Howdy from Moscow!
Each week is busier than the last, in the best way possible!
I started off by visiting a gigantic yarn store in northeast Moscow – rows upon rows of yarn. It was a crochet artist’s paradise! I found it interesting that most brands were Russian or European, I didn’t see any American brands that I recognized. We had also just discussed in class the verb “to sew” (шить sheet) and it’s many prefixes- just like in the English language, prefixes in Russian are used to tweak or specify the meaning of the word. For example, in Russian, перешить (peresheet) specifically means not just to sew, but to sew a new article of clothing from an older article of clothing.
This week, I also loved touring the MISHKA museum and chocolate factory – the home of such delicious chocolates as Red October and Alyonka. (Alyonka is my favorite chocolate, because the label features the daughter of a Soviet cosmonaut! Russian candies are well-known for their intricate and beautiful designs. This goes back to the Soviet times, when many artists found work designing chocolate labels.) The museum was very interactive, including life-size diaramas and a short 3D film. Then, we got to take a tour of the factory itself, and sample all sorts of delicious chocolates. I’ve never been inside a factory before, and loved looking at all of the machinery and equipment. Most of the factory was automated, and assisted and supervised by attendants.
I also had the very unique experience of buying someone flowers. It was my host mom’s birthday recently, and I decided to get her some flowers. There is a large culture surrounding flowers in Russia, and almost a science behind what type of flower and how many to give on any given occasion. Never, ever give someone an even number of flowers! Even numbers are reversed for funerals, and solemn occasions. One of my Russian friends from swing dancing accompanied me to the flower shop, and along with the shop owner helped me pick out the perfect bouquet based on my host mom’s age, and the occasion of her birthday.
One of the linguistic highlights of my week was taking a tour of the beautiful Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The tour was given entirely in Russian, and I was able to follow along and glean meaningful information from the tour guide. Located in the heart of Moscow, the cathedral was erected in the 1800s to celebrate the retreat of Napoleon from Moscow. It took 50 years to build the cathedral, and another 17 year just to paint it! We got to see the main cathedral, the basement, as well as the balcony where the choir stands.
Perhaps my favorite excursion this week was to the Air Force museum in Monino. Monino is a small suburb of Moscow, about an hour train ride southeast of the city. The train ride was spectacular – while the seats were very bare bones, and there was no air conditioning, the ride was still very relaxing and almost put me to sleep! Add in the beautifully forested Russian countryside, and it’s simply picturesque. Monino itself was a beautiful town. It was more green and forested than suburbs or towns I’ve seen in the States. It seemed that folks there enjoyed a slow and comfortable pace of life. To get to the museum on foot, you had to take a short walk through the woods. The museum was a large building with an attached hangar, full of artifacts, photos, and old engines. But the most glorious part of the museum was the open air exhibit. It felt just like the air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin! There were fighter jets, bombers, commercial airliners, and even some helicopters. Several of the planes looked similar to American classics like the B-29, DC-3, and (British) Concorde. Plaques by these aircraft explained that they were inspired by these international counterparts.
It was awesome to see how popular the museum was. There were many visiting families, and people of all ages. I especially loved seeing exhibits about the brave female pilots in the World War II (Great Patriotic War) era. This war was incredibly costly for Russia- nearly every family lost a loved one, and the war remains a source of both pride and sorrow for Russians to this day. In WWII, female pilots would fly dangerous night bombing missions, without lights on their aircraft!
However, I was a bit saddened to see the state of the aircraft in the outdoor part of the museum. These aircraft sit in a field year round, exposed to both the hot sunny summers and the treacherously cold Russian winters. Many aircraft were rusty, missing tires, or even wings! But, in spite of it all, it was clear that the airplanes were loved and appreciated by all!
Ekaterininskiy Park 
Another shot of the pond at Ekaterininskiy Park 
Some beautiful aircraft at Monino! 
Very wistful to see this plane topsy-turvy. 
A typical exhibit inside the museum – lots of posters with text and photos, as shown on the back wall. 
The Russian countryside between Monino and Moscow. 
Cathedral of Christ the Savior 
The Moscow River, as taken from Gorky Park. 
Views of Moscow from the observation deck of the Cathedral. 
Yarn.
RLASP in Moscow 