After four days in New York City, a terrorist attack, blizzard, missed connection, and over 24 hours of travel, I have finally made it to Russia. Arriving on the anniversary of the end to the 900-day siege of Leningrad, I too symbolically entered a place that was just opening up to me. I cannot believe that after years and years of study and dreaming I am finally seeing experiencing the things that I have so long read about and seen in films. The city is absolutely magical. Everything is completely covered in snow. This city was meant to look beautiful despite the harsh winter conditions. The stunning colors of the buildings are only magnified by the white blanket surrounding them. As I walk around this city in temperatures that this Mississippi girl has never come close to experiencing, I can’t think about the weather but only the wonder around me. I realize how hyperbolic these descriptions may sound, but in the freshness of this adventure, I am completely in awe. I’m sure I’ll soon crash from this high, but for now I’ll ride it out and live in the moment.
I knew that Saint Petersburg is changing quickly, but until I arrived I had no idea just how quick these changes were taking place. It is hard to decide whether I should call it Russian or European. This city is not only modern, but it is innovative in so many ways. There are things here that must be dealt with in ways that we don’t understand in the United States. Technology has connected these people so deeply with the rest of the world, and each day my understanding of what it means to live in a global world deepens. I am more and more aware of how well the rest of the world knows the United States and how poorly the United States knows the rest of the world. This lack of understanding from Americans is so typical, yet it explains so much of why we interact with the rest of the world in the way that we do.
Everyone that I have met so far is really great. All the kids in my program have bonded very quickly. Over the years I have come to realize that there is a bizarre connection between all who study Russian as a second language. There is a little bit (or for some, a lot) of craziness in each of us that only we can understand about each other. Our circles are small and even though we’re from small schools all over the country, we all know the same people since there are so few people studying Russian these days. Even though everyone has very different personalities, we can all relate over one very big part of who we are. I always find this to be fascinating.
Already I have been reminded why I love Russian language and people. The way that people relate to one another here can be so humorous for an American looking in. I love to see someone take his time to stop his car to yell at another on the street for making him late or to hear a babushka complaining about the moral deterioration of the modern youth. I’m enamored by every interaction. Most Americans would think that 95% of all conversations here are arguments, but the truth is that Russians are really friendly people who just have seemingly unique ways of expressing themselves. The “Russian soul” is so deep and complex, and I want to peel back layers of understanding every day.
Since I’ve been here I have had the opportunity to get a good overview of the city. Driving and walking around I have caught glimpses of all the major sites: the Hermitage, Bronze Horseman, Saint Issac’s, Peter and Paul Fortress, the list goes on and on. Literally every single building here has cultural or historical significance. The whole city is like one gigantic museum. I already visited the Church on the Spilled Blood, which is absolutely gorgeous both inside and out. The outside is the iconic picture of Russia with the bright colored domes, but the inside is even more remarkable. The entirety of the walls and ceilings are intricately mosaic-ed. They were ready to tear it down during Stalin’s reign because it was not “culturally significant,” but luckily it survived. The restoration took years and years to complete, and now it is like walking back in time. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to being surrounded by things so old and historically significant all the time. This is something impossible to experience in the United States.
Yesterday I arrived at my host family’s home. I’m living with Olga Glebova and her daughter Katya. Olga is an artist who teaches painting lessons from her home and Katya, who is 22, just finished at the university with a degree in the history of fashion. They welcomed me into their home in the typical Russian way: sitting around the table drinking tea and eating an amount of food that no person should ever feel comfortable consuming in one sitting. We learned about one another’s lives and shared stories. Since Olga is an artist, their apartment is very fun and eclectic. Everywhere there is art, trinkets, random street signs, etc. I already feel very comfortable here and am very glad to be spending the semester with them. They are veteran hosts for Smolny and therefore are very kind and understanding. I’m looking forward to exploring the area around my apartment and getting into the swing of what is now my everyday life (yeah, I LIVE in St. Petersburg now!).
My mind is overflowing with thoughts, so much so that I could keep writing for days. I’ll spare you and leave it here for now. Thanks for sticking with me until now, and hopefully I’ll post more regularly in more manageable intervals in the future. Until then, all my love from Russia.
