And just like that- classes are over! Our professors seemed very happy with my group’s progress. I was particularly proud of my group’s performance on our Speech Development final exam: for the exam, we had an hour and a half long conversation in front of the professor, about the effect of participation awards on children’s mentality. We then had a small goodbye-party with our profs on Tuesday afternoon after class, and enjoyed kvass and pizza with the teachers. Per my tradition, I gave my teachers some simple hand-crocheted birds as a parting gift, and they all really appreciated the hand-made gesture!
On Wednesday, I went to the Museum of Cosmonautics for the last time. I helped transcribe an article about the first chess match in space, wrote up some questions for a Q&A with astronaut Kate Rubins, and enjoyed some tea and snacks with my coworkers. Normally someone brings a small snack each day- fruit, chocolate, cookies- so I brought in some goodies to share. I also brought a small thank-you gift, including a hand-drawn card, and I was so flattered that my coworkers posted about it on the museum’s Facebook page! I’m definitely going to miss that museum and my coworkers. Volunteering there was one of my favorite parts of the summer!
Afterwards, I walked through Gorky Park one last time, enjoying the beautiful greenery, ponds, and Russian conversation all around. Then, our group met at the train station, and we hopped on an overnight train to Saint Petersburg! We were in coupes (cabins) of four, and it was very cozy. I had no problems sleeping at all, and found the rocking of the train and the noises really relaxing.
We got into Petersburg (Piter) at about 6am, and immediately hopped on a tour bus to drive around the city. It was really tough to focus, since we were all really tired, but it was a good way to see the city. After checking into our dorm, we had free time to explore. I walked around with some folks who had spent time in Piter before, and they showed me all their favorite spots- the summer garden, cute coffee shops, little stores, etc.
The next day, we went to the Peter and Paul Fortress, and the nearby Cosmonautics museum. The museum was pretty cool, but I must admit that I prefer the museum in Moscow! Later, we visited the Hermitage – the winter palace of the Tsar’s family, now converted into a huge art gallery. It was absolutely gorgeous, and the luxury of the palace was astonishing. We even managed to go on a day when it wasn’t too terribly crowded with tourists. In the evening, we went on a boat tour of the canals. It rained the whole time, so we were a bit cold and damp afterwards, but I loved seeing the city from the water. Later that night, I stayed up and watched the raising of the Palace Bridge. Piter is famous for its hundreds of bridges, and the ones crossing the Neva River are all draw bridges that raise sometime between 1 and 5am.
Today, we went to the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art. I absolutely loved it! It’s been one of my favorite excursions so far. There was a great variety of art in the gallery. I especially enjoyed an exhibit of work by Andrey Popov, an aerospace-engineer turned cartoonist. His work was incredible, accessible, and captured a fantastic sense of wonderment and humor.
Overall, I’m really enjoying Piter! Our dorm is in the center of town- literally a 15 minute walk away from the Hermitage and other incredible city sites. I really like being in the center of the action, but it’s also a very crowded and touristy part of town. Piter itself is beautiful and reminiscent of a European city. It’s much more walkable than Moscow! We’ve only taken the metro here once. But it is also very cold- usually less than 60 degrees and windy/rainy.
So far, I feel very different in Moscow than in Piter. In Moscow, I felt almost like a local by the end of the summer. Here, I’m definitely a tourist. Nevertheless, I’m enjoying my time in Piter, and I’m so thankful for the chance to see this beautiful city and compare and contrast it with Moscow. My favorite part of Piter right now is all of the beautiful canals! I love being on the water, so I like to just grab a hot cup of coffee and stroll along the canals and bridges. I can’t wait to see what else the city holds!
Do Vstrecha,
Piper
(Captions on the photos pending access to WiFi in Piter…)
Sunset over the Neva River.
RLASP in Moscow 