During the past month in the capital we’ve been tasked with trying to make some sense of culture and rhythms of this wide country. To understand ‘Russian-ness” and what’s distinctive about it. However, one thing Muscovites have told us time and again is “Moskva ni Rossiya” (“Moscow isn’t Russia”). Life here much more closely resembles that in New York or London. Lots of iPads, top-line clothes, chain restaurants.... Walking along the storied Arbat street you’re just as likely to hear Frank Sinatra or the Beatles as Bulat Otkudzhava or other Russian bards.
So last weekend we ditched the cosmopolitan and took a bus to the ancient cities of Vladimir, Suzdal and Murom for a glimpse of Russia proper. The cities are located northeast of Moscow in the culturally rich Golden Ring, accessible via the Shocce of Enthusiasts (this route used to be called the Vladimir Highway and was the way followed by thousands of prisoners on their trek to Siberia). We were lucky enough to stay each night in Vladimir at the American Home, an English language center designed like a typical American home and decorated with typical cultural images.
After dropping off our things we took an hour bus ride to Suzdal, a small town which dates back to the 11th century. In 1121 prince Yury Dolgoruky (“Yury the Long-Armed”) shifted the center of Rus power to Suzdal from Kiev, dramatically increasing the Golden Ring’s importance (Dolgoruky is also famous for founding Moscow). During the Soviet era, many religious and historical sites were demolished across Russia, but Suzdal's relative isolation and small size saved most of its numerous treasures. Now, it is a federally protected city, leaving Suzdal free of tall construction and full of a unique small-town charm. Our first stop was the 11-th century Suzdal Kremlin. In contrast to the Kremlin in Moscow ("kremlin" simply means fortress), the Suzdal Kremlin is made of stunning white stone. And while the Moscow Kremlin houses the massive Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon, the Suzdal Kremlin is home to the Tsar Lantern (“Tsar” refers to the fact that they were the largest in the world when created; unlike its Moscow counterparts, Suzdal’s “Tsar” object actually worked). The 150-kilogram metal Tsar Lantern was hoisted by an 8-man team during Easter celebrations. We also visited the 14th century St. Euthymius Monastery, where we were treated to a miniature concert first by a bell tower. Through a system of pullys and pedals, the operator simultaneously rang about ten bells. Far from somber, Russian church bells were lively, orchestral, rhythmic... It was special to hear these bells in such an ancient place.
The next day we set off for Murom, one of Russia's oldest cities (a record of it existed as early as 862). Unlike Suzdal, Murom was suffered greatly from the Soviet era. Countless churches and other cultural sites were destroyed. Murom became home to a large radio works, and was off-limits to foreigners. But now it’s working to regain its storied past. Murom is the setting for numerous famous Russian tales, including that of saints Peter and Fevronia, whose saint day is celebrated sort of like Valentine’s Day. We also saw many sites associated with the famous bogatyr Ilya Muromets. The bogatyrs were Eastern Slavic knights celebrated in folk epic poems. Ilya was paralyzed until he was 33 years old, but after a miraculous cure he became a war hero and later a monk. Ilya Muramets is different than many of the popular heroes we’ve encountered thus far: neither ideological, nor tragic. Unsubmissive, yet also humble. Perhaps this is related to another feature that’s new for us on this trip: the Russian landscape, which according to one artist was “made for epic heroes.” The dense forests, wide expanses and slow rivers certainly left a strong impression on us.
However, we came to Murom for more than just sightseeing: the Murom branch of Vladimir State University had invited us to spend the day with some of its students who were studying English. Our hosts were very warm and hospitable. We were treated to a presentation about their university and town and then embarked on a walking tour. We saw the Savior Monastary, the oldest in Russia, in which we even got to try playing church bells ourselves. We also stopped by the Trinity Convent, where the remains of Peter and Fevronia are kept. But the best part was simply getting to hang out with the students. We found we had much in common, and switching back and forth between English and Russian we talked about everything from Putin to Winnie the Pooh (or Vinnie Pukh, in its Soviet iteration) and South Park. In was a fun and laugh-filled afternoon, at the end of which we traded email addresses and Facebook info.
We spent our last day of the trip in Vladimir, to which the Rus capital was relocated by Yuri Dolgoruky’s son Andrey Bogolyubsky (alas, his arm’s weren’t as long as his father’s—especially the one was cut off by henchmen of his rebellious boyars). Many of the ancient religious sites of Vladimir have become UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Church of the Intercession. However, the way to this church was blocked by thick fog and a flooded river. Back in the center of the Vladimir we saw the stunning Assumption Cathedral as well as the Cathedral of Saint Demetrius.
It would be too much to try to summarize our all impressions in this space. Furthermore, we’re wary of drawing to big conclusions from such a short time spent here. So we’ll just end simply by saying our experience in these places was immensely positive. The people were incredibly friendly and scenes calm and meditative.
Click here for an animated retelling of the tale of Peter and Fevronia:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXaSUmd4iJs
Link to Murom Institute website:http://www.mivlgu.ru/en/content/brief-description-institute
And here's an episode of the Russian version of Winnie Pooh that one of the Murom students recommended:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqdiEUp6s4E
