Author: Emily Brown Baker

Last weekend I visited the New Tretyekovskaya Gallery, one half of Moscow’s main art museum that features art from the 20th century on. Like a lot of people I know, abstract and modern art is not really my thing, so I was a bit skeptical going in.  However, it was amazing! Maybe I’m just super smart and mature… or I finally have a general knowledge of Russian history and took a basic art history class at Holy Cross. I didn’t even get annoyed at the abstract art.

The government demand for art at the beginning of the Soviet Union meant that the artists had funding, but they also had  to stick to a given message and an approved style. Because of that there are a lot of visually stunning and historically interesting pieces, as well as fewer but equally interesting subversive pieces. Socialist Realism is the most famous artistic style from this period, and was meant to idealize the socialist system.

This weekend was a quick overnight trip to Tula, a town of half a million people about 100 miles south of Moscow. In Tula, we toured their beautifully restored kremlin, walked around the town, and ate some pryaniki, the jelly-filled spice cakes they are famous for. The highlight of  the trip was probably touring the incredibly grounds of Yasnaya Polyana, home of Lev Tolstoy. There could not be a more quintessential Russian moment than walking around the estate of the great Russian writer while the snow fell… in sheets… in April. I joke! It truly was fascinating.

But overall, my favorite aspect of the weekend was the time spent with the friends that came with me, one Russian and one American. We spoke half in Russian and half in English, whichever was more convenient or comfortable for the conversation. It was so exciting to feel so relaxed with a language that I sometimes feel that I am in a battle with. Even though I’m always wishing that my Russian was better, it helped me realize that I am proud of the progress that I have made, and grateful for the friends who have helped me get there.

Russian word: искусство (ee-skoo-stva) art

When you think about “Georgia”, you probably start thinking of peaches and ice tea, not hachapuri and wine. But if you love yourself, you will try Georgian cuisine the first chance you get! From Georgia the country, that is. Before I came to Russia, like most Americans, after the end of the 2008 Georgian-Russian war, I sort of forgot it even existed (sorry Georgia!). But this tiny country of less than 4 million people is worth knowing about.

I spent 4 days in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, in early March. Not only was the weather significantly nicer than March in Moscow (sunny and in the 50s every day!), but prices are also much cheaper in Tbilisi. Both factors make it a popular holiday spot for Russians. Indeed, because I’m pale and look more like an ethnic Russian than an ethnic Georgian, most people just started speaking to me in Russian! Like other former Soviet countries, Russian is the most common second language among older Georgians, and English is the most common among younger people. Between the two languages, I had no trouble navigating the city. Being able to use two languages in that way was so empowering! Between my two languages, I was able to have great conversations with Georgians, Russians, European travelers, and even several very kind American Peace Corps volunteers (thanks Jacob, and the HC network!:)

One of my favorite parts of Tbilisi was the architecture and buildings. While technically part of Asia, Georgia is much more European in culture. Unlike some of the other European capitals I’ve seen, it’s buildings weren’t destroyed in World War II. And either because it flew under the radar, being far away from Moscow, or  because Georgian-born Stalin held a soft spot for Tbilisi, the decorative details of its buildings were left intact under Soviet rule. It was amazing for me to see pre-war, Soviet, and modern buildings in the city, all with unique Georgian designs. The homes of wealthy merchants were split between many families in the Soviet period, who build a network of rickety stairs and public balconies, giving the many courtyards of the city a Hogwartsian quality (and not just because I think it must be magic keeping those things up!). Tbilisi is a city undergoing rapid change. It is developing a vibrant tourism industry and buildings are being restored all over the city. I felt lucky to be able to see the city when I did, because I think within 5 years it will look really different!

Georgia is definitely a place I want to return to, and not just for the sun! For the wine and iced coffee too!

Until next time!

Russian words: Грузия (groo-ziya), the country; Джорджия, the state, say “Georgia” with a Russian accent 😉

The new semester has finally started at RGGU. We have only had one full week of classes, while students at Holy Cross are already dealing with midterms! It can be difficult to keep a sense of time without the regular rhythm of the American education calendar. This semester I am joined by Frank, another Holy Cross student, and Sofia, a student from Dickinson College.

The first trip of the semester was a weekend in Kazan, the capital of the autonomous region of Tatarstan. Kazan is 11 hours south of Moscow by train, but you wouldn’t know it from the weather! As the largest country in the world, cultural blending comes with the territory in Russia (see what I did there?). Kazan is a curious mixture of Orthodox Christians and Muslims, Russians and Tatars and many other people.

The Kazan Kremlin is the only kremlin (fortress) in Russia that has a mosque inside it. The Kul Sharif mosque was destroyed by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century, then rebuilt and reopened in 2005 to mark the millennium of Kazan. Our excursion guide also showed us the Orthodox church just outside the kremlin walls, and explained that the bell in the tower of the fortress only tolls twice a day in order to avoid disrupting the Muslim call to prayer.

We also visited the archaeological site of the medieval city of Bolgar. It was once the most powerful city on the mighty Volga River, a significant part of the Mongols’ Golden Hoarde, and the northernmost ancient Muslim city. Now it is a carefully restored museum site which brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to this out of the way part of the Russian steppe.

Back in the city, we visited the Temple of All Religions, which is more like a giant art project than a place of worship. This building is a labyrinth of halls/chapels devoted to the world’s main religions. It’s a bit of a mess inside, feeling more like an art workshop than a museum, or even a proper building. Significant portions are sill under construction, and there was no apparent floor plan from what I could tell. However, this was one of my favorite parts of the visit. As a metaphor for our struggle to respect one another as a human family is was perfect: messy and beautiful.

Russian words of the day: церковь (tser-kov) church; мечеть (me-chet) mosque

This semester I took an elective course in English about Russian Political Parties. As a sort of grand finale, our professor took us on a private tour of the Russian Duma, the national legislative body. She is an adviser to the Just Russia Party (“just” as in “fair”). It was surreal being at the heart of the might Russian government… which like governments everywhere turned out to be just a lot of offices!

Nevertheless, I’m so glad I went, as it is yet another thing I have done this year which I never thought I would do!

The most interesting part was the displays that the different political parties put up near their office headquarters. I noticed that many of the photos focused on the man who founded the particular party, and that there was usually a picture of the leader shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Even for opposition parties, it is best to associate themselves with the president because of his continued popularity.

United Russia, i.e. Putin’s party, i.e. the party of power, holds the vast majority of seats in the Duma. They thus control laws around campaigning, elections, press coverage of politics, and funding. Because of this silent control, my professor is pessimistic about her own party, or any others for that matter, ever mounting a legitimate challenged to United Russia in the foreseeable future. Her glum attitude and the hollow political displays added to the surrealism of being in a political center that doesn’t have a lot of politics happening in it, at least, not in the way I’m used to.  However, I hope for the best for my welcoming host country, and I feel extremely grateful for the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look. Even if it will probably make the background check for any government jobs I apply for really complicated!

Russian word of the day: голосовать (guh-luh-sah-vat) to vote, from the word golos, meaning “voice”

Привет друзья!

These past almost two weeks I got the opportunity to adjust a bit more to life in Moscow and begin classes. Everything here is on “Russian time”, meaning things like classes and schedules are often not decided until a day or two before, and can take a couple weeks to iron out. This is in stark contrast to Holy Cross’s system of scheduling every student in a whirlwind online enrollment day many months before the semester begins. Other American students that I have met here agree that we don’t know which process is more stressful! But I have appreciated the extra time I get to take in Moscow while the weather is still nice.

For example, last weekend was Moscow’s 871st День Города or City Day. Every Russian city has a tradition where they celebrate the anniversary of their town’s founding. Moscow celebrates by closing off one of the main roads near the center of the city and holding a sort of parade in reverse. Different performances and activities were set up along the street and the crowds walked by at their own pace. My favorite stations were the dance and music performances. Listening to Tchaikovsky in the middle of Moscow was a thrill for my inner geek!

The weekend before last, I visited the Trinity Lavra St. Sergius complex, the most important monastery in the Russian Orthodox church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. My cultural advisor was pretty nonchalant when he told me about the trip, so imagine how I felt when I walked into a place I had seen so many times in pictures!

And later I learned that it is the home of my favorite icon, Andrei Rublev’s The Trinity which I didn’t see! I will be face palming over that forever! Where did a Midwestern girl pick up a favorite icon you ask? From my first-year Montserrat seminar on early Christianity. Thanks, Jesuit education!

I admit, I got a bit wigged out when our guide started kissing the glass over the faces of the bodies of several saints in the Monastery. But overall, I came away with a much deeper appreciation for the Russian Orthodox faith.

And to round out the day we witnessed a reenactment of a medieval battle fought at the monastery.

Until next time!