LIFE HERE

MOSCOW:
HOW THEY SEE IT

My First Impressions of Russia

When my husband and I first walked into the Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, I wondered why anyone would stand in a two and a half-hour line to get their passport checked! But then, I’d never been to a different country before coming to Russia, so having a passport was a new experience for me altogether. After finally making it through the passport line, we hailed a taxi to take us home. I’d like to say I took in the sights on the hour ride from the airport, but I slept. Having never experienced jetlag before, adjusting to the 10-hour time difference between Salt Lake City, Utah, USA and Moscow was quite an experience! Part of the reason we had trouble adjusting to the time difference is because it is dark for so few hours in Moscow. With the sun setting at 11:00pm and rising at 4:00am, we had to learn to sleep with the sun still up.

The first time I saw the sights of Moscow was the following evening, when Natasha (the wife of the couple we are staying with) took us to Red Square. What an amazing sight! I feel I have no words to describe the wonder and awe that swelled inside of me as I looked at St. Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Tomb, and the other magnificent buildings in the Square. The architecture is impressive not only in Red Square, but all around the city. We have seen many interesting cathedrals and monasteries. My favorite, I think, is the Temple of the Christ Savior. The outside is made of lovely light gray marble with golden domes on top and the inside is exquisite! The paintings of icons and religious scenes are remarkable. The marbled arches of the doorways are carved so intricately, it is amazing to think how much time was spent creating, and then restoring, such a magnificent building. It is a wonder to me, as I have seen the museums and famous buildings of Moscow, how so many fine works of architecture can be contained within one city!

Though this may sound silly, one of my favorite things about Moscow is the many interesting and diverse metro stations. The station at Kievskaya has multi-colored mosaics depicting great battles and people, and a great mosaic of Lenin at the end of the hall. The station at Park Culturi has beautiful white scenes of battle and everyday life, etc., between each arch in the hall. One station even has mosaics on the cieling! In all the stations, the floors are many shades of granite and the walls are an array of beautifully colored marble. Perhaps these are so fascinating to me because I have never been on a metro or subway before coming to Moscow, perhaps because I have always thought that metro stations are dark, frightening places. I do know, however, that I will always remember the metro stations. While sitting on the metro, I have had much time to think and to people-watch. People-watching is something I have always enjoyed, though it seems that much of the time people do not like to be watched. I have, however, noticed many things about the people of Moscow that are curious to me.

One of the first things I noticed while riding the metro is the shoes that people wear, particularly the shoes of women and girls. Most of the shoes don’t look very comfortable to me, because of their tall heels, pointy toes, and/or thin straps. It seems that people would wear more comfortable shoes when so much walking is required. Maybe people grow accustomed to walking in uncomfortable shoes, or maybe they find them comfortable, but this continues to be something I don’t understand. With all of the walking I have done, I have grown accustomed to my tennis shoes, as my feet have developed blisters from nearly every other pair of shoes I brought with me. Never have I done so much walking in my life! I have had a car, or access to a car, since the day I obtained a driver’s license. My friends and I very rarely took the bus and almost never walked, we drove everywhere we needed or wanted to go. Whether to the corner store, or across town, we drove a car. At home in the States, it is a two-minute car ride, or five minutes walking, to go to my church. Here, it takes 20 minutes of walking and 40 minutes on the metro to get to church. In Moscow, a 10- or 15-minute walk to your destination is a short walk, and very common.

Another thing I have noticed about the people here is the attitude towards Customer Service, and helping strangers. Customer Service doesn’t take the same priority here as it does in America. It seems that in Moscow sales people don’t like to answer your questions, or to help you find something. Strangers don’t talk to one another, or smile at each other. This is very different from home. I am used to smiles and hellos; to “Excuse me, please” when someone bumps into you; to having the door held open for me, or holding the door open for the person behind me. I am not complaining, just contrasting the different ways of life.

Perhaps one of the strangest things to me about Russia is the lack of department stores. In America, department stores are everywhere, selling everything from kitchenware and fine china, to clothing and shoes, to linens and towels. At the grocery stores at home, you can buy food, medicine, toiletries, and paper products. Because I am used to shopping for most of my groceries in one store, I was taken back when I saw the small stores every few blocks, the fruit stands on every corner, and the ice cream carts that are everywhere. I like to visit the fruit stands often because the fruits and vegetables are so fresh and crisp. The bread and cheese are also much better here in Moscow than they are back home. I will miss these things when we return to America.

After I had been in Moscow for a week or so, I began to miss the landscapes of home. I live in a small city just south of Salt Lake City. The entire Salt Lake Valley is surrounded by mountains. I lived in the same house for nearly 18 years before I was married, and I am used to the mountains. After I was married, my husband and I moved an hour south of Salt Lake, but we still had mountains on three sides. My family spends a lot of time in the canyons during the summer. We all enjoy camping, hiking, and picnicking. When we visited the forests on the outskirts of Moscow, I almost believed I was home! The trees were beautiful and green, the air was clean; the only thing missing was the mountains. The forests of Moscow are beautiful! They are a kind of beauty different from what I am used to, but they are beautiful still. I have enjoyed these last few weeks in Moscow very much. This ia a trip I will akways remember with happiness. I have had some interesting experiences and I will remember my time here always.

Russia from an American’s View

In comparison to my wife’s first impressions of Russia she received earlier this summer, I did not experience the same culture shock because I lived in Novosibirsk for two years. However, I have noticed differences between Moscow and America, and even between Moscow and Novosibirsk. While I was living in Novosibirsk (June 1996 – April 1998), the only thing I was involved with was missionary work for my church and, therefore, I was not able to experience the everyday life of an average Russian. Since returning to Russia, I have been able to travel around and outside of Moscow, and even have been able to work as an editor for this newspaper. Although I was able to talk to many more people in Novosibirsk and to be inside their homes, I now have been able to see what goes on in Russia outside the home.

The first thing that I have grown to appreciate is Russia’s transportation. Trams, the metro and trolley buses are all great means of controlling pollution. In America, we travel so much in our individual cars that in some major cities, the carbon monoxide is intolerable. What is equally damaging is that most cars on the streets are usually occupied only by one person. I am not a die-hard environmentalist but I do enjoy clean air and the prevention of further destruction of the ozone layer. The Moscow metro is very efficient in getting most of its 11-million people where they want to go. What is also good about the metro system is that you only pay a very small amount to gain access to it, which promotes the use of it by the public and also helps pay for its maintenance. Because of this, the metro is kept very clean and in good repair. I have heard that the subways in New York and other cities are not nearly as nice.

I have also noticed a few big differences between the people of Novosibirsk and Muscovites. In Siberia, people do not seem to be in such a hurry as people in Moscow. Because of this, there are more trams in Novosibirsk and only one line for the Metro, while I think I have seen only one tram in Moscow and the metro system is very extensive. Of course, much of this can be attributed to the fact the Novosibirsk’s population is only about one-fifth that of Moscow, but I believe that there is more to it than that. I have noticed that Muscovites dress much more like Americans than Siberians and that in general, Moscow seems much more westernized and modernized. This may be due to the fact that Moscow is the capital of Russia and is much closer to the western world than Novosibirsk.

I also believe that Russia is richer in culture than America. Since the first day we arrived in Moscow, we have been engulfed by the Russian culture to the extent that it has become part of our daily schedule. In America, it seems that you have to search for cultural events and places, while in Moscow around every corner is something to remind you of Russia’s history, beliefs and way of life. From the numerous churches to the wonderful ballets and plays to the historical buildings, you can’t help but become entranced by all that Russia has to offer. Russians seem to have a much deeper seeded pride in their history than Americans could even fathom. This sense of pride can not be understood from reading about or even studying Russia’s history but only from actually living and participating in Russian life. The people we are living with right now are soon moving to America for a year. Natasha, the wife, is afraid she is going to be terribly bored there, as she is used to Moscow life. Having lived here for three weeks, I can see how the American lifestyle can seem boring to a Russian.

Of course there are some things that are better in America than in Russia. As my wife mentioned, I think the Customer Service here is terrible in most cases, though I have seen improvement in the last three years. Also, as I watched television this morning, I saw a big campaign against drugs in Russia. Drugs have become a very big problem and need to be taken care of if Russia wants to continue to progress. As a whole, Russians seem to be very ornery, but as a Ukrainian once explained to me, “Russians are hard on the outside but soft on the inside.” I have found this to be true as I have gotten to know some very amiable Russians. I believe Russia is built on a great foundation and that in years to come, we will only see it progress.

By Tiffany and Ryan Godfrey