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My perceptions are based on what I heard and saw in Russia... of course we only saw a little bit of Russia and was there a very short time and spoke to only a few Russians, so maybe they are warped, but here are some of my impressions:
Russians are not big on maintenance: many of the boathouses we saw along the river were pretty dilapidated and the same can be said for many buildings in St Petersburg.
However, everywhere we went everything was CLEAN - no littering and the rivers, lakes and canals that we traversed seemed chrystal clear.
Many dwellings along the river were uninhabited (no lights at night)... apparently their owners have already left these "summer houses".... So some people do have summer vacation houses.
Many Russians are poor. We heard the average income is R5000 per month. 28% live under the breadline , but this is a big improvement since Gorbachev's time when it was 58%! Apparently some people can never leave their dwellings in winter, simply because they do not have enough warm clothing. However, we saw very little indication of this massive poverty. We saw three toothless women with scarves selling small bunches of flowers and a woman singing for passing tourists, but only one begging outright... few considering the poverty level. (In S.A. there are beggars/ windowscreen washers /dancers on nearly every main city intersection.)
This looked like a good idea to us: a chain to the ground instead of a gutter.
Some people are apparently very rich: near Moscow we saw impressive houses and fun parks.
The Russian diet is very healthy: lots of vegetables, berries and fish. There was even cucumber in the breakfast buffet. All the soups we had were very tasty but clear with chopped up vegetables. Many recipes, from bread to salad, feature apples. Hard boiled egg is another favourite.
Our pretty waitress who donned traditional clothes when traditional food was served. (We all wanted to bring her back home - for our unmarried sons.)
Our tour leader, Olga, bringing a cake to one of our tour members for her birthday. In the background are younger staff members: they were all very well groomed and very slim. According to Olga, looks are very important for young girls and often bely the fact that they have very little money and may not have had anything to eat.
We saw many fashionable, slim girls strutting down the streets on very high heels.... and sadly often smoking a cigarette. I can't recall having seen an obese person. We heard that alcoholism and drugs are big problems in Russia, but never witnessed anything - did not see any "bums".
Our trim little guide in Uglich, taking us through the monastery. These young guides all seemed very proud of their country, but they often made jokes about life in Russia - and especially about politicians like Breshnev and his sickly successors.
Two very old wooden churches. Why two next to each other? The bigger (cooler) church is (was) for summer, and the smaller one for winter, because it is easier to heat the smaller church.
The inside of the smaller church, decorated with typical Russian icons. The churches are still (again) used, but it is difficult to say how many true believers there are. I got the impression that church is important for festivities like Easter and Christmas, but that people did not really go to church otherwise.
Traditional embroidery: the pictures have meanings and testimony of many superstitions.
I was amazed at how many superstitions are upheld e.g. in traditional cooking: On 7 January they celebrate New Year ( pretty much the same way we celebrate Christmas) with a Grandfather Prost in a blue coat and granddaughter Snow Maiden , handing out gifts to children. They make dumplings and put spices or objects inside e.g. if you get a dumping with a sunflower seed inside, it means you are going to have a baby! A ring means you will get married, pepper indicates crying, salt indicates effort - you will have to work hard etc.
Our energetic guide explaining the importance of the stove in traditional farm houses: of course it was used for cooking, but it had a niche underneath for the chickens to stay warm, a shelve where you could leave milk to curdle or dough to rise and old people and small children could sleep on top of the oven!
Jan outside a Vodka museum at Mandrogi. Alcoholism is on the rise and killing Russian men - one of the reasons why there are far more Russian women than men. Gorbachev tried to prevent it, by prohibiting the sale of alcohol in his time, but it only led to the making of "moonshine." After the fall of the Soviet Government alcoholism has spiralled out of control and people drink anything with alcohol including cologne and anti-freeze! Vodka is no longer so cheap. (Jan and I did not buy any - we don't drink any alcohol besides an occasional beer or wine - so I don't know the price!)
Russians are not big on maintenance: many of the boathouses we saw along the river were pretty dilapidated and the same can be said for many buildings in St Petersburg.
However, everywhere we went everything was CLEAN - no littering and the rivers, lakes and canals that we traversed seemed chrystal clear.
Many dwellings along the river were uninhabited (no lights at night)... apparently their owners have already left these "summer houses".... So some people do have summer vacation houses.
Many Russians are poor. We heard the average income is R5000 per month. 28% live under the breadline , but this is a big improvement since Gorbachev's time when it was 58%! Apparently some people can never leave their dwellings in winter, simply because they do not have enough warm clothing. However, we saw very little indication of this massive poverty. We saw three toothless women with scarves selling small bunches of flowers and a woman singing for passing tourists, but only one begging outright... few considering the poverty level. (In S.A. there are beggars/ windowscreen washers /dancers on nearly every main city intersection.)
This looked like a good idea to us: a chain to the ground instead of a gutter.
Some people are apparently very rich: near Moscow we saw impressive houses and fun parks.
The Russian diet is very healthy: lots of vegetables, berries and fish. There was even cucumber in the breakfast buffet. All the soups we had were very tasty but clear with chopped up vegetables. Many recipes, from bread to salad, feature apples. Hard boiled egg is another favourite.
Our pretty waitress who donned traditional clothes when traditional food was served. (We all wanted to bring her back home - for our unmarried sons.)
Our tour leader, Olga, bringing a cake to one of our tour members for her birthday. In the background are younger staff members: they were all very well groomed and very slim. According to Olga, looks are very important for young girls and often bely the fact that they have very little money and may not have had anything to eat.
We saw many fashionable, slim girls strutting down the streets on very high heels.... and sadly often smoking a cigarette. I can't recall having seen an obese person. We heard that alcoholism and drugs are big problems in Russia, but never witnessed anything - did not see any "bums".
Our trim little guide in Uglich, taking us through the monastery. These young guides all seemed very proud of their country, but they often made jokes about life in Russia - and especially about politicians like Breshnev and his sickly successors.
Two very old wooden churches. Why two next to each other? The bigger (cooler) church is (was) for summer, and the smaller one for winter, because it is easier to heat the smaller church.
The inside of the smaller church, decorated with typical Russian icons. The churches are still (again) used, but it is difficult to say how many true believers there are. I got the impression that church is important for festivities like Easter and Christmas, but that people did not really go to church otherwise.
Traditional embroidery: the pictures have meanings and testimony of many superstitions.
I was amazed at how many superstitions are upheld e.g. in traditional cooking: On 7 January they celebrate New Year ( pretty much the same way we celebrate Christmas) with a Grandfather Prost in a blue coat and granddaughter Snow Maiden , handing out gifts to children. They make dumplings and put spices or objects inside e.g. if you get a dumping with a sunflower seed inside, it means you are going to have a baby! A ring means you will get married, pepper indicates crying, salt indicates effort - you will have to work hard etc.
Our energetic guide explaining the importance of the stove in traditional farm houses: of course it was used for cooking, but it had a niche underneath for the chickens to stay warm, a shelve where you could leave milk to curdle or dough to rise and old people and small children could sleep on top of the oven!
Jan outside a Vodka museum at Mandrogi. Alcoholism is on the rise and killing Russian men - one of the reasons why there are far more Russian women than men. Gorbachev tried to prevent it, by prohibiting the sale of alcohol in his time, but it only led to the making of "moonshine." After the fall of the Soviet Government alcoholism has spiralled out of control and people drink anything with alcohol including cologne and anti-freeze! Vodka is no longer so cheap. (Jan and I did not buy any - we don't drink any alcohol besides an occasional beer or wine - so I don't know the price!)
5 comments:
Seems a beautiful country!
I see a similarity with us South Africans, making jokes about our difficulties.
Dankie, dit was nou weereens 'n interessant blik op 'n ander kultuur.
Mooi bly.
Daar is baie ooreenkomste met die UAE kan ek sommer sien.
Die Russiese dames het hier nie 'n baie goeie reputasie nie en as jy blond is en hulle vra Russia se jy baie hard en beslis NEE. :-)
Inderdaad ook 'n land van kontraste. Weereens 'n baie interessante kykie na Rusland. Dankie Miekie vir die deel daarvan!
Hi Almal
Dankie vir die kommentare. Ek sal weer iets oor Rusland blog - moet nou eers skoolwerk en ander dinge doen - soos Saterdagaand se Russiese aand laat gebeur!
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