We spent the next few days touring the sites in Moscow. Red Square had a primer of fresh snow. We visited Lenin in Lenin’s Tomb made creepy by his afternoon shadow and long finger nails. We also visited a Russian Orthodox church service and cemetery. The drab of grey was lifted for me as the color of red and gold filled the rooftops and the church domes. One of my favorite spots was Arbat street, a permanent market of street vendors selling everything from food and booze to relics of military garb.
I was curious about the preponderance of watches, knives, boots, and automobile spare parts. Russian Yuri Gagaran timepieces were cool with wide leather bands and military insignia. It wasn’t long before every student in our group was showing off theirs and how little money they spent on them. I bought a set of matryoshka dolls for my Mom and a Balalaika - the Russian ukulele.
Moscow was impressive and overwhelming. I never had a sense of my direction or the regions or districts but we were immersed in the culture and history. Good to get a dose of Moscow before our immersion in Siberia for the remaining 35 days.
We took an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Novosibirsk, the airline of Russia, with apparently one of the best track records for safety. That was what they told us, yet hard to believe, considering the floor of the cabin was made of hard wood; bits of straw along the ground and the odor of a barnyard was prevalent. It was very clear to us the rules in Russia are not the same as in America. Passengers were clutching chickens and I think a few goats were allowed to fly with us in the cabin. I was mildly disturbed by a whistle of air coming through my window and my seatbelt didn’t work so the flight attendant recommended I tie the seatbelt in a knot. I did my best to sleep to avoid an overriding sense of anxiety, although I did wake for the meal - it isn’t everyday you eat reindeer at 30,000 feet.
We arrived in Novosibirsk and boarded a bus for Academgorodok. When I stepped off the bus the smell of the air was cold and crisp with a hint of pine and fresh burning wood stove. Year’s later I would on occasion catch a whiff that would take me back to this moment in time. It was like the air travelled thousands of miles to find its way back to me.
Our exchange families waited for us outside the bus, they were huddled together under several oversized pine trees. It occurred to me later our families waited for us for a very long time. The whole community was centralized with paths criss-crossing to and from every apartment house, to the library, the science institutes, the schools and the shopping areas. The snow was heavier here than in Moscow and we didn’t walk along the sidewalks but rather the snowpack a few feet above ground. It was truly foreign, the design not like any standard city grid but a spider web of connections all a few feet off the ground on packed snow and ice.
Ira’s father was tall with thick salt and pepper hair and soft welcoming eyes. I could see immediately the kind of nurture he gave his family. Ira wore the yellow and blue coat my Mom had given her and was excited as ever to greet me. Her chin rose high from her neck leaking of pride and her chilly cheeks reflected a natural blush and innocence I would remember for years.
It was a short walk to their home from the bus drop off. Their apartment was in a small building guarded in the front by a huge oak tree. We were welcomed by Ira’s Mom and Ira’s little brother Aleosha. Ira’s Mom had black hair and soft pink cheeks like her daughter. She was quiet but smiled with a thousand words. Aleosha was the opposite of quiet packed full of excitement, he was four years old, platinum blonde hair and big full moon eyes. I toured the apartment which consisted of their kitchen about the size of a small bathroom back home. Every meal they pulled a small kitchen table out from the wall and unfolded the leaves to accommodate everyone. Their bathroom was tiny, cramped together with a bathtub, a sink, and a toilet. There was a single bedroom resembling a half dorm room with shelves and a window on one side and a couch for a bed. The rest of the apartment was a living room where Mom, Dad, and Aleosha slept. Ira stayed in the bedroom but while I was there the family of four all slept together on a pull out couch in the living room. Yes, tight; but they were grateful people, and happy, and always expressed an attitude of abundance.
After I put my bags away we had our first meal and this I would learn later was like thanksgiving for them. The meal consisted of hard boiled eggs, beautiful potatoes with large chunks of salt rubbed on the outside. Whole sardines and caviar, and a beautiful black bread covered with dense butter that tasted like cheese. They spread the whole meal out in the living room as a special welcoming dinner - it was magnificent. One thing I can say with a surety is these people made the scarce and the few - plentiful.
Ira’s Mom couldn’t speak a peep of English, but she knew German. Ira’s Dad warned me that she will try and use a German word if I’m not understanding the Russian. It definitely forced me to improve my broken Russian, and become a better listener.
As tired as I was I laid there in that little bedroom, the only room in the house. Staring at the artifacts on the wall, Ira’s basketball trophies, maps of the world, books, and photo albums. All I could think about was the four of them out there in that living room, their whole apartment could fit into my Dad’s garage.
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