jeudi 22 novembre 2012
Moscow is a destination that is off the beaten
track. And, I just recently had the opportunity to go on a trip there and visit
some friends. It was an exciting experience, especially because of the language
barrier. Most people prefer to visit Moscow in the spring and summer months when
cultural celebrations are taking place, and the weather is warmer, although
Moscow’s winter scenery would create a beautiful scene to behold. During my
stay, the summer was long gone and the weather was rainy most of the time and a
bit cold. So, it wasn't the best season. Still, you may enjoy a lot of things
and get a glance of the Russian culture and its peculiarities.
The capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow
sounds frosty but this city is a blend of modern, soviet and traditional
architecture. You may not know the name St Basil, but this Candy land-fantasy
exterior of Russia’s most famous building is the sight most people associate
with historical Moscow. Throw in the World Heritage sites of Red Square, the
Kremlin and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior with numerous galleries and
museums to Russia’s cultural past, then this city is a must for all those
gagging to explore the promise of the East.
I could go on and develop a beautiful postcard
of the city and inevitable places to visit. But, I didn't have the time to
visit so much and other people may speak about all that much better than me,
with more details or expertise. Here, I'll simply try and describe this Russia
through the eyes of a French. A vision that will certainly be subjective and
succinct, on all these little details that characterize Russians.
Moscow accommodation is famous for including
some of the most expensive accommodation in the world. However, the average
traveler will be delighted to know that accommodation varies from around €12 a
night for basic youth hostel’s shared dorms to a shocking €15,000 a night for a
suit the Ritz-Carlton’s Hotel. All the best and most sought after hotels are
located in the centre of the city – most visitors want to be within ten minutes
of Red Square, with prices getting cheaper over the river and to the north of the
centre.
Moscow is immersed in the constant traffic
jams, so don't even attempt to go over ground during the peak hours (8 to 11 am
and 5 to 8 pm). The only good thing about the city's transport is the famous
Moscow metro, which is very efficient, fast, and is so beautiful it could well
be a museum. However, what looks scaring at first is that everything is only
written in one language - Russian. You can't understand anything and fast feel
lost. Thus, to meet this challenge, you have no other choice but to quickly
learn and master a few letters of Cyrillic, to make your life in the station
easier. Otherwise, you'll get the feeling of being trapped in a maze. Not very
engaging!
Another strange thing about Moscow that instead
of using the buses, you can hail any car on the street and it'll stop and give
you a lift for money. Don't ask why it works – it's just a life-long tradition.
However, venturing at night out of the very
center of Moscow seems to be more than dangerous for a tourist. Several
Muscovites warned me about this.
Russian hospitality is undeniable; it is common
to be invited by the Russians, and as a foreigner, not knowing what to do and
what might offend your host! Even if the Russians are much more tolerant with
foreigners, it is always better to do things according to the customs and traditions
of the country. So I tried to identify some key rules to follow and some
traditions.
First, it's good practice to bring something
when you're invited: flowers, a bottle of wine, chocolates... as it is also
commonly done in France. Then, when you got to the door, and of course you
ring, you must then be careful to never shake hands with someone on the landing
door. Wait to be inside to say hello to the people present. And, it is also
imperative to remove your shoes, don't forget it!
Once inside, your host will usually offer you
to sit at the table if you come for lunch or dinner, otherwise the host will
propose to have a tea and it's rather rude to refuse. Of course you can ask for
a coffee (especially in Moscow, where it is increasingly popular) or possibly a
juice if you don't drink tea or coffee, but keep in mind that generally they
drink tea. Yep, Anglo-Saxons are not the only ones to be fond of this beverage
to that extent.
In case you come for a meal, you will find that
all the "закуски"
(snacks) are already on the table. These input of all kinds, whether it's sausage,
cheese, salads, caviar (orange).... If you invite Russian home so be sure to
bring all entries from the beginning. The hot dishes are usually brought one
after another (soup then meat or fish). Regarding the cheese, it is always
served as an appetizer, never between the dish and dessert as in France!
During the meal, you’ll realize soon enough
that drinking alcohol can be a big part of it. The first rule to fulfill when
you are with Russians is that someone has to give a toast each time the group
drinks. And of course you must finish your drink! Also the tradition that when
someone arrives late, he must drink a large glass of "penalty drink"
bottoms up to keep up with the others! If you don’t want to drink alcohol it’s
possible, but it should be from the beginning to the end. If you drink only for
part of the toasts, there is a great risk that you will hurt the persons who
did a toast where you didn’t drink. When a bottle is empty, do not leave it on
the table and, it goes without saying, replace it with another!
Thus, if you're invited for a meal, expect that
the host will feed you until you feel completely full and not capable of
moving. If you think that's dangerous for your health, or you're on a diet, I
advise you to emulate satiety, otherwise you will end up badly. Obviously,
testing Russian specialties is a must. They don't lack originality and you will
feel disorient for sure. Among them is the famous borscht (Russian pot-au-feu),
shashlik but also the okrochka (a surprisingly refreshing dish). The vatrouchka
meanwhile will make a great dessert typical of Russia. And so many more... I
may now go more often to the Pushkin coffee shop at Printemps mall in Paris,
and so succumb to a little pleasure)))
There are also other peculiarities that only
Russians have and it's useful to know them. Otherwise you risk losing friends,
getting shot, or having an argument. Below I tried to list some common traits
of the Russian character and list some things that Russians love and hate. If
you are lucky enough to meet a person whose character incorporates all of the
items from the list below, I can assure you that this person possesses the pure
Russian spirit and should be treated with high respect. If you decide to become
a Russian, you can use the list below as guidelines:
• You mustn't, under any circumstances, wish a
happy birthday to someone in advance, it means bad luck. So if one of your
Russian friends has to celebrate his/her birthday tomorrow and you leave today
for several days, do not call to wish in advance.
• If you go out and you come back into the
house immediately, because you forgot something, you have to look in the mirror
again.
• Some of Russians are naturally indifferent;
they don’t care too much about dirt on the streets, saving money, the war in
Tchechnya, breaking the rules, risking without particular reason, drinking too
much...
• ... and most of them are very proud. Don't
talk to them about their vices, they won't listen anyway. And don't dare to
criticize the way their country is -- Russia is the best place and they will
prove it to the whole world very soon.
• Some of them are quite emotional, but somehow
it’s all kept inside most of the time. They may seem a bit cold and too much to
themselves at first, but when you get to know them better, they're like a
volcano.
• Women and old women are respected here. It’s
considered polite if while being in the metro and seeing a woman or an old
woman coming in and there are no free seats, man offers her his seat. In Paris,
the metro is much noisier because we are undisciplined. In addition, if we see
an old person, we prefer to pretend not to have seen him/her while saying to
ourselves: "I'd rather die than leave my place - first come, first
served"
• Beware of the babushkas (old women). They are
active, pushy and very proud of themselves, so if you do something not the way
they think you should have done, better disappear.
• Women don't put their handbags on the floor
otherwise there will be no money.
• Russians learn English at school and many
people can understand at least the basics, especially younger people. That's
what I have been told before getting there. But, don't get your expectations
too high. It was surprisingly difficult to find people speak English or they
were too shy to speak to a stranger. Thus, they share something in common with
French people ;-)
• A club is not a place to party - it's the
place for the chosen ones. If you want to visit clubs, they have this thing
called "dress code" where you might not be allowed because you wear
Nike sneakers, old khakis or a fleece coat. However, the rules are more lax for
foreigners, so if unsure about your appearance just speak English while you're passing
the club's entrance, and you're guaranteed to get in.
Nightlife in Moscow is about being able to
multitask – venues often double up or even triple up as a restaurant, nightclub
and something else – be it bowling alley, casino or billiards club. As such the
nightclubs often resemble multiplex style cinemas in the West, with owners keen
to keep customers under one roof for all their entertainment needs – possibly
to cater for the Muscovite reluctance to use the expensive city taxi service
and therefore stay in one spot for the night. This concept was a real oddity.
Also, male travelers be warned – while
Muscovite girls are very pretty and can come on strong… some may be more
interested in your wallet than your charm!
Indeed, let's talk about Russian women. At the
risk of this post becoming a raging stereotype fest, I’ll try and keep it
general. The first point I guess to start with is the perception of Russian
women, now depending on where you come from, your ideas may differ somewhat but
the only way to really see what all the fuss is about is to actually get your
ticket to Russia but for the mean time, below are some of the things I have
noticed.
As dumb as it might seem, there are some pretty
general things you can say about Russian women as a whole. The first and most
obvious point to mention is that things in Russia are more on the traditional
side which means, generally, you will be expected to pay, open doors and generally
play the part of a gentleman. But, there are some girls that insist on paying
for themselves.
Another thing with Russian women that always
makes Western girls feel awkward is their way of dressing up. Most Russian
women will not leave home without making sure they have done their makeup and
look good. Also, they dress up too so you can expect the full works all the
time. All the American and English women I have come across have complained
about feeling underdressed, mainly because in comparison they are. Some Parisians
(see the article "Be a real Parisian... Act II" on this blog) would consider as a faux-pas the way of dressing of some Russian women (tights
that don't suit with the skirt, colors of clothes that don't fit quite well
together or a test of originality that proves to be too risky...), see an attire that was meant to be sexy but would
be, in France, considered as too close from women of easy virtue. But, apart
from this difference of perception, erase a few points here or there and you’ll
objectively realize that Russian women have definitely nothing to envy the
French. Quite the contrary! But stereotypes are sometimes hard to overcome
until you see for yourself the naked truth.
Therefore, visiting the city with Russians
helped me discover and enjoy places without any stress. They have always
supported and helped me to overcome all the difficulties inherent in Russia.
The Russian hospitality must be part of stereotypes to convey! I’d say that
people are much more direct than what we are used to, they don't feel offended
if you don't hold them the door or being touched in the subway during the rush
hours, this is normal and is not considered rude.
Moscow has been a very short but cool
experience. I enjoyed its architecture, the mystique of some places that still
prevails, its history and unusual places. I won’t miss how much Russians drink,
but I will miss drinking with Russians. I will also miss some twisted, clever
Russian sense of humor and of course, the company and warm welcome received.
The time passed so quickly that it was already time to go home in Paris. But, I
already want to come back to Russia, and one thing is for sure, I will!
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Such a cool and wide experience in a short time you stayed in Moscow! I had to laugh about your dinner at Russians:) This is so true and I get a warm feeling while thinking about all these things that make Russians different and hospitable.
Your story shows so many things that are obvious for Russians. But I have to be honest: I wasn´t aware of some of them before. Only through the eyes of a foreigner we can understand our culture and ourselves better.
A great post!
Indeed, it's true that some things seem normal and we don't pay more attention. Only an outsider can remind us of our specificities and peculiarities.
Thank you Zhanna for your comment.
I really enjoyed reading your article about your Moscow experience - it's great that you could visit this crazy city. Crazy mostly because of (as you accurately noted) the prices, traffic and flashiness. Your article is funny, sharp and well-written. It is always interesting to know how one nation is perceived by the other, especially when speaking about Russia or France.
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