This week most Russian children are finishing school for their summer holidays. Whilst in the UK the average child gets around a 6 or 7 week break, in Russia it is a staggering 13 to 14 weeks. This clearly poses many issues for parents who face the challenge of keeping their kids supervised, entertained and educated for over two months. It is likely for this reason that summer camps are exceptionally popular in Russia. Usually around 10 days long, in a campsite in the forest, nearly every Russian child will be sent to at least one this summer. The contrast to this long summer holiday however is that Russian kids go to school on Saturdays. I have asked many children if they would prefer to exchange their long summer holiday for a full weekend but so far no one has gone for this option. There are a number of other key differences between Russian and English schools. Kids here start school at 7 as opposed to 5 in the UK, there is often no division between primary and secondary schools and school uniforms are only compulsory up to the 5th grade and then in the final year. Whilst there are only state exams in the 9th and final year there is a strong sense of competition within the school system with inter-school competitions called "Olympiads" held every year in a range of different subjects. School lessons are largely the same although there is no Religious Education and the PSHE equivalent is focused on survival skills rather than on sexual health. I've taught at a number of schools, all of which have numbers rather than names, and from my experience the facilities are much the same although better for their equivalent of private schools, known as Gymnasiums. The grading system also differs. Instead of the A-F scale they work on a 5-1 system with 5 being the best and 1 virtually never given. Finally due to a shortage of places the school day in Russia is divided into two shifts; one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
On the 25th January 1959 a group of 10 experienced ski hikers, most current and former students of the Ural Polytechnical Institute in Yekaterinburg, began a difficult hike to reach Mount Otorten. After several days of hiking and one member turning back, the students, led by Igor Dyatlov, found on the evening of February 1st that they had lost their way in a snowstorm. Realising that they had deviated West up towards the top of Mount Kholat Syakhl the group decided to set up camp. That night "an unknown compelling force" would see the panic-stricken students desperately tear their way out of their own tent and flee half-naked into the winter night and certain death. This weekend I visited their gravestone and read up on the infamous Ural mystery When rescue teams found the first bodies it was concluded that the students had died of hypothermia trying to return to the tent, many only in their underwear and some wearing one or no boots at all. Later however three of the students were found to have different causes of death. Thibeaux-Brignolles, died of major skull damage, and both Dubinina and Zolotarev of chest fractures all without corresponding external wounds. Dubinina's was the strangest case; missing her tongue, eyes, part of her lips and facial tissue. With no signs of a struggle and footprints in the snow contradicting the possibility of an avalanche the Soviet authorities at the time were unable to reach a conclusion as to what had caused the experienced hikers to abandon the relative warmth and safety of their tent, a shelter to which they would never return.
The "Dyatlov Pass Incident", as it is now referred, remains a popular mystery and horror story to this day. Speculation around the cause of the incident has resulted in numerous theories. One fairly popular and well-supported one claims that the students were the unintentional victims of military tests being conducted in the area. Orange spheres had been observed in the sky that night and the Soviets were reportedly quick to shut down the case and subsequently banned travel to the area for three years. Other theories focus on the supposedly radioactive nature of some of the students clothes claiming that they were undercover KGB operatives or were subjected to nuclear fallout from rockets launched from Kazakhstan. One alternative theory I find particularly compelling suggests that the wind blowing around the mountain created what is known as a Kármán vortex street. This weather system creates two opposing vortices, which results in an incredibly loud sound as well as infrasound. In experiments infrasound has been shown to create fear, anxiety, nausea and even hallucinations in test subjects. It is argued that these surreal and disturbing conditions may have overwhelmed the students and resulted in their doomed escape. With no survivors or records to turn to it seems that people will continue to ruminate and hypothesise over what cause this unsettling tragedy for many years to come. This Wednesday just passed the infamous Human Spider climbed the tallest building in Russia outside of Moscow, Yekaterinburg's own Vysotsky Tower. Alain Robert, or the French Spider-man as he is also known, gained his pseudonym scaling the heights of the World's tallest buildings, including the 828m Burj Khalifa in Dubai, often without any safety harnesses or other protection. His exploits have often been illegal for obvious reasons and have attracted much media attention. The latest subject of Robert's attention was named Vysotsky after one of the city's favourite sons Vladimir Vysotsky a Soviet poet and singer, the name being a clever pun on the word "Vysoky" meaning "high." Alongside it's other claim to fame the building at 188m is also the northernmost building over 150 metres worldwide. Below is footage of Robert climbing in Yekaterinburg as well as a documentary on his stunts.
Yekaterinburg has a surprising amount of street art dotted around the city. Some of it seems to be the work of lone artists whilst others have clear advertising purposes and were probably done by big companies. Whilst this is nowhere near an exhaustive gallery, here is a collection of some of these murals and other art. Something of a curiosity to me here in Russia is the frequent lack of change available in shops. It can sometimes be quite difficult to buy things if you don't have exact change and I've found that many cashiers don't seem to have a problem with lecturing you about your wrong-doing if you don't have it. After thinking about this for some time I have a number of theories as to the possible reason for these seemingly missing Rubles:
1) The Russian currency has quite strange denominations. The Russian equivalent of the Penny is the Kopeck. The value of a Kopeck however is dramatically lower than the Penny at only a fiftieth of its value. As a result 1 Kopeck pieces don't seem to be being issued anymore, although I do remember seeing them discarded in supermarkets and in streets when I first visited Moscow in 2008. At the moment only 10s and 50s appear to still be in circulation, they are usually rounded up in shops and in most cases if the shop doesn't have change then it's considered your job to make up the difference not theirs. As for Rubles in coins there are: 1, 2, 5 and 10 ruble pieces, meaning that the smallest coin is worth 2p and the biggest just under 20p. In notes meanwhile there are: 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5,000 ruble notes, meaning the smallest note is again 20p and the biggest £100 (and unlike the 50 pound note this note is fairly common, often if you withdraw £100 from a cash machine you will get a 5,000 ruble note). I guess this could cause problems since the lack of high value coins means giving change is often in handfuls. 2) Another theory I have is that the system of currency distribution operating between banks and shops might not be sufficiently well organised. The problem with this theory however is that international stores such as McDonald's and H&M don't seem to suffer from this problem as much as Russian shops. 3) This leads me to a final conclusion that it could be a case of different expectations on the part of shop and customer responsibility than in the UK. In many cases in Russia it can feel as though you are really inconveniencing someone when you make a purchase. I've had shop assistants follow me around the shop eagle-eyeing me with suspicion, others literally throw my groceries into a basket and bark at me for trying to insert my card without their prior approval. I've also noticed that it's not unusual for shops to take "technical breaks" where the whole shop shuts for a period of time when staff all take their lunch break for example in unison. These things I guess are probably remnants of the old Soviet system where the only difference it made for those working in shops if you had one customer a day or a hundred was how much work you had to do for your salary. Things are still changing here and I suppose the obsession with profits, or even perhaps the logic of customer satisfaction hasn't developed in quite the same way as it has in the UK, which is not always a bad thing. With this in mind however it makes sense that shop assistants would see it as the customers responsibility to source the correct change. It might therefore be a mixture of all these factors that leads to the lack of change and the missing Rubles which makes me search my wallet desperately before every purchase. Last week I got the opportunity to be interviewed by Anna Kolesnik, a journalist from "Rossiskaya Gazeta" newspaper for a project they are participating in to strengthen cultural ties between Russia and Great Britain. We discussed a number of topics around the theme of being a foreigner in Russia and the similarities and differences between the two countries. It was a pleasure to take part in the project although it was odd feeling important for virtually no reason. There were a few misunderstandings because of the language barrier (that I mentioned before) Anna very kindly got in touch with me and said that all of this would be corrected. She also pointed out that our brief comments about politics wouldn't be included because of the emphasis of this project on culture which I completely agree with. Below is my own translation of the article but you can see the original in Russian here: Джентльмены предпочитают Россию Gentlemen Prefer RussiaSmiling 23-year-old Joe Harrold really loves Russian history. After graduating from the University of Nottingham in England, he came to live and work in Ekaterinburg. Despite the fact that Russia initially was something of a cultural shock and it never ceases to amaze him and the Englishman is not going to leave. According to Joe, the most friendly people in the world can be found here and there are far more opportunities and freedom. In general all that Russians usually look for abroad. Rossiskaya Gazeta: Joe, why did you suddenly become interested in Russia? Joe Harrold: I grew up in the small town of Stratford-upon-Avon in the heart of England, which is is famous as the birthplace of Shakespeare. I learned about Russia at school - we studied its history and culture. I was so interested in this country, that I decided to enter the Faculty of Russian and Eastern European Civilizations at the University of Nottingham. During my studies I went to Moscow to learn Russian and understand the country. I loved living in Russia so I went back to England, graduated from University and decided to come here again. This time however not to Moscow but Yekaterinburg. I have lived here since October last year and work as an English teacher at a language school. Rossiskaya Gazeta: And what attracted you in Russian history? Joe Harrold: I am particularly interested in the Soviet period of Russian history. I was interested to know why people wanted to build communism. Rossiskaya Gazeta: Why did you decided to come to Ekaterinburg, and not, say, Moscow? Joe Harrold: I was interested in living in another, non-capital city of Russia. I also had a friend who worked in Yekaterinburg. I found a lot of information about the city on the internet and realized that it was a large center where there were a lot of interesting things. Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Were you not afraid of coming here? Joe Harrold: Only a little. Honestly, I went from Moscow to Yekaterinburg by train, and in my compartment was a Russian man who was actually more scared than I was. He lived close to Moscow and was going to Yekaterinburg for the weekend for personal reasons. I remember that this guy several times wished me luck and asked me to keep in touch with him. But I was not so scared because I had been to other Russian cities, and knew what to expect. Rossiskaya Gazeta: Which city do you like more Moscow or Ekaterinburg? Joe Harrold: Probably still Moscow - it is a big metropolis with a special atmosphere. I also like Yekaterinburg as it is a very interesting city. London, on the contrary, I am not attracted to, although it is as big as Moscow. Rossiskaya Gazeta: How has your opinion of Russia changed from before you came here? Joe Harrold: To be honest, I originally imagined that everything would be as in England but it became clear that each country has its own ways. So, of course, initially I experienced culture shock. Everything here was so different: the mentality, traditions, food... I was particularly struck by the scale of things in Russia: big streets, blocks of flats. Here everything is arranged with a Russian sweep. And although I am used to living in this country it still never ceases to amaze me. The country is so surprising and crazy, unexpected things occur all the time. Rossiskaya Gazeta: For example? Joe Harrold: Let's say for example, on the street you can walk up to complete strangers, and they will greet you in a friendly way and invite you as a guest to drink, sing songs etc. Such things almost never happen in England. Rossiskaya Gazeta: However, Russians, quite on the contrary, are often considered sullen and uncommunicative... Joe Harrold: They only appear to be very serious and surly (Joe frowns imitating passers-by). However, once you start to talk, you discover that they are the most friendly people in the world, and they are always ready to help. For example, in England it is impossible to become friends in just one day whilst with a Russian you can immediately become friends for life. For example, several years ago, I met with some young people in Moscow. We only talked for half an hour, but even years later they still wish me happy birthday and ask how I am. So I love Russians. Rossiskaya Gazeta: What attracts you to Russia in general? Joe Harrold: In Russia there are many wonderful things For example, there are more opportunities and it is easier to find work. At least all of my Russian friends say that there are a mass of vacancies. In England, on the contrary, it is very hard to get a skilled job. I love that in Russia there more freedom than in the UK. In our country strong state control. Say in order to buy something you constantly have to fill in paperwork and sign things... For example, to buy medicine at the pharmacy. In Russia, it is not the case. In addition, here nobody cares about you on the street, no one judges you. Also, I love Russian trains. They are cheap and convenient. I like journeys by rail: you can watch the beautiful views from the window, meet people, play games. For example, once when I was traveling with friends on a train to Sochi, we met in the carriage a very strange guy. He was a little drunk and bought us all ice cream at one of the stations. It was fun. Rossiskaya Gazeta: Are you not afraid of the cold Russian winter? Last winter, for example, it was -40 in Yekaterinburg. Joe Harrold: The cold does not particularly frighten me. I do not like the fact that winter in the Urals lasts a long time that it is and dark most of the time it creates quite a depressing atmosphere. But what I really like is the heating here. You have the heating on in homes all the time. In England, the heating is very expensive. Therefore, it is sometimes only possible to warm the house for an hour or so and the rest of the time freeze. What is interesting I think is that the Russian people are more afraid of the cold than the British. Of course, all winter trying to dress warmly. But when it's about 15 degrees, then almost everyone wears fur whilst I feel quite normal in a jacket. Rossiskaya Gazeta: Have you tried Russian food? Joe Harrold: It is almost the same as in the UK. Potatoes, meat... But I love the foreign cuisine here in Russia: Georgian, Japanese... We don't really have these, only in London really but you can find Indian food, which isn't here. Frankly, I miss English sandwiches. In the UK, you can find them at every turn, and they are not anywhere in Yekaterinburg. In addition, in England shops sell ready-made meals that can simply be heated up at home which is very convenient.However, in Russia for some reason there is no such food in the supermarkets. It's weird because a lot of Russian work and come home late. I do not understand when they have time to cook... Rossiskaya Gazeta: What Russian tradition do you like? Joe Harrold: I really like the Russian celebration, 9th May. In England, the military holiday is quite sad, they do not celebrate as in Russia. In Russia there is a grand parade, people celebrate the victory and give veterans flowers. It is very touching. Rossiskaya Gazeta: What do you think are the main images of Russia? Joe Harrold: I guess it's traditional Russian things: Russian nesting dolls, dumplings, Russian hats... If we talk about new characters, it's Russian grandmothers, the ones that were on Eurovision. They were very touching. And fashionable Russian women - they really look after themselves. Rossiskaya Gazeta: Many foreigners talk about the beauty of Russian girls. Have you pursued a relationship here? Joe Harrold: Yes, I have a girlfriend. We've been dating for four months. Frankly, I did not expect to start a relationship in Russia but then I met my girlfriend. She's Russian and works as a teacher in the same language school as me. Rossiskaya Gazeta: Is there a significant difference between a relationship with a Russian woman and an Englishwoman? Or are women the same throughout the World? Joe Harrold: In general, it seems to me that in Russia relationships are more old-fashioned. Men need to be leaders, and take care of their girls, giving them flowers for example. There's even 24 hour flower shops in case someone will suddenly need to buy a bunch in the early hours of the morning. This is surprising, because in England we very rarely give flowers. In addition, Englishwoman are more emancipated. For example they might be offended if you tried to pay for them at a cafe whilst in Russia, on the contrary: she would be offended if you did not pay. Rossiskaya Gazeta: Is Russia generally cheaper or is it more expensive to live here than in England? Joe Harrold: I spend about the same amount on food here as I do in the UK. Clothing in Russia is nearly twice as expensive but public transport is very cheap regardless of distance. For example, in Yekaterinburg a bus ticket costs only 23 rubles to either end of the city whilst the same trip in England on average costs around 100 rubles. Rossiskaya Gazeta: Russians often joke about English humor. To them it seems peculiar and incomprehensible. Have you experienced problems because of this? Joe Harrold: Exactly! The British are very fond of sarcasm. We can say something in jest, referring to something quite different. When I'm joking my Russian conversation partners often do not understand me. Rossiskaya Gazeta: What stereotypes about England have you encountered here?
Joe Harrold: Russians have a slightly old-fashioned image of the UK. Many believe that we are constantly drinking tea, smoking pipes and communicating with the queen. This, of course, is not true. In addition, it seems to me, that there is a negative attitude in Russia towards English politeness. Usually we try to be friendly, smile and do not show if we do not like something or someone. Russians can find this unnatural and hypocritical. On the whole however it seems to me that people in Russia love England. At least, English images and symbols are everywhere. For example, the British flag. it is depicted on T-shirts, in pictures, everywhere ... but in England Russia still remains something incomprehensible, taboo, wondrous. For example, my friends were very surprised when I said that I was going to live in Russia and many asked whether it was safe. Rossiskaya Gazeta: And is it safe? Have you experienced any unpleasant situations? Joe Harrold: Fortunately, no. I feel safe here, even in Uralmash (a famous criminal district of Yekaterinburg). Rossiskaya Gazeta: How long are you going to live in the Urals? Joe Harrold: I plan to stay here at least another year and then maybe go back to England. I don't plan to completely leave Russia however as I hope to find work in an Anglo-Russian company. There's not much to say about this topic other than pointing out how popular squatting down on your knees appears to be in Russia. I very often see guys hunched over in parks, outside my flat or waiting at the bus stop. Given that this is a bit of a gangster like stance it's not surprising that it kind of draws associations with the Russian equivalents of chavs, known as "gopniki" (гoпники). Gopniki have an incredible number of similarities with chavs; Adidas striped shell suits, Burberry caps, modded cheap cars (here Ladas not Vauxhall Corsas) and of course beer and cigarettes. Some things more unique to gopniki however are wearing black pleather (plastic-leather) jackets and eating sunflower seeds. If you'd like to see lots more pictures of people squatting then check out this blog dedicated to the subject; www.slavsquat.com
There are some things in life that as Brits (or Americans I assume) we assume are just a normal part of everyday life and must be the same everywhere in the World. Recently I've come to discover a few strange absences in Russia:
1. Blu Tack - It is possible to buy this here but most people have never seen it before, in fact my young student was convinced it was chewing gum. Instead of using Blu tack people use thin pins, like needles, to stick things to the wall. At first I was aghast that such a useful thing didn't exist but to be fair it's pretty terrible stuff. 2. Ticks and Crosses - When marking their tests I discovered that most of my students ignored my calls for using the system of a tick for something correct and a cross for something wrong, instead using a plus and minus system. This is fine until someone decides to use pluses and crosses. 3. Word Searches - Almost impossible to believe but it seems these do not exist in Russia, I've had kids through to adults asking me how to do them and then tracing words in circles and squiggly lines through the maze of words. 4. Lined A4 Paper - Incredibly frustratingly it is impossible to find paper in Russia that does not have math squares. Perhaps you might find a diary with lined paper but even asking for separate pieces of paper for folders is something that stumps most shop assistants. The idea of attending university appears to be as second nature to Russian students as it is to those in the UK; a result of societal, parental and peer pressure as well as the student’s own desire to improve their career prospects and enjoy the fabled uni lifestyle. Nonetheless it seems that there are different influences at work in both countries. Whilst in Russia escaping the compulsory twelve month military service plays a factor in the UK moving away from home to study offers a degree of independence from parents. In Russia the vast majority study in their home city or nearby. Places in uncatered halls, which have a very poor reputation, aren’t offered to these student and so most continue to live at home with their parents for the duration of their degree.
A Bachelor’s Degree takes slightly longer to obtain in Russia, four years, recently reduced from five. During this time the amount students pay to their universities is largely influenced by their academic performance. Those who achieve the highest results on leaving school can gain free places at university as well as monthly bursaries based on continual academic assessment. For the others there are no ways to finance their education other than through their parents or getting a company to sponsor them. Exams are also one of the biggest differences between the two systems with the vast majority being oral rather than written. Students are given a number of pre-decided questions to prepare in the weeks before an exam and on the day are required to answer a number of these selected at random from an assortment of question cards. At the end of the degree diplomas are grouped into two categories; Blue or Red, with Red being the equivalent of a British First. The fact that corruption appears to also have a place in Russian universities is probably unsurprising but it stands in stark contrast to the importance placed on maintaining academic discipline and procedure, or at least the semblance of it, in the UK. At Nottingham essays had to be written to strict word counts, footnotes meticulously organised and deadlines upheld to the minute. In contrast I have heard here first hand how tutors have given students marks before even seeing a submitted piece, the use of bribery to obtain passes or marks, deadlines being extended for individual students with no extenuating circumstances and tutors doling out marks based on favoritism and expected rather than actual performance. The Russian university system also appears to be much more regimented and topdown than in Britain. Students are not free to choose their modules, certain subjects such as P.E. are compulsory for all, student’s unions don’t seem to have as much power and I’ve been told that students are in many ways still treated like school pupils. This topdown structure incorporates and perhaps even fosters the mentality often seen at play in wider Russian society, of blind acceptance of instructions imposed from above. It is this mentality which often is the most apparent and frustrating and which resulted in much of the recent Western ridicule of the Sochi facilities (which included the placement of two toilets in one cubicle), people too often seem to ignore their own common sense when undertaking a task. One student I met for example was a linguistics major, yet due to the fact that their department is within the Technical Faculty had to study modules on subjects as disparate as; maths, metal mining and refinement and life safety (including how to correctly label and handle gas canisters.) Despite the clear irrelevance of these subjects to linguistic students protocol is upheld by both professors and students and the courses dutifully completed. I can’t claim to know all the inner workings of Russian universities or truly how they reflect or come to shape Russian society but given that it is at university that students embark on the path to independent thought it does raise questions as to how this influences students. The way that young adults see their superiors conduct themselves and the standards to which they themselves are expected to meet I would imagine set a measure of morals and ethics that people will take forward into their adult lives. Given the recent tensions between East and West over Crimea and the renewed focus on Russia's seeming devout obsession with a shirtless, fire-extinguishing, judo-mastering, crane-migrating, 46 pound pike catching megalomaniac it seemed like a good time to share these two Russian videos which poke fun both at Russia itself as well as it's "dear leader", just to point out that Russians are both well aware of the peculiarities of their country and are more than able to laugh at themselves. Whilst the clips aren't new they both are funny and definitely relevant to the current situation. Путин может всё, что угодно - Putin can do anything (lyrics below) This first video is a parody of a popular children's song "Daddy can do anything" (check out the original here).
Я люблю нефть - I love oil (lyrics below video) This second video is a song about the so called "new Russians," newly rich business people and their families, who are seen to be arrogant, gaudy and obsessed with money and little else. Ironically the crowd appears to be largely made up of such people.
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