Defender of the Fatherland Day

This past weekend when the Russian students in my class told me we had a holiday coming up and would be off school for a couple of days I was suprised and excited to find that they celebrated George Washington's birthday in Russia.

I soon realized that instead this holiday was "Defender of the Fatherland Day", and I have since been told that it commemorates the day in 1918 when the first mass draft of the Red Army occured.

Katya, one of the students who was in the program last year but has still been hanging out with us was nice enough to invite us to her boyfriend Stas's dacha for the long weekend in which we celebrated this holiday. The dacha was probably the most enjoyable experience I have had thus far in Russia. This particular dacha is equipped with a banyan, essentially a Russian sauna. I had never been in a sauna of any sort before so it was a very unique experience, and because we are in Russia we all partook in sprinting from the banyan, jumping into a pile of snow, and sprinting back into the banyan. Truly an experience I will never forget.

Pictured: Isaac and I enjoying a game of post banyan checkers.

Russian Cuisine

So after spending roughly three weeks in Russia I feel like I am finally qualified to write about some of my favorite Russian foods and how the food is different from what I eat in America. My favorite thing I have eaten so far would definitely have to be the borscht. This is a traditional Russian soup you can get at the canteen which consists of very tasty broth and beetroots. Also you always get a healthy dollop of sour cream right in the middle. Another of our favorites is the Doner-kabob which roughly translates to rotating roast, and we have affectionately dubbed it "mystery meat". Honestly, I am not sure what meat is in the center but it is wrapped in this amazing flat bread packed with vegetables. Interestingly enough, this also comes with a healthy dollop of sour cream on top.

The biggest change Russia has brought about in my diet has been that I am eating much healthier. The fatty foods, heavy sugar use, and synthetic colorings simply do not exist in Russian cuisine and also make for some very tasty foods. I must admit I still have some American indulgences and have on occassion been known to buy a bottle of Coke every now and then.

Tretyakov Gallery

This weekend we visited the Tretyakov Gallery, the state art gallery of Russia, which houses the finest collection of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery was enormous and in our two hours there I am sure we did not even see half of it. The art gallery I am most familiar with, the Museum of Fine Art Houston is almost the polar opposite of the Tretyakov Gallery. The gallery has a distinct fine art appeal and the rooms seem just like they were in the 1700s. Pictured is one of the masterpieces featured in the gallery, a portrait of one of my favorite authors: Fyodor Dostoevsky.

An aside: The trip to the gallery was the longest metro trips I have taken to date and each stop seemed like an art gallery itself. All stops on the metro have a unique and distinct feel, and they are all unique in their own way.

Moscow Bus Tour

Recently me and my fellow class mates went on a bus tour of Moscow to look at some of the city's most famous sights and to look at attractions that might not be in your average tour guide. First we visited Red Square again, this time during the day when it was not so cold, and it was just as breathtaking as the first time we saw it. Next we hopped back on our tour bus and visited the Russian World War II memorial. I can say that this sight is easily one of the most amazing sights I have ever been to. As far as war memorials goes this one is easily the biggest and most grandeur that I have ever experienced. Once again we got back on our bus and drove over to Moscow city center. There we saw a theater where cats are trained as actors, a giant wine cork, and the main offices of the KGB. We also walked through a giant glass tunnel to look at Moscow's still developing financial district and that is where this picture of David, Isaac, and I takes place. All in all a very fun day and it was good to get out of the hostel for a while and explore Moscow.