Cultural Observations: And the List Goes On

My list of observations was beginning to get quite long, so to spare you all the pain, I cut the thing in half. The following is another set of cultural differences I have noticed while in Russia.

Mirrors - Looking presentable at all times is a major concern in Russia. To help remedy the situation, there are a lot of mirrors everywhere. For example, there are two mirrors in the elevator in my apartment. At the university, there is a huge full-length mirror on our way to classes. If you need to check your hair or your make-up, you can easily find a spot to do so. I do not believe this obsession with presentation is because Russians are vain, I honestly just believe that they want to look nice, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Fashion - Women wear heels, men carry handbags. The women in Saint Petersburg can be very classy. Most wear either skirts or dresses and have on nice shoes, mainly something with a heel. Some heels are ridiculously high. I do not understand how some women walk, although I have seen a fair share of those who do have difficulty in their heels. At first, I felt out of place in my tennis shoes on the metro, because I looked scroungier; however, I quickly dispensed with that idea and chose comfort over fashion. Women also carry handbags and backpacks are a rarity. Tennis shoes AND a backpack, what am I thinking? The men in Saint Petersburg tend to dress decently too, but there is more variation in their styling then in the women's. You can see two guys standing next to each other in the metro, one in jeans and a t-shirt, the other in a suit. Also, man bags are a very popular item in Saint Petersburg. I believe this trend is a mix of a fashion statement and practicality.

Lines - Patience! Russians have a lot of patience. They are okay with waiting a while for the next metro train to come or in a long line at the store. However, when you see Russian lines, the word "patience" does not come to mind. A line in Russia is a glob, no single file, orderly fashion here. People just jumble together and hope for the best. Surprisingly, Russians adhere to who was first in line. When I was waiting for stamps in the post office, when a new lady would come in (there seemed to be a lack of males that day), she would claim a spot behind whoever was last in line and then go stand somewhere else in the room. Everyone knew who was in front and behind of them. At one point, when one girl tried to cut in line, some of the ladies started yelling. It was intense. All because of a spot in line. Anyway, since lines in Russia tend to be a glob, there is a lack of personal space. The little old lady behind you will come stand next to you while you are paying just to make sure she gets her spot. This is all an extremely normal procedure in Russia, and it can easily frustrate your average American who is accustomed to orderly, single file lines.

Medicine - Russians treat illnesses differently than Americans. In the U.S., we usually jack up on drugs and wait for it to pass. Russians resort to home remedies instead of the medicine cabinet. Now, I personally would rather take some medicine and wait for whatever it is to pass. However, when in Russia... A few weeks ago, I got a cold consisting of a sore throat and stuffy nose. I did have some medicine with me and was prepared to wait it out. However, once my host mom heard my coughs and sniffles, out came the home remedies. It was very sweet of her to take such good care of me and it was interesting to experience the home remedies we talked about in Russian class when learning vocabulary about being sick. For my sore throat, I was not to eat or drink anything cold, only hot items. So I was given hot tea, and then a bowl of honey and a bowl of jam. I was supposed to eat and drink all three items in order to feel better. My host mom also gave me some medicine to take as well. Before I went to bed, I was supposed to eat more honey and jam but with hot milk this time. It was all very strange to me, but it was definitely a Russian experience.

Flowers we gave to one of our professors

Flowers and Gifts - When going to visit someone, you bring a gift. It is a sign of appreciation and respect. Flowers and chocolates are the most popular. There are numerous stores that just sell little trinkets for Russians to take with them on visits. Every corner has a 24-hour "producty" and a flower shop. I love seeing fresh flowers all over and I think it is a wonderful and kind idea to give people flowers. You do not have to take a lot, 1, 3, or 5 flowers will do the job. (For those who caught on, one may only give flowers in odd numbers, even numbers of flowers are reserved for funerals only. Another Russian superstition.) And there are so many kinds of flowers to choose from! And all of the stores have multiple flower arrangements and ways to dress your bouquet up fancy if you wish. In order to show your appreciation, it is respectful to present your teachers with flowers on the last day of classes. So this past week we have been dealing out the flowers and gift giving. When we gave each of our teachers a bundle of flowers, their faces light up with gratitude and surprise; they thoroughly appreciated the gesture. It was definitely nice to participate in such a kind Russian tradition. The fresh flowers (and fruit) are one of my favorite things about everyday Russian life. It is so common to have fresh flowers on your table or to give someone a flower or three. In America, it seems flowers are reserved for special occasions, such as weddings and anniversaries. In my opinion, flowers brighten up life and should be more common in the States!

Student IDs - Student IDs are an absolute treasure trove in Russia! When we started university in St. Petersburg, we were given an official Russian Student ID. One, it is cool and official looking. No plastic ID cards here. Two, it gets you into almost everything for free or extremely discounted. Out of all the places I have gone sight-seeing at in Russia, I have had to pay to get in less than 5 times. It has saved me so much money. Instead of paying $8 to get in somewhere, I just show them my ID and in I go. My ID even got me into the world-renowned Bolshoi Theatre for $3! It is absolutely wonderful and I am very grateful to have it during my travels. Now, if only my student ID would get me into more places for free in the U.S., I would be set. I know we have many student discounts, but free is always better!

Newlyweds!

Weddings - In Russia, weddings are an extravagance of celebration. Weddings are a long, drawn out ordeal full of many traditions. For starters, the actual wedding is not held in a church. Instead, the couple is married in a government building. After the ceremony, if they so desire, the newlyweds may have a second ceremony in the church. Second, wedding celebrations last several days. The party usually lasts for two days, if not longer. The days are filled with amusement, dancing, drinking, and eating with friends and family. It is certainly tiring, but the fun and memories are guaranteed. Another tradition of Russian weddings is for the bride and groom to go around the city and take pictures at famous places. This is the tradition that I am the most familiar with, because almost not a day goes by that I do not see a newly married couple out taking pictures. The brides are, usually, quite beautiful in their fluffy, white or off-white dresses. (It has become a habit to rate the dresses as they pass by.) The grooms in their snazzy tuxes. And friends and family in tow with glasses of champagne and flowers. Russian weddings seem like a truly unique experience, from an American point of view, and they seem full of happiness and cheer. In the U.S., you usually do not see a newly married couple out and about, and it can be easy to forget that people are getting married all the time. This joyous occasion is not forgotten in Russia, where one is reminded of this celebration of love daily. Once home, I shall definitely miss passing by delighted and enamored newlyweds frolicking about town.

Cultural Observations

One of the several reasons to study abroad is to experience a different culture, to immerse oneself in something entirely new, and improve one's global perspective.

After almost eight weeks living in Russia, I have noticed a multitude of cultural differences between my host country and my home country. Some differences are good, some are intriguing, and some take getting used to.

As my friends and I have begun to long for home over the past few weeks, we have talked a lot about the cultural differences we have experienced. We are making observations about the different lifestyles, but observations sometimes turn into complaints or longing. There is a lot of stuff that I miss about the States; family, friends, my own bed, but there are little things too that one would not normally think of. As we discuss, I take note of the cultural differences we have experienced, and thought I would share some of them on my blog. Please keep in mind that these observations are from a biased point of view. I have only lived in one Russian city for two months, and I do not know how all Russians live. However, the anecdotes below are from my experiences and I have tried to include both the good and the bad. A lot of these observations are a collection of things discussed with other students from the program and are based off of combined experiences. So, I welcome you to take a little peek into the everyday lifestyle of some Russians.

Meal at Carl's Jr.
Although I had to pay for the Ketchup, it is the one
spot in town that has free ice and unlimited refills.

Restaurants - The restaurant industry and culture is relatively new in Russia. In 1990, the first McDonald's opened in the Soviet Union, and people waited in line for hours to get their first glimpse, and bite, of American culture. Due to the wage system in Russia, tips are low and service is slow. The staff is usually friendly, but, in comparison to American servers who will do anything for a good tip, one's server is not very attentive. It takes forever to get your check, and it all comes on one bill, so no separate checks for the group of eight. Meals for Russians are events. Russians can spend hours in a restaurant, eating several courses and enjoying the conversation and company. Partly due to this, meals do not always come out at the same time. One person will get their meal, then five minutes later someone else's meal will make an appearance, and five minutes later another dish comes out. Nonetheless, I have been able to try several kinds of food and experience many types of Russian restaurants. Although you can spend a lot of time at a restaurant, if you plan accordingly, it can be nice to sit and relax for a while just chatting with friends after a long day of sight seeing.

Drinks  - This warrants a category of its own, because it is probably one of the little things I miss the most about the States. For starters, you cannot drink the water. One must drink bottled water, or go through several stages of purifying the water. That in itself is not a big deal, but the lack of water factors into water at restaurants. In Russia, there is no such thing as free water. Anywhere. Getting a bottle of water costs more than getting a bottle of pop. I spent $5 at a restaurant the other day on one bottle of water. And all drinks ordered anywhere come in an unopened bottle with a glass. And no free refills either. Also, ice is a rarity in Russia. I am definitely ready to order a tall glass of ice and a pitcher of water at the first restaurant I go to back home.

Even the Mexican food lacks a kick!

Spice - Many Russian dishes lack an amount of spice or flavoring. Salt, pepper, and dill seem to be the staple here. Mayonnaise can be put on quite a lot of things. However, when cooking, not a lot of spices are used. I could gladly go for some ranch or barbecue sauce sometimes. The chicken, potatoes, noodles, you name, it all come plain with no added kick. It also seems that Russians cannot handle the heat when it comes to spices. Anything with a little bit of heat is marked on restaurant menus. The server at the Mexican restaurant pointed out the "hot" salsa to us, although it turned out to be pretty mild. There is not a lot of kick or spice to many dishes, but I have learned to appreciate the basic things and have learned to eat more of my vegetables. I use the vegetables with my dinner to "dress up" the rest of my dinner and have one lovely combo of fresh food in almost every bite.

Freshness - There is a lot of fresh produce in Russia.  At every meal my host mom serves me, we have a salad consisting of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. An entire shelf in her refrigerator is full of cucumbers from the dacha. There are a ton of fresh berries in the fridge and the occasional melon. On several street corners, you can find little stands with ladies selling fresh fruit and vegetables.

Milk - In Russia, most of the milk is sold in bags, not plastic cartons. I just find it amusing, and thought I would enlighten everyone on the milk situation in Russia. To me, milk in a bag sounds funny. Several host moms will not let their students pour their own milk for fear that we cannot handle milk in a bag. The milk percentage is also a lot higher in Russian than in the U.S. There is currently a bag of 2.5% milk in my host mom's fridge; early this week it was 3.5%.

Laundry - Most Russian families have a washer, but no dryer. Instead, they choose to do laundry the semi-old fashioned way and hang it out to dry. Most families have places in their homes on which to lay out clothes to dry, rather than hanging them out on a clothes line for all to see. It also seems to me that Russians do not use fabric softener. I know that a lot of our clothes come out starchy and we long for a bottle of Snuggles or Bounce.

Bathrooms - In Russia, there is the toilet and there is the bathroom. Two separate rooms. The toilet is a little room with just the toilet in it. The bathroom contains the sink and the tub. And sometimes, the bathroom is in the kitchen. All apartments are set up differently, but fortunately for me, the bathroom is not in the kitchen. The two separate rooms thing has taken some getting used to, mainly just remembering to turn on and off the lights multiple times. I personally see no particular benefit for having two separate rooms, but the reasoning is for cleanliness.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner
of Azkaban in Russian

House Slippers - Russian women take pride in their household and try to keep it clean as much as possible. Walking about the city all day long and riding the metro are dirty tasks, and when you arrive home you have brought all of that dirt along with you. In order to remedy part of that situation, when you arrive home there are two things you must do before anything else. First, you must take off your jacket and shoes. However, you cannot walk around in your socks or bare feet, cleanliness and old superstitions play a factor in this. So, every person has their own pair of house slippers. You wear them around in the house, and you leave them by the door when you are out. After you have disposed of your dirty outer wear, you go straight to the sink and wash your hands. Again, it is a grimy world out there, particularly that metro. (Actually, program students have decided that the metro is pretty clean and nice in comparison to other metros, especially in NYC.) After you have your house slippers and clean hands, you are free to go about your business in the apartment. A lot of Russians also change their clothes as well, having their own house clothes. If you are guest in the house, no worries! Most families tend to have a few extra pairs of house slippers lying about just for you! My favorite thing about the slippers, however, is that they let you know who is home and who is away. House slippers are the less sophisticated muggle equivalent of Mrs. Weasley's kitchen clock.

A Palace in Pushkin

I have exactly one week left in St. Petersburg, and today I took my last big excursion in Russia. I really enjoyed my adventure today, and it is in the top three of the best things I have done since being in Russia.

I woke up earlier than I would have liked to on a Saturday. It was a beautiful day out and I put my sunscreen on before leaving. For me, the smell of sunscreen signals that an adventure is about to take flight. I was ready and extremely excited. A few of us hopped on a "mini-taxi" and headed out of the city to one of its suburbs. A group of Italian tourists joined our ride, and their lively chatter added an extra level of enthusiasm to our journey. The constant "Ciao Bella" that persisted non-stop for almost five minutes shall forever be my go-to Italian phrase.

We reached the suburb, a quaint little place called Pushkin. As we drove through the town, we quickly realized that it was no ordinary Russian city. It had a quaint, magical element about it. And yes, I used "quaint" to describe the area twice; it is not that I lack the vocabulary, but the fact that quaint really does summarize Pushkin excellently. I loved the atmosphere of the town, it was a new experience that you cannot find in a large city.

When we finally arrived at our destination, I was filled with a wild anticipation. I knew that I needed to come here when I first learned that I would be studying in St. Petersburg for a summer. I had read numerous books that included this place. So much history was contained on these grounds, so much history that I have devoured. Today, I finally got to experience a place that had only resided in my imagination, Tsarskoe Selo.

Catherine's Palace

Catherine's Palace

Palace Interiors

Tsarskoe Selo contains two palaces, expansive grounds, and several other infrastructures. Catherine's Palace and Park is the most well-known and most visited part of Tsarskoe Selo. And that is where we set out for first. The exterior of the palace was extensive and ornate. After standing in lines for about two hours, we were finally walking up the staircase to the palace interiors. We thought the outside of the palace was ornate, but it was nothing compared to the inside. The rooms were covered in gold engravings, there was so much gold! The ballroom was designed entirely of mirrors and gold. The dinning room and drawing rooms were decked out in their own fair share of gold. It was surprising to believe that people actually lived here on a daily basis.

And then we stumbled upon the famous Amber Room. The Amber Room is an entire room made out of amber. It is absolutely incredible, elaborate, ridiculous, beautiful, and expensive. And it was all a gift from the Prussian king to Peter the Great. During World War II, the room was looted by Nazis and most of the original materials have never been seen again. Two parts of the room have been discovered and returned, but the rest of the room has been refurnished due in part to a large contribution from a German company.

Catherine Park

Catherine Park

After the palace, we explored the Catherine Park. It was huge and gorgeous. Beautiful landscapes, numerous buildings scattered throughout the grounds, and a large lake in the middle made the park very picturesque. It was so pleasant just to stroll by the waters edge, feeling the light breeze, and slowly taking in all of the sights and sounds.

The construction of the Catherine Palace began in 1717 under the orders of Catherine I. Elizabeth I added much of the extravagant exterior. However, the palace is most often associated with Catherine the Great who actually disapproved of the reckless lavishness of the palace. After Catherine's death, the palace was abandoned for one of the several other palaces in the Romanov family's possession. One such palace was the nearby Alexander Palace.

We walked through the Catherine Park and then walked across a street and entered the Alexander Park. This park was not as elaborate in its design, but it was quieter as we roamed under canopies of trees. After a little wandering, we found the palace.

Alexander Palace

The Alexander Palace was commissioned by Catherine the Great for her favorite grandson, Alexander I. Four tsars and their families lived in this palace, but it is best known as the favorite residence of Nicholas II and his family. And this one particular place was the entire reason I wanted to come to Tsarskoe Selo.

I would not call Nicholas II my favorite tsar, but his story is the one I am most fascinated by and the one that motivated me to study Russian. In my readings, I have learned so much about him and his family's time spent at Tsarskoe Selo. I knew I needed to visit Alexander Palace, and it did not disappoint.

Clothes wore by the family

Billiards Room

When I first saw the palace, I knew immediately why Nicholas and his wife, Alexandra, loved it so much. In comparison with all the other Romanov palaces I have visited, the Alexander Palace is the simplest and least ornate. In my mind, the design of the palace fit perfectly with what I knew of the family and their personalities. And inside, I felt at home, as I knew the layout because of my readings. The family lived in one wing of the palace on two floors. And the wing consisted of one hallway with rooms on either side. We were only able to walk through the first floor, but I knew Alexandra's rooms and Nicholas's rooms. The rooms were so homey and so much like I pictured. I saw outfits the family wore, the icons they prayed to, the desks Alexandra and Nicholas wrote love letters to each other on, the room Alexandra spent her time in on the countless occasions she was ill. I could imagine the family living in this palace and then, after Nicholas's abdication, their confinement in the wing. It was all so real and all so wonderful to me.

In case you have not stumbled upon the fact, I love history. I love what other people's lives can teach us. I love learning from previous mistakes, and then improving upon them the next time. I view historical analysis as a building block to carving out new paths for the future. Books can only get you so far, eventually you have to view the history firsthand. And that is what I was able to do today. I got to visit the home of a family that I know so well and have learned so much from, a family who's story helps define a country's past.