Speaker's Corner atKhlebny Pereulok

 

No doubt the advertisement “The Moscow Times – Your Eyes and Ears” is correct, but for regular readers the paper plays a still more significant role. The Community Bulletin Board, published each Thursday, has become extremely popular both among Russian and expats readers since it informs them about all kinds of meetings, and also organises birds of a feather to flock together in accordance with their interests, hobbies, faith.

Once I came across a short notice in Community Bulletin Boards: “The English Language Discussion Club invites everyone interested in American culture”.

I made up my mind just to drop in to while away my time.

A fairly large room on the second story of the Anglia British Bookshop at 2/3 Khlebny Pereulok, could not accommodate all the people who came for the first meeting. A young man, looking twice his age because of his thick black beard, spared no efforts trying to find additional seats for young and middle-aged men and women entering the hall, for a lot of them there was standing room only, but nobody was grumbling – the lecture and following debates were worth listening to. More than 150 people packed the room.

Many new ideas and a lot of interesting information were heard and turned out to be revelation for the present.

Among the audience there were a few native English speakers and the majority were Russians.

The Cultural Attachй of the US Embassy, speaking in a soft voice, surprised us by saying that there was not such a notion as the national culture in his country – there had never existed such an institution as a “Ministry of Culture”. The USA is a country of immigrants from all continents, and its numerous ethnic groups and communities have their own deep religious and cultural roots, and all nationalities enjoy equal rights to develop their own cultures.

The majority of those present raised their eyebrows upon hearing that a great many Americans are not ashamed if they do not know or haven’t heard the names of famous writers, composers, playwrights. The motto of a modern person is – if one needs to know anything important, it can easily be learned. On the other hand, a lot of people attain perfection in their special fields of occupation.

Two hours of the gathering flew by like two minutes. The people present fired questions at the lecturer and he fired back his replies. The whole scene resembled that of Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park, with all manners of people in which anyone from the crowd could be a listener or become a speaker, expressing his or her views on diverse problems.

Plenty of varied questions and ideas arose in the minds of the audience. And it was an ideal situation and environment for discussion, allowing both parties – the lecturer and his numerous interlocutors – to develop their thoughts to their fullest extent, without inhibition, and without endlessly defining and refining premises, and defending conclusions without ever reaching conclusions.

Why do Americans always smile? (One can see their white teeth even on their passport photos.) Why has it become so difficult for an ordinary Russian person to get an entry visa to the USA? The bureaucracy of the US Embassy clerks is intolerable. Is it not so that nowadays it is the USA that is building up a new Iron Curtain?

At the end of the debates the guest speaker expressed his great admiration at the participants, who had such good command of English, and that he could also not a few years earlier imagine the possibility of such a gathering in Moscow.

The next meeting which I attended was devoted to feminism problem in the USA.

Katherin Yemelyanov, (a second secretary and assistant Cultural Attachй of the Embassy) revealed a great many interesting things which we had never heard about. It was strange to learn that feminists hate being helped by men to carry their bags for them, or that they strongly object when a gentleman opens a door for a lady.

The female part of the audience was eager to know about feminists’ attitudes towards the Bill Clinton – Monica Levinsky sex scandal.

“They were shocked!” answered Katherin.

Though it was not clear whether she herself was a feminist, the listeners made their conclusion that this American lady was not, as she is married to a Russian.

Questions create answers and answers generate new thoughts and approaches to one’s own problems.

Women’s equality that has been long declared in Russia, turned out to be a false one. During the long period of Soviet power and the following years of the so-called democracy, not a single woman in Russian society occupied the posts of President, Prime Minister, or Foreign Secretary. We never had our own Indira Gandy, Margaret Thatcher, Madeline Albright.

The bearded chairman, the life and soul of all the meetings, Mr. Stephen Lapeyrouse, an American, once invited to the Speaker’s Corner (which was called the “English Language Discussion Club”), a person of an unusual profession – a story-teller.

A lean gentleman introduced himself as Artiom Soloveychik, and held our attention for a long time by telling us some adventure of his life. He was a sailor and once he arrived at the New York port and he decided to stay in America. It was very hard for him to start a completely new life there, with 15 dollars in his pocket and the same number of English words in his head. But with the help of new friends he managed to appear on a stage before Americans who were anxious to meet and listen to a person from Russia and get news firsthand, and were ready to pay for it.

Artiom never wished to stay for good in the USA, and after a few years he returned to his motherland.

Currently he is the Chief Editor of a newspaper popular among Russian teachers Pervoye Sentyabrya – The First of September – founded in 1992 by his father Simon Soloveychik. The name of the paper is very symbolic as on the first of September all schools in Russia start their academic year.

We learned that sessions of debates were very popular in the USA at schools and colleges. The skill of leading discussions is highly appreciated and respected by everyone.

We were rather surprised that all the guest speakers willingly satisfied our sometimes idle curiosity, and did not mind being asked all sorts of questions related to their family life, hobbies, etc.

When Matt Bivens, the new Chief Editor of The Moscow Times told the audience that he had married a Russian girl from St. Petersburg, he was immediately fired at by plenty of questions. And he disclosed frankly how their romance started. They got married two weeks after their first meeting. His wife was a swimming champion of the Leningradakaya Oblast; they have had two daughters, and the elder one, three years old, speaks Russian and English fluently, and acts sometimes as an interpreter in their family.

One of the ladies asked Mr. Bivens about his most striking impression of Russia. He was thinking for a moment.

“His marriage and his mother-in-law!” screamed the loud voice of a well-wisher from the back row.

“Yes! You saved me,” smiled Matt and no other questions followed.

There was always a very friendly, cordial atmosphere during the discussions – though not everyone agreed with other people’s opinions. Even timid and untalkative people came to pluck up their courage and speak before the others. Sometimes it was very difficult to get in a word as a forest of arms was immediately raising when Stephen asked who would like to take the floor.

Each time that I attended the debates at Khlebny Pereulok I always met newcomers brought to the club by their friends. It was obvious that the Speaker’s Corner has become very popular in Moscow among people of all walks of life. I rubbed shoulders with teachers, journalists, students, clerks, artists, and musicians. Everyone was pleased with the Club environment.

– This is my cup of tea, – Olga Golubeva, a Moscow school teacher, said to me. – I not only like to take part in discussions, but also to socialise with people here.

Another frequenter Oleg – don’t know his family name – an artist, told me that he was never fond of the fall but this autumn he was awaiting with pleasure, as the Speaker’s Corner will again start its activities at Khlebny Pereulok.

By Evgeny Kunitsin