Baby, it's cold outside!

There must be another word for it.  “Cold” just doesn’t do this feeling justice.  Freezing is closer, but there still must be a better word.  How cold is it, you ask?  It’s 0 degrees but feels like it’s -16 degrees today.  It’s cold and getting colder.  It’s so cold that my camera refuses to stay switched on for more than 15 seconds at a time.  It’s so cold that I don’t realize how cold I really was outside until I’ve been inside for at least an hour and felt the pain of the thawing process.  It’s so cold that I can’t breathe outside without erupting into a fit of coughs because my lungs just don’t know how to function in this kind of weather.  It’s so cold that no amount of layers or winter wear can save me.

Before I left for Russia my friends and I would joke that my greatest fear is to freeze to death in Russia.  While that fear is more than just a little bit exaggerated, as I trudge through the bitter cold streets I sometimes ponder what it would feel like to actually freeze to death (Russia has already turned me morbid).  It can’t be a pleasant way to die.  When my mind wanders to these kinds of thoughts, I become more and more thankful for my warm coat and boots with every step.  Most days I stay pretty darn warm with them, all things considered (Please quit worrying, Daddy!). 

It was quite amusing last week when both Starkville and Memphis got a snow day.  As I Skyped with my friends at Rhodes who all gathered together to eat pancakes and enjoy a day of freedom, I too was excited for them because it was a snow day after all.  Later on though I remembered that in St. Petersburg, everyday is a snow day, and that is not always a fun thing.  When I return home I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to look at the snow and the cold in the same way ever again after months of this weather.  I hope, however, that snow in the South will never lose its wonder and excitement.  I’m not ready to give up those childlike feelings of amazement and joy when school is canceled for that once a year weather wonder. 

People at home often ask me if Russians automatically know if I am an American.  While I like to think that I am blending in pretty well here (many people think I’m Scandinavian with my accent and complexion), I think one of the easiest ways to stand out as a foreigner is to look like you’re actually trying to stay warm.  To say the least, fashion is very important to Russians, women in particular, and staying warm is only a secondary thought for many.  I am amazed to see women dressed in short skirts, bare legs, and high-heeled shoes in single-digit weather.  I have the utmost respect for their commitment to style but know that this is a commitment that I will never understand in the slightest.  Earlier this week my professor came to class wearing a skirt that only came halfway down her thighs, sheer panty hose, and ankle boots.  It was 5 degrees outside, and I just wanted to exclaim, “What were you thinking, woman!  Don’t you realize how cold it is!” Of course, I said nothing, and when another student mentioned the weather she simply commented, “I thought it was going to be a bit warmer today,” to which I wanted to reply, “It’d have to be at least forty degrees warmer for that outfit to even be close to weather appropriate!”  I really think that many Russians use their pursuit of high fashion as a mental defense against the cold.  Maybe this mentality is something that I need to look into...  (See here how fashionable women in St. Pete are fighting the winter weather).    

Today my group went on an excursion to Peter and Paul Fortress (Петропавловская Крепость).  This is the original fortress of the city established by Peter the Great in 1703 on a small island along the Neva.  As an avid fan of Peter the Great, this historical sight was high on my list of must-see places.  I did not, however, bargain on visiting this sight on the coldest day of my time in St. Petersburg thus far.  And with most of the tour of the fortress outside, not even my obsession with the shipbuilding, western-loving founder of this city could keep me from wishing that I was back at my apartment curled up with a book in my toasty bed.  I bucked up, however, and sacrificed my comfort for cultural enrichment.  Among other things, we visited the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the place where the tsars were buried including Peter I, the Romanovs, etc.  We also visited the prison block that was used for high profile political prisoners and revolutionaries such as Trotsky, Dostoevsky, Bakunin, Kropotkin, etc.  It was cool to walk, yet again, in the places where so many significant people lived and suffered (and for some, died).  As I walked through the prison cells, I couldn’t help but think that no matter how cold I was, it could not compare to how these prisoners felt.  In my world there is relatively little risk in expressing my ideas or lobbying for change compared to what these kids had to endure.  Sappy and cliché as it may be, this is just another reminder of how free I am to express myself and act on my convictions.   I don’t have to freeze in a dark prison cell through the Russian winter in order to make myself heard, and that’s something I shouldn’t take for granted. 

Again, I’ll have to leave the thoughts here for now.  I’ll take it easy and find refuge from the elements in the warmth of my apartment.  I simply must go—baby it’s cold outside!

*And if you're reading this, Janelle, I promise I won’t get pneumonia and die, so there’ll be no life long sorrow.  No worries!J

Entrance to the fortress

Peter and Paul Cathedral

Inside the cathedral

Resting place of the Romanov Family

Resting place of Peter the Great, my hero.

Prison Museum (Trubetskoy Bastion)

Prison cell for political prisoners

Example of foreigners who stand out by trying to keep warm