A Taste of History

Hello all! Things are going well here, I’m just chilling on this rainy Friday evening. It’s nice to relax every once in a while. I had a pretty busy week. We had grade consultations, and I’m doing really well in my classes. I’m finding that I understand SO much more of what the teachers are saying. It’s amazing how much my listening comprehension has improved in just about 2 months. I also really enjoy being in such small classes. My teachers are great. A couple weeks ago, my conversation practice teacher invited my class over to her apartment and she taught us how to make blini! (thin pancakes). It was a lot of fun; we ate them with sour cream (of course) and raspberry jam. We also enjoyed a hot cup of tea and some nice Russian conversation!
It’s pretty cold and wet here, it’s been in the 30’s and 40’s lately. Guess what! I finally have internet (kinda) at my house. It have been on a crazy hunt looking for an antenna in order to get better reception, however after a few days of different salespeople sending me all over the city, I have decide to forfeit. I do not have a strong enough connection for Skype, but at least I can keep in touch with people with email, facebook and AIM. (which is more than I had before).
Well, it looks like I will be going home for Christmas which is really nice because I miss my family and my friends so much. My original plan was to stay in St. Pete in between semesters but plans have changed. It will be great to get back to Connecticut and relax. (Cleaner air there too)
If I were to recommend anything to anyone who is planning on studying abroad, it is to keep a journal. You will easily forget thoughts you had about simple things and the way you felt when you went somewhere/ saw something. I’ve written almost every day that I’ve been here. I’ve filled one and a half journals and I know that years down the road I’m going to open them up and really enjoy reading them.
I’ve been on a few excursions since I last posted. I had the opportunity to visit Piskarevskoe Memorial Cemetery. The mass cemetery is a memorial to the 2 million people (soldiers and civilians) that died during the horrific Siege of Leningrad from 1941 to 1944. The Siege of Leningrad was the 900 day attempt of the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy and Japan) to capture Leningrad- because of its industrial strength and the hub of the Baltic Fleet- Hitler felt that this would be a good way of getting into the Soviet Union in order to conquer it. However they were unsuccessful. People died by the thousands from little food, no electricity, the plunging temperatures and disease. Over 490,000 people are buried in this cemetery. There are 186 mass graves and they are labeled with stone slabs with stars for soldiers and a hammer & sickle for civilians. A pathway leads down the center of the cemetery from an eternal flame to a bronze statue of Mother Russia. As we walked from the flame to the statue, classical music played throughout the cemetery. The day we went it was a very gray day, and bitterly cold. It added to the solemnity of the place. Engraved in stone behind the statue is a poem written by Olga Berglotts, a survivor of the siege. I was able to really understand the depth of the sadness and loss experienced by the people of Leningrad when my host babushka told me that her grandparents died of hunger during the siege. Can you imagine that? I’ve have never felt closer to Russian history. Her grandfather rests in the cemetery. Her daughter Ira brought home a documentary on the blockade for me to watch. It was in Russian. I listened and watched as she explained things that I didn’t understand. I feel very fortunate to have been able to hear their story and I feel like I understand this dark time in Russian history much more.
The next week I went to the Russian Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. (Located next to the Russian Museum) It was interesting. We had a guided tour and afterwards we were able to walk around on our own. I was able to see traditional costumes, tools, cooking utensils, toys, furniture, crafts, etc. from different ethnic groups and people in all the diverse parts of Russia as well as the different former Soviet republics.
The excursion this week was the Baltika beer brewery, located in the very north of the city. We got on the Baltika bus off of the metro which took us to the brewery. It’s like its own little city. What is fascinating about the place is that you don’t really see that many people working there. (the reason probably being that just about everything is automated and so high-tech). It was really cool to see the expanse of machines, vats, pipes, and rooms all dedicated to the production of beer. Baltika exports to 52 different countries and is second in Europe in terms of beer sales. Baltika brand is also responsible for 80% of beer exports from Russia. At the end of the tour, the guide brought our group to this large room where we were seated at a bunch of tables filled with different kinds of beers and sandwiches. It was really fun and it was an interesting excursion. Too bad I don’t enjoy the smell or taste of beer. Haha.
Things are great here and I’m so happy. I hope all is well with you guys, wherever you are in the world. <3