We’ve been on the train for 44 hours and it’s been exactly half of our train journey. Today we woke up at 9:00 am Moscow time, but 11:00 am Yekaterinburg time, our first city in the Asian Russia, and felt a much welcome relief from the unbearable heat, which accompanied us since we left Moscow.Continue reading “Voluntary Exile into Siberia”
Monthly Archives: July 2011
Two ‘Religions’ of Russia: Orthodox Russian Church and Vladmir Ilyich Lenin
On Sunday, 24th July, we experienced two opposing ‘religions’ dividing the Russian society since the beginning of 20th century: the Orthodox Russian Church with the Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and all Russia as its head and the atheist Communist Party with its father, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. These two were at opposing extremities and politicsContinue reading “Two ‘Religions’ of Russia: Orthodox Russian Church and Vladmir Ilyich Lenin”
Moscow: Step Back into the Renaissance Period
We came to Moscow by night train booking plaztkart tickets – 3rd class open carriage with bunk beds. There was no particular choice of tickets in this class, so we ended up with the worst possible ones, which were upper beds in the aisle. This meant that we were stuck on our upper bunks asContinue reading “Moscow: Step Back into the Renaissance Period”
Absurdities of Modern Russia
These are just a few situations which struck us as very particular, if not absurd. I’m sure the Russians would find absurdities of a different kind in Poland too. My intent is not to ridicule or mock Russian lifestyle, but present a few interesting cultural differences. Afterall, little absurdities and oddities give life the edgeContinue reading “Absurdities of Modern Russia”
St Petersburg: Proud Lion at Daytime & Playful Lion Cub by Night
St Petersburg during daytime: faded facades of past grandeur and dodgy courtyards, idyllic canals, romantic Neva River bank and the odour of sewage mixed with urine, Russian beauties with long high-heeled legs in high-street dresses and old pudgy ‘babushkas’.
First Impressions of Rossiya: Red Tape and Kasha
Crossing the Estonian – Russian border at about 2am: tamozhennyĭ chinovnik (the customs officer) gets on the bus to collect all passengers’ passports. An Italian couple sitting behind us had quite an awakening when they were told they do need a passport to enter Rossiya, not to mention a valid visa. Obviously, they were dumpedContinue reading “First Impressions of Rossiya: Red Tape and Kasha”
Start with a Polish Accent
Intercity bus: Warsaw – Vilnius, 14 July 2011, 23:30 We came down to earth with a bump and it happened quite soon – Warsaw, the first day of our journey. The bump was much more painful for our bums though.
Off with the Hair!
Off with the hair! I had my hair shaved by Marcin for the first time in my life – a kind of rite of passage. Just closed my eyes and entrusted my decent look to my husband. Afterall, trust is the most important in a relationship and in a long-term journey like ours this isContinue reading “Off with the Hair!”
No way back for backpackers
A journey, after all, neither begins in the instant we set out, nor ends when we have reached our door step once again. It starts much earlier and is really never over, because the film of memory continues running on inside of us long after we have come to a physical standstill. Indeed, there existsContinue reading “No way back for backpackers”