Travel Announcement: Return to Russia!

[peacetraveler22]

It's now official! I just purchased my tickets to Russia. :) Here I am, standing on the frozen Neva River in Peter. Glorious! Dates of the visit will be 23 February - 9 March. For those in the U.S., airfares on Aeroflot are incredibly cheap now. Nonstop flights from Washington, DC or New York City to Moscow cost only $492 USD roundtrip, including taxes. I can't even fly to many places in the U.S. for this price.

The first week I'll travel with my Russian friend on a road journey to some new cities, though I'm not yet sure where. Proposed options include the following:
(1) Moscow → Yaroslavl → Vologda → St. Petersburg → Moscow

(2) Moscow → Vladimir → Novgorod → Cheboksary → Kazan → Moscow

Where to go? What to do? Suggestions for other intriguing driving routes from Moscow? Help me! :) I'm mostly interested in unusual people, wild and frozen nature and village life. Museums, Orthodox churches, and standard tourist attractions aren't really important to me.

If there's interest, I can try to arrange a reader gathering somewhere in Moscow the second week. Although I'm not sure where in the city is convenient for most people? If you know a good gathering place, like a restaurant or pub, please tell me in the comments.

I'm excited for the trip, to see if attitudes toward an American visitor have changed since my visit last February when I attended the Olympic Games. Since then, relations between our countries have shifted dramatically and even here on my blog I've noticed more anti-Americanism and hostility, even when the topic of my posts have absolutely nothing to do with politics.

Btw, I'm sure many of you saw Ilya Varlamov's post hanging in the TOP all day yesterday, but if not I suggest you give it a read. A foreign tourist's brutal impressions of Russia. Her story makes my first Russian post seem like a fairy tale. I think she was harsh in her review of the country, though she's certainly entitled to her opinion. It's especially amusing to view the reader comments to the story (over 4,000 of them now!!).

Russia - your country remains a fascinating place for me, and I'm very happy to return!

Comments

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Yes, I remember that I wished my travel companions "happy man day" during my first visit. But I don't really understand the nature of the holiday. I thought it had a military theme?

[vitsky.livejournal.com]

Yes, originally it's a day of Army. But, because it is supposed that all men should be able to defend their Fatherland, it transformed to "Man day".

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I don't think we really have an American equivalent to this holiday...no "Man's Day" here, or even really a "Woman's Day." The only exceptions are Mother's and Father's Day, which are celebrated in May and June. What about the single people, with no kids? We have no holidays for appreciation. :))

[vitsky.livejournal.com]

Well, in Russia people really like these days. I think, you will enjoy at least 8th March being in Russia. )

[romikchef]

I'd rather say it become just a commonplace semi-commercial holiday, like St. Valentine's. An (all) men's day just to match (all) women's day. No military spitit remained, but just another ecscuse to booze. At least in modern office culture.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

What do women usually get men on this day? It's only for romantic relationships, or also friendships with men, male relatives, etc.?

[romikchef]

This is a most funny part.
There is no custom to give gifts for this day, save for one case - a mixed-sex community, such as a school class or clerks sharing same office. And in such a case the behavior is exactly the same for both "gender holidays": the opposite sex is to team up and produce some sort of equal gifts for their counterparts. It can be some handwork or just commonplace gifts like perfume or t-shirts or such. Or - especially in case of the clerks - just to brought up some drinks and snacks in honor of the opposite party.

As you can see, it's mutually interconnected holidays: boys to congratulate girls and girls to congratulate boys. The only difference is at the Women's day - all women have to be given a load of flowers, and this is a strict rule, extended to all women one have a chance to meet during this day - from family to colleagues. Every pupil is carrying a bunch of flowers to the school, etc, etc.

So, due to some sort of obligatory nature of these holidays, there is not much romance in them, but rather socialization and team-building. However, it surely can be used as an opportunity, as any other holiday.

I've no military friends, but I believe that people connected to the army put more meaning in 23th Feb, yet celebrate it with no gifts but with a feast with friends or family.





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[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

It sounds like Valentine's Day, which we celebrate in America. A totally commercialized day for businesses to make a lot of money! But I love flowers, and will never refuse a bouquet. :))

[romikchef]

By the way, some women find Women's day disgusting, taking offense for being congratulated for just being a woman. Or they dislike communist origins of this holiday. But, in general, March, 8th is pretty innocent analogue to Mother's day.

Also, some men don't like to be congratulated "just in turn" or because they consider themselves inappropriate subjects for having no connection to the army.

Hope I weren't too boring getting in all these details.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

It's not boring, thanks for the info! That's why I write here, on a Russian platform. To better understand the country and Russian culture directly through the mouths and perceptions of local inhabitants. It's not always so easy being an American on RuNet, but I'm always learning something new. :)