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darthvader
WayToRussified
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 427
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 Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:47 pm Post subject: Interview of "Ender", a Russian |
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Ender is a regular poster on WTR forums, and has provided much advice and insight concerning the cultural, social, political aspects of Russia, as well as travel tips for many an inquisitive foreigner.
Most people who visit the WTR are foreign and, I thought it would be nice to ask Ender a series of questions (open-ended, I suppose) about his life and experiences growing up in Russia, as well as current Russian life/society in general. In fact, his opinion on many issues from a Russian perspective.
Ender has kindly agreed to answer some questions. But, of course he can refuse to answer questions which are too invasive or don't suit him.
Ender, thanks for participating in this. I dont have all my questions figured out right now, but, there's no rush (plus, I'm working presently). All in good time. 
So, here goes:
Ender, roughly, how old are you? Where were you born?
Is it true that Russian schools operate 6 days a week (as opposed to 5 in many Western countries)? What was/is the typical daily schedule for a school student? Did you study much about the West, Western history in high school? What aspects did you learn?
What was it like living in the Soviet Union for you? What aspects were better or worse than living in today's Russia?
What are some of your favourite places in Russia? And, why are they special? |
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krasatulya
VIP
Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 590
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 5:29 am Post subject: |
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| Way to take initiative, Darth! I like this idea and am interested to hear Ender's responses to your questions. |
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jo-jo-7
Just Starting
Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 0
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I am sure Ender will answer those questions in the best way possible. I enjoy reading Ender's post. He is informative and he answers in a respectful way. |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 485
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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Please forgive me for my English. I'm only a student. Correct using of an article is my main problem.
| Quote: | | Ender, how old are you? Where were you born? |
Well, I’m 33 years old male. I born in a small Urals city called Zlatoust (literally “One with golden lips”). You can find it in Wikipedia. Thus I saw pure soviet times, perestroika and dissolution of Soviet Union. My ancestors arrived to Russian Empire in XVIII century from Eastern Europe and judging by surname from Byzantine Empire or more precisely Greece. My blood is a mix of national bloods primarily Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Polish, and Jewish! Whoever calls me a racist is racist itself. One of my grand-grandfather was a Pole. Good people warned him: “Soon they’ll come and get you. You’d better run.” So he ran and never appeared again. Grand-grandmother always repeated: “Áîæå, õðàíè ìîåãî Êàçþ” (God, save my Kazimir). Whoever calls me a communist must remember that they are cause of absence of grand-grandfather in my life.
| Quote: | | Is it true that Russian schools operate 6 days a week (as opposed to 5 in many Western countries)? |
It depends on school. Schools are required to complete mandatory program. There are schools with extended studying of certain theme. For example it could be extended studying of math or English. Law doesn’t specify how many days a week scholars should study. Every school decides on its own. It selects either more lessons a day but five day a week or fewer lessons a day but six days a week. My cousin is 11 years old and she studies 5 days a week 5 lessons a day usually.
In Soviet times we were busy 5 days a week. There were many hobby and sports groups. Ordinary child usually participated at least in one of such groups. Those who didn’t were considered unreliable and suspicious. I was a boxer and an actor. It was a lot of fun (and pain of course).
| Quote: | | What was the typical daily schedule for a school student? |
During my studying schedule was changed several times, however I’ll describe older “soviet” schedule in my school.
The day starts at 07:45. Everybody draws up in a line in a hall. A teacher calls over every student and records absent people. The teacher announces upcoming events and makes various assignments. For example the teacher assigns person on duty in a classroom, persons on duty in a dining-hall, persons on duty on an entrance, etc…
Later when we became older (3…4-th class) the class was renamed to the “pioneer squad of the name {insert here a name of a hero or an important event or a well known person}”. De jure it was class “3-B” anyway. Our class was named by the name of one of youth heroes of Civil War. He was an ordinary worker of local factory. As far as I understood, he and two of his comrades held an entire platoon of White Czechs moving to the city. Just like 300 Spartans. There was clear area and Czechs weren’t able to move forward without being shot. I was at that place. It is perfect shoot range. Those who come out of forest need to walk about 300 – 400 meters through clear area. Two of his comrades were killed and he was injured and taken as prisoner. He was questioned about main forces of Red Army tortured and then hanged. Near the place of his death there is obelisk (54°59'42.48"Ñ, 60° 4'11.43"Â). At least teacher said us so. However being a student of local lore I understand that it is possible that real situation could be different.
One of scholars (well behaved and authoritative) become a “squad commander” and performs same assignments and checks instead of the teacher and then reports to the teacher.
08:00. Studying starts. There are 5 – 6 lessons 45 minute each with 10 minute break. Usually after the first lesson there is light breakfast. Before or after the last lesson there is dinner.
~13:00…13:30. End of the lessons. Some children go home; some children remain on a “prolonged day”. It depends on wish of child and child’s parents. Those who remain usually make their home task, repeat lessons, harass teachers with stupid questions, engage in sports or just do nothing. Those who are “persons on duty” clean the class room.
~15:00…16:00. Everybody is at home.
| Quote: | | Did you study much about the West, Western history in high school? What aspects did you learn? |
It was studying of the whole world’s history be it West or East, South or North, Neanderthals or medieval or modern people. The West wasn’t a theme in the formal process of education. There was nothing special about the West as we know it today. However there were short lessons called “politinformation” (political information). During these lessons we learned current political situation and events (of course simplified and adapted version). Mostly they were very boring. There was newspaper called «Ïèîíåðñêàÿ ïðàâäà» (Pioneer truth). Usually one of students simply read it aloud and others pretended that they were listening to him. I used to sleep during reading procedure, unfortunately it was too short. These “politinformation” lessons were main source of propaganda in a school.
Here is political view of average student of young or medium classes. Short version:
Our fatherland USSR (former Rus) is the best country ever. People of USSR are brothers and sisters, a union of peacefully coexisting and cooperating nations. Eastern Europe and Asia are our friends. Western Europe people are workers under the capitalist yoke. Africa – mostly barbarians but there are some enlightened people among them. USA – our former friend but now our enemy. South America, Australia and Japan – a Land of Oz (especially Australia), and something wrong with Japan… are they friends or enemies?
Very old evil: Koshchey the Deathless (a lich), and Zmey Gorynych (a dragon). Long time ago they were defeated by mighty mythical heroes such as Ilya Murometz or Dobryna Nikitich.
Old evil: Genghis Khan and Golden Horde. They were partly defeated by joined effort of Russian people and aristocracy and partly by internal problems.
Not so old evil. Evil #1 (slowly transforming into the Evil #2): Hitler and his fascist hordes. It is interesting that modern Germany wasn’t in the list of enemies. There were “evil” Germans; there are different “good or neutral” Germans.
Modern evil: USA (slowly transforming into the Evil #1). It is a source of all bad things from debauchery, pornographic and racism to war. The only thing that keeps us from death or enslavement is our nuclear weapons and our army. And of course they killed Samantha Smith because she was too kind to us.
Absolute evil: Nuclear war. “Modern evil” will start the “absolute evil” if they see a chance to remain unpunished.
In the high school watching a pirated copy of porno or erotic-film we slowly realized the West isn’t so bad after all.  Sooner or later unexpectedly we ran into a gay porn movie. “ WTF!!! What are they doing!???!!! Turn this off immediately. No… the West is disgusting after all.”
Ok… I must be serious.  Overall we had very little firsthand information about the West, neither bad nor good. There were people who were able to travel abroad but no one saw them. Main source of information about the West were films.
| Quote: | What was it like living in the Soviet Union for you? What aspects were better or worse than living in today's Russia?
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Mostly it was normal living. There was more order everywhere. Militia and authorities were far more respected. People were more open and less selfish. Entire summer was spent either in pioneer camps or in a village or on sea resorts. Teenagers were organized and busy with useful activity such as repairing a school, cleaning a schoolyard, planting trees (instead of smoking weed and drinking alcoholic drinks on a party). There wasn’t uncertainty about future. There was a slogan: «Ñïàñèáî òîâàðèùó Ñòàëèíó çà íàøå ñ÷àñòëèâîå äåòñòâî! » and I must admit I can say freely: “Thank you USSR for our happy childhood”. Life was stable and calm.
Deficit. Let’s say we go to the shoes shop. Today we see plenty of models of shoes. When there was deficit there were significantly less models. 3, for example, instead of 30. In a milk shop there weren’t many local brands of milk, there was only one brand of milk, simply “milk”. Let’s talk about beer. There were two brands – “Zhigulevskoye” or “Kolos”. Today there are tenths of them (I mean local brands of beer).
If to compare soviet and current times (abstracting from a technological progress as a whole – computers, Internet, cell phones, etc) the main difference will be an income difference. In soviet times majority of people had very similar social and economical capabilities. There were very little legal ways to raise one’s income significantly. It was almost impossible to start own business in order to raise an income. Today difference in income is much bigger. Today I’m able to buy a flat (instead of waiting for it for undefined period of time), I’m able to select and buy a comfortable car (instead of Lada or Izh only), and I’m able to travel abroad (instead of local resort or Sochi only). However there are drawbacks. I feel less secure and fear for my relatives (crime rate, economical instability, absence of law and order or negligence of officials). In order to maintain decent level of life I have to work… work… work… work… (instead of “just work 9 to 5”). There is nothing to watch on TV, there are various moronic shows such like Dom (lit. “House”, Russian variant of Big Brother I guess) or MTV (I don’t care how many TVs are installed in the car of some gangsta-nigga-looking person, no offence black brothers) and glamour events (I don’t care how expensive was the dress of another one pop or TV star). Of course I can install satellite TV and have the better choice. There is garden near my house. Comparing to soviet times it is more beautiful; however there are drug addicts who die there on a regular basis (one corpse a quarter or so) because of overdose, an event almost impossible at the soviet times.
But it’s me and my wife. My uncle for example is a rich man; he runs a company and lives better than majority of westerners I think. My brother for example is a doctor and his wife is a teacher. Their income is significantly less than mine. They experience almost same negative effects but don’t have positive. Their salary is enough neither for a flat, nor for a new car, nor for an abroad travel etc… There are people whose life is much worse. And there are bums (a kind of people almost nonexistent in the Soviet Union).
| Quote: | What are some of your favorite places in Russia? And, why are they special?
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I don’t have a favorite place. To be precise it is not a single place. It is a forest, a lake, a mountain etc… They are special because I feel myself as part of nature. |
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jo-jo-7
Just Starting
Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 0
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| Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Ender, I think you are the only one on this forum who has shared a little about yourself and it was interesting to read about your life in the Soviet times. I dated someone for 3 months from the Soviet Union, but he was somewhat oppressed. I have always thought living in the Soviet Union was very difficult, but after reading it it is not that bad or any different than some places in the US, a little more disciplined, which never hurts a child, keeps them straight. It is always good to talk or hear about other places especially people like me who think that life in places like the Soviet Union is so difficult. That is not always the case until you hear it from the horses mouth, (expression) . Very interesting read, Ender. Thanks for posting this. I like when Russians share their life with other people. My friend is from Barnaul, she had so many experiences there and it is an educational lesson, something that I never got in grade school. We are taught only 200 years worth of history in the US and I do agree that Russians or however Europeans are far more educated than Americans when it comes to history. I think if people who pay attention more what's going on in their part of the country then there would be more scholars on this planet. |
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darthvader
WayToRussified
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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That was great reading, Ender! Thank you
Had some other questions that I was going to proceed with, but, you really divulged so much in your first response, that one can't help asking new questions from this! Very interesting and informative reply.
By the way, your written English is exceptional.
Will get back to you as soon as I can, Ender.
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 485
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| jo jo 7 wrote: | | I dated someone for 3 months from the Soviet Union, but he was somewhat oppressed. I have always thought living in the Soviet Union was very difficult, but after reading it it is not that bad or any different than some places in the US, a little more disciplined, which never hurts a child, keeps them straight. |
One man said: "Soviet Union was the country of workers and peasants. As a class they had much more priveleges than others". However dissolution of Soviet Union and time of disorder was a major hit for all. That's why majority of Russians have extremely negative opinion about any kind of radical changes now.
Look here http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin
and read below this phrase: "... the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century. As for the Russian nation, it became a genuine drama". 100% true.
That's why that coloured revolutions such as "orange revolution" in Ukraine or "rose revolution" in Georgia or failed "fennel revolution" in Moldova are perceived with the mix of negative feeling and laugh. Some Russians say: "What are you doing morons? You are destroying your countries. Didn't you study our expirience? It was so obvious but you are making same errors as we and you have got same negative results as we already."
I know some people who left the country in the early 90-ties. It was the hardiest period for all. One guy headed to Australia, other to America, third one to Germany. When I talked with them they had very negative impression about their live in SU/Russia. They had oppressed mood just like you said about your friend. This impression is still with them. I can't say that they are wrong. After all I was youth without burden of problems and they were men who have to earn money and feed their families. |
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DITTRICH
WayToRussified
Joined: 13 Jun 2004
Posts: 429
Location: London UK
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Ender,
I was in two minds as to whether this thread ought to have been killed before it got started. Thank you for taking the time to give your responses with such openness to a group of people you've never met.
Regards
Les |
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darthvader
WayToRussified
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 6:33 am Post subject: |
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| Ender wrote: | | Please forgive me for my English. I'm only a student. Correct using of an article is my main problem. |
Your English is excellent.
| Quote: | | Ender, how old are you? Where were you born? |
| Ender wrote: | | Well, I’m 33 years old male. I born in a small Urals city called Zlatoust (literally “One with golden lips”). You can find it in Wikipedia. Thus I saw pure soviet times, perestroika and dissolution of Soviet Union. My ancestors arrived to Russian Empire in XVIII century from Eastern Europe and judging by surname from Byzantine Empire or more precisely Greece. My blood is a mix of national bloods primarily Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Polish, and Jewish! Whoever calls me a racist is racist itself. One of my grand-grandfather was a Pole. Good people warned him: “Soon they’ll come and get you. You’d better run.” So he ran and never appeared again. Grand-grandmother always repeated: “Áîæå, õðàíè ìîåãî Êàçþ” (God, save my Kazimir). Whoever calls me a communist must remember that they are cause of absence of grand-grandfather in my life. |
Fascinating family background. Thanks for sharing that. I checked your city, Zlatoust, on GoogleMaps and wikipedia. Looks a very interesting part of the world. Is tourism a significant enterprise in your area?
| Quote: | | Is it true that Russian schools operate 6 days a week (as opposed to 5 in many Western countries)? |
| Ender wrote: | It depends on school. Schools are required to complete mandatory program. There are schools with extended studying of certain theme. For example it could be extended studying of math or English. Law doesn’t specify how many days a week scholars should study. Every school decides on its own. It selects either more lessons a day but five day a week or fewer lessons a day but six days a week. My cousin is 11 years old and she studies 5 days a week 5 lessons a day usually.
In Soviet times we were busy 5 days a week. There were many hobby and sports groups. Ordinary child usually participated at least in one of such groups. Those who didn’t were considered unreliable and suspicious. I was a boxer and an actor. It was a lot of fun (and pain of course).
| Quote: | | What was the typical daily schedule for a school student? |
During my studying schedule was changed several times, however I’ll describe older “soviet” schedule in my school.
The day starts at 07:45. Everybody draws up in a line in a hall. A teacher calls over every student and records absent people. The teacher announces upcoming events and makes various assignments. For example the teacher assigns person on duty in a classroom, persons on duty in a dining-hall, persons on duty on an entrance, etc…
Later when we became older (3…4-th class) the class was renamed to the “pioneer squad of the name {insert here a name of a hero or an important event or a well known person}”. De jure it was class “3-B” anyway. Our class was named by the name of one of youth heroes of Civil War. He was an ordinary worker of local factory. As far as I understood, he and two of his comrades held an entire platoon of White Czechs moving to the city. Just like 300 Spartans. There was clear area and Czechs weren’t able to move forward without being shot. I was at that place. It is perfect shoot range. Those who come out of forest need to walk about 300 – 400 meters through clear area. Two of his comrades were killed and he was injured and taken as prisoner. He was questioned about main forces of Red Army tortured and then hanged. Near the place of his death there is obelisk (54°59'42.48"Ñ, 60° 4'11.43"Â). At least teacher said us so. However being a student of local lore I understand that it is possible that real situation could be different.
One of scholars (well behaved and authoritative) become a “squad commander” and performs same assignments and checks instead of the teacher and then reports to the teacher.
08:00. Studying starts. There are 5 – 6 lessons 45 minute each with 10 minute break. Usually after the first lesson there is light breakfast. Before or after the last lesson there is dinner.
~13:00…13:30. End of the lessons. Some children go home; some children remain on a “prolonged day”. It depends on wish of child and child’s parents. Those who remain usually make their home task, repeat lessons, harass teachers with stupid questions, engage in sports or just do nothing. Those who are “persons on duty” clean the class room.
~15:00…16:00. Everybody is at home. |
Thanks, Ender. Quite a long day compared to some Western schools, with your early start at 7:45am. I, for example attended school from 9am to 3:30pm.
| Quote: | | Did you study much about the West, Western history in high school? What aspects did you learn? |
| Ender wrote: | It was studying of the whole world’s history be it West or East, South or North, Neanderthals or medieval or modern people. The West wasn’t a theme in the formal process of education. There was nothing special about the West as we know it today. However there were short lessons called “politinformation” (political information). During these lessons we learned current political situation and events (of course simplified and adapted version). Mostly they were very boring. There was newspaper called «Ïèîíåðñêàÿ ïðàâäà» (Pioneer truth). Usually one of students simply read it aloud and others pretended that they were listening to him. I used to sleep during reading procedure, unfortunately it was too short. These “politinformation” lessons were main source of propaganda in a school.
Here is political view of average student of young or medium classes. Short version:
Our fatherland USSR (former Rus) is the best country ever. People of USSR are brothers and sisters, a union of peacefully coexisting and cooperating nations. Eastern Europe and Asia are our friends. Western Europe people are workers under the capitalist yoke. Africa – mostly barbarians but there are some enlightened people among them. USA – our former friend but now our enemy. South America, Australia and Japan – a Land of Oz (especially Australia), and something wrong with Japan… are they friends or enemies?
Very old evil: Koshchey the Deathless (a lich), and Zmey Gorynych (a dragon). Long time ago they were defeated by mighty mythical heroes such as Ilya Murometz or Dobryna Nikitich.
Old evil: Genghis Khan and Golden Horde. They were partly defeated by joined effort of Russian people and aristocracy and partly by internal problems.
Not so old evil. Evil #1 (slowly transforming into the Evil #2): Hitler and his fascist hordes. It is interesting that modern Germany wasn’t in the list of enemies. There were “evil” Germans; there are different “good or neutral” Germans.
Modern evil: USA (slowly transforming into the Evil #1). It is a source of all bad things from debauchery, pornographic and racism to war. The only thing that keeps us from death or enslavement is our nuclear weapons and our army. And of course they killed Samantha Smith because she was too kind to us.
Absolute evil: Nuclear war. “Modern evil” will start the “absolute evil” if they see a chance to remain unpunished.
In the high school watching a pirated copy of porno or erotic-film we slowly realized the West isn’t so bad after all. Sooner or later unexpectedly we ran into a gay porn movie. “ WTF!!! What are they doing!???!!! Turn this off immediately. No… the West is disgusting after all.”
Ok… I must be serious. Overall we had very little firsthand information about the West, neither bad nor good. There were people who were able to travel abroad but no one saw them. Main source of information about the West were films. |
Thanks for the details, detail Ender. A really good read! When was the first time you met a Westerner?
| Quote: | | What was it like living in the Soviet Union for you? What aspects were better or worse than living in today's Russia? |
| Ender wrote: | Mostly it was normal living. There was more order everywhere. Militia and authorities were far more respected. People were more open and less selfish. Entire summer was spent either in pioneer camps or in a village or on sea resorts. Teenagers were organized and busy with useful activity such as repairing a school, cleaning a schoolyard, planting trees (instead of smoking weed and drinking alcoholic drinks on a party). There wasn’t uncertainty about future. There was a slogan: «Ñïàñèáî òîâàðèùó Ñòàëèíó çà íàøå ñ÷àñòëèâîå äåòñòâî! » and I must admit I can say freely: “Thank you USSR for our happy childhood”. Life was stable and calm.
Deficit. Let’s say we go to the shoes shop. Today we see plenty of models of shoes. When there was deficit there were significantly less models. 3, for example, instead of 30. In a milk shop there weren’t many local brands of milk, there was only one brand of milk, simply “milk”. Let’s talk about beer. There were two brands – “Zhigulevskoye” or “Kolos”. Today there are tenths of them (I mean local brands of beer).
If to compare soviet and current times (abstracting from a technological progress as a whole – computers, Internet, cell phones, etc) the main difference will be an income difference. In soviet times majority of people had very similar social and economical capabilities. There were very little legal ways to raise one’s income significantly. It was almost impossible to start own business in order to raise an income. Today difference in income is much bigger. Today I’m able to buy a flat (instead of waiting for it for undefined period of time), I’m able to select and buy a comfortable car (instead of Lada or Izh only), and I’m able to travel abroad (instead of local resort or Sochi only). However there are drawbacks. I feel less secure and fear for my relatives (crime rate, economical instability, absence of law and order or negligence of officials). In order to maintain decent level of life I have to work… work… work… work… (instead of “just work 9 to 5”). There is nothing to watch on TV, there are various moronic shows such like Dom (lit. “House”, Russian variant of Big Brother I guess) or MTV (I don’t care how many TVs are installed in the car of some gangsta-nigga-looking person, no offence black brothers) and glamour events (I don’t care how expensive was the dress of another one pop or TV star). Of course I can install satellite TV and have the better choice. There is garden near my house. Comparing to soviet times it is more beautiful; however there are drug addicts who die there on a regular basis (one corpse a quarter or so) because of overdose, an event almost impossible at the soviet times.
But it’s me and my wife. My uncle for example is a rich man; he runs a company and lives better than majority of westerners I think. My brother for example is a doctor and his wife is a teacher. Their income is significantly less than mine. They experience almost same negative effects but don’t have positive. Their salary is enough neither for a flat, nor for a new car, nor for an abroad travel etc… There are people whose life is much worse. And there are bums (a kind of people almost nonexistent in the Soviet Union).
Very interesting perspectives on Soviet and post-Soviet life, Ender. I'm guessing you prefer today's Russia (for your personal family situation), but its hard to really know. You obviously do remember some fond aspects of the past (don't we all)!
| Quote: | | What are some of your favorite places in Russia? And, why are they special? |
I don’t have a favorite place. To be precise it is not a single place. It is a forest, a lake, a mountain etc… They are special because I feel myself as part of nature. |
I certainly prefer pristine nature myself, compared to the pollution, crowds of large cities. However, so much fun is to be had in the busy cities. Nice to experience both worlds from time to time. |
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darthvader
WayToRussified
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 6:57 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for your posts Ender.
Some other questions.........
What are some of the unique cultural aspects of your Urals' region? Aspects that are not really found across the rest of Russia?
Do you like banya? If so, why? And, what are the benefits of this Russian bath? |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 485
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 12:12 pm Post subject: |
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| darthvader wrote: | | Is tourism a significant enterprise in your area? |
It is not significant enterprise. I believe there is potential for tourism but there are little of cool hotels and services of european level. Everyone entertain themselves by simple variants of tourism: a tent, a lake, a fishing rod, a good company and a lot of vodka. 
| darthvader wrote: | | Thanks for the details, detail Ender. A really good read! When was the first time you met a Westerner? |
1992 or 1993. I can't remember. She was a woman from Illinois. She was a teacher of history. She was a guest of our university. I was surprised that she didn't know either her own or European singers. Of the all singers I knew she knew only M. Jackson and Rolling Stones. We (students) were ordered to escort her to her flat (just in case) every evening. It is interesting that every evening she went to one place to look at the fir in the neighbor courtyard. We were surprised because there was a big park near (less than 100m) her flat full of firs.
| darthvader wrote: | | Very interesting perspectives on Soviet and post-Soviet life, Ender. I'm guessing you prefer today's Russia (for your personal family situation), but its hard to really know. You obviously do remember some fond aspects of the past (don't we all)! |
Yeah. Overall for me today's Russia is better. However I'd prefer to have good things from today's Russia and good things from Soviet Union.
| darthvader wrote: | | I certainly prefer pristine nature myself, compared to the pollution, crowds of large cities. However, so much fun is to be had in the busy cities. Nice to experience both worlds from time to time. |
I’m completely agreed.
| darthvader wrote: | | What are some of the unique cultural aspects of your Urals' region? Aspects that are not really found across the rest of Russia? |
I don’t think there are unique cultural aspects of Urals’s region. There are only slight differences. I don’t know, for example our speech is quite fast comparing to Muscovites. Some of them ask: “Too fast. Please repeat. I wasn’t able to recognize words”, some immediately says: “Are you from Urals, dude?”
| darthvader wrote: | | Do you like banya? |
Of course.
| darthvader wrote: | | If so, why? |
It is because banya gives a sense of ultimate cleanness and relaxation of a body. It is far better than any kind of shower or bath. The term “like a born again” is about a human who has just come out of a bath.
| darthvader wrote: | | And, what are the benefits of this Russian bath? |
Apart from hygienic reasons the benefits are improved health, immunity and fast recovering from the physical and mental stress. There are some interesting effects. For example if you are drunk it makes you sober. Not instantly, but one hour is enough to turn a moderately drunk man to a sober one. If you are very drunk (but still able to stay and walk) it will make your head much less aching next morning.
And of course it is just funny to run out from a banya with a wild scream and fall into a lake, snow or an ice-hole. |
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YellowMelon
Frequent Guest
Joined: 28 Nov 2008
Posts: 65
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 12:32 am Post subject: |
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| [Placeholder... trying to make up a question in pure Russian.] |
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darthvader
WayToRussified
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Ender wrote: | .....
And of course it is just funny to run out from a banya with a wild scream and fall into a lake, snow or an ice-hole. |
Banya is such an unusual and invigorating experience for many Westerners! Absolutely fantastic in the freezing Russian winter! Relaxing in the aromatic hot room, soaking up the healthy scents, getting slapped by moist, leafy birch branches, then racing outside the bathhouse butt-naked, wildly screaming, plus rolling in the snow! Helluva lot of fun! |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 485
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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| darthvader wrote: | | Ender wrote: | .....
And of course it is just funny to run out from a banya with a wild scream and fall into a lake, snow or an ice-hole. |
Banya is such an unusual and invigorating experience for many Westerners! Absolutely fantastic in the freezing Russian winter! Relaxing in the aromatic hot room, soaking up the healthy scents, getting slapped by moist, leafy birch branches, then racing outside the bathhouse butt-naked, wildly screaming, plus rolling in the snow! Helluva lot of fun! |
My friend once jumped into a heap of dung. It was covered by thin layer of snow so he was thinking it was heap of snow when he ran out of a banya. A host of the banya just forgot to forewarn us. |
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darthvader
WayToRussified
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 5:31 am Post subject: |
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That's awful!
Speaking of banyas, seems to be quite a pastime, making a family banya in some parts of Russia.
First banya I went to was at a dacha in a tiny village near a forest in the dead of winter. You can't pay for such experiences
What's the cost of living in a place like Zlatoust, compared to Moscow or St Petersburg? |
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