The Metro, Red Square, the Kremlin, and St. Basil's Cathedral
Activities
By Lynn Ressler

One of the first places we visited after arriving in Moscow was Red Square. Several of our Russian classmates showed us around and told us about the sites we visited. We took the metro to get there and I was thankful that we had the Russian students to help us buy our metro passes. Several of the metro stations were created far underground to serve as nuclear fallout shelters. Getting to the metro cars required going down the longest escalator I have ever been on. The escalator shaft was about a hundred yards long and went down at about a 45-degree angle. The descent to the bottom took minutes and during the ride down, I thought for a few seconds that I might fall and go tumbling to the bottom. The metro system itself was very efficient; we only waited a minute or two for the next train to come. On the metro maps, the stops were written in both the Russian and the Roman alphabet. We had to switch to a different color metro line at one stop. Even without a real grasp of the Russian language, the metro seemed fairly easy to navigate. We visited the underground mall right beside Red Square, which had many western stores. We passed Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Adidas, Reebok and other brand name outlets. I was surprised to find the prices for clothing were comparable to what you'd expect to pay in the US. That mall is one of the few high-end retail malls.

Are we there yet?

When we stepped outside the mall we immediately saw the Russian History Museum, a giant red building that dominated the landscape. Next to the Russian History Museum was the Kremlin, which is an old fortress that houses government buildings. Outside the Kremlin wall was a World War II memorial with an eternal flame as a tribute the soldiers who died for their country. The Russians had extremely high casualties fighting the Germans on the "Western Front" and the large loss of life impacted everyone in the country. On the other side of the Kremlin we saw St. Basil's Cathedral. This cathedral has many bright multi-colored domes. St. Basil's can often be seen in photo books of Moscow as it is the most famous cathedral in Moscow.

It is amazing that we are able to visit Red Square, see the Kremlin, and St. Basil's Cathedral. Just 15 years ago during my childhood, the United States and the Soviet Union were enemy superpowers jockeying for political and military dominance. A member of our group lived in Alaska during the 1980's and he remembers emergency drills at school to prepare for the possibility that the Soviets might attack. It's incredible that now as we are in college, things have changed so much that its possible for the nine of us to live and study in Moscow.

The Weather for Beautiful Mockva
Weather
By Shane Leland

On January 15 we had our first taste of Moscow weather, as we broke through the clouds descending into Sheramatavo airport. The weather was overcast, with blowing and drifting snow. After clearing customs, we had our first actual encounter with winter in Moscow. The temperature was around 25 degrees F and there was a brisk wind. The wind chill was somewhere in the single digits. There was a light snow falling. This weather reminded me of my home in Cut Bank, Montana. The 16th of January was much like the first day of our arrival. The exception being that it didn't snow as much. Highs would have been in the mid 20's and lows in the single digits. On the 17th day we had our first sunshine!! It was great. Hailing from Big Sky country, we are not used to the sun being hidden for days at a time behind clouds. However, this was what we had experience thus far. We were excited enough to take a picture of the moment.

The Sun's A-Shinin'

The picture is taken out of our dorm room window. The sunshine was welcomed. The next morning and the proceeding several days the weather was cloudy with blowing snow. The Penn State students arrived on the 18th of January to similar weather that greeted the Montana State students. The next significant weather event took place on the 21st. We experienced our first snowstorm of any consequence. It only snowed around 2 inches but it was enough to get a feel for a Moscow snowstorm. On the 23rd we had a high pressure system move in and the temperature got much cooler. The high for the day never rose above 10 and lows were somewhere in the negative numbers. Overall the weather here is different from what I am used to in Montana. It's not a bad thing, it's just as my Russian friend Yulia says, "Normal."

Our Visit to the Red Crustacean
Culture
By Lisa Kalpowsky

One of our first cultural experiences was a visit to a nearby restaurant, the Red Crustacean or Red Lobster. This restaurant is nothing like a Red Lobster from home, but we discovered the food to be delicious and the atmosphere accepting of our limited Russian skills.

The large hall, still covered with decorations from recent holiday celebrations, was relatively empty at around two o'clock. First we were served a red juice, called kompot, which contained berries in the bottom of the glass. Russians use very few artificial preservatives and colorings: the kompot's vibrant red color was all-natural, which is wonderful since Brie is allergic to artificial dye. As our first course, we were served a salad. It had a celery base with peas and cheese along with some other vegetables. The next course of the meal was a soup, borscht. It consisted of a broth that just hinted of beets but was similar to a thin tomato soup. Rice, meat, and a large dollop of sour cream were also in the soup. The final course was brought out after we finished the borscht. It was yellow rice and two meatballs covered in a tangy sauce and garnished with tomato slices and a cucumber cone. This was as good as the rest of the meal and very filling.

When the bill arrived and the math was done we found this meal cost us about four American dollars. Our love of this place was cemented when we spoke with Nina, the director of the restaurant who is fluent in English, who encouraged us to come back as much as we liked. Between the delicious food and the friendly staff you can be sure that we will be frequent visitors of the Red Crustacean

Gazing Around Campus
Moscow State Agroengineering University
By Mary Honablew

Our journey through campus was interesting and fun. It was a new world of sights, sounds, smells, and feelings for us. We explored the area including buildings, interacted with some students, and ate at the "canteen."

The buildings varied in types of architecture, from buildings like those seen in the U.S. to beautifully detailed buildings. Many buildings are brick or made of stone. The administration building, which contains the International Department, is made of pink and white brick. Inside, there were students doing the same thing we do in America: waiting around for time to pass, chatting, or going to their next destination.

On another occasion, we spent some time with the Russian students in our program in front of a classroom building. Most stayed outside to have fun with the snow, but a couple of us went inside and found students chatting, a few vending machines, and the student store. Typical things which are in the store include items such as school supplies, drinks, and also interestingly, cigarettes.

Once at the canteen (a small cafeteria), I was hit by very warm moist air and many people chattering. I'm guessing the warm air is from boiling water to cook various things. This place has an open kitchen at the back with a buffet style area in front of it. In front of that are small tables and then the entrance. A daily menu is posted on the wall, close to the cash register. To order, one simply tells the woman at the cash register what they would like to eat and pay her for this. After getting a receipt, there is a procession to pickup some bread, salad, and drink. Next down this buffet, a lady takes the receipts and she will gives out whatever food was ordered. Then onward to find a table, sit, and enjoy! At about 40 Rubles (28 Rubles per dollar) the food is very affordable (and tasty!).

I'm looking forward to the snow melting and seeing the landscaped campus as it was meant to be seen. There is a small lake we pass to the main part of campus but right now it is frozen. The campus looks very nice even snow covered and I can't wait to finish my journey when the weather warms.