Malcolm Learns Russian

Life Lessons...

2010-11-21T00:18:00.000-08:00

Finally! After three months in Russia I learn how to drink vodka in a civilised way without cringing at the burning sensation or retching at the taste. My lesson coming from a Russian who insisted the following steps be taken to ensure shots be enjoyed with a straight face:

1) Toast!
2) Inhale deeply and hold breathe...
2) Take the shot
3) ...breathe out slowly from the mouth
4) Food in hand, inhale through the nose, smelling the food
5) Eat the food
6) Enjoy the warm glow and never, ever mix with beer!

The food needs to be something from the traditional Russian selection of aperitifs. Fish, bread, pickles - unfortunately not the ketchup laden french fries we were left with last night - but at least the theory was right. Considering it was my last night things didn't get silly and retiring to bed at a reasonable hour I felt like I'd ended this trip on a high note.

До свидания!

The Day Job...

2010-11-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

"Убита наших красноармейцев не 48 тысяч, а около миллиона, разве столько возращается с фронта, сколько ушло?"

There's been a lot of talk on this blog about why I'm here and what I want to achieve with all this hard work. Its very difficult to put across the excitement I enjoy from this history game. The fact that I've been lucky enough to 'play' for the best part of three months in the archives of Moscow hasn't diminished that enjoyment one bit.

If anything I'm hungrier now than I ever was. I've proven I'm capable, that the two years of hard work have paid off and I can complete original and - I hope - revealing research about the Soviet Union of Stalin.

Today was a good day. Despite the fact I'm only in Petersburg for a week I took the time on Monday to visit the former Leningrad Party archives hoping to register and review their holdings. I arrived with a lead and low expectations (just in case) yet walked away today with more material than I could hope to transcribe in the few hours afforded to me, despite over five hours of solid commitment to the reading room. I ran on adrenaline but found a few more pieces of the puzzle. The quote you see above you comes from a report sent to the heads of the Leningrad Party - Zhdanov included for those of you in the know - detailing popular responses to the signing of peace between the USSR and Finland in March 1940. It remained censored until last year. I was not the first to see the file but I hope I will be the first to use it in my work.

Its significance? It helps me show a chink in the armour of the Soviet propaganda machine. It allows me to engage with secondary literature of an established historian whose work you could pick off the shelf of a library or bookstore. It is my attempt to move one step closer to becoming a 'proper' historian'...

Parting is such sweet sorrow...

2010-11-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

The last twenty-four hours have passed in such a blur. Still as if by magic, I am here, once again in St Petersburg, after the best part of two and half months in Moscow.

I have a lot of stories. Some of them not really publishable, but the moral of this tale is that Russia's capital is a place where 'stories' seem to regularly write themselves into your day-to-day experiences of the city.

There's some catching up to do here, having not had a regular internet connection for the interim period. I still need to post up a few bits from my last couple of days before the move over to Moscow. This week should give me chance to collect my thoughts and do just that.

Watch this space...

Next stop Moscow...

2010-09-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

...Wish me luck!

I'll hopefully share a little about the journey once I get there!

...одну картошку, пожалуйста...

2010-09-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

Finally! My little treat in St Petersburg, the wonders that are - literally speaking - 'little potatoes' from the kitchens of 'Север' can be purchased by yours truly with proper Russian conjugation.

Sick and tired of getting it wrong, I asked the very nice young lady behind the counter of its Nevsky Prospect branch. She seemed puzzled by my request at first but eventually twigged.

одна картошка,
две картошки,
...
пять картошкой,

...and just make things even more complicated, you have to put it in the 'accusative' case if you want to request one from said, nice lady behind the counter. "одну картошку, пожалуйста"

Sending in the big guns...

2010-09-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately this write up is coming about three months after the event - filling gaps from my absence in Moscow - but I thought there were a few worthwhile words / photos to include still.

Despite the absence of any T-34 tanks, I'd recommend losing a few hours in the vaulted corridors of the artillery museum. Its a pretty comprehensive history, everything from the early days of cannons - including some pretty impressive contraptions that never quite took off in the same way...discus firing gun anyone? - through to the nuclear age and rockets that look like they should never have fitted in through the front door.

For my own research interests it was nice to finally find a token reference to the Winter War in one of the last rooms dedicated to the engineers corps. The exhibitions seems to have survived intact from the Soviet period, praising the exploits of its heroes and giving great attention to the successful undermining of White Finnish defences and the notorious 'Mannerheim Line'.

Enjoy the photos. For you animal lovers out there you might want to avoid the cabinets housing stuffed dogs strapped to explosives. They were trained to run under German tanks. I'm assuming those on display died a less dramatic death, otherwise it must have been a hell of job piecing them together again.

P.S - I almost forgot. For those of you want to experience a throwback to the Soviet days of the 'Stoloviaya' kitchen canteen you'll find one in the museum. Its menu is a little better than we get among the Moscow archives but you mind find a taste for them.

"Время летит!"

2010-09-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Besides providing a useful reminder for which of the verbal pairing corresponds to the uni-directional version of 'to fly' (...don't ask!) todays subject is probably more familiar to native English speakers as 'Time flies".

The reason for acknowledging this is a comment made my teacher today that turned out to be an unexpected compliment on the progress I've made since first coming to St Petersburg last April. Being as it was last April, the fact that she thought it must have been two, maybe three years since I was first here is either a reflection on how slow time travels when she's teaching me or, as it turned out, a realisation that my Russian has progressed quicker than she'd anticipated.

A victory then! And one I was determined to prove as not just a fluke aided by my talking to a teacher trained to communicate with any foreigner who happens to have a rudimentary grasp of the langauge...

Undecided about where exactly to go for my 'practical lesson' I wandered over to my old haunt, the 'Museum of Political History of Russia'. (Note to self: Must take a photo of this place for the blog!) The sun was shining after an overcast start to the day - we seem to be on a good run again this week after a few early wet days - but I was happy to spend a couple of hours inside. The front entrance is still being renovated so follow the arrows to the side door.

What started as a quick question posed to the cashier - pre-prepared and repeated in a rather strange inner monologue during the journey - about whether the museum had any material on the Soviet-Finnish War became a full blown conversation with various members of staff about what resources I might find in the city! And I understand most of it! And they understood me!

Needless to say there was nothing available at the musuem and no dedicated exhibitions they could think of, but regardless, I did what I came to do and got my fix of 'conversation'. Not only that but to be able to talk about my work, my research interests and what I hope to achieve in Russia over the next few months was a real bonus and will hopefully set me up for my travels in Moscow.

Anyway, plenty more work to be done and I think tomorrow I need to pick another likely candidate and go speak to the curators there. Maybe the Secret Police branch of the State History Museum again or the artillery museum which I'm still yet to visit. Watch this space...

Too good to be true...

2010-09-05T06:55:00.001-07:00

Little bit of drama at the supermarket this morning. Unfortunately I'd failed to appreciate one of offers on display for fruit juice was only available if you bought three cartoons and not just the one. All was fine until I turned up at the checkout and faced the prospect of having to explain that I hadn't realised I needed to buy three and as a result wouldn't take just the one. (I certainly had no need for 6 litres of apple juice!)

To be fair I understood what they were trying to tell me, didn't panic and eventually got them to understand what I was trying to say. The only real problem was then getting someone with a key to authorise a refund on the till. No harm done but I'm pleased with how I coped. I think all involved eventually realised we were speaking the same language. Or trying to at least.

On a more positive note I also managed to explain to one of the staff I wanted to buy slices of cheese. And that I didn't know how to say 'slices of cheese'. Mime is a wonderful tool for filling in the gaps...

A revolutionary road...

2010-09-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to one of the old districts steeped in revolutionary history today. With a statue of Comrade Kirov dominating the central square and giving his name to much of the surrounding area, including the Kirov Factory, metro station and shopping centre. He's a figure surrounded by 'what-if's?' and 'who-dunnits?' in the history of early Stalinist Russia. Go see the Kirov Museum dedicated to his memory if you get the chance and don't assume the conspiracy theorists have it right when they argue Stalin played a direct role in his death. As ever, the jury is still out on that one...

However even before his name christened the post-revolutionary redevelopment of the region the streets had seen their share of working class unrest. Both the 1905 and February 1917 revolutions were precipitated unrest at the nearby industrial complex. An impressive, constructivist inspired mural covers one of the buildings in memory of those proletarian heroes.

Perhaps its my working class roots but something about early Soviet design still resonates with me. Never mind the hammer and sickle being one of the most striking political and cultural symbols of recent years, its whole design ethos with clean lines and angular geometry seems powerful and timeless. They could design a good monument too, just consider the one that sits at the entrance to the city commemorating the Leningrad Blockade.

Just around the corner I took a stroll through Ekaterinahof Park. A grassy little 'oasis' full of shady trees and delapidated fairground rides that still manages to lay claim to housing possibly the only remaining profile of Stalin in the city's vast collection of statues and memorials. Not that you'd know unless you were looking hard enough. Sculpted into the banner of a piece commemorating the Komsomol youth, his face is just visible alongside Lenin's. You'd be hard pressed to see it in a photo. Not that I have one. Damn camera ran out of battery!

Win!

2010-09-02T05:03:00.000-07:00

My only real reason for posting this is its general awesome'ness! (I love technology...) I just picked it up from a Russian news report about the site. About all I understood at the time is that the street level Google map features aren't supported in Russia.* (surprise. surprise.)

If your current computer will take the beating this resource heavy little clip(s) requires its worth the wait for it to load up. Oh and so I'm not accused of being Google's bitch, I ran it fine on Mozilla and didn't bother downloading Chrome.

P.S - The album - and band - are on fire at the minute. Forgive the pun.

*Funnily enough I spotted a bus today (Sunday) plastered with an advertisement for "Карты Google" (maps.google.ru) which suggests you may be seeing a Google camera van in a street near you soon...

Back to school...

2010-09-02T03:26:00.000-07:00

Little cultural reference for you. Yesterday was 'Knowledge Day' according to the Russian calender and as evidenced by the hordes of school kids dressed in their Sunday best and on their way to the first day of school.

It certainly seemed like a happier time for them than I ever remember the end of summer holidays feeling. Maybe the festivities are intended as a way to soften the blow.

The evening news was full of images of the new intake, bells being rung, flowers handed to teachers and photo-opportunities for President and Prime Minister alike. A great deal of optimism was on display not to mention freshly painted classrooms, new computer suites and attentive, quiet students. Still I can't imagine, after the festivities have died down, school life will prove that much different from what I remember...

He's got a ticket to ride...

2010-09-01T02:46:00.000-07:00

What an anti-climax! I've had a harder time buying a train ticket in the UK. Still, no complaints and for anyone reading this, I'd recommend doing your homework before hand and come as over prepared as I did.

With all the relevant details of train and required ticket (the cheapest going) printed off all I had to do was hand over my passport, registration and the money.

I used the following guide to navigate my way through the Russian state rail network website (RZD) where you can find the relevant details for the day you want to travel. Its pretty much just a case of running the site through 'Google Translate' once you've inputted the relevant stations in Russian. [Санкт-Петербург / Москва]

Similar info is on the guide above but the important things from my experience are:

1. The date, time and tickets for each train are only released up to 45 days in advance.
2. The cheapest tickets [плацкартный ] sell quickly so get in there early. Even a week and a half in advance didn't give me much choice.
3. There are high-speed services (3-4 hours) from St Petersburg to Moscow but they're, unsurprisingly, quite a bit more expensive.
4. I went to the ticket office at about 10:30am on a Wednesday and there was no queue. The office is open from 08:00 - 20:00 so probably best to avoid peak times in morning and evening.
5. My train is going overnight, comes in at a pretty awful time (04:47) but only cost me about £15! Yes, £15! Considering what I'd pay for an equivalent trip from say London to Edinburgh this is incredible. And I get a bed to sleep in!
6. Though I'm planning on coming back to St Petersburg when I return to the UK it doesn't seem to be the norm to book return tickets. I think each journey has to booked seperately.

Happy travels!

P.S - For someone who doesn't own a single Beatles album I'm doing well with my song references!

There's a right way and a wrong way...

2010-08-30T23:59:00.001-07:00

...and I seem to keep choosing the wrong way!

This is my fifth time in Russia, you'd think I'd have noticed before now but I can't seeem to stop myself from getting in people's way. It should be such a simple change to make but after 24 years of apparently walking on the left hand side of the pavement, I can't learn to walk on the right.

I guess we - the Russians and English - operate on the same principle as our roads. However, based on my experiences of Russian driving you'd think they'd follow the 'rules' just a loosely as pedestrians. A minor issue maybe, but if I'm ever going to stop looking like a tourist I better get in the right lane and start going with the flow!

The grass is actually greener...

2010-08-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

My first impressions (fourth impressions?) of this city yesterday were taken by the obvious amount of development work that has been going on in my absence. The area I'm based at the school has definitely enjoyed a little TLC in recent months. Its noticeable, perhaps because of how rough and ready some of the surrounding area is, but its clear there's some money coming into the place and some of its old Soviet debris is being cleared away.

Obviously it helps being here while the grass is still green and the leaves remain on the trees, but beyond that you notice the freshly dug flower begs around apartment entrances. A few more are scattered in pots and planters around the roads with their freshly painted white lines and newly laid paving. Two new children's areas have sprung up where before it was the sorry, rusted skeleton of Soviet era apparatus. Even car parking, with perimeter fencing, marked out spaces and an organised line of autos has found its place among the plethora of machines still swamping every available kerb and corner.

I don't know what I'll find when I make it into the centre but its just nice to see such a marked change. The buildings are still their tired old selves for the most part and I don't want to give the impression its a paradise on earth, but at least its moving in the right direction. Hell, there even seems to be a greater proportion of pretty girls walking around...

Back in the USSR...

2010-08-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

I'm back! And this time I mean business. Literally. Well sort of. It says as much on my [3 month!!!] visa and if anyone asks I'm here for various seminars and other commercially minded reasons...

The real reason for my trip, besides the obligatory Russian lessons - still very much needed despite steady progress over the summer months while I had a willing Russian speaking Pole to practice on in Oxford - is that I'll be travelling down to Moscow for a couple of months in the archives. Yes! Those archives!

Allow me to bring you all(?...hello mum x) up to speed...

Managed to get involved in a week long workshop in Moscow in Easter aimed at introducing DPhil students to working and researching in them. Largely a chance to have someone experienced there to help navigate us through the endless form filling and beaurocracy. Now a proud owner of two Russian library cards - one for the old state 'Lenin Library' and the other for the state history library - and the necessary paperwork for entry into the former Party archives in RGASPI and (hopefully) the more general holdings of GARF.

Besides access to real, dusty, history in your hands, butterflies in your belly (just me still?) documents, most of the above still boast their old Soviet era kitchens that continue to provide a decent meal for a student friendly price. Hopefully won't starve at least while I'm there.

After that it was the obligatory revision / exam run that Oxford loves to make us all suffer. The fear wasn't there after getting through finals in my undergrad days and I was pleasantly surprised by the overall performance. Aced the history paper - which I really should be doing if I'm at all serious about playing this game long term - and comfortable passes in the other two.

That left me with a summer ahead to work every hour available to earn the money to come here and stay here for any decent amount of time..."I don't know how lucky [I] are!"

P.S - The photo is from that earlier Moscow trip. Currently sat tapping away in St Petersburg so will start updating properly as of tomorrow.

Passed the test...

2010-01-29T14:13:00.001-08:00

I thought it deserved mentioning that I got news the other day of my successfully passing the qualification exam for the Russian language component of my MPhil.

I have to say its a load off my mind and makes me appreciate again just how much progress I've made over the last year thanks to my regular trips to St Petersburg.

I can only hope that progress continues and now that the academic requirement is fulfilled I can get back to the process of learning the language primarily for its enjoyment and the opportunity for personal development it promises.

Prospects for the future...

2010-01-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Its been a hectic few weeks since my last post. I'm aware I didn't reflect much on my progress during my trip in December. I guess my time in Russia is starting to feel a little more 'normal'. I'll take that as a positive.

I've not left the snow behind though, thats for sure. Maybe those guys in Copenhagen have done a better job than we give them credit for...Either way the thermostat seems to have been turned down for time being, I'm almost glad to have experienced those big negative figures, Oxford was practically tropical in comparison...

The subject of this post reflects the opportunity I've been given to return to Russia in Easter, this time not just to my adopted 'home' of St Petersburg, but to Moscow and my chance at last to feel like a proper historian again. Through an organisation connected to my academic studies at Oxford - CEELBAS for those with any interest - I have successfully applied for a place in workshop that will offer my first introduction to the state archives of Russia and the former Soviet Union. You've seen how excited I get in the museums over there, I'll probably need to wear bib my saliva glands will be working so hard...

In the meantime I return to my studies for another term. After being a little frustrated by the teaching thus far being geared purely for the academic side of things, I am nevertheless hoping to complete my qualification exam next week. This is really just to give me the chance to take off some of the pressure and get back to enjoying the process of learning the language again.

In the classroom things are going to get a little more current too, with papers focused on politics and economics during the transition from Communist power. I'm hoping it will fill in some gaps, I just hope it won't dillute my enjoyment with a lot of mind-numbing statistics and analytical modelling. Only time will tell.

Its been a wonderful start to the new year for me so far. Though none of that is really connected to my Russian. I'm now looking forward to the next step, trying to get my head round how to spend my Summer and getting my hands on some documents. One of my presents at Christmas was a big dictionary. I'm so cool.

Just when things were getting interesting...

2009-12-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

It was with something of a heavy heart that I took my last walk in the city today. (Though to be fair that sensation could just have been restricted rib-cage movement as a result of my wearing every piece of clothing possible...) Either the temperatures dropped or I've started to get a little more used to the cold. Its a shame I'm heading home tomorrow.

I can't offer much in the way of photos unfortunately, my hands remained fimly in gloves and pockets. Still I did finally manage to explore a little more of Vasileostrovskaya and the surrounding area, braving the 'harsh' conditions - it was actually blue skies and little wind today - to walk as far as the university district before crossing the Neva (by bridge mind, the ice isn't thick enough just yet...*) to Nevsky.

I managed to note the statue of Sakharov, who has been a subject of a number of my lessons with Katya. A fascinating figure who contributed to the development of the USSR as a nuclear power after the Second World War, before transforming into a political dissident and staunch advocate of human rights, earning the Nobel Peace prize for his efforts under persecution by the regime.

As a historian its somewhat humbling to find the extent of my ignorance still about such key figures in this country's history. I can only hope that diminishes with time as I continue to explore its past and present.

*I have to confess the urge to poke at it with a bloody big stick is almost unbearable. Its like seeing frozen puddles as a kid and not being able to resist cracking them. Just imagine it a million times worse! The torture...

Did someone say breach of copyright?

2009-12-17T13:01:00.001-08:00

You have to love Russia. In no other European country that I've been in have I seen such flagrant disregard for copyright law. God forbid I ever get a job in the media and suddenly have an opinion about digital piracy...

Yet for all its raping and pillaging, lost youth and rum soaked adventures...hold on I think I've got the wrong pirates...for all its stealing of poor, struggling artists works / X-factor runner-up bargain bin cover compilations, the undermining of a golden cinematic tradition / exposing the mediocrity - a few days before general release - of yet another half-arsed remake of an uninspiring sequal, there is a positive side.

If, like me, you value the opportunity to expand your cultural horizons, beyond the limits of mass consumed, MTV driven, advertising-exec friendly fodder, then the internet is a wonderful place. [I'll get off my soap-box in a minute, I just don't want to interupt the flow...] It allows you to sample infinite delights, free of charge, encouraging easy and adventerous exploration before any well informed purchases - of which I still insist on making - of material in their vacuum sealed, plastic wrapped and packaged form. (Bonus features included)

It is with this in mind that I encourage anyone interested in exploring some of the delights of Soviet and Russian cinema to turn their browser to the following YouTube channel: 'birubirFilms'

I won't try and provide an exhaustive list of what is on offer here, all subtitled in English and lovingly uploaded with a brief account of their place in film / television history. If you check the comments page you can also find a direct link to download them in DivX for digestion at leisure.

Never mind the benefits this is going to have for my language and understanding of Russian culture, some of these are just wonderful films. Enjoy!

*****

UPDATE: Nice while it lasted. Seems the bods at YouTube were more particular about copyright infringement than you or I...

Not sure how long it will last but someone else is now carrying the torch for free access to subtitled Russian films. Search 'IgorRusland' and their profile should come up. For how long is anyone's guess!

Frozen to the Core...

2009-12-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

I've lived my life thus far following a general rule that I'd never go on holiday in winter somewhere colder than it was in the UK. Hence I've never been found skiing the Alps or off visiting Father Christmas in Lapland. (Happy instead to wait patiently for him to come to me in the comfort of my own home...)

Thus its also something of a 'culture shock' to be faced with the temperatures St Peterburg is now experiencing. This isn't just cold, its bloody freezing. I went out today in obligatory winter wear - thermal base layer, two t-shirts, jumper, fleece, jacket, hat, gloves and thermal 'Buff' scarf - with blue skies above and a layer of snow on the ground. It took me at most about 15 minutes to feel the cold. More than 5 minutes with my gloved hands out their pockets taking photos and I would have welcomed them simply going numb instead of the crippling pain they quickly headed towards. I thought my nose was going to fall off and I couldn't risk standing still for fear of losing blood flow to my lower body.

Ok, so maybe I'm not quite a-climatized yet. Give it a few days and I might be ready to roll around in the powder making snow angels. I doubt it though. The Russians don't seem to see it as an opportunity for play and instead have proven very adept at shifting large quantities of it off the roads and pathways, even clearing the square in front of the Winter Palace by digger.

The real indicator of how close Hell must be to flicking on the central heating is that Neva has apparently gone from watery highway to frozen tundra in the space of a few days. I was not expecting to see this while I was here. Not sure it was worth losing a few limbs to frostbite in my effort to get a photo though...

Cool Runnings...

2009-12-15T09:36:00.001-08:00

I've been meaning to post up some photos of my make-shift running track that - until the temperature took a massive plummit to negative double figures over the weekend - was my primary means of breaking a sweat while out here.

I managed a few sessions last week but its going to take a serious boost to my self-motivation to get me out while the temperature is as cold as it is now. More on that later...

The other option I suppose is to find myself an old wooden dachas in the mountains and scale a few peaks to cries of "Drago!" ala Rocky IV. (Which was actually shown with its obligatory half-arsed dubbing last week. I do love a good montage!)

These images show the straight course of the river which is crossed at either end by a bridge that allows a circuit around the circumference of the whole thing. You can also add in a few step runs for interval training if it takes your fancy. Its not usually under half a foot of snow and you'll find tarmac by the river and a dust track under the trees. Three or Four laps in a session is usually enough depending on what you're aiming for though just watch the wind can be tunnelled a bit to give you a contrast between head and tail wind depending on which way you're travelling.

The English National Character...

2009-12-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing I can be sure of, one accomplishment that cannot be taken away, one thing that above all else I can look back with pride on during my time here in Russia, its the fact that I have introduced my teacher to Monty Python.

What started out as an inquiry into the English mentality - in other words our defining national characteristics - pointed me to that key ingredient, our sense of humour. Cutting aside all the anthropological jargon, the case studies and the statistical data, leaving behind stereotypes and surveys, what better way to learn about the oddities, eccentricities and contradictions at the core of 'us' than by what makes us laugh?

Either way its a bloody funny sketch. And a shop with nothing to buy rang surprisingly true for a Russian audience...(I almost feel a sociological study coming on!)

A Winter Wonderland...

2009-12-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

I'm a day behind with this post but I've been playing catch up with homework all day so forgive the delay...

I managed to escape the apartment yesterday for a return visit to the main site of the Political History Museum. I was initially put off by the sight of scaffolding outside and the front gates locked. Turns out its under renovation but by no means closed to the public.

You'll now find the entrance to the right of the gates, down a side entrance. The layout becomes a bit of labyrinth but the signs generally point you in the right direction. (And of course I was helped by my two previous visits) Plastic shoe covers are a now standard issue though the exhibition rooms themselves appear to be free from the attention of the builders thus far.

I won't bore you with the details again. Just make sure you pay it a visit if you're in the area!

By the time I left it was dark out and the vast array of lights on display in time for Christmas offered illumination for my trek across the Neva back to Nevsky. (I realised even the bridges are lit up with an impressive length of fluorescent tubing!) I decided to delay my return home with an obligatory trip to my favourite Russian cake shop before an exploration of Nevsky Prospect's decorations. I eventually came across a veritable Winter wonderland, positioned behind the statue to Catherine the Great and featuring a ice skating rink and various stalls selling food and tourist tac.

A nice opportunity to people watch and recharge my festive battery with cheer, still I couldn't help thinking I was missing a hand to hold...x

The Day After Tomorrow...

2009-12-11T00:21:00.000-08:00

As the picture from this morning shows shows, a bit of anti-climax but I'm sure there's plenty more where that came from...

Planning for the Worst...

2009-12-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

Even though I haven't seen the sun for the last six days I don't really have reason to complain about the weather. Its been chilly but by no means Siberian, its also been wind free and bone dry regardless of the complete cloud cover.

I'm assuming this is largely due to the fact I went to the trouble of buying wellies and waterproof trousers before coming this time. As far as I'm concerned they can continue to be unused for the next week and a bit.

However tonight we got our first real sign of snow. It wasn't heavy and by the looks of things it stopped after a couple of hours of light flakage but with the ground dry it was settling easily. I might have over-reacted as I took the chance to go shopping for enough food to see me through the next week but I'd rather do it now than feel trapped and hungry over the weekend.

If we do get decent coverage I'll take some pretty pictures. For now I'm happy to stay warm and dry in the apartment as I battle through my homework for tomorrow.

A cool, dusty embrace...

2009-12-09T12:06:00.000-08:00

Well, as promised, today saw me tucked up in one of the city's many depositories of Soviet history salivating at the wealth of documentary evidence on display. Though only four small rooms made up the branch of the Political History Museum dedicated to the activities of Russia's secret police - from their formation under Nicholas I and through both the many Tsarist and Soviet manifestations and institutional makeovers - I still lost nearly three hours poring over the records.

From Lenin and Martov's original rap sheets within the files of the Okhrana, to Party directives on the formation of the Cheka in the throws of civil war and a declaration of Dzerzhinsky on the 'Red Terror' later doctored as incriminating evidence against Trotsky at the end of the 1920's.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is history. Its not pretty, its not glamourous, but my god it sparks my imagination and loses me to its cool, dusty embrace before I can resist.

Like most of the museums already discussed in this blog and found within the city, I discovered the staff of kindly old ladies a welcoming force of knowledge, stirred by my lone presence in their hallowed halls, desperate to recount endless insights into the documents and history on display. One lady in particular, regardless of my lack of Russian, nattered away happily, expecting only the occasional nod on my part while she offered her take on the revolutions of 1905 and 1917.

Meanwhile as I entered more contemporary exhibitions on the activities of the KGB in the 1970's and 80's, one of the guides did her best to answer my questions in a combination of broken English and Russian. (On both our parts!) If nothing else I'd love to return to some of these museums with a greater grasp of the language just to appreciate how much knowledge these guardians of knowledge maintain and repay their enthusiasm with more stimulating conversation on my part.

With the time lost here I didn't make it to the main branch of the museum across the Neva. Still I took the opportunity of free student access to pop into the Hermitage to see if I could catch up on a few more of its halls not yet viewed. I unexpectantly continued in history mode having found myself among the collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman artifacts reminiscant of those on offer in my native Oxford's 'Ashmolean Museum'. (Link provided for anyone finding themselves in my part of the world...)

This developed into a complete contrast when I emerged among a temporary exhibition of new British art that was a heady mix of pop culture and pretentiousness. Nice to scratch the creative itch that I still manage to nurture. If there's one thing I should try and do when I'm in this city its pick up a sketchpad and draw.

The end of the day provided a pleasant surprise as I discovered the city lit up following my absense since the weekend. Nevksy Prospect was a little on the Blackpool promenade side but it was still an impressive spectacle and the hint of snow definately increased the festive factor. I can almost taste the turkey...(Though that could be my body ready for a change of its monotonous pasta based diet!)

Stalin vs. Trotsky...

2009-12-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

I don't want to give the impression that I can now freely absorb Russian media. Tonight I returned to my favourite past time of trying to absorb its televisual offerings regardless of how little I understand. The reason being I'd spotted an advertisement for a documentary looking at the leadership battle between Stalin and Trotsky following the death of Lenin.

To be fair I was impressed by the amount of contemporary film clips that made up much of the documentary, its always nice to see the faces of history walking and talking in front of you. Still my following of proceedings was far more reliant on my historical knowledge than my understanding of the language. Unfortunately that also means my review is somewhat limited. Well at least we know who won...

Tomorrow, since I have a free day from classes, I plan to continue in history mode and both revisit the Museum of Political History - in the hope I can spend a couple of hours testing my translation skills on displayed documents - as well as its branch dedicated to the secret police over by the Admiralty. Riveting stuff. I told you this wasn't a holiday...

Becoming a media junkie...

2009-12-07T03:16:00.000-08:00

I thought this was worthy of a post since it represents the first news broadcast I can claim to have understood in both (a little!) dialogue and its images. It formed part of todays class that also happened to include my first successful translation of a newspaper article and a broader theme of 'preserving the past vs. embracing the future'.

Its been a stimulating few hours and my brain has definately woken up to the idea that its not here for a break. Credit has to go to Katya for putting together a class that gave me the chance to mix history and current affairs, the combination of which is paramount to my course in Oxford. Its this ability to tailor the lessons on an individual basis that really brings home how much easier it is for me to make progress here.

Must be worth the wait...

2009-12-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

I took a trip into the city centre this evening in the hope of finding a spectacle of light and colour. I didn't. Part of me wants to congratulate the city planners on realising Christmas doesn't start in early November, the other part of me wanted to see how pretty the city looked adorned with fairy lights.

To be fair there are still parts of the city decked out already, the photo above showing the view across the Neva of Peter and Paul Fortress is a case in point. Still the real surprise was to find Nevsky Prospect and the front of the Winter Palace adorned but not yet lit up. I can't imagine its an energy saving measure, but I'd love to know when the big day is. (I'll check with Katya tomorrow...)

Speaking of tomorrow my first class is scheduled at 10am. This is a godsend. Having woken up at 8am this morning to find dark, I went back to sleep only to wake up at 9am and find...dark. It stayed dark till 10am and with the cloud cover never got much above 'mildly gloomy' till about 4pm when it just went dark again. If it carries on like this i'll not see the sun for a fortnight!

The story so far...

2009-12-05T14:27:00.000-08:00

I'm back. It's cold. And I've still got a long way to go...

For the last eight weeks or so I've been buried under the Oxford routine. Thankfully its not been as intensive as my undergraduate degree but its still been enough to make me realise my progress in the Russian language is not going to be even across the disciplines of speaking, listening, reading and writing.

There the focus in the classroom is on getting prepared for archival research. Lots of translations, lots of vocabulary building on the fundamentals of the Soviet system, population migration, the industrialisation of the Stalinist period, etc, etc. Pretty specialist. Unfortunately with the amount of gaps I have in my learning the improvements I've made haven't been as tangible as I would hope. I think some stuff has sunk in, just don't ask me what exactly. (Besides getting faster with the dictionary...)

That said, I was worried I'd managed to forget more than I'd learned when it came to my speaking and understanding. I might have been wrong on that one. The drive with Sasha from the airport gave me my first chance of 'conversation' and I have to admit I think I performed admirably. To think we touched on - ahem - the 'fundamentals' of Russian grammar (and its relation to English, given he's trying to learn my native tongue) during the course of the chat gave me hope that I'm not still sounding like a five year old in my sentence constructions. (I probably am though...)

My intention is to make sure my teacher, Katya, is strict with me for the next two weeks and even if we don't make much progress in the aforementioned grammar, at least I'll come away with something approaching a competant level of speaking to build on. Other than that its business as usual now I'm back. I should mention my flight though before I sign off. Thanks to a tip from Bart, the course co-ordinator, I found 'Rossiya Airlines' were in the middle of a special offer. I managed to secure return tickets (DIRECT! No circumnavigating Western Europe via Germany and Lufthansa!) from Heathrow to Pulkova 2 for about £160 (Lufthansa were quoting about £280).

Service was relatively faultless, though in the typical Russian manner, brisk and without any frills. One the other hand the meal was a mini feast and the important thing is we arrived early. (Surprising given we were half an hour late taking off and the time it took to taxi across Terminal 4 in Heathrow, I thought the pilot planned on driving most of way there...) Reading their in flight magazine they also offer the rather novel opportunity to buy 5 tickets in the course of a year and claim the sixth free. If the visa system weren't such a pain in the arse, I might have had use for this.

Translator for hire...

2009-09-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this on the bus from Heathrow to Oxford. Oh the joys of this modern age...

Its been a long few hours in purgatory but I'm pleased to announce I've landed back in England in one piece with all my luggage and sanity intact. Thanks to the joys of German efficiency (more on that later) I arrived at my connection ten minutes early allowing for a quick march to the departure gate, rather than a frantic dash.

The real point of this post is that slightly tongue in cheek comment that makes up the title of this little diversion. In the course of a two hour flight from St Peterburg to Munich what started out as a helpful translation of a fellow passengers drink request - from "Sok" (Russian) to "Juice" (English) to "Zaft" (German) not to mention coffee with milk... - for the benefit of the cabin crew, I was rewarded with a pleasant 'chit-chat' the rest of the way.

I can speak Russian! I can understand Russian! I can even acknowledge the universal joke that is national stereotypes and that aforementioned view of German efficiency...in Russian! I came away with a telephone number and email of a Russian academic based in St Petersburg, travelling with his wife to Portugal. His command of English was negligable forcing my Russian to come to the surface and I couldn't be more satisfied with my progress. I am chuffed!

I need to find more Russians to speak to. I'm a couple of weeks away from kicking off my studies and my only hope now is that there are some native Russian speakers willing to indulge my new found confidence. Yes there are gaps, yes my mind was frantically constructing sentences in the correct cases during those opportune moments where he chatted to his wife, but still, at my question as to whether his trip to Portugal was for a well earned break. (Cleverly wielding the verb 'to relax' that suddenly appeared from no where!) I could offer a knowing smile at his comment that no, this wouldn't be a chance to relax with all the walking his wife would want to be doing...

Enough said for now, my next task is grappling with the logistics of a both starting university and planning for a return in December. Hopefully this optimism spills over to both and I hit the ground running...

Leaving at a more civilised hour...

2009-09-26T01:29:00.000-07:00

After suffering the inconvenience of the bridge system at night in April, I'm pleased to be able to knock out this last post while I grab a quick bite to eat before a 1:30pm pick-up.

Yesterdays extra lesson was a good way to end the week and these three weeks in general. I now feel like I'm leaving Russia with a good foundation in the language and the confidence to move forward as I commence my studies again at Oxford.

Time flies, since April, indeed since this time last year when I faced the prospect of applications, employment and planning to get me where I am now. I lot of wonderful surprises have emerged along the way, both people and places, that have all added the experience and ensured my development over the last twelve months or so hasn't been purely linguistic.

Though part of me is reluctant to leave - when my progress has just started to pick up to a more tangible level - I've a lot to look forward to when I get home. (Not least a short trip to Milan with a very important person I was fortunate to first meet here in St Petersburg! x) The other aspect of my studies is of course Russian History and this too is an area I've managed to make progress in during my stay. Its when I can combine the two and begin the process of translating and understanding the material I've been surrounding by here in St Petersburg that I'll feel like my work can really begin. I have a long to go yet, but at least I'm beginning to enjoy the journey.

I'm already planning my next return to the city, hopefully in the first few weeks of December. I just hope now that I'm back at Oxford I can find the financial support I need to make regular visits a possibility. I hope I'll also be able to continue this blog and that of course, anyone following, enjoys the journey with me.

Monumental Leningrad...

2009-09-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'd like to tell you that having seen both ends of the massive Moskovsky Prospekt today my legs managed to carry me across the whole length of it. Unfortunately I called it a day at 'Frunzenskaya' metro station and then backtracked from Nevsky Prospect to see the finish.

Nevertheless this was still a chance to see the truly monumental scale of Soviet (and Stalinist at that) architecture that dominates this road into the city. The presence of the old hammer and sickle is stamped across the landscape within this concentration of concrete structures. This is Leningrad through and through. Even the green spaces of 'Victory Park' (Park Pobedy) - built to commerate the victory over Nazi Germany - contain an imposing collection of monuments large and small to hero's of the Soviet Republic.

I was helped by blue skies - as a side note I'd love to know why the BBC weather forecast seems able to provide more accurate predictions of weather here than in Oxford? - offering a striking contrast to the grey of the buildings. It gave me chance to flex my creative muscle and spend a while with my old black and white film camera. I spent the morning attempting to create a 'photo-joiner' of the view on offer at the central square where I'd first spotted Lenin greeting newcomers to the city. What I hadn't noticed on my first visit was the prominence of a Nike store across the street from his gaze. Tag lines like 'Revolution: Just do it' or 'Socialism: Never miss a step'...ahem...sprung to mind and I proceeded to fanny about for an hour or so going through a couple of films trying to piece together the image I had in my head. It remains to be seen if it will come out as a success but I'll try to remember to post up the result.

And you thought Disney did cute...

2009-09-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I've started to fall for the charms of Soviet animation. After my introduction in April to their take on 'Winnie the Pooh' I've been picking up an irregular dose through the nightly bedtime program that runs on Russian TV for parents trying to encourage their little cherubs to sleep.

Anyway, as this example shows - 'The Kitten called Woof' - it can be incredibly cutesy, but at the same time its rather helpfully aimed at my current level of Russian.

Divide and conquer...

2009-09-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of days now since my last post. I've spent that time away from the classroom and focused on filling in the blanks where my knowledge of the city is concerned. Geographically that has involved splitting the map into four and trying to focus on navigating my way round each quarter. So far I've explored the northern half, yesterday to the East as far as Smolny - with its impressive cathedral complex and revolutionary centre thats isolated enough from the metro system to feel it in my legs afterwards - and today through the trio of islands to the West that include the real greenery of the city and the summer dachas of the richer sort.

I've had a thoroughly enjoyable day in fact. Covering a fair distance and a lot of bridges, I travelled by the metro to the northern most point (Chyornaya Rechka) of my journey and then worked my way down. Crossing first to Kamenny Island, I followed this round to the sight of Yelagin to the east - opting not to cross over what looked like a tolled bridge - and then south to the largest of the three, Kretovsky. I cut short my exploration there however, there was a lot of development work going on after the end of the summer season and my sights were set back towards the centre and a visit to the 'Kirov Museum'.

This really was a wonderful place to spend a few hours. The museum itself is a little difficult to find, there's a clear enough sign in English on the outside of the building but you then need to climb to the fifth floor for the ticket office before returning to the fourth for the first exhibition space. A lovely restored view of this key figure in the Stalinist regime - both in life and then in death as a saintly hero of the revolution - and his apartment awaits. The curators, a collection of kindly old ladies, were wonderful, welcoming me through to their domain, complimenting my Russian and generally fussing to make sure all the lights were on and I was able to navigate my way through each room in the correct order. Although the translated notes that accompanied each room in the apartment were faultless and reminiscent of the material to be found in the Museum of Political History, when it came to the individual examples of his writing, photo descriptions and other artifacts further on, my Russian is still whoefully inadequate.

Returning to the fifth floor there is also an additional exhibition currently showing artifacts and images from children during the Soviet period. Its themed around school and rationing and proved equally fascinating. As I signed the guest book one of the curators asked if I could offer assistance in deciphering the correct pronounciation of 'vehicle' in English. (Giving a good indication of why the translated notes had proved so good) Happy to oblige I was also pleased to be able to support the museum by buying a program in both Russian and English for a few roubles to see about improving my own language skills in retun.

My last little excursion involved crossing back to Nevsky Prospect and - after re-fueling with a little coffee and cake from my favourite store with the blue sign - calling into an antique store I'd been introduced to by Nastya on one of our practice lessons. There I'd come across an old Soviet childrens book from the 1950's. In wonderful condition it was full of little colour pictures, stories and handwriting practice. Unfortunately at 3000 roubles its a little out of my price range but I thought I should put my language skills to the test and use it as an exercise in speaking. Though I came away without the book, my interest was rewarded with by the opportunity to view a selection of other similar books, not in quite the same condition but which might prove a suitable alternative. I'm not sure. I left with the hope I might return tomorrow.

до завтра!

All change...

2009-09-19T11:04:00.001-07:00

I'm still a little shell-shocked after last nights send off at the local bar. (For those coming to the end of their two week cycle and heading home today) The antics of the local population were largely the same as last week though we stayed long enough to see a flaming bar and firing breathing added the repertoire of circus entertainment.

After waking up in the early afternoon (I'm telling myself it was more due to the mental fatigue of study than the alcohol the night before...) I was offered the opportunity by Bart the course co-ordinator to move across to a single room in the next door apartment. Since I'd be here for a week with only one class remaining from this course I thought it would be nice to get a little space to myself.

That space has actually turned out to be pretty impressive. Its clearly a recently refurbished site with large rooms and good facilities. Its going to be a shame to leave the old apartment behind, I was getting quite used to it and could forgive its student-living sized proportions. Left again to my own devices I'll now need to work out how to best spend this week. I'm still toying with the idea of a train trip out to Moscow and back. Its going to be a question of time and expense though. I may head down to the station tomorrow to look at the logistics, though my teacher has recommended where to go when it comes to tickets.

At the end of the day I still feel I've got a lot left to see in the city of St Petersburg. (And surrounding area if I were to trek out Pushkin for example...) I think I may have to at least take advantage of the metro system and see what happens when I start hopping off at random stations...

You can tell a lot about a place by its Lenin...

2009-09-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

In contrast to the vocal, gesturing figure that welcomes the noise and activity of the gateway to the city at Moscovskiy Prospect, the statue of Lenin that sits on Bol'shoy Prospect seems content with a quieter pace of life. This is the first time I've hopped off the metro just one stop from my adopted home of Primorskaya and the contrast is surprising between this almost 'suburban' district and both the endless high-rise apartments of home and the general hussle and bussle of the centre.

The buildings are less imposing around the streets of this main boulavard, its a pleasure to be able to hear oneself think (and talk as I was joined by my tutor for this final practical lesson) as we walked around the sights. We didn't make it as far as the banks of the Neva, but eventually retreated to a little cafe to continue the lesson and give me chance to expand my knowledge of a little more colloquial Russian.

From one day to the next...

2009-09-17T01:26:00.000-07:00

I realise I'm behind on a couple of days posting. To be fair at this stage in the course, my days are beginning to blur one into the next. I thought my previous introduction to study in the city was intense but that was before I was faced with the prospect of afternoon practical lessons following a full mornings theory in the classroom.

Its often only the following morning, when through sleep my head has a chance to organise all I've absorbed, that I begin to appreciate what I've learnt. At times of course it can feel that all the new stuff is simply pushing out the old stuff, but thats inevitable with the complete immersion in the language I'm experiencing.

In this absence from updating, I've neglected to mention a visit to the Russian ballet, an experience that didn't quite match the sumptuous display of setting and sound at my first visit to the Russian opera but was nevertheless memorable. To be fair we opted for cheap student tickets and a less prestigious venue than the Mikhailovsky theatre - which was enjoying the opening of the new season and proved inaccessible at such short notice - though we took advantage of the opportunity to shift across to a better view as the lights went down. What else could we opt for than 'Swan Lake', the perfect introduction, which for me was as memorable for the music as the athletic dancing on display.

I can only conclude by saying if you're in the city, go, find a ticket vendor (lining Nevsky Prospect, they're not hard to find) and pay as much as you can afford. (Whether that's £8 or £80!) Its amazing to think the level of access that can be enjoyed here in contrast to the expense you'd find in England.

Passing for a native...

2009-09-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

So it does look like if I just keep my mouth shut I can pass for a Russian. I barely had time to nod in agreement to the cashier - returning to the 'The State Museum of Political History of Russia' for todays practice lesson - as she asked my tutor and I if we were students, by which of course she meant Russian students, when she offered up the tickets for entry. I wasn't going to correct her and lose the free admission.

I've described my experience of this museum in a previous installment so I won't expand much further on its earlier glowing review. This trip was both an excuse to practice my Russian on the subject of the country's history and politics and a chance to finish my tour of the museums exhibitions. I'd yet to see the extensive range of artifacts on the Civil War (unfortunately lacking in the generally commendable provision of English translations found here) or Lenin's study and temporary housing of the party in the interim between the February revolution and 'July Days' of 1917 when Lenin and his fellow Bolsheviks could enjoy temporary respite from persecution. Both on the second floor they were also joined by what appeared to be a temporary exhibition on the opening month of the Second World War and the division (and destruction) of Poland by German and Soviet forces.

Returning to the theme proposed by the title of todays post, I was also introduced to an important insight into the culture of the Russian language during the mornings class. The prevalance of the 'passive construction' in every day speech - terminology that was unfortunately lost on me initially in English never mind the Russian equivalent...damn state schooling! - derives from a Russian mentality that seeks to avoid "responsibility" at every opportunity.

On a practical level this has allowed me to understand the significance of constructions such as 'можно' ("It is possible") that dominate my early experiences of the language. This extends much further though and offers the opportunity to essentially remove the subject (you or I) from the action, i.e. 'who' is responsible for 'what'. Suddenly "I want" becomes something closer to "It is desirable to me". The significance isn't immediately visible until you begin (one begins to?) to think about making demands of another Russian. "Can you close the door?" becomes "Could the door be closed, by you?" reminiscant of the convaluted ways of speech possible in the interest of English politeness.

Anyway I Googled the phenomenom after class and came up with this telling article on the logical conclusion it can reach. Revealing stuff! Unfortunately it does mean I face the prospect of an infinitely larger workload if I'm to speak like a Russian and not just look like one!

"Все для фронта, все для победы"

2009-09-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finally got to scratch my Soviet itch again! Travelling across the city by metro to the end 'Московская Проспект' we were met by Nastya for a group excursion. Aiming for what is the southern gateway into the city we were greeted by the sight of the 'Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad' (To give it its full title).

However before all that, I headed northwards just a few blocks to the site of what was to be the new central square of the city - if the Soviets had had their way and the natives not stubbornly refused to take any notice - where I finally got to see my first Lenin statue. After being presented with a wooden box when I travelled across to Finland Station back in April it was great to finally see the old man himself. He still cuts quite a dashing figure, doffing his cap to city before him.

The square in which he stands, indeed much of the surrounding area is dominated by Soviet architecture. Though I'm not sure the conversion of one of the most striking Soviet landmarks I've seen thus far into a business complex / bank stays particularly true to its socialist heritage. Ah well, the times they are a changing...

I stuck around long enough to take a few photos and admire the fountains, where yet another wedding party was stood around posing for photographs. (A regular sight this trip around the city, we were even given chance to watch a 'mock' ceremony in the Kazan Cathedral on our last excursion that apparently follows the official joining for those willing to pay for the priveledge!)

Returning to the group, the monument required just a short walk through a subway that crosses beneath the busy roundabout above. The sound of sombre classical music - which unfortunately this uncultured ear couldn't identify - fills the broken ring representing the blockades one hope for supply and evacuation during the 900 days of the siege, 'The Road of Life'. Its worth reading the history of those events in advance as there is no English translation within the small exhibition hall that accompanies the site and we were reliant on our translater to understand the significance of the artifacts in front of us. (That said, a display case containing a number of small Soviet artifacts - where one party members richochet damaged medal and anothers identity book with added bullet hole - were pretty self explanatory in understanding the chances of survival were as much a question of luck)

There is also a short video presentation - without dialogue - that provides a glimpse of the horrors of the siege and numbing effect the daily sight of the dead and dying from the effects of hunger and constant bombardment had on the population. In all it was quite an effecting visit. I'm determined to see the museum of the blockade in the centre of the city to gain a more complete picture of events.

Finally, for someone obviously interested in learning the language one interesting point raised by Nastya was the significance of the language that adorned the walls of the monument. Full of 'Soviet speak' she explained how the significance of its content and the imagery it intended to convey was all but lost to those of her generation. It is only her parents and her grandparents generation that continue to interpret those words with meaning, whereas the children born after any real impression of the Soviet regime could be made on them see them just as empty words.

...in Russia the party finds you!

2009-09-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

After opting to chase the last bit of sunshine of the day with a run last night I returned to the apartment feeling pretty re-energised and joined a couple of my fellow students for what we thought would be a quiet drink to end the week. Forgetting it was Friday night, we sat and talked over a few drinks in one of the local bars only to be treated to a view of proceedings as the local population came to unwind after a busy week at the office.

I don't think any of us were confident enough to join the festivites at this stage in our Russian education, but the entertainment was not your average night on the tiles in the UK. At one point we were provided with a circus act in the middle of the dancefloor, our own little 'circ de soleil', with a "cloud swing" (Thank you Google) artist entertaining the crowds.

The music too was an eclectic mix, part Russian, part trashy Euro-pop, part obscure pop-culture references. The video above is from an old Soviet child's choir performing in the 70's. I remembered coming across it on YouTube when it appeared over the soundsystem and was greeted by cries of delight from the crowds. Anyway we left as the natives were probably just warming up but we may risk a return visit sometime in the future.

На здоровье!

Two steps forward one step back...

2009-09-11T05:19:00.001-07:00

Ah the joys of Russian grammar! Attempting to get to grips with the instrumental case has set my head spinning again. Combining that with an expanded vocabulary of business terminology was just a bonus. Its these lessons where I'm looking for the smallest victory to get me through the day.

I've left feeling drained but satisfied, after all the sun is shining again and I have the weekend ahead of me. Two days without lessons will hopefully give me the opportunity to consolodate what we've covered this week and spend some time exploring the city again. I'm tempted to make use of the good weather and travel a little further afield on the metro to the parks of the northern islands.

For now I need to eat and unwind. I've no plans for the evening, managing to budget pretty well this time and save my pennies before I head back to university. Still if I can find the energy I might go for a walk through the grounds of the Winter Palace again at night. I'd love to know the calories I'm burning with all this brain activity though...

The beauty of light...

2009-09-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

If the sun felt the need to retreat behind the clouds for much of today, its presence was definitely visible during my first introduction to the development of Russian art within the labyrinth that is 'The Russian Museum'.

I won't attempt to discuss in great detail the history or collection of this vast depository of works, the experience was far more emotive than a list of names and dates. To view these images in a semi-chronological manner unveals the distinct nature of the Russian tradition - to someone who never claimed to be a well informed art historian that is - with passing hints of a European influence that never seems to completely overshadow a move towards the fantastic expression of the beauty of light.

This is epitomised in the work of one of Russia's favourite sons, Ilya Repin, whose paintings dominate the collection from the second half of the 19th century. Alongside his contemporaries work after work shows a keenness for capturing light and the most fantastic colour. The specific names escape me - a return trip is likely after finding yet another discounted student entry - but the effect is permanent.

Religion also maintains a prominant role in the subject matter of even these more contemporary works. From this first introduction it appears that only with the arrival of Peter the Great the impetus to explore more secular themes found a market in Russia. The transition from the Byzantine-esq icons of the early period sees a leap to a more fully formed 'perspective' as the technical achievements of Western art are inherited without the same slavish addearance to classical traditions and narratives.

Instead this collection and the artists that produced it go on to offer a broad, deep and detailed view of Russian society. A multitude of figures each with their own character and stories appear across the works. The symbolism is unfortunately lost of this novice, but the chance to view life outside Western Europe is a joy.

Credit however must also go to my guide and translator Nastya, who ensured the time spent during this short afternoon's private lesson was an invaluable first introduction. The only unfortunate aspect of the trip was the closure of the collection from the Soviet period. However I can foresee this needing an eye unburdened by the aesthetic beauty of the earlier works to appreciate it on its own terms. Hopefully an opportunity will arrise later in my stay to do this.

'Blue skies and Butterflies' or 'Faith Restored'

2009-09-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

I did not come to Russia expecting to work on my tan. Someone important must have realised I was owed my fair share of summer after another year in Oxford and decided to gift St Petersburg with some sunshine along the way.

We've had cloudless skies today, and not in the wintry, see your own breath and frost covered lawns way, but the "I should really only be wearing a t-shirt" and "If I don't move soon I swear I'm going to burn" variety. Just look at the photos...

I'd make some half-arsed comment about global warming if I weren't so glad not to see rain for a change!

Anyway, all this was a backdrop to another excursion into the city with Nastya and the group. Not particularly far afield this time round, we explored the multitude of churches (both in number and denomination) that cover Nevsky Prospect within about a ten minute walk from the metro station.

While the churches themselves were originally established under the open door policy of Peter the Great, the decisive period in recent history for them was of course the anti-religious attitude of the Soviet Union. It is amazing to see how with this shift in attitude suddenly these religious centres were turned into everything from swimming pools, to concert halls, to warehouses. Granted some of this was out of necessesity during the 'Siege of Leningrad' (which for those of you interested the anniversary of its start was yesterday) while the rest fitted with the socialist agenda of the regime.

Unlike the fading presence of the Communist Party in the city - I did happen to notice a veteren selling copies of the party newspaper outside the metro station today - religion is again a visible force in St Peterburg. However the restoration work of its earthly temples is clearly incomplete. Its worth taking a visit to the Lutheran cathedral to see the photos from its time as a local swimming pool. When you walk inside you can still almost smell the chlorine at the sight of the public benches, white walls and levelled floor that still hint at its recent watery past. You'd think they could enjoy a roaring trade in mass baptisms if they just set the tap running again...

The Roman Catholic church - damaged by fire after its conversion to an orchestra hall in the 1980's - has embraced its troubled past with the salvaged remains of its east and west alters alongside the freshly painted walls and polished stonework. In much of these churches the reliance is on copies of pre-existing iconography and artworks after their destruction by revolution or war. However, one of the most striking aspects of this church is an original alter cross lovingly salvaged and stored by one of the faithful through the duration of the Soviet regime. The dangers related to such an undertaking were significant, though it should stand as indication of the failure to wipe out religion and faith during this period in the country's history.

All in all another successful introduction to the history and culture of this fascinating city. I'm looking forward to continuing in this vain with a first trip to 'The Russian Museum' during my private lesson tomorrow.

Saw this...

2009-09-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

...and thought of you! x

Any excuse for a celebration...or cake!

2009-09-08T10:16:00.001-07:00

What a difference a "день" makes!

After two long, intense, brain-cell consuming lessons with my very patient teacher Katya, my hard work has paid off and I've come away from my first practical lesson feeling like I'm almost speaking the same language as everyone around me.

Another aspect of my course this time round that differs from April is the chance to meet with a tutor, Nastya, in the city and put to practice all the theory battling for space in my head. Its provided the perfect opportunity to sort the mess out and put some of it to good use. I'm not claiming fluency by a long way but in the time it took to walk from 'Dom Knigi' to a cafe off Nevsky Prospect I managed what I would almost consider a legitimate two-way conversation.

Granted I still hit more than my fair share of dead ends and had to resort to requesting a prompt, but it was only through gaining the confidence to actually consider how I could express myself with the limited vocabulary I have that I've come away acknowledging my strengths rather than just my limitations.

This for me is where I'm expecting to develop the Russian I need for basic survival in a country still pretty ill equipped to deal with foreign tourists. I'm not someone who settles for the point and smile approach (or shouting loudly and slowly as the old cliche goes...) but at times you still think you're facing a brick wall in your attempts to communicate here. Its also provided a great opportunity to ask about some of the aspects of Russian life and culture, both contemporary and 'back in the day'. Its this all round education that this trip is becoming invaluable and leads me back nicely to what how my classroom lessons are going to develop over the next two weeks...

I won't go into great detail. My interest in being here and the demands of my course when I return to university in October aren't universal, but its telling of the flexibility on offer when undertaking one-to-one tuition. Having spoken to my tutor we've laid out a plan to spend the majority of my time while I'm here looking at the skills and understanding needed to tackle Russian history. Using (basic!) historical text and the grammar related to it I can begin to improve my chances of reading primary documents and fast track my way through the next year before I need to start research. Its been a daunting prospect up till now, but a challenge I'm only going to enjoy more and more as my progress continues.

And the cake? Well, any excuse for that. Anyone finding themselves on Nevsky Prospect with a few spare roubles in their pocket needs to make a trip to 'Север' (The North) for an incredible selection of everything vaguely fattening and high in calories. Look for a blue sign with a polar bear, a few blocks from the metro heading away from the Winter Palace. Tirimasu happens to be my poison of choice and at less that 300 roubles for enough to feed an apartment full of hungry language students you really can't say "нет"!

Re-discovering the city...

2009-09-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

I should have done this first time round. With the chance today of a guided excursion as part of my intensive crash course, I was treated to a completely fresh tour of the city. Over the course of the next two weeks with the combination of intensive one to one lessons and opportunities for practice sessions in the city itself, I'm hoping my knowledge of Russia begins to expand with a deeper knowledge of the city...

After playing at 'tour guide' and general navigator for the rest of the group - that first trip on the metro decidedly less daunting a prospect this time round - we scouted the major landmarks in the vicinity of Nevsky Prospect. (A route very reminiscant of my first visit to the city. Go with what you know I guess...) However it wasn't until we met with our tutor Nastya that the rain began to clear and we were shown a side of the city off the usual tourist track. Fantastic!

Every landmark and place of interest was new to me, after already spending two weeks in the city I'm realised how little of St Petersburg I've seen.

There is one very important thing missing however. A hand to hold. Someone to share it with. The person in fact who I shared the city with in April, the beautiful young Danish lady I got to call mine. I know my blog has been fairly clinical so far, reading it back it only hints at how incredible the last two weeks I spent here were. I can't pass up the opportunity to express how magical this city is when experienced with someone special. Forgive the sentimentality, I'm in love. x

Back on the blog...

2009-09-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

I've just landed. About 45 minutes ago at the apartment, giving me enough time to unpack my laptop and fire off my first post. Start as you mean to go on I guess, I'm expecting the workload to be much tougher this time round (more on that later...) so I need to find time for this when I can.

Theres a slight sense of deja vu returning to a wet and grimy city. The big difference has to be the temperature though. We're in double figures (granted only the mid-teens) but for me thats going to make the trip a lot easier on the thermal front. I also noticed how much greener the city looks driving past various parks, road side flower beds and trees. I think one of my first visits will have to be the 'Summer Gardens', to see them as, well, summer gardens.

I'm in the same lodgings as before, so as the course co-ordinator Bart pointed out, not much orientation needed. Quick run to the supermarket will follow this to pick up essentials and beyond that I need fight off the sleep deprivation for as long as I can. Apparently my first excursion into the city with a tutor (again I need to explain my course setup this time round...) is tomorrow afternoon so I need to get my head into Russian all over again.

Thus far I've managed to string together a few disjointed sentences for both a Russian on my flight into 'Polkova 2' and the driver, Alexander, who was on hand to pick me up again. To be fair I also managed to convince a native into thinking I was a Russian speaker by responding with a rather well timed "pazhaloosta" in the queue for passport control, but I don't think counts. Apart from emphasising the importance of confidence when speaking. (And having your British passport tucked out of sight in your back pocket)

Anyway, here's to Russia again, to forcing some cultural development into the head of an otherwise woefully ignorant native English speaker. I've already been introduced to a couple of my fellow students, Dutch guys and as expected, in possession of impecable English. Game on!

Keeping it fresh...

2009-04-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

I suddenly feel like September is a long way away. Since returning to the UK I've done my best to surround myself with Russian, whether that be DVD's, radio or self-study. I just feel like if I'm going to carry on developing in the interim period before my return I need to maintain the same sort of condusive 'environment' I achieved in St Petersburg.

Part of it is longing to be back in what was such a enjoyable and invaluable experience, both in terms in the language and the social and cultural elements of the trip. For all the book learning I can do back in England I know I can't emulate that.

This post could just develop as another endorsement of the school and program that has facilitated this study (and blog) in the first place, but to be honest I have no problem with that. It is, in a slightly more negative sense, also my realisation and acknowledgement of the difficulty and disappointment I maintain with the way language in general is taught in this country. As an Englishman learning a foreign language I appear to be something of an anomoly. Not that I'm the only one doing it, but I'm certainly within a minority. Furthermore the difficulty I have in understanding my own language and its structure and grammatical foundations only compounds the problem when dealing with alternative languages.

Ah well, I can only move foreward with the tools I have been provided with while in St Petersburg. If this proves to be my final post for the time being - the idea of trying to think retrospectively of the two weeks as they already feel like they've begun to morph and distort into a collective whole seeming impossible - then I would like to end on a positive note. My time spent with non native English speakers has only reinforced my desire to reach a level of understanding and expression with a foreign language that is on par with that of my own first language. In other words I want to speak Russian, to think Russian and understand Russian eventually, as my colleagues on this course have demonstrated with their understanding of English. It has been a humbling experience but a highly motivational one. I would like to think I've not started too late.

Marching to a different beat...

2009-04-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Even if now - having left the city - I feel like in the last two weeks I've only begun to scratch the surface of St Petersburg, I still want to emphasis its ability to throw up a number of unique and memorable experiences along the way.

For my Danish companion and I, our unexpected discovery of Russian opera within the confines of a museum of political history was in many ways matched by what we witnessed on our final afternoon dodging the weather in the grounds and galleries of the Hermitage. Knowing even a couple of hours in its labyrinth of exhibitions, before we intended to eat in the city, would cost us nothing with our student status we felt it worth the detour in light of a return to cold winds and wintry showers.

What we didn't expect to find was a full military parade in the midst of dress rehearsal, performing in the square to the amazement of a dwindling number tourists in the midst of a brief but bitter blizzard of snow. I did my best to capture some of the scene on my camera, both in still and video shots. Again though, its one of those moments that is better internalised than observed through a lens.

That we could escape to a warm meal in a welcoming restaurant afterwards made the chance to witness such a unique display all the more attractive. This was a glimpse of Russia, a proud and stubborn display of military discipline and native grit. A throwback to a Soviet past, the sound of the old Red Army anthem at one point rang clear across the square from the regimental band.

Life marches along to a different rhythm here and a foreign tourist can easily find themselves falling out of step and daunted by the lack of a helping hand one takes for granted in most Western European cities. However I have been rewarded for my willingness to persevere and in return the city has provided opportunities for discovery that likewise, one may not expect to find in a more Western friendly centre.

A final farewell...

2009-04-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

I've lost the last few days to the Russian clock. Time flies etc...

I'm now on the verge of departing for the airport, leaving behind a lot of people and places I'd rather not be saying goodbye to so soon. This has been a wonderful experience, one that I will better reflect on back on home soil.

Here's to a safe journey and being back in September. It won't come soon enough!

00:30 (Russian Time)

Its been a long, long journey, but once again an effortless one. My lungs feel clearer already.

Time to shower, eat, sleep and generally try to feel human again. I have too many photos to sort through, but over the course of the next few days I should be able to provide a few more snapshots and commentary of my time in the city.

13:30 (Russian Time)

Lessons in social etiquette...

2009-04-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

Today we were given the opportunity by our teacher, outside our scheduled class time, to get together as a group and really test our understanding of the language. For me it was a welcome challenge as we grappled with Russian and attempted to utilise our collective knowledge outside the structure of classroom and topic based discussion. Our introduction to the Russian version of 'Winnie the Pooh' was a slightly surreal experience, but through its narrative we were given an important lesson in Russian social etiquette.

It was pleasing to be rewarded for such an intensive period of study with the feeling that real progress was being made on my part. I've already mentioned how two weeks has gone too quickly to properly appreciate the city. The same can be said of the Russian language and the opportunity for learning this school provides.

Still, I am already considering plans for a return in September when I would hope to push myself further towards providing a basic understanding that will assist during the course of my graduate studies at Oxford. In heightening both my passion for this country's history and culture and the way in which it is expressed through its language, I already consider this past two weeks a success!

Seeing the city in a new light...

2009-04-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Two weeks isn't enough. For a city that's really starting to get under my skin I can already tell I've only managed to scratch the surface of what there is on offer to see and experience.

Tonight I went to my first Opera. Purchasing tickets from one of a number of offices along Nevsky Prospect, I was amazed at the at the value on offer. Our choice of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, for its performance of Tchaikovsky's adaptation of the Pushkin work 'Eugene Onegin', was taken as classical novices. However for little more than twice the price of your average visit to the cinema in the UK - 800 roubles each plus 10% service charge - my two fellow students and I found ourselves sat in a balcony enclosure, overlooking proceedings in quiet awe.

There is little to be gained in me trying to explain in any great detail my response to the performance other than to say that considering I knew none of the story and little more of the language before hand, it was a moving and powerful spectacle. An experience worth having in a setting worth seeing.

Afterwards we decided to see the Winter Palace at night. This on a day when the first signs of spring were a welcome sight and the city seemed geared to cleaning up its act. Over the past couple of days I've spotted numerous examples of workers and cleaners sweeping roads, washing down shop fronts and tidying the few green areas of the city in what appears to be anticipation of the coming tourist season. There may be more to it than such things, but as we entered the palace square though a chill had appeared in the evening, the air seemed just a little cleaner and the light that little brighter.

All or nothing...

2009-04-13T02:35:00.000-07:00

I'm increasingly coming to realise that one of the great difficulties in speaking Russian as a foreigner stems from the natives' tendency to assume ignorance on our part. That's to say, they do not expect non-native speakers to make the effort to learn their language. When faced with someone - such as myself - trying to make a disjointed effort to communicate, it seems to take a moment before they adjust to the phenomenon and then begin the process of trying to understand what you're saying. Their need to 'learn' to understand bad-Russian seems a comparative factor in my need to learn good-Russian if we are to communicate successfully.

Its a challenge and one that, by recognising, I'm gaining in confidence that my progress, while slow, is still gathering momentum. Only by forcing myself into situations that call for me to speak Russian to the natives can this happen. I cannot be confident that I will understand their response but I'm at least gaining the confidence to ask the questions. This is particularly the case where I know the answer already and am merely aiming to be understood. (The metro being a good practice ground for this sort of thing...)

Sights, sounds and surprises...

2009-04-11T23:29:00.001-07:00

Its not often you get the chance of a perfect day. Indeed the acknowledgment of the fact in the midst of one often seems to elevate the chance of it falling apart. So forgive my late review of yesterday's proceedings. I was just making sure...

I must admit this city is starting to win me over. It might be cold, grubby and rough around the edges, still, its beginning to get under my skin. The day was spent absorbing a whole range of Russian political and cultural history, some planned, some providing a very welcome and enlightening surprise.

Travelling with a colleague and fellow culture junkie, we set out with a plan to share our appreciation of Soviet history, for my part, and Russian literature on hers. Aiming for a morning in the 'Dostoyevsky Memorial Museum', towards the south east of the city, we made good time through the metro and entered the museum as a light drizzle arrived to clear the air.

An intimate affair, consisting of one small display hall of artifacts - our polite refusal of the opportunity for an English audioguide was probably the wrong decision in retrospect - followed by a recreation of the writers living quarters lovingly restored with the aid of artifacts and ancestral guidance. The latter section did have plenty of English information guides on offer to accompany the rooms on display, while my trusty travel guide book filled in my gaps in knowledge about the writer and his works. An English translation of 'Crime and Punishment' may have to join my collection till I'm confident enough to tackle it in the original. (A good few years from now...)

After a light lunch we crossed the river at Trotsky Bridge, admiring the view of the thawing ice sailing down the river beneath us, before reaching the 'Museum of Political History of Russia'. I really cannot recommend this museum enough. Not only is it well laid out with an incredible array of artifacts and ephemera, but its support for English speaking visitors is faultless and the welcoming nature of its staff a pleasant change.

The fact that two hours were lost in the first exhibition alone - chronicalling the birth and development of Soviet Russia under the Bolsheviks - is testament to its engrossing presentation of Russian history. Granted my own interest and background in the subject was always going to help hold my attention, still my fellow traveller was equally at ease to let time pass us by and admire the museums treasures.

For anyone with a sense of historiography I think it also worth acknowledging that the museum's presentation and explanation of the material along with its overall view of the country's Soviet past is by and large refreshingly objective. The material itself, whether it be archival documents, letters, photos or artifacts, are allowed to speak for themselves. The supporting commentary meanwhile acknowledges both positive and negative aspects of the regime presenting, for example, the brutal and arbitrary nature of the Gulag penal system and the utopian ideals and reform efforts that encouraged rapid development of literacy in the country post-1917.

In the end the afternoon we gave ourselves to explore was not enough to complete a view of every exhibition room. However, some of that can be put down to the sound of opera resonating through the halls of the musuem that stopped us in our tracks and held us enraptured with the power of those singing. It appeared to be - unbeknown to us on entering the museum - a scheduled performance of selected works, sung live with a commentary on the material provided in Russian between each performance. What we failed to grasp from the language of its words, we translated from the emotive power of the music and its performers.

As proceedings came to a conclusion, we resolved to make sure this wasn't our only experience of opera while in the city.

Storming the Winter Palace...

2009-04-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

Playing the tourist again today, I finally made my way to the Winter Palace. The scope of the place is huge, somewhere you could quickly lose days in if you're at all interested in having what feels like almost intimate access with a wealth of artistic works and cultural heritage.

Maybe it was the time of year to be there - I've heard summer can see queues stretching into the palace square - or that I was exploring solo again, still the mere fact that I felt free to move from room to room, photograph freely* and find the setting as much a treat for the senses as the works themselves, meant this was a unique gallery experience for me.

The first surprise was to find entrance free for students! I must emphasise to anyone coming to the city with identification even vaguely approaching a student card, start using it. Show it on entry, try a few words of Russian indicating you're a student and you'll potentially save a surprising amount of money during your stay. At various tourist stops around the city and even a quick trip to Subway for food I've been pleasantly surprised at the reward this simple act has produced.

Back to the tour and my focus for the few hours I had to see all the treasures of the palace - and more specifically the attached Hermitage galleries - was concentrated on viewing its collection of Italian Renaissance works. Making good use of my 'Rough Guide' travel book I managed to remain roughly on track, though the place really is a maze. Plan ahead, choose what you want to see and give yourself plenty of time. I'm sure I'll be back at some point next week to do the place more justice...

*PHOTO PASS: One element of Russian tourism that seems to be a potential money-spinner with foreign visitors is the need to buy permits to photograph in many museums and galleries around the city. My experiences inside the Winter Palace suggest this is not a stringently monitored system once inside and there seems little point in paying the fee. That said this was in a quiet period of the season and I'd hate to think I was responsible for a wave of tourists having confiscated camera equipment come the summer.

'Bags' of vocabulary...

2009-04-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Its amazing how the smallest success can restore your confidence when it comes to learning a language. Today I at last woke to find that the Russian for bag - сумка - had finally found space in my head after three days of waging war with my brain cells over such a trivial piece of information.

Its been something of snowballing of vocabulary for me though as a result. Stood in front of a whiteboard, pen in hand, I was able to scrawl a wealth of words this evening. Still its always unnerving when a word you took for granted as burned into your memory has inadvertantly disappeared again. I can only hope the new stuff isn't pushing out the old...

No visit to the city today. In fact I've failed completely to leave the apartment after a morning catching up on sleep and homework before class this afternoon. With the weekend fast approaching I need to plan ahead and consider what I want to fit in my remaining time here.

Revolutionary routes...

2009-04-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

I've put some real mileage in today after this morning's class. The sun continues to shine and in the city centre that keeps things pleasantly warm. Travelling solo - giving me freedom to explore and avoid dragging my colleagues through places I might be alone in appreciating - I headed out to the infamous Finland Station where Lenin returned to the city in the midst of revolutionary upheaval.

His statue - the first of its kind to appear following his death - usually sits in the square directly in front of the station. However, for reasons that still remain unclear an explosive device, blowing a rather embarrasingly hole his backside, has resulted in the statue being covered from public view. Gone but not forgotten, his supporters have laid red carnations by the site. Interestingly I saw no sign of police or heightened security in the area after what I'm sure would be interpreted in any other western country as a legitimate terrrorist threat.

From here I made a quick detour to pass the imposing Kresty Prison before doubling back along the river towards Aptekarskiy Island. Crossing the river I drew up alongside the Cruiser Aurora, the second of my revolutionary themed sights. Surprised to find the ship open to tourists without charge I wandered across the deck and into its interior where an eclectic display of ship's artifacts can be found displayed with details of its role in Russian and Soviet history. Unfortunately the attraction as a whole is by no means pandering to foreign tourists with Russian text almost exclusively found within the exhibition space.

I carried on east along the river before turning north towards 'The Museum of Russ i an Political History'. A rather more democratic spin on what was orginally a musuem established to commemorate the October Revolution following the buildings occupation by Lenin on his return to the city in April 1917. I plan to return later in the week to explore its interior, along with the 'Kirov Museum' and 'Lenfilm' site further north along Kamennoostrovskiy Prospekt.

Feeling a storming of the Winter Palace was probably a little premature I opted instead to return to Nevsky Prospekt via the Summer Garden after crossing the river at Troitsky Most. (Trinity Bridge) The garden lived up to its name, looking decidedly bare before the advent of spring blossoms, however I was pleased to find the streets beginning to reveal a certain architectural charm by the banks of the canal. Here then one could see glimpses of the city as a 'Venice of the North', however for me the noise and distraction provided by its bustling roads makes it much harder to appreciate the city on the same level. This is above all a loud, busy and industrious city where the tourist - particularly a foreign one - has little influence on the pace and pattern of life here.

Potholes and pollution...

2009-04-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

I'm someone who likes to train. A lot. Its a bad habit and coming to St Petersburg puts a number of barriers in the way of me exercising that desire to go out and sweat.

Over the past couple of days I've tried to work out how to get round a lack of access to a gym or other indoor facilities. Yesterday with snow and sleet outside the apartment I chose to run laps up and down the sixteen floors of the towerblock. It worked, and thankfully with the staircase isolated from the rest of the complex I didn't have to worry about strange looks during my frantic dashes up and down the concrete structure.

Today with blue skies appearing over St Petersburg I decided to brave the outside world and go for a run. It could be a combination of many things - the climate, change to the body clock, diet or pollution - but I'm definately finding it harder train out here. You can taste the grime in the air and breaths don't seem to provide the oxygen your body craves. I limited myself to 40mins at a steady pace, most of which was spent dodging potholes and puddles from the previous days downpour.

That €20+ the school quotes in its online information is looking increasingly justifiable for a visit to the gym this coming weekend. This isn't usually such an expensive habit to fund...

The real work begins...

2009-04-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hopefully my last day of playing catch-up, I should be back to writing in real time by this afternoon...

It was an early start to proceedings yesterday. With a full house (6 in total) in the apartment and two bathrooms between us, things ran surprisingly smoothly in the run up to lessons starting at 9am (This will alternate each day between morning and afternoon starts). I'm taking the group course, with four other students, a nice size to ensure things move at a good pace with no one left behind.

At this point I should probably admit to having made my first efforts to learn the language back in England. Thats not to say I'm in anyway able to communicate effectively. I just have a basic understanding of some of the grammar and a small vocabulary. Without the opportunity to speak and hear Russian regularly that aspect of my understanding is still practically none existant, hence my choice to start from 'zero'.

Nevertheless, having a fellow student within the class with some prelimary understanding has meant our teacher - Екатерина, Катя or any of the other 25 derivitives of her name that formed part of our first introduction to Russian language and culture - is already willing to push us along at a slighter quicker pace and ensure we remain challenged within the group. At this early stage I hope she doesn't over-estimate my level of understanding, though it is reassuring to know that even with the stratification among our group, all of us should get the maximum possible from the next two weeks.

With the mysteries of the Cyrillic alphabet now decifered by everyone in the group - offering ample opportunity for my Dutch colleagues to demonstrate their linguistic prowess in transcribing phonetically, a humbling grasp of English humour, into Russian - the complexities of grammar await us this afternoon...

First impressions...

2009-04-05T00:32:00.000-07:00

The fact that I'm catching up on my first weekends worth of posts on Monday night should give you some idea of how busy I've been. Either that or reveal my technical ineptitude when it comes to setting up something like this.

Anyway, it seems a good excuse to keep things short and sweet. I assume these posts are supposed to be a soundboard for ideas as they emerge, not mulled over, edited and rehashed a few days later.

My Fellow Students: Mostly Dutch, plus a Belgian and Dane. Nice people, unfortunately as I should have expected they all speak perfect English thereby negating my effort to isolate myself from my first language to concentrate on Russian.

The Local Supermarket: Basic, but well stocked and reasonably priced. (For most things) Plus an ATM so I won't go without money having brought my bank card and no cash short of a few emergency US Dollars. In case you the reader weren't aware, you can't buy Roubles outside of Russia. For me, since the British Pound has collapsed against the Euro, US currency was the better option.

The Metro: Our chosen mode of transport travelling as a group on the Sunday into the centre. Its deep, its cheap and its built for distance rather than convenience. (i.e. the stops are well spread but we're only two away from the city centre) At this stage in the course - never mind what advice the guide books give for interpretting the noise - I do not expect to end my two weeks able to understand the station announcements garbled by the carriage's loudspeaker.

The City (mostly Nevskiy Prospekt): The main street is wide and long. (especially if you come out without a map, don't plan ahead and wander off in the wrong direction...) Should have brought walking boots, I expect to be doing a lot of it.

Plenty more stories to come...

From Oxford to St Petersburg (via Frankfurt)...

2009-04-05T00:23:00.000-07:00

A very early start in the morning took me from Oxford to St Petersburg - via Frankfurt - with amazingly not a single delay, cancellation, missed connection, lost passport, or full body cavity search.

I'd like to put it down to German efficiency - flying with Lufthansa airlines saved me a lot of money in comparison to British Airways, as well as restoring my faith in the standard of service possible with air travel after a few years sticking to budget airlines - though I'm sure I just got lucky.

My first of no doubt many plugs - given willingly! - for the school has to be their offer of airport transfers to the apartment within the cost of the course. Granted I don't know if this is standard within the industry, but it ensured the journey was a relaxed one from start to finish.

What the driver lacked in English he made up for with enthusiatic pointing out of some of the major sights of the city as we drove along. As first impressions go no city is likely to look its best on a cold, grey afternoon at the tail end of winter. Passing through industrial areas from the airport, some of the city's architectural charm became more visible approaching the centre. This is again left behind on the final approach to the apartment / school where the Soviet tower blocks appear somewhat overbearing and built before the prevalance of cars - or need for widespread residential parking - was realised. Its grey and grimy, but what did you expect?

Anyway, if ever there was a case for not judging a book by it's cover its now. The interior of the apartment and attached classrooms where I will be taught - it being April and out of peak season - are clean, modern and inviting. The photos will give you something of the contrast.

4th April 2009

Introductions...

2009-04-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

As this is my first attempt to publish a blog online I hope I can strike the right balance between 'interesting' and 'informative'. Having never before visited St. Petersburg, or indeed Russia, I'd like to think some of the experiences I have during my stay and within the school, will be relevant for other first timers.

Of course some of my own personal agenda and biases will creep in - though as a history student I'm sure I'll do my best to disguise them - still if nothing else I will aim to keep it clear and concise.

By way of an introduction I currently live and work in Oxford, within the university itself. Having survived three years of an undergraduate degree there relatively unscathed, I decided to stick around for post-graduate study. Choosing to take a gap year before hand to prepare, my aim with this course is to develop my understanding of the Russian language (from scratch) to a level that will allow me to study the history and politics of this fascinating country.