Another blog post at 5am...though this time I'm in a coffee shop in
Kazansky Station, Moscow. We travelled 'plaskart' this time- very
comfortable, but more early morning distractions! This time, our new
Russian train friend was a warm older lady called Olga, a keen
follower of the Russian Orthodox faith. Initial clues as to this fact:
her hair was completely covered by a sky blue scarf, and she crossed
herself before everytime she ate. Later into the journey, after
looking through all of our photos, she told us that the previous day,
she had been in Yekaterinburg to recognize a significant anniversary:
the cruel 1918 murder, in Y'burg itself, of the royal Romanov family,
all of who now have saint status. Funnily enough, we had come very
close to stopping in Y'burg on that day ourselves...it would have been
interesting to behold this crowd of, according to Olga, 15,000
Orthodox devotees. Our friend has also been on pilgrimages in Greece,
Italy and Isreal, the latter being her desired place to live. As ever
with English- speaking Russians, she was modest about her spoken
English skills, insisting that she was better at reading, but we were
able to understand her very well. The token Russian drunk next to us
also provided some light relief on our 12 hour journey!
Enough about the train ride; let me share a little about Kazan. When
we first arrived there, it was stinking hot with construction occuring
on every road.
"Not as developed as the rest of Russia," I thought. How wrong I was,
my friends!
The following day, the much-needed rain, bringing cooler temperatures,
allowed us to appreciate how oxymoronic Kazan really is, with it's
historical modernity. The high street felt like any back home, with
familiar clothes outlets and sleek coffee shops...but the unique
ornate buildings reminded me that I was somewhere else entirely.
The Kremlin was surprisingly relaxing to walk around- only a
spattering of Russian tourists, who were all mostly standing still and
cocking their heads for photos as though they were catalogue models.
Just the Kremlin area alone represents the religious diversity of both
history and modern times... a mosque and cathedral stand side by side,
respectively rebuilt and renovated from older models. Just behind
these buildings us the grand Republic of Tatarstan government
building, proudly flying the Tatarstan flag- green and red with an
eagle.
A very brief introduction to the Tatars, as the volume and complexity
of their history is overwhelming. They are a Russian minority group,
originating from Mongolia, Russia and other neighbouring countries.
Kazan soon became one of the major trade centres of Russia, with
the Volga river connecting it to Middle Eastern countries.
Mostly of the Muslim faith, Tatars have had to fight various invasions
over time of both their religion and land, most notably from Ivan the
Terrible, a Russian tsar in the 1400s, who tried to make Kazan
part of the Moscow principality. Today, instigated by Catherine the
Great creating a decree in the 1800s towards religious
tolerance, Kazan is a multi-ethic, multi-religious city. I'm glad we
took the time to see a unique side to Russia; it just consolidates our
already firm view that Russia is a complex country, full of surprises
and with many personalities.
So, after two days exploring Russia's capital, we head to it's
cultural capital, St Petersburg. After, Helsinki, for a reunion with
some pals from travels past. Then...HOME! How is this trip almost
over? Didn't we just leave Fiji? Yet already it seems a lifetime
away...especially when trying to describe it for new Russian friends!
Better enjoy this trip while it lasts...
Kazansky Station, Moscow. We travelled 'plaskart' this time- very
comfortable, but more early morning distractions! This time, our new
Russian train friend was a warm older lady called Olga, a keen
follower of the Russian Orthodox faith. Initial clues as to this fact:
her hair was completely covered by a sky blue scarf, and she crossed
herself before everytime she ate. Later into the journey, after
looking through all of our photos, she told us that the previous day,
she had been in Yekaterinburg to recognize a significant anniversary:
the cruel 1918 murder, in Y'burg itself, of the royal Romanov family,
all of who now have saint status. Funnily enough, we had come very
close to stopping in Y'burg on that day ourselves...it would have been
interesting to behold this crowd of, according to Olga, 15,000
Orthodox devotees. Our friend has also been on pilgrimages in Greece,
Italy and Isreal, the latter being her desired place to live. As ever
with English- speaking Russians, she was modest about her spoken
English skills, insisting that she was better at reading, but we were
able to understand her very well. The token Russian drunk next to us
also provided some light relief on our 12 hour journey!
Enough about the train ride; let me share a little about Kazan. When
we first arrived there, it was stinking hot with construction occuring
on every road.
"Not as developed as the rest of Russia," I thought. How wrong I was,
my friends!
The following day, the much-needed rain, bringing cooler temperatures,
allowed us to appreciate how oxymoronic Kazan really is, with it's
historical modernity. The high street felt like any back home, with
familiar clothes outlets and sleek coffee shops...but the unique
ornate buildings reminded me that I was somewhere else entirely.
The Kremlin was surprisingly relaxing to walk around- only a
spattering of Russian tourists, who were all mostly standing still and
cocking their heads for photos as though they were catalogue models.
Just the Kremlin area alone represents the religious diversity of both
history and modern times... a mosque and cathedral stand side by side,
respectively rebuilt and renovated from older models. Just behind
these buildings us the grand Republic of Tatarstan government
building, proudly flying the Tatarstan flag- green and red with an
eagle.
A very brief introduction to the Tatars, as the volume and complexity
of their history is overwhelming. They are a Russian minority group,
originating from Mongolia, Russia and other neighbouring countries.
Kazan soon became one of the major trade centres of Russia, with
the Volga river connecting it to Middle Eastern countries.
Mostly of the Muslim faith, Tatars have had to fight various invasions
over time of both their religion and land, most notably from Ivan the
Terrible, a Russian tsar in the 1400s, who tried to make Kazan
part of the Moscow principality. Today, instigated by Catherine the
Great creating a decree in the 1800s towards religious
tolerance, Kazan is a multi-ethic, multi-religious city. I'm glad we
took the time to see a unique side to Russia; it just consolidates our
already firm view that Russia is a complex country, full of surprises
and with many personalities.
So, after two days exploring Russia's capital, we head to it's
cultural capital, St Petersburg. After, Helsinki, for a reunion with
some pals from travels past. Then...HOME! How is this trip almost
over? Didn't we just leave Fiji? Yet already it seems a lifetime
away...especially when trying to describe it for new Russian friends!
Better enjoy this trip while it lasts...
Olga and I, hanging out in plaskart.
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