Privet iz Moskviy! Hi from Moscow!
It is so incredible to be back in the beautiful city of Moskva. The flights were long, but uneventful. It was about 20 hours of travel, and we hit the ground running once we got to Moscow- I think we were awake for more than 30 hours straight.
The first few days have been focused on getting our bearings and adjusting to life in Moscow. We’ve had several orientation sessions to prepare us for intensive classes in all-Russian, living with a host family, and blending in with the local Muscovites.
I’ve especially enjoyed walking around Moscow and visiting the myriad of small parks around the city. I’ve never been to Russia in the summer before, and it’s so pleasantly surprising to see how green the city is. It feels like each block or so has its own small garden, and they are very popular spaces for folks to gather, relax, and spend time together. The weather here is hot (usually 80+ degrees) and very sunny. The sun rises around 4am, and sets close to 9pm.
The food has also been delicious! Russian cuisine is easily one of my favorites. Already, I’ve enjoyed bliniy (crepes), sirniki (little savory cheesecakes), schi (cabbage soup), and pirezhok s kapustoy (a handpie with cabbage). There are so many little cafes and restaurants in the city- I’m looking forward to finding some of my own local favorites! Depot already is a favorite of mine. It’s a new “hipster” food court that’s very popular with local Muscovites. But, rather than a typical fast food court that you’d see at a mall, it’s full of fun and unique restaurant and shops. We’ve done some sight-seeing as well, to the Red Square, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, and Patriarch’s Pond (the setting of Master and Margarita by Bulgakov).
I’m also perfecting what I refer to as my “street face”- in Russian culture, you do not smile at people on the street unless you know them and are greeting them! It’s been a tough habit to break, but I’m getting much better. I feel that I already stand out because of my dress- most Russian women tend to be very well dressed and put together, and wear long flowy pants or dresses. I usually opt for a nice pair of shorts or jeans, and a t-shirt or simple blouse. I’m also trying to moderate my speaking volume, both in Russian and English. Americans tend to stand farther apart and speak louder, whereas Russians tend to stand closer together and speak softer. I’ll try to share more cultural notes as I learn from observations and the locals I meet.
Yesterday, we got to meet our host families and move in with them. My family is positively lovely! I’m being hosted by a couple with two young sons. They have been so kind and welcoming! Their apartment is very large, comfortable, and clean. Plus, it has great views of Moscow! Everyone in the family is very patient with my language learning. I’m only allowed to speak with my host family in Russian. Sometimes it can be tricky- I often have to ask them to speak slower, or repeat what they said. But, I already feel like I am expanding my vocabulary and understanding them better.
Today was our first day of class. It was a lot of hard work! At the university, we are only allowed to speak in Russian… from 9am to 3pm (or later) each day! It was quite the mental exercise, and when I finally took an English-break, it felt really weird to switch languages. All the classes so far seem quite useful and interesting – grammar, phonetics, literature, etc, and even a dancing class (to practice verbs of motion). I’m excited to pick up some new Russian dances!
Over the next couple days, I’m really excited to explore more of Moscow, go to a swing dance social, and maybe even visit my host family’s dacha (country house). I love seeing Moscow in the summer. It’s beautiful and captivating in the winter, but in the summer, the city really comes alive. Each day, I’m going to try to only speak in English when I’m communicating with folks back home, or when absolutely necessary. It’ll be tough, but I can already tell that taking the initiative to immerse myself like this will have a great and lasting impact on my language skills!
Uvidimsya! (See you later!)
Piper
Graffiti off of Arbat Street, a popular tourist destination. 
Krasniy Ploshad- Red Square! Featuring the iconic Saint Basil’s Cathedral. 
The view of Moscow from my host family’s apartment. You can see Moscow City (the new financial district) in the background. 
Delicious berries on sale at Depot food court. 
The atrium at our university. 
Patriarch’s Pond, the setting of Bulgakov’s famous Master and Margarita. Last time I was here, the pond was completely frozen! 
The Depo food court – a very popular spot amongst Russians. It reminded me a lot of Pike’s Place in Seattle.
RLASP in Moscow 
This was great, Piper! It definitely brought me back to my summer in Leningrad/St. Petersburg. I look forward to reading your future posts!
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