our dearest American friends!

We’d like to thank your professors, Gerry and Olga, and you, those 13 people, who had found time and desire, for coming to our country! Russia is a big country and we tried our best to show you as much as possible. While you were in our country we visited not only historical and cultural places of interest, but also tried to show you our modern life, the one that we live right now, although even those 3 weeks are not enough to explore everything, believe us! But still we hope that now you know more about not only Russia, but also about Russians and Russian lifestyle. As for us, thanks to you, we found out that Americans are an absolutely amazing nation! You are extremely friendly, open, funny and easy-going people! Now we know that it’s a real pleasure not only to work with you, but also to have fun and just hang out with you, because all of you are gregarious and outgoing! Now, thanks to our meeting, we know a lot more about American traditions, culture and lifestyle. We hope that you like our country and our people even more than you did before, because we do like you and the US! Someday we’ll definitely come to you and we believe that you’ll show us your country. Also we’d like to hope that after this time in Moscow, Russia, some of you will come to us again, because we’ll be waiting with our hearts full. You all filled our life with your light and optimism, so stay as you are! Thank you once again!

Forever yours, Russian students

Moscow and St. Petersburg by Lin Erickson

kvolk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 20:03:59 +0000

Like many other international cities, the historical architecture is beautiful, business and commercial activity is expanding rapidly, and the streets and subways are mobbed with people rushing in different directions. But beneath the surface, life is so different here. The dramatic changes since the Soviet breakup create a sense of chaos with systems not in place for democracy or free enterprise and corruption prevalent. For example, to arrange for our hotel, we booked our rooms through an agent and then met a woman on the street and paid her in cash. To understand life in Russia today, we’ve had the opportunity to be fully immersed in Russian politics, business, and culture. For me personally, this has been an incredible learning experience and a fabulous trip. We have met Russians and Americans from diverse backgrounds–entrepreneurs developing business opportunities in Russia, leaders of political parties preparing for the 2007/08 elections; students from a local university; a Russian Orthodox priest who dared to pursue priesthood in Soviet times; the chairman of an NGO increasing educational opportunities for orphans; and professors with expertise in geography, sociology, political science and more–all sharing with us their personal experience living and working in Russia before and after the Soviet breakup. I cannot imagine a more powerful way to learn, and our students are taking full advantage of networking with new friends and contacts to explore further their areas of interest. I have particularly enjoyed meeting Witt alumni in Russia who are doing extraordinary things here — taking the energy and passion for their professions developed as undergraduates at Wittenberg to make a difference in the world.

Special thanks to Olga and Papa Gerry!

Church Bells by Ozge Sayginer

kvolk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 20:02:38 +0000

The most beautiful part of our trip was when I listened the bells at the Andreyev Monastery. When we first visited the Monastery, Father Boris, with whom we ate lunch, arranged for the bells to be rung just for us and mostly for Dr. Medvedkov who loves the bells most among us. I will never forget how she became so excited and proud when she learned that the bell ringer had a PHD in Geography. The bell tower is located in the middle of the monastery. It is possible to reach to bells by climbing a set of old and narrow spiral stairs. The special part about bell ringing is that the pure and natural sound really touches the soul. I will say we were very lucky to listen that talented musician and geographer. I bought a CD of the bells to remember that beautiful Sunday we spent there with Father Boris in one of the prettiest regions of Moscow, right by the river. In that wonderful environment we learned about Russia’s religious life from a first-hand experience, and we found peace under the holy bells.

Paradox of Soviet Imagery by Peter Rahal

kvolk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 19:50:59 +0000

Before coming to Moscow I really had no idea what to expect. The only image of Moscow I had was of Saint Basils Cathedral in Red Square. Another image I had before arriving in Moscow was of the revolution, the fall of the Soviet Union, and all of the Russians on the streets tearing down statues of Stalin and that infamous symbol of the Soviet Union and Communism, the sickle and hammer. With these images in mind I was totally surprised when I walked into my first metro station and found statues of workers and peasants followed by numerous images of the sickle and the hammer. I shortly after discovered that these images are not just in the metro stations but are everywhere, from the tops of buildings to the simple fencing around a park. Though after staying in Russia a little while and getting a better understanding of Russian culture both politically and socially I am not surprised at all to see so much of this soviet imagery. The Russians during the Bolshevik revolution kept the hated tsarist symbols of power around. The Russians are not ashamed of their past, they embrace it. This is clear to this day.

Religion by Troy Meyers

ghudson — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 17:20:30 +0000

Before I came to Russia I did not think that they were too religious of a people, and I continued to believe that even after we attended our first Russian Orthodox service. It was not until after talking to Father Boris did my thoughts change on the people of Russia’s religious mindset. He told us that the Russian people as a whole were wanting to become more religious mostly due to the fact that it had been looked down upon during the Soviet peroid. During the service I watched the people there, and it looked as though they were getting into the service and paying attention to what the priests were doing and what was being said by them. Father Boris was one of the nicest men that I have met here in Russia, and he has opened my eyes to the fact that Russia is a religious country and according to Father Boris it will continue to become even more religious.
Troy Meyers

The Moscow Metro by Seth Morgan

kvolk — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 14:02:07 +0000

You can’t drive in Moscow. Well, you can, but it’s not easy. The roads are narrow compared to the US, the one-way systems are confusing, and the demand for road space far outstrips supply, particularly in the center. This is why in this city of about 11 million people, roughly 8 million people a day find their way onto one of Stalin’s legacies in the former Soviet capital, the Moscow metro. It is far cheaper to use the subway than to pay for gas. A single ride costing only 15 rubles about $.55), and it is much faster. During the course of our bus trip from the airport to the hotel the day we arrived, we traveled one third of the total distance around the ring motorway to our hotel. It took about two hours, and traffic wasn’t even gridlocked. A similar trip by metro would have taken perhaps an hour and a quarter.

Now imagine what would happen if suddenly the metro vanished from the transport network here. Suddenly, there would be millions more cars on the roads. Traffic would come to a complete halt, commerce would cease. The city could not function without its metro.

Simply put, the task of the public transport in this city is staggering. It is almost single-handedly responsible for keeping the city functioning. The city’s network, while large by the standards of subways, is still only 278 kilometers in length, and yet it handles so much traffic. You may not be a transit nut like me, but even the most disinterested person cannot help but marvel at the task which this network performs every day.

Church and Charity by Kara Clunk

ghudson — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 08:29:20 +0000

History shapes the people and events of the future. The Soviet era shaped the present day Moscow to be stylistic, and inquisitive. Generally, when people are denied certain activities, liberties, or rights, they demand and utilize these things when they are once again obtainable. For many years during the Soviet time, religion was opressessed and not fully appreciated or understood. As Father Boris, a priest who we met in the Russian Orthodox Church system, explained, there is a large gap in the Russian Orthodox religion because the Soviet period limited and denied the education of that religion. People were forbidden to practice the Orthodox ways and would be crudely punished if caught doing so. After 1991, when the Soviet regime collapsed, many people began to actively participate in religion again.

Moscow, especially in the present, has become much more aware of its community in their actions. People participate weekly in 3 hour services
rejoicing their freedoms that they have recently obtained in the past two decades. Father Boris explained that young adults are enthusiastic about entering into Seminary school and the numbers of active participants are< increasing weekly.

Moreover, the people within the church itself have become more active with each other. Trying to improve and help each other through their difficult lives. Different economic classes cooperate even though the collectivism has disappeared. Charity has increased within the church and the community as a whole has greatly benefited. The Soviet time was the blue print of these necessary changes in society. I believe that religion can be an important factor in the shaping of the government and society of the Muscovites. With this stronger support system, Russia can develop into a stronger democracy. Because of these changes, Moscow has become a wealthier and more independent society, where awareness of the community has increased.

Kara Clunk