homebody

Time is such a funny concept, especially when you’re abroad. When I think about the first few weeks I had here, they seem like centuries ago. When I think about the fact that I’m leaving in less than a month, it feels like April is quickly slipping away under my radar.

I was eating dinner the other night and noticed that there was a program on TV that was the Russian version of Dancing with the Stars. I figured I might as well delve into the deep unknown that is Russian entertainment television so I sat with Marina and watched. It was pretty disappointing, but then Marina announced that an excellent show was coming up, with excellent singing. It was also a two-part season finale. So began my first viewing of “Dve Zvezdi” (Two Stars). I didn’t know what I was in for. The legendary songstress Alla Pugacheva came on the screen, belting out one of her classics. For those who don’t know, Pugacheva is the Russian version of a mixture of Barbra Streisand and Joni Mitchell, if such a creature could ever exist. She’s larger than life and apparently caught onto the “reality” TV craze over here. The show is a lot like American Idol except for three main things: the performers are man-woman couples, the judges give the points that determine their fate and the whole thing is basically homage to Pugacheva. So there I sat, expecting to hear some awful Russian pop songs. Of course I was wrong. If the contestants on American Idol showed half the amount of feeling this couple did they would be voted off for being melodramatic. The Russians love it though, and it was really interesting to see the difference. It was also very funny to see Marina’s response to her favorite couple, especially the man, who definitely fit her description of crush-worthy material. The tackiness was also a sight to behold, but American Idol is definitely just as tacky, just in a very different way.

I met more of my relatives who live in St. Petersburg. I’m very upset we only have a month left together, because they are so incredibly nice and fun to be with! Natasha and Anna are 20 and 25 respectively, and are my great-grandmother’s sister’s granddaughters. I’ve also met my great-grandmother’s sister’s son (their father), Mikhail, his wife Tanya and Anna’s husband Kyril. They meet every Sunday at Anna’s beautiful new apartment, and although I only have a few more Sunday here, I think I’ll be joining them a few more times. In true Russian hospitality, Anna made absolutely delicious thin crusted pizza, Mikhail gave me some old photos of relatives and Tanya gave me beautiful souvenirs to bring back. It was a perfect lazy afternoon, and it felt so nice to be there. They made me feel a sense of home that only family can provide.

I’ve read two incredible books during my time here, the late Anna Politkovskaya’s Putin’s Russia and Anders Aslund’s Russia’s Capitalist Revolution. Both are virtually impossible to find in Russia, but thanks to the foresight of some friends on the program who brought them from the states, I’ve been able to read riveting texts while living in the brutal country they expose.

That being said, I often feel like my interests are underdeveloped because I am faced with a daunting task of thoroughly understanding past and present Russian politics. Since Russia has the most complicated and dynamic political history of any world power, in my opinion, this task becomes difficult, especially without fluency in the language. However I definitely feel I have a firmer grip on the political atmosphere, and that wouldn’t have been possible without living here, even though it is a short period of time. As I expected, I am more appalled by Putin than ever before. A fact from Aslund really struck me: “Putin’s background is uncommonly devoid of attractive features and is outright frightening. Whereas both Gorbachev and Yeltsin had close relatives who had suffered under Stalin’s repression, Putin’s grandfather had been a cook at one of Stalin’s dachas, which was an NKVD job.” In the same vein, a chapter in Politkovskaya’s book has an excerpt where she describes an incident during Easter liturgy where Putin and Medvedev were standing in the doorway of St. Basil’s when they opened the doors to signify the resurrection of Christ. Politkovskaya candidly points out not only the fact that it was extremely sacrilegious, but also presumptuous and idiotic. Like many other journalists in Russia (which Freedom House ranks as the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists, second only to Iraq) Politkovskaya was murdered in cold-blood, and the case still remains unsolved.

More important than my growing disdain for Putin is trying to understand why he remains so popular. And yes, the answer is much more complex that the wisecrack remark “he makes the trains run on time” (which they do, in case you’re curious). I’ve heard many interesting answers to this question, ranging from his sportsmen’s physique to the strengthening economy. Although there is no clear answer, it seems to me that the prevailing reason is the sense of stability Russians feel under Putin’s governance. However, this stability comes at a very high cost, and although the Russians I have talked to realize this, in most cases it’s easier to turn a blind eye and sigh. I’ve come to a better understanding of why most Russians support (or don’t openly object to) Putin and that is definitely valuable knowledge. My Western perspective and preconceptions are constantly challenged here, and I’m thankful for that.

With the end of the program close I find myself reflecting, perhaps a bit prematurely, about how I’ve changed from this experience. Of course it’s hard to really grasp how I have changed and I’m sure my family and friends will help me realize those changes when I return. For now I’m going to make sure I take in every moment while I’m still here, the good and the bad, because I know they are going by all too quickly.

Happy birthday Dad! Love you!

Advertisement