This document is the Fall 2015 issue of Vestnik, a journal published by Pomona College's Department of German and Russian. It includes the following: - Contact information for the Vestnik staff and Russian program faculty and staff. - Biographies of 9 current Pomona College students majoring or minoring in Russian and REES, including their other areas of study. - Overviews of 10 study abroad programs in Russia, including locations and descriptions. - Updates on events and accomplishments of Russian students, including a new Slavic student association and a student receiving a grant to research in YIVO Institute. - Announcements of upcoming events related to Russian language and culture.

1. Русскiй
Вѣстникъ
Историко-
Литературный
Журналъ
Pomona College
Department of German and Russian
Fall 2015

2. VESTNIK STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
Nina Prasad (PZ ’17)
Co-editor
Tatiana Denisova (PO ’16)
Design Editor
Anna Novikova (PO ’17)
Contributors
Merjen Atayeva (PO ’19)
Asem Berkalieva (PO ’18)
Benjamin Cohen (PO ’16)
Paul Cresanta (PO ’17)
Tatiana Denisova (PO ’16)
Alena Dollar (SC ’17)
Yulia Kasperskaya (PZ ’17)
Sarah Krasner (SC ’17)
Maxim Leschinskiy (PO ’19)
Nina Prasad (PZ ’17)
Joshua Rooney (CMC ’17)
Alexandra Vreeman (CMC ’16)
RUSSIAN PROGRAM INFORMATION
Majors and Minors, 2015-2016
Quincy Clarke (PO ’18) – REES & Politics (minor) & Computer Science (minor)
Benjamin Cohen (PO ’16) – REES & International Relations
Paul Cresanta (PO ’17) – REES & Linguistics/Cognitive Science
Tatiana Denisova (PO ’16) – REES & Economics
Alena Dollar (SC ’17) – REES & Economics-Accounting
Sarah Krasner (SC ’17) – REES & Politics and International Relations
Nina Prasad (PZ ’17) – REES & Philosophy
Joshua Rooney (CMC ’17) – REES & Economics
Alexandra Vreeman (CMC ’16) – REES & Politics
Oldenborg Language Fellows
Benjamin Cohen: available Sunday 7-8pm, Friday 12-1pm, and by appointment
Tatiana Denisova: available Monday and Wednesday 7-8pm, and Wednesday 12-1pm
Russian Graders
Angela Twum (PO ‘18) - RUSS 001
Laura Gonzalez (PO ’19) - RUSS 033
Department of German and Russian Administrative Assistant: Alena Dollar

3. One day, in our Russian language class at Smolny College in St. Petersburg, our
teacher asked us if we knew the word “vestnik.” Our classmates furrowed their brows,
but Paul Cresanta (PO ’17) and I immediately exclaimed, “Herald!” For the word—and
its English translation—is ingrained in our Russian lexicons and in our perceptions of
Russian culture. It is through this Vestnik that we have explored worlds previously un-
known to us and have learned from those before us, and it is through this same Vest-
nik that we have offered our own two cents on Russian life and culture, in hopes that
our experiences will serve as vehicles for the travels of others. Because to be a “her-
ald” means to be a “messenger,” an “ambassador.” A link between lands and peoples.
This edition of Vestnik features twelve different “heralds,” each of whom has a unique
message and a unique point of view to share, and from whom we can all learn much.
I would like to thank all of our contributors for the time they have put into crafting their
stories. I also must thank our team of editors, who this semester have risen above and
beyond to create this magazine you hold in your hands today. And, of course, I would
be remiss if I did not thank our professors in the Russian department—Larisa Rudova,
Anne Dwyer, and Konstantine Klioutchkine—who, day in and day out, commit them-
selves to their students and to their research, and without whom the Pomona College
Russian program could not exist.
Schastlivogo puti!
Nina Prasad, PZ ’17
Editor-in-chief
From the Editor:

4. STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS
American Councils of Teachers of Russian (ACTR)
Location(s): Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladimir
Description: ACTR has several programs for the summer, semester or academic year,
including their Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program and their Rus-
sian Heritage Speakers Program. ACTR also offers a Business Russian Language and
Internship Program for intermediate and advanced speakers to acquire a proficiency in
the business lexicon of Russia.
C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in Russia
Location(s): Yaroslavl, Irkutsk, Moscow
Description: Middlebury’s program is designed to promote cultural and linguistic inte-
gration, in contrast to the more typical American programs, where students are sepa-
rated from regular university life. The program also encourages independence and the
development of survival skills for working in Russia.
Bard-Smolny Program
Location(s): St. Petersburg
Description: The Bard-Smolny Program is held at Smolny College in St. Petersburg,
Russia’s first liberal arts college. The program includes a Russian as a Second Lan-
guage program, cultural activities, and direct enrollment in Smolny classes.
Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
Location(s): St. Petersburg, Moscow
Description: CIEE’s Russian Language program is held at the Smolny Campus of St.
Petersburg State University. The program includes a strong Russian Language compo-
nent with two elective classes.
The American Home – Intensive Russian Program
Location(s): Vladimir
Description: This is a very flexible program with an intense focus on Russian. Native
speakers trained to teach foreigners conduct the language lessons.
School of Russian and Asian Studies
Location(s): Irkutsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Bishkek, War-
saw, Kiev, Batumi
Description: SRAS offers many programs in Eastern Europe, with topics ranging from
Russian as a Second Language to Acting in Russian. Programs have varying, often
flexible dates.
European University at St. Petersburg – Undergraduate Study Seminar in Russia
Location(s): St. Petersburg
Description: The USSR program offers classes in Russian, history, politics, energy re-
sources and culture. Instruction is in English

5. NEWS AND UPDATES
• New Claremont Student Association: 5C Slavic Student Association
The purpose of the organization is to bring together students interested in Slavic/Eastern European
cultures and to provide a space for the celebration of these cultures on the campuses of the Clare-
mont Colleges. The organization aims to provide the student body with opportunities to partake in
cultural events and to learn more about Slavic peoples and nations through educational events.
Organizational Board:
Founder/President: Marek Zorawski
Vice President: Stacey Abrams
Treasurer: Benjamin Cohen
Secretary: Weronika Konwent
Faculty Representatives:
Larisa Rudova (Russian)
Zala Volcic (Media Studies)
For more information on how to get involved, email Marek at mdz02012@mymail.pomona.edu, or
send him a Facebook message.
• Ben Cohen has received a Department grant to do research in the YIVO Institute for Jewish
Research. He is writing his senior thesis on the Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem.
• Seeking Social Media Interns: SEEFest LA – South East European Film Festival of Los
Angeles
SEEFest explores the rich cultural diversity of South East Europe through its annual festival of films
from the region and year-round screenings and programs. SEEFest also organizes conferences and
retrospectives, serves as the cultural hub and resource for scholars and filmmakers, and creates
opportunities for cultural exchange between Southern California and South East Europe. For infor-
mation on how to get involved, email tamara@seefilmla.org.
• Apply to the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program today!
The CLS Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs. It is a fully-funded overseas language program for American undergraduate and graduate
students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical lan-
guages and to build relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS
provides study opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every
level of language learning.
The application is now live and available online at http://www.clscholarship.org
Applications will be due November 23, 2015 by 4:59pm PST.
UPCOMING EVENTS
OLC Lecture: “Catching the Last Train Home: Restorative Nostalgia for Soviet Popular Music.”
Alexandra Grabarchuk (UCLA, Scripps). December 3. The talk will explore the career of Soviet
composer David Tukhmanov—charting Tukhmanov’s activity both during and after the Soviet Union,
and unpacking the complex relationship between this extremely popular songwriter and his altered
homeland.
German & Russian Holiday Party, December 9, 4:30pm, Seaver House.
Pussy Riot: Art, Sex & Disobedience (In Conversation with Edward Goldman). Thu, Feb 11, 2016
at 8pm, Royce Hall (UCLA).

6. RUSSIAN & REES COURSE OFFERINGS – SPRING 2016
Russian Language Courses
RUSS 002: Elementary Russian, MTWR 11:00-11:50am (Klioutchkine)
RUSS 044: Advanced Russian, TR 9:35-11:00am (Rudova)
RUSS 011: Russian Conversation - Intermediate (Ermolaeva)
RUSS 013: Russian Conversation - Advanced (Ermolaeva)
RAC 189: Russian Across the Curriculum - Russian Cinema, time/location TBA (0.5
credit)
REES and Russian Literature Courses
GOVT 173C CM: Russian Politics, MW 1:15-2:30pm (Appel)
HIST 071: Modern Europe Since 1789, MWF 10:00-10:50pm (Kates)
RUSS 187: Everyday Life in the USSR, F 1:15-4:00pm (Dwyer)
RUST 111: Russian Cinema, TR 2:45-4:00pm (Rudova) (cross-listed in Media Studies)
RUST 185: The Novels by Vladimir Nabokov, TR 1:15-2:30pm (Dwyer)

7. Inside this Issue
Making it Work: A Love Letter to the Northern Capital (Paul Cresanta, PO’17)
Professional Applications of the Russian Language (Benjamin Cohen, PO’16)
Introducing… Tatiana Ermolaeva! (Alena Dollar, SC’17)
Getting to Know Anne Dwyer (Asem Berkalieva, PO’18)
Tea Isn’t Vodka: You Won’t Drink Too Much of It
(P. Vail’ & A. Genis, tr. Tatiana Denisova, PO’16)
Heart of Russia (Yulia Kasperskaya, PZ’17)
The Quest for De Laruk (Sarah Krasner, SC’17)
Learning in Russia (Maxim Leshchinskiy, PO’19)
The Power of Language (Merjen Atayeva, PO’19)
Bad Neighbors: Russia, the Baltics, and Deterrence Theory in the 21st Century
(Alexandra Vreeman, CMC’16)
Nationality, Identity, and Interesting Professors in Kazakhstan
(Joshua Rooney, CMC’17)
The People of St. Petersburg (Nina Prasad, PZ’17)
L
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10
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14
15
16
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18
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22

8. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
8
My first and last experience with the Ter-
emok stand on Ploshchad’ Truda involved
a “Greek” blin, a dish whose presumably secret
recipe is best recounted by my taste buds as
a lukewarm amalgam of questionable cheese,
just-a-day-too-old spinach, and ham, all lovingly
wrapped in a freshly fried Russian pancake, folded
to the ergonomic standard demanded by the con-
temporary Russian working man eating na khodu,
and handed over
in a plastic bag
with a bottle of
debubbled kvas
and a classic not-
smile—“Do you
have four more
rubles, maybe?”
It’s a sad, but
unavoidable fact
that the sys-
tems I depend
on to sustain my
movement, nour-
ishment, and en-
tertainment in St.
Petersburg sim-
ply operate on
different expecta-
tions than they would in the States. Take transpor-
tation: successful execution of traveling the morn-
ing route from my abode on the farthest corner of
Korablestroiteley Street to the Smolny Institute re-
quires two percent careful timing and ninety-eight
percent dumb luck, for the number 6 bus—as so
many peterburzhtsy have told me with that dis-
Making it Work:
A Love Letter to the Northern Capital
Paul Cresanta, PO’17
appointed expression on their face—seems to
be simultaneously always on time, very late, and
never there at all. I’ve learned not to fear the un-
predictability, however, for even on the days that
the city is running on “Russian time” at its most
severe, I arrive at school more or less punctually.
And I, at least, am privileged to keep my sanity
during the ride, unlike those on trolleybus number
5, which features the most asinine male American
voice pointing
out the various
landmarks along
Nevsky Prospekt
with delirious
euphoria each
and every time:
“Next stop, Saint!
Isaac’s! Cathe-
dral!”
Your mileage
may vary.
Russians and
foreigners alike
feel the side ef-
fects of the public
transport crisis,
and the stress
in the air is most
palpable when, on weekend nights, the most
egregious offenders strike: these freaking bridges.
Beautiful, yes; they make for a great cover photo,
sure; but for those bar-going molodyozh’ who face
a trek back to Vasilevsky Island, it’s every man for
himself when these babies go up. It’s tragic, too,
because I, like you, enjoy cheap alcohol, and hav-

9. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
9
ing a lot of it. What is less enjoyable is guzzling
five beers between 9:00 and 11:30, kissing your
last 500-ruble note goodbye, and half-drunkenly
flinging babushki to the rails as you dash down
the metro escalator (why is this thing so long??)
to catch the final train of the evening. Count your
blessings, Claremont; at least there isn’t a literal
river delta that stands between you and your bed
at the end of the night.
I will also never forget my introduction to busi-
ness relations po-russki, which occurred on my
first day of volunteering at a children’s social re-
habilitation center. I arrived under the assumption
that I was going to be met by the director at the
entrance and that we would talk about the tutor-
ing services they needed, and then I would be
on my way. I instead happened to walk into the
building at the same time as a mysterious wom-
an who, once I explained to her what I had come
for, conducted me along a series of hallways and
staircases to a kitchen filled with small children,
announced to them that their new English tutor
had arrived, and left—leaving me to puzzle out my
situation on my own.
Half of me thought that Russian people just
don’t know what they’re doing, but the other half
reflected and realized that it’s the concept of be-
ing received, having one’s existence acknowl-
edged by another before proceeding to actually
do something, that is distinctly American and ab-
solutely ne po-russki. It’s for this reason that I feel
snubbed when I’m not met at the door as I enter
a restaurant or given a simple “zdravstvuyte” from
a store clerk when I walk in. Russian words are so
long anyway; why waste a single one?
In truth, though, dear Piter, I hope you continue
to just keep doing you. Keep the best parts of your
Russianness—the blini—and don’t try so hard to
fill in the gaps by adding fake feta and playing
terrible jazzy remixes of Selena Gomez songs at
Kofe Khaus. We’ve come here to learn from you:
let us be the ones who have to adapt and make it
work when Russian life seems inconvenient.
In fact, inconvenience has taught me that few
things feel better than sitting down after a long
day, waiting for my tutees to rush in and surround
me with their homework, and digging into a free
bowl of solyanka. “Priyatnogo appetita!”

10. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
10
As we all move through our undergraduate
education, many of us begin to wonder:
what on earth am I doing with my life? For Rus-
sian majors in particular, it can be difficult to see
how we can directly apply our language skills and
regional expertise in a professional setting without
having gained much, if any, relevant experience in
the workplace. For those interested in the world
of policymaking, however, I have good news for
you: Washington needs qualified Russian speak-
ers, and fast.
This past summer, I worked as a research intern
for the director of Russian Studies, Dr. Leon Aron,
at the American Enterprise Institute for Public
Policy Research (AEI), a non-partisan and not-for-
profit think tank in Washington, D.C. The concept
of a think tank may sound obscure, but I assure
you it is nothing you would find in an aquarium;
think tanks are places for, well, thinkers! These
organizations employ academics and others with
long, accomplished careers in the upper tiers of
government to explore the ways in which policy
affects our lives. In regards to the Russian-speak-
ing parts of the world, American think tanks might
explore how foreign economies, military exercis-
es, and other aspects of international relations
impact the United States and its work abroad. In
other words, places like AEI help the U.S. gov-
ernment write its foreign policy while also helping
Americans understand what is going on in other
parts of the world.
Think tanks with foreign policy departments are
at present especially busy with Russia-related re-
search. President Vladimir Putin’s adventures in
Ukraine and now Syria have further destabilized
fragile situations in Eastern Europe and the Mid-
Professional Applications
of the Russian Language
Benjamin Cohen, PO’16
dle East, with serious implications for U.S. for-
eign policy. Inasmuch as Russian foreign policy is
connected to issues of Putin’s legitimacy in Rus-
sia and other domestic factors such as an ailing
economy, understanding what is going on inside
Russia is crucial as well. This is something that
Americans do not do well, however. And that is
bad news for our government.
While working for AEI, I worked on a special
project researching the role of radical Islam in re-
gions of Russia outside the Caucasus. Radical
Islamic groups have existed in the Caucasus for
many years, partially because the Russian gov-
ernment’s resistance to separatism in this area
led many to ground themselves in opposition to
Russia, using Islam as a foundation in the ideo-
logical vacuum that remained in the wake of the
collapse of the Soviet Union. But very few people
pay attention to what is going on in places such
as Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, or even Siberia, all
of which are home to significant Muslim minor-
ities. Might some in these communities also be
radicalizing? The answer is yes, and this was not
very hard to discover—but why? What was lead-
ing to this trend in other parts of Russia? What
would it mean for Russia and for global terrorism
in general?
This was not so easy to figure out. It required
exhaustive hours combing through obscure Rus-
sian websites, including the home pages of many
radical Islamic groups (sites, I should add, that are
most certainly banned in Russia). I spent hours
every day reading both academic and news arti-
cles in Russian, learning new Russian vocabulary
pertaining to issues of militarization and national
security, and tracking individuals associated with

11. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
11
radical groups on social media.
We found that the lack of funding for Islamic schools in Russia is sending many students abroad to
places like Saudi Arabia, and, earlier, Syria, from where they were importing radical Islam to Russia.
Another cause, perhaps much more serious, is the influence of the Islamic State on Muslims in Central
Asia; ISIS seems to provide a better, alternative life to the hardships many face in the Central Asian
republics. Many come to Russia to work, sending money back home, and many others transit across
Russia to ISIS in the Middle East. The high numbers of ISIS fighters from the Caucasus, Central Asia,
and Russia has put Russian in third place among the most commonly spoken languages in the Islamic
State.
The work was challenging, interesting, and most of all, impactful; Dr. Aron presented our findings
to a congressional subcommittee in September. A long-form newspaper article is due out by the end
of this year on this topic as well. Though I know not everyone in the Russian program is interested in
these topics, I want to remind everyone that the Russian language, no matter where it takes you, will
take you far. After all, this is why we study Russian, why we read Russian literature, why we cannot
shake from our souls the influence, no matter how large or small, that Russian has had on us, for Rus-
sian does not just open doors to us; it opens entire worlds.

12. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
12
She has already been here for two months,
but on behalf of the entire Claremont Rus-
sian-language community, we at Vestnik would
like to extend our warmest welcome to Tatiana
Ermolaeva, our new Oldenborg Russian language
resident. She comes to us with a wealth of expe-
rience in travel and language, and we hope that
everyone in our community will take the time to
get to know her while she is here.
Born and raised in a small town in the Amur-
skaya Oblast’ (on the eastern side of Russia, not
far from the Chinese border), Tatiana began study-
ing English at the age of seven. She admits, “Iron-
ically, I didn’t enjoy learning the language while
growing up. It wasn’t until college when I had an
English professor who pushed me to further my
studies. I realized then that if my professor was
able to master the English language, I could do it
too! I now have a passion for foreign languages
and would like to share it with my students.” She
received a degree in teaching English as a foreign
language from Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogi-
cal University (also in the Amur region), where she
was also a language tutor for English and French.
After working for a year, she then moved to St.
Petersburg to pursue her passion for education.
There, she worked to find suitable programs for
various clients seeking extra language skills (such
programs would generally begin with language
courses and culminate with the completion of a
Master’s degree abroad). But she says that her fa-
vorite part of her work during her three years in St.
Petersburg was actually going on business trips.
“You go to other countries, and you see the way
people live,” she explains. “You see the coun-
try, you try the food, and when you return home,
Introducing…
Tatiana Ermolaeva!
Alena Dollar, SC’17
you can tell everyone what it was like.” Of all the
countries she visited, including England, France,
and Spain, she says she is most fond of France—
but she is quick to add that she loves traveling in
general, and that all countries have something to
offer. She hopes someday to travel around Asia
and Latin America as well—visiting Brazil during
Carnaval is especially high on her list!
In many ways, it is her love of travel that has
brought Tatiana to Claremont. As is often the case,
she heard about the opportunity to work here as
a Russian language resident from a colleague of
hers, who had done a similar program at Reed
College. Having always wanted to live abroad,
she applied for the position, and made the move
to America. So far she has enjoyed her time here,
and she has plans to travel around the country
more (she quite likes the idea of going to the Ha-
waiian beaches over winter break). But meanwhile,
she is fully occupied. As our language resident,
she holds biweekly conversation classes at both
intermediate and advanced levels, and also plans
cultural activities and excursions. As a member
of the Claremont community at large, she stud-
ies both French and pedagogy, and practices with
the Claremont Colleges Ballroom Dance Compa-
ny. And, of course, she can always be found at the
Russian table in the Oldenborg Dining Hall from
12-1 PM, ready to chat with anyone—whether the
beginning Russian student struggling with the in-
tricacies of a new language, or the native speaker
who misses the sound of home.
With the world as her oyster, who knows where
the talented Tatiana will go next. But you can be
sure of at least this one thing: wherever she does
go, nearby will always be her favorite food, olivier.

13. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
13
We can all agree
that a big part
of what makes Po-
mona’s Russian de-
partment so unique
and interesting is the
amazing faculty we
have to teach us,
guide us, and simply
spark our thinking and
conversations. Professor Anne Dwyer, or as we
all know her, Anna Ivanovna, is a name constantly
circulating amongst students in Russian classes
or department get-togethers with only the highest
praise and excitement.
Anna Ivanovna grew up in Austria, where
she was placed in a language intensive track in
school, learning at least three languages in just
the fifth grade. Interestingly, Anna Ivanovna began
studying the Russian language when her Spanish
class was cancelled and replaced with Russian.
After continuing her studies at Carleton College,
she took her first trip to Russia in 1995 through
a study abroad experience, which truly solidified
her decision to continue studying the language,
culture, and literature.
Having studied at a liberal arts college herself,
Anna Ivanovna has a fondness for the small col-
lege environment found here at Pomona, making
it a good fit for her. She loves having students from
all of the five campuses in her classes, as it brings
extra vibrancy to the small college department.
Anna Ivanovna has always thought of herself as a
teacher and loves that aspect of her work, espe-
cially the chance to teach the actual Russian lan-
guage along with her other courses. Whereas at a
big university, professors may be limited to teach-
ing just one specific “era” of history and literature,
Anna Ivanovna gets the chance to “put on a lot of
hats here at Pomona.” She notes that Pomona’s
Russian department is like a little family, with each
of the three professors bringing something differ-
ent and unique to the table.
In terms of travel, Anna Ivanovna tries to go
Getting to Know Anne Dwyer
Asem Berkalieva, PO’18
back to Russia every two years, for about one
month during the summer, sometimes overlap-
ping her trips with the opportunity to work. As
Anna Ivanovna mentions, she “never finds being
in Russia easy, but can find it very stimulating.”
The moments in Russia most exciting to her are
those instances when she finds herself just sitting
somewhere, such as a café; according to her, it is
in these moments that time can expand and the
opportunity arises to really talk and express one-
self, even improving language skills.
When in Russia, there is no better way to im-
merse oneself in the culture than through food.
Anna Ivanovna loves the type of setting where she
can simply munch away, such as with small piles
of cucumbers, dill, and parsley (petrushka). Addi-
tionally, she loves the hearty, party meals if done
well: combinations of warm dishes with salads or
pel’meni with sour cream. At home, Anna Ivano-
vna will cook certain Russian dishes, including
borscht; however, she does like to spice up the
meal by adding in some jalapeño. As a matter of
fact, Anna Ivanovna notes that the individuals she
has met abroad with the most interesting cooking
are those that branch out of basic Russian cuisine
by adding in something new. During one visit to
Russia, Anna Ivanovna befriended a woman from
Minsk who was a fabulous cook; she would of-
ten take the best from different places, especially
Georgia, and bring them together to create some-
thing new and interesting.
So what’s next for Anna Ivanovna? Well, she is
currently in the midst of writing a book, with her
research looking at authors and styles from the
Russian Formalism era. By analyzing the works
and style of Victor Shklovsky, Anna Ivanovna
hopes to look at how he accommodates himself
at various moments throughout the Soviet era. As
she mentions, such an analysis “can open vari-
ous big questions about how the Soviet culture
worked.” It is clear that even with Anna Ivanovna’s
vast expertise and knowledge, she isn’t stopping
there and has a promising road ahead where her
passion will keep taking her.

14. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
14
Tea Isn’t Vodka: You Won’t Drink Too Much of It
Petr Vail’ and Alexander Genis,
tr. Tatiana Denisova, PO’16
The original title of this short work is “Chai—ne
vodka, mnogo ne vyp’esh” It is one of the many
chapters in the caustic and witty book Russian
Cuisine in Exile (Rus: Русская Кухня в Изгнании),
by well-known immigrant writers Petr Vail’ and Al-
exander Genis.
It’s natural to consider vodka the Russian na-
tional drink. Arguing with that is stupid and un-
savory, but necessary in the interest of the truth—
for there is also tea.
Tea came to Russia from China in 1638, which
is to say more than one hundred years before
they learned of it in, say, England. Since then,
it’s become a symbol, and sometimes even the
core of the Russian feast. The samovar became a
lifestyle. It’s impossible to imagine an Ostrovskiy
or Chekhov play without it. Tea-drinking shaped
the distinctive Russian daily life: long discussions
about the meaning of life, the dacha, some night-
ingale song or the other…
And this all despite the fact that Russians now-
adays don’t even know how to drink tea. As is
often the case, to fully enjoy Russian cuisine, one
must go into exile. Not that they are tea experts
here, but in America there is everything necessary
to achieve true gourmet.
First of all, forget about tea bags. Don’t let the
speed of the preparation or the price distract you.
It takes about ten minutes to brew a magical cup
of tea, and even the best mix doesn’t cost more
than three cents a cup. A bag contains powdered
leaves, which is to say, waste. Besides, the glue
of the paper casing dissolving in boiling water, ru-
ins the whole flavor.
Another historical mistake is the habit of dilut-
ing tea with boiled water. This custom developed
from poverty and grew into the prejudiced belief
that strong tea is unhealthy. There isn’t a single
medical authority who would not insist that cor-
rectly-made strong tea is purely good for you.
Many say that the partiality of the Anglo-Saxons
particularly to this type of beverage was what al-
lowed them to build their enormous empire. Then
the invention of the tea bag brought about its ruin.
Brewing tea is surprisingly simple. The only thing
you need is thoroughness. In general, gastronomy
is a unique art, in which diligence is prized higher
than talent.
Warm up a porcelain teapot, put some tea in
it—one spoonful of leaves per cup, plus a spoon
for the teapot—and pour in freshly boiled (but not
overboiled!) water. Let it stand for four minutes
(if it goes longer, then the tea will become bitter).
Then stir and pour into cups.
Real tea can be drunk with sugar, but not with
lemon or jam, which take away the scent. If you
like tea in the English style, do it this way: pour tea
into milk, not the other way around.
It’s difficult to believe that the majority of hu-
manity isn’t capable of following these rudimen-
tary rules and drinks some tasteless, murky fluid
instead of relishing an enchanting brew.
In every American city, there is at least one shop
where the best sorts of loose-leaf tea are sold. Ad-
ditionally, you can find, packed in tin-plate cans,
tea of the famous English brand “Twinings” all
over the place. The best sort is widely considered
to be the Indian tea Darjeeling. Also very good and
aromatic are all quality Chinese black teas, such
as Yunnan. The best tea for drinking with milk is
Ceylon. And nothing can beat Japanese green tea
after a filling lunch. The peculiar Chinese tea Lap-
sang possesses the light scent of smoke. Added
to any black tea, it induces nostalgic memories of
drinking tea in the woods.
To fans of exotic sensations, may we recom-
mend tea of the Kalmykian variety, accommodat-
ed to city conditions. Brew very strong black tea
in boiling milk (without water!). Add a tiny pinch of
salt and butter. Kalmykian tea mitigates hango-
vers, which never hurts. Especially if you recall the
old Russian saying: tea isn’t vodka—you won’t
drink too much of it.

15. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
15
“Where are you from?”
“I am from Russia!”
“Oh, where in Russia?”
“Siberia!”
This is how my dialogue with anyone not from
my home usually starts. People are very fascinat-
ed with the idea that a person should fly seven-
teen hours to go to school in Southern California.
People’s first reactions to Siberia tend to be pretty
negative, however, as the question that usually
follows is:
“Isn’t it freezing there?”
“Only in the winter. During the summer it can
get up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit!”
More confusion follows, since my answer does
not project the stereotypical image of Siberia, in
which it always snows and people live in igloos.
My city, Kemerovo, is just 170 miles from Novo-
sibirsk. It has a population of about 600,000 peo-
ple. We have a lot of visitors, not just from else-
where in Russia, but also from abroad. One of the
most popular tourist destinations is Tomskaya
Pisanitsa, one of the national parks, some 50 kilo-
meters northwest of Kemerovo on the right bank
of the Tom River in Western Siberia. It is famous
for its 280 petroglyphs, dating from 4000-1000
BC. The exhibition also includes reconstructions
of ancient dwellings, as well as some later cul-
tural artifacts pertaining to the Shors people. The
first time I went there was in the second grade on
a school trip for Maslenitsa. I was impressed by
Heart of Russia
Yulia Kasperskaya, PZ’17
the information station they had there about the
animals that live in this national park; I could nev-
er imagine there could be so many of them! My
friends and I were very excited to walk through
and see how the beautiful forest of Siberia looks
in early spring, and to get to the main point where
the petroglyphs were.
Finally, having taken a walk through the park
and come to the frozen-over river Tom’, we finally
found them. It was unbelievable that all these pic-
tures of animals, houses, and people were several
centuries old. On the way back, we stopped by
the museum store, and I bought a small necklace
with an owl. I still have it; it reminds me of that
day, when I first started realizing how many places
there are in Siberia to visit. Going there ten years
later and seeing the tourists from other parts of
Russia and even abroad, I was glad that I live just
40 miles away and could come whenever I want-
ed. Every year, I go back to my homeland, and
when I go to our dacha, located very close to the
park, I come back to this place where time stands
still.
There are many people who, planning trips to
Russia, would never think to visit Siberia; but I
strongly recommend they do, for then they can
see my oblast’ with its central location and its
shape of a heart—not for naught do people call it
the “heart of Russia.”

16. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
16
This semester abroad in St. Petersburg has
been full of firsts for me: travelling interna-
tionally, living abroad, living in a big city, living with
a khozyayka (landlady, or host mom in this case).
Every day has been a new series of little challeng-
es, especially to do with navigating the city. This
is one story from my first week in St. Petersburg.
An avid crocheter, I realized upon arriving in
Russia that I would need to buy more yarn, be-
cause I didn’t have nearly enough with me to last
the semester. So, one overcast Tuesday after-
noon, I set off on a quest to find De Laruk, a yarn
store I had asked Google Maps to locate for me.
My journey began at Smolny Cathedral, where the
CIEE center is located. I knew I needed the bus
Marshrutka 15, and that the stop was on a near-
by street. But the stop was not where it should
have been. Still, I reasoned that if I took my usual
bus home, I would be closer to my destination,
with access to lunch and to wi-fi, so as to ascer-
tain new directions. So I turned around and made
my way to my regular stop, which services three
bus routes: 54, 74, and 46. I needed the first one.
However, 54 took much too long, so I eventually
decided to take 74 instead, though without a clue
as to where I would end up. Luckily for me, bus
74 runs a similar route to bus 54, and their routes
meet back up at Moskovsky Vokzal. I arrived, hap-
py from my good luck, and found an eatery, where
I ordered by pointing at things that looked like de-
licious food. Then I once again asked Google how
I could get to De Laruk.
Google instructed me to take the metro one stop
south and so, after finishing my meal, I did so.
But this metro station was unfamiliar to me, and
found myself incredibly disoriented, not knowing
which way to turn. However, there happened to
be a babushka selling flowers right in front of the
exit, and, despite my uncertain Russian, she was
able to tell me the direction in which I should walk.
Having successfully acquired my information, I
walked down the street, scanning the buildings
for the rare plaque that mentions which number
the building is (I wanted 28).
But when I finally reached building 28, I found
The Quest for De Laruk
Sarah Krasner, SC’17
that the courtyard entrance was gated and locked.
If there were businesses inside, why would it be
closed off? An exiting woman with a stroller al-
lowed me to enter, but only to find that, alas, De
Laruk was nowhere in sight. I managed to ask a
girl nearby if she knew where the shop was lo-
cated, but she, too, had no idea. Disappointed, I
retraced my steps toward the metro.
By this time, it had begun to rain, so I decid-
ed to stop in a Kofe Khaus for something warm
to drink. I took a seat and a waitress gave me a
menu. After a few minutes trying to figure out the
difference between kakao and goriachiy shokolad,
I picked the latter. The dreariness outside and my
failed quest made me look forward to the com-
fort of a familiar beverage. But, as it turns out, in
some (but not all) cafes in St. Petersburg, gori-
achiy shokolad is not the American concept of
hot chocolate. Rather, it is a bit like warm pud-
ding, eaten with a spoon and watered down to be
drinkable. I didn’t know that at the time; I just ate
it with the spoon. It was good, just unexpected.
Some of the best things are.
After the rain calmed, I headed back home. My
host mom and I talked about my adventure over
dinner, and she told me that there was in fact a
yarn store ten minutes away, which I found the
next day. But my adventure wasn’t entirely in vain.
Now I know that Google can lie, that it’s okay to
test your luck with buses (if you have the time to
do so and can get back to your starting point),
and that goriachiy shokolad is good, even if it’s
unexpected.
At least now I have my yarn.

17. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
17
It is the 1st of September, 2002—27 six-year
olds are holding flowers and waving to their
parents. Each of them receives a backpack and
school supplies—a gift commemorating begin-
ning of eleven years of education. Thirteen years
later, I still occasionally take this backpack out of
the drawer to look back at the vast journey I have
made from a small school in the outskirts of St.
Petersburg to a liberal arts college in California.
The Russian school system, unlike the Ameri-
can one, has only two stages: primary school and
middle/high school. Most kids start school at the
age of 6-7 and spend their first four years in pri-
mary school. Primary schools do not have a spe-
cific academic focus, as they try to expand their
students’ educational horizons. After the first four
years, some children go to more narrowly focused
middle schools, where they pursue the subject
that most interested them during primary school,
while the majority join big public schools.
There are three main types of non-standard
middle/high schools: the lyceum, the gymnasium,
and the fizmat academy. Lyceums were created in
Russian Empire during the mid-nineteenth centu-
ry as a means of preparing government officials.
After the fall of Soviet Union in 1991, most schools
that classify themselves as lyceums tend to spe-
cialize in specific branches of education—usually
something connected with medicine or jurisdic-
tion. The second group of young students that
take an interest in classical education usually join
gymnasiums. These schools follow a classical,
French model of education that puts a great em-
phasis on the humanities—specifically languages,
art, and history. Typically, gymnasium students
study five languages: Russian, English, German,
Latin, and Ancient Greek. Speaking from per-
sonal experience, the gymnasium is the closest
thing that Russia has to a liberal arts education,
but without the possibility of taking heavy science
courses. Finally, there are the fizmat academies.
These facilities provide the best available educa-
tion in physics, mathematics, and chemistry, and
admission is extremely competitive. Most gradu-
ates from these schools go into either engineering
or research.
Learning in Russia
Maxim Leshchinskiy, PO’19
It is also worthwile to examine the educational
structures within the schools themselves. Unlike
Americans, Russian students do not choose their
courses. Everybody is given the same sched-
ule, designed either by the school specifically or
by the Ministry of Education. On one hand, this
system encourages close bonds between all the
members of a class (the average size of a Rus-
sian form is 25-30 people), but on the other hand,
many students are forced to study subjects they
are not interested in. Unfortunately, many courses
in big public schools are also becoming politicized
as the Ministry of Education enforces the addition
of such classes as primary military education or
mandatory religious studies of Russian Orthodox
Church. Another point worth noting is that some
students leave high school after ninth grade to join
Professional Technical Universities, or PTU. PTU
are designed to provide technical education for
people that work at factories, do plumbing, etc.
Finally, most Russian students strive to attend
college. Unlike in America, where the admissions
process is holistic, admission to Russian univer-
sities is based solely on standardized test results.
Thus, failing one exam can cost you a whole elev-
en years of education. The current system is be-
ing debated in Russian society, but nevertheless,
no changes have been made over the past seven
years. Interestingly, scandals over standardized
exams occur on a yearly basis; many students are
able to find copies of the exams on the Internet
12-24 hours before the actual exam starts. As a
result, students who are willing to take the exam
honestly, without looking on the Internet, are at an
inherent disadvantage.
Every education system has its flaws and ben-
efits. Russia, a country that has undergone so
many changes in the last hundred years, still ex-
hibits a strong school system that can compete
with many of its European counterparts. And even
though times are now turbulent for Russia, I still
hope that a new generation of writers, research-
ers, doctors, and lawyers will be able to bring
about changes that will transform and integrate
my country into the world community.

18. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
18
“Janim, trust me, you better speak Russian!”
were my mother’s words of wisdom upon
my arrival in Ashgabat from the States, where I
had spent four years at a boarding school in Vir-
ginia. I don’t know about your parents, but this
lady has it right all the time. I only wish I had ac-
tually taken her advice. At the time, my naïve self
did not understand the need to speak a language
many Turkmens simply do not know well; and,
of course, my lazy self refused to go through the
trouble of speaking a language that had become
so unfamiliar to me.
Believe it or not, once you live in a foreign
country for long enough, you become soaked
with that country’s culture. “You even smell like
an American!” my sister Shirin often teased me.
Apparently, others could sense the foreign smell
on me as well, except they perceived it in a pe-
culiar fashion. It took me months and gallons of
tears to realize that for many people—especially
men—my “southern hospitality” smile in combi-
nation with my use of the Turkmen language was
a sure signal of my “flirtatious” nature. In an in-
creasingly traditional society, I rapidly started to
develop an image of a loose woman. At home,
the “You Do You” attitude that I had acquired at
my high school went against every cultural under-
standing of how a woman should behave. Using
the Turkmen language confirmed my identity as
Turkmen, and therefore imposed upon certain
cultural norms that I needed to abide by. But so-
The Power of Language
Merjen Atayeva, PO’19
cial perception of me magically transformed once
I, as my mother had suggested earlier, substituted
Turkmen with Russian.
In Turkmenistan, there are subtle implications
that come with knowing Russian: at least one of
your parents is European, or your family is wealthy
enough to educate you in a Russian school, or
both. This language of the “elite,” that is unat-
tainable for many, ironically, was the only way to
convey the idea that I was “normal.” Speaking
Russian allowed me to safely display the more
contemporary side of my character. It was con-
sidered to be very much natural for someone who
grew up or was educated in an Eastern European
setting to break certain Islam-oriented traditional
rules.
The Russian language is slowly abandoning
Turkmenistan, where education, business, gov-
ernment, and day-to-day interactions are most-
ly in Turkmen. It continues to have a role, how-
ever: still understood by the locals, it acts as a
buffer zone between the traditional and the con-
temporary. Though Turkmen is being heavily em-
phasized, many technical documents are still in
Russian, due to the lack of Turkmen vocabulary
for many contemporary terminologies. Do I know
the future course of Russian in Turkmenistan? I do
not. But one thing I do know is that the moment
I land at Turkmenbashi International Airport this
December, I will put forth all of the Russian lan-
guage skills I have.

19. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
19
Fear of Russian invasion has reached a fever
pitch in the Baltics. Strategic bombers en-
ter Baltic airspace uninvited and unannounced,
and Russian sea vessels disrupt civilian shipping
in Baltic waters. In 2014, Russian forces went so
far as to kidnap an Estonian Internal Security Ser-
vices officer from his border post and imprison
him in Moscow. What exactly does Russia seek
to communicate by trifling with NATO countries?
An application of Cold War deterrence theory to
Russia’s recent actions in Central and Eastern Eu-
rope reveal much about modern Russian military
mentality and a potential NATO response.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Central and
Eastern Europe were eager to join the Western
military fold. Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Re-
public became NATO members in 1999, with Es-
tonia, Latvia, and Lithuania following suit in 2004.
The period between 2009 and 2014 saw an in-
crease in salami tactics along Russia’s western
border. Thomas Schelling defines salami tactics
as “tactics of erosion,” in which one “tests the se-
riousness of a commitment by probing it in a non-
committal way, pretending the trespass was inad-
vertent or unauthorized if one meets resistance,
both to forestall the reaction and to avoid backing
down.” If unchallenged (as Russia essentially was
in the region), the operation is enlarged and a new
precedent is set. The west indicated by inaction
that Russia’s military aggression in Georgia, the
Baltics, and Poland was not a red line.
Then, in 2014, Russia invaded the Ukrainian
peninsula of Crimea. The annexation—carried
out by Russia’s “little green men” or, in Russian,
“polite people”—carried an explicit message for
NATO and the west that Russia was ready and
eager to parade its military might and new inter-
national stature. Through subterfuge and uncer-
tainty in the Crimean invasion, Russia waded into
the realm of ambiguous warfare. It has great lat-
itude when it comes to infusing the Baltics with
the same kind of instability and risk. NATO’s Ar-
ticle 5 promises collective defense: an attack on
one ally is considered an attack on all. Article 5
would be invalidated by NATO failure to defend
the Baltics, severely weakening the west’s de-
terrent threat against Russia and exposing other
members protected by NATO’s security umbrella.
NATO and the United States are unlikely to sit idly
in the event of Russian attack on the Baltics.
NATO has a “reputation for action” that it must
uphold. It has indicated intent to respond through-
out the escalating conflict, demonstrated by a vis-
it by President Obama to the Baltics to reaffirm his
support, as well as sustained US military leader-
ship in the region. The risk of NATO retaliation and
major war should be sufficient to preclude Rus-
sian military invasion in the Baltics. Yet military in-
vasion can now assume the form of a “disguised
hybrid attack,” as was seen in Eastern Ukraine.
NATO must signal unequivocally to Russia that
any attack on an ally, “regardless of whether the
attack’s authorship is acknowledged,” will be
treated as a trip-wire for war. Defending the Bal-
tics in a limited war could prevent all-out war with
Russia by sustaining calculated risk and nuclear
deterrence, whereas failure to defend would see
a total collapse of Article 5 and NATO deterrence.
The question of war in the Baltics between Rus-
sia and NATO depends entirely on Russia’s belief
in the validity of Article 5. If Putin rationally as-
sesses his current game of deterrence, war with
the west will appear counterproductive for Rus-
sia. Yet if Russia senses weakness in the com-
mitment of NATO to Article 5 or believes it can
successfully wage hybrid warfare without NATO
reprisal, attack on the Baltics may be within the
realm of possibility.
Sources:
Braw, Elizabeth. “Bully in the Baltics.” World Affairs
(March 1, 2015).
Buckley, Edgar, and Ioan Pascu. “NATO’s Article 5 and
Russian Hybrid Warfare.” Atlantic Council, March 17, 2015.
Kramer, Mark. “The New Russian Chill in the Baltic.” Cur-
rent History 114, no. 770 (March 2015).
Schelling, Thomas C. Arms and Influence (New Haven,
Conn.: Yale University Press, 2008).
Schmitt, Eric and Steven Lee Myers. “NATO Refocuses
on the Kremlin, Its Original Foe.” New York Times 164,
issue 56907 (June 24, 2015).
Bad Neighbors: Russia, the Baltics, and Deterrence
Theory in the 21st Century
Alexandra Vreeman, CMC’16

20. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
20
“Where are you from? Which state? What
are you doing here?” The first few
weeks of study abroad reverberate with a set
group of questions to be answered each time
you make a curious new acquaintance. But then,
there are questions and there are questions:
some are standard, but some express a part of
a dialogue unique to Ka-
zakhs. Of the latter, most
often asked is, “What
do you know about Ka-
zakhstan apart from Bo-
rat?” It’s often followed
by a lamentation of how
bad a movie it is. Even
though I have never seen
it, I have learned that the
best strategy when it
comes to this question
is to just join in condem-
nation. Then the conver-
sation transforms from
a barrage of questions to a report of the pride
points for the locals. After “You know that Almaty
used to be the capital?” inevitably comes some
statement about how there is no single Kazakh
nationality and how diverse Kazakhstan is. I have
heard varying claims that there are anywhere from
100 to 171 different nationalities here. Nationali-
Nationality, Identity, and
Interesting Professors in Kazakhstan
Joshua Rooney, CMC’17
ty and how it can be expressed and perceived
through religion, culture, language, and identity is
a topic often at the center of conversation, bring-
ing with it interesting implications for the future of
Kazakhstan.
In general, Kazakhs seem to have a very differ-
ent approach to the topic of nationality than I have
come into contact with be-
fore. For instance, during
the first week of class, we
were going over the invar-
iable “first meeting” ques-
tions (only now in more
detail), and our professor
asked us about our na-
tionalities. We all said that
we were American. “That’s
impossible,” she asserted;
“American can’t be a na-
tionality.” She proceeded
to observe that she knew
that one of my fellow stu-
dents was German based on his mannerisms and
appearance—but he wasn’t German. What fol-
lowed was the first of what would become many
weekly debates with this professor over various
political and social issues in Russian class. The
topic of this first debate came up again several
weeks later, when she discussed what it meant to
Top of the Bayterek building in Astana

21. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
21
be “metis” (“mixed”) and explained how she was
able to quickly identify different nationalities in all
of her students.
Our professor is not the only one interested
in nationality here. One common custom in this
country even to this day is to always have line-
age recorded back five generations. When it is
possible to know people’s origins even down to
which tribe and region they are from, you can tell
a lot about a person’s customs, beliefs, and gen-
eral understanding of the world. This is important
for a country with large demographic differences,
a nation that has throughout the course history
connected cultures and empires from north to
south as well as east to west. According to the
Kazakh government, members of 130 different
nationalities and 100 ethnicities call Kazakhstan
home, including large minorities such as Germans
and Ukrainians due to conflict and forced migra-
tion from other regions of the USSR. The largest
minority by far, however, and one very relevant to
current national discussion, is the Russian minori-
ty, which makes up 26% of the population.
The diversity of nationalities, religious accept-
ance, and stability in the country are sources of
great pride for Kazakhs, and remarkable in com-
parison to the neighboring regions, which have
poorer track records in such regards. Many of the
monuments in Kazakhstan are dedicated to the
culture of inclusion, such as the one seen at the
top of Astana’s Bayterek building, which com-
memorates the Congress of the Leaders of World
and Traditional Religions in Astana.
Despite all this, however, Kazakhstan still strug-
gles over the issue of nationality. I myself have
some purely anecdotal observations that might
illustrate that there is still a ways to go to make
inclusion “felt” rather than just voiced. I pass a
large police station every day on the way to class-
es, but to this day have not seen a Russian of-
ficer. Likewise, this large minority does not seem
to be represented much in the news or national
museums. More importantly, there also seems to
be controversy over the place of Russian culture
and language in the country in general. Russian is
spoken, often fluently, by up to 94% of the pop-
ulation, and has been the predominant language
of choice for the population. However, lately Pres-
ident Nazarbayev has been pushing for greater
adoption of Kazakh, proposing a transition to it
as the language for politics and a project to con-
vert Kazakh to a Latin-based alphabet. This could
be a problem for many ethnic Russians, who typ-
ically do not know Kazakh, though luckily for me
Russian is still the dominant language in Almaty.
Still, in an attempt to deepen my understanding of
the forces at work in the issue of nationality, I have
tried to pick up some Kazakh, as well—much to
the delight of my host family!
This map is dated, but still accurate, and adjusted for a fall in the Russian population.

22. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
22
The sun is rising over Petersburg.
Women and girls—all dyevushki according
to Russian naming tradition—are dressing them-
selves with care. Their mini-skirts and sheer black
tights accentuate their brisk strides as they cut
through the morning air; their elegantly draped
scarves and fur-lined coats keep them warm. Men
seem less inclined to call after these dyevushki in
the morning; the day is still young—there is time
for that yet—better just to light a cigarette.
A gray-haired woman in a lavender coat plants
herself in the middle of the sidewalk on the inter-
The People of St. Petersburg
Nina Prasad, PZ’17
section of Vladimirskiy Prospekt and Kolokolnaya
Street. As the weather turns cold, she adds a gray
scarf and hat to her ensemble. Each morning she
hands out flyers to passers-by. One day, I give in
to my curiosity, and take a flyer from her. It reads,
“Hairdresser: The Two Capitals. Open weekdays
from 10 to 9.” My curiosity satisfied, I no longer
bother to reach for her flyers, though I see her
every day.
There is a man falling asleep standing up on
the trolleybus. He looks as if he has been beaten,
with a fresh scar on his nose, matted hair, and

23. Pomona College Department of German & Russian Fall 2015
23
dirty nails. But his eyes are a clear, sapphire blue,
void of bitterness and resignation. When the bus
reaches the end of its line, he simply gets out and
waits for a bus that will take him back in the di-
rection from which he came. He is not concerned
with where he goes. All that matters is that he
keeps moving.
As the magic of morning fades with the mist,
the city is left to face itself in daylight…
The woman at the gastronom on Ploshchad’ Tru-
da speaks no Chinese, but that does not stop the
dozens—hundreds, perhaps—of Chinese tourists
from frequenting the shop. Their purchases vary:
some buy chocolates, cookies, and snacks, while
others are more concerned with alcohol. They
tend to have difficulties counting out change in
rubles. The woman at the register does not bother
to hold back her impatience and disgust.
Two women blithely walk into the Radisson Ho-
tel on Nevsky Prospekt, leaving their large suit-
cases to the charge of the doorman. He seems
to be having trouble holding the door open and
moving these large suitcases at the same time,
so I quickly move to hold the door for him. As
he drags the bags inside, he gives me a nod of
thanks—and I realize that, only one month into
my time in Russia, I have already forgotten how to
smile at strangers.
A little boy with little legs trots home from
school. His uniform is only slightly crumpled after
a day of studying. With full confidence, he climbs
on the bus at the Nevsky Prospekt metro station
and leaps off at Zayachiy Lane, subsequently
turning into an apartment building not far from the
bus stop. I imagine him flopping down on a chair
after he enters his apartment, regaling his mother
with the events of the day. And I marvel at this city
that still allows youth to blossom, uninhibited by
history.
The sunlight is slipping away—evening now
reigns.
Four young men get on the bus, accompanied
by their pet monkey dressed in a red winter suit.
The conductor is appalled, but the little girl stand-
ing nearby is charmed. As the monkey clambers
over the heads of the four men, she cannot tear
her eyes away from it. Her mother has to drag her
off the bus at Gostiniy Dvor.
It is good timing, too, because at the next stop,
two drunk, Central Asian men stumble onto the
bus. Their presence already rouses the suspicions
of many Russians, and the atmosphere in the bus
is decidedly tense. When the conductor demands
payment from them, it becomes clear that they
have no intention of paying the 56 rubles owed
between them. “Damn foreigners!” spits one Rus-
sian man, holding up his fist. He angrily tries to
rise from his seat, but the other passengers hold
him down. The drunk men, blatantly unrepentant,
are pushed off the bus at the next stop.
But Avstriyskiy Ploshchad’ is quiet on Thursday
evenings. I am sitting in a cafe, sipping hot co-
coa, when a mute man stops by my table, offer-
ing to sell a pair of carved, wooden ducks. There
is something beautifully gentle about these little
ducks, so I dig in my purse for 200 rubles. The
man thanks me silently but eloquently, his smile
full of sweetness, and he leaves me holding the
ducks, which for some reason have me blinking
back tears.
Night falls…
Unlike New York, this city does sleep. Come
nighttime, the once-crowded bars close—the
Kino cover bands pack up their instruments—
the child handing out flyers on Bol’shaya Mosk-
ovskaya Street finally goes to bed. And the peo-
ple of St. Petersburg rest in their lovely, still city,
knowing that tomorrow is just around the corner.

24. Унылая пора! очей очарованье!
Приятна мне твоя прощальная краса —
Люблю я пышное природы увяданье,
В багрец и в золото одетые леса,
В их сенях ветра шум и свежее дыханье,
И мглой волнистою покрыты небеса,
И редкий солнца луч, и первые морозы,
И отдалённые седой зимы угрозы.
И с каждой осенью я расцветаю вновь;
Здоровью моему полезен русской холод;
К привычкам бытия вновь чувствую любовь:
Чредой слетает сон, чредой находит голод;
Легко и радостно играет в сердце кровь,
Желания кипят — я снова счастлив, молод,
Я снова жизни полн — таков мой организм
(Извольте мне простить ненужный прозаизм).
Александр Пушкин