“Weekend With the Family"

Activities
By Catherine Scipioni

Andrew, Catherine and Weston spend time with Oksana’s family.

Here in Russia they have a rich culture, inviting families, and great food. A few weeks ago we all got the chance to experience Russia from a Russian's perspective—we went to their homes. The Russian students approached us one day before class and proposed that they each take a couple of us to their villages for the Women's Day holiday weekend. We agreed, of course, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we had an amazing time.

I went home with Oksana Kournikova, one of the students who studies with us. The name of her village translates in English to “Silver Ponds.” After a cold, grueling, three-hour train ride from Moscow, we arrived at the train station to wait for a ride from her father, Sasha. The fifteen-minute ride into town proved that Silver Ponds is as beautiful as the name implies. The Russian countryside is wonderful, even covered in snow.

When we arrived to their home, which is a flat, we were greeted by Oksana's mother (who we fondly call “Mama”) and her younger brother, Dima. They had prepared a wonderful dinner for us, which we were eager to sit down and enjoy. We had potatoes, apples, green beans with meat, borscht, casserole. and much more. The best part was that all of the food was grown fresh at their dacha. Many Russian families have summer homes called dachas, where they do gardening and simple farming for delicious fresh food.

The apartment underneath Oksana's is occupied by a few of her high school friends, and after dinner we went downstairs to meet them. We had a great time, and our new Russian friends continuously referred to us as “my friend” or “my American brother.” All of this in Russian, of course. One thing that seems to be important in social situations here is the toast before a drink. We toasted to everything imaginable during dinner that evening, and it proved to be a big deal with her friends as well. My favorite toast of the evening was to the friendship between Russia and America, our two powerful countries, and to the friendship between us, their people.

On Monday, we went for a barbecue at Oksana's grandfather's house. He entered World War II when he was only 17 years old and lost one of his legs as a result. We spent the day cross-country skiing and at dinner we talked. Her grandfather told us repeatedly that we should always work for peace and never resort to wars. He told us to live a happy life as he has, advice which I took to heart. He was married for sixty years, had ten children, and a good family. Two months ago in the United States, I might have found this lifestyle cliché, but actually meeting someone with this life made me realize how truly satisfying it must be.

Our parting from the Russian family was sad, and when “Mama” saw the look on my face she gave me a big hug and told me to come back. She said that one day I would get married and have children, and that I should bring them to Russia to visit her. I think I definitely will come back one day. If I do come back though, it's under two conditions. One, that I study Russian language a little bit harder. And two, that I come during the summer!

“Maslyanitsa,” also known as “Pancake Week”, is an ancient Russian festival held to bid farewell to a long harsh winter and to salute the coming spring. It is celebrated in the spring and usually takes place at the end of February, just before Lent begins. During the entire week, people cook “blinis” (pancakes) served with boiled milk, cheese, honey, and even black and red caviar. The name for the festival comes from “maslo” which in Russian means butter. This is because during Maslyanitsa, different foods including butter must be eaten before Lent officially begins. Participants wear funny masks and costumes symbolizing joy and happiness. Although this holiday is considered pagan, millions of Russians, Ukrainians, and Moldavians, among others, celebrate it every year.

We are not the only strange characters in Russia. Here, Russians dress up in costumes to welcome the coming of Spring.

Years ago, communities used to make dummies with straw, representing the passing winter. They would sing songs and dance around the dummies, and at the end of the week, they would burn them. The hotter and larger the bon-fire appeared, the longer and warmer the coming summer would be. Today, although not many choose to burn dummies, the festival continues to be a highlight in the Russian calendar. Maslyanitsa is celebrated as a joyous festival with songs, dances, costumes, attractions for children, hot tea, and of course, blinis.

If you ever find yourself looking for a place to vacation, then be sure to consider visiting Russia. Even though the weather during the wintertime is harsh and brutal, Maslyanitsa promises a warm and pleasant summer for everyone to enjoy.

Frankly, I know little about the Russian Education system, so I will just tell you about the classes we are taking. So far, our classes are going quite well and despite our homework, we still have plenty of free time. Our Russian class is the only class where we actually have a Russian professor. Well, we actually have two Russian professors. Vera and Ludmila rotate teaching duties on a weekly basis. They try to instill us with the Russian language, but it can be quite difficult with our week-long break in between classes. However, with our Russian friends, our entire Russian environment, and our Russian class we are slowly picking it up.

Russian and American students write down information on a fieldtrip for the international agricultural seminar class.

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The Gender Roles in Russia

Culture
By Jennifer Bixler

When comparing genders across the globe one thing seems to be said often, American girls are very forward. Now I don’t know about any other woman, but I’ve always felt empowered by the feminists before me. I’m all for complete equality of men and women, right down to who mows the lawn and does the laundry. But, then I came to Russia, and that role changed, drastically. Here men are chivalrous; buying flowers, giving candy and opening doors, and the women are demur and genial. And while this might be the 21st century for Americans, Russians seem to have missed the memo.

Once you cross the border, women are no longer equals, but conformed to secretarial jobs, motherly roles and tedious fashions. No longer can a girl play football, let alone any sport, with a group of guys. She will be ignored and unguarded, but the minute she walks off that field, so too will all the gentlemen. Mind you this example will only happen to the poor American girl who thinks she may still have a chance in Russia. Because as a whole Russian women are not physically inclined. Don’t get me wrong, they are all thin as rails and can walk anywhere in stilettos, but they do not play football, basketball, American football or even, God forbid, lift weights. These are men’s games.

Could it be true love?

To be a respected man in Russia means he must truly be the man’s man. He will run faster and jump higher than any other, yet still be comfortable enough with himself to carry his girlfriend’s purse in public. A typical Russian man will go through a ritual of making sure to greet and shake the hand of every other man in a room upon entering, and then when leaving, a farewell and more shaking of hands. During this a Russian man will not shake a women’s hand, and no Russian women will break this tradition. Russian men and Russian women have very defined roles. A man and women cannot just be friends. In the Russian language there is no way of a man saying a women is just his friend, or a woman saying that the man she spends time with is only her platonic amigo. Both men and women can be very forward in claiming another person as their own, even when their “claimed” is unwilling. And while Americans in general are outwardly forward, I feel the Russians out do us in their romantic sense of the word.

Russians may put up the external act of being serious and closed; however once in their inner circle you can’t help but feel as if you haven’t left the US. This simple acceptance into their world makes all the difference in how you perceive the culture as a whole. So, overall though different in many ways, both cultures truly know how to make one feel received and appreciated.

Food for the Future?
MSAU
By Halsey Wallace

Beautiful girls are posing with cute Russian chicks at First Fresh chicken farm.

Imagine walking into your local grocery store. As usual, you grab the weekly sales ad and reach for a shopping cart. Not paying attention to your surroundings, you begin to walk down the bread aisle. As second nature, you reach for a loaf, but there is a problem. No longer are there loaves of fresh bread lining the shelves, but now there are only a few bags of rolls with expiration dates from last week. In desperation, you make you way to the dairy, produce, and meat departments, but the story is the same—rotten vegetables, outdated labels, and soaring prices. The truth is that by the year 2020 many grocery stores could look this way. However, there is help. Through biotechnology, we will have the ability to alleviate world hunger, increase productivity, and efficiency while finding ways to feed a vast growing population.

Even with this horrifying tale of the future, many countries are still scared to adopt biotechnology into their society. Russia is one such country that will not allow the growing of any genetically modified crop within its borders. Currently, Russians are experimenting with transgenic crops such as cucumbers and tomatoes, but adopting these vegetables into the market is pushing the envelope. Faced with soaring prices on fruits and vegetables, lack of quality products and the reality that the food you are demanding might not be in stock, many Russians are asking, when is there going to be a change?

The truth is many Russians want biotechnology and feel that it could be the key to raising the bar of the Russian economy. Anna, a MSAU third year student stated, “We need biotechnology in our country because it is very profitable, useful, and efficient.” She further stated that many Russians are scared to adopt any new technology for the fear of failure and rejection. Many other students had the same response as Anna, they felt that biotechnology would lower prices, increase the jobs, and help the stagnant economy.

With the hope of a bright light at the end of the tunnel, many Russians are looking for biotechnology to help their nation. As the year 2020 slowly approaches, maybe we will no longer be horrified with the nightmare of empty shelves, soaring prices, and rotten food. However, maybe with the help of biotechnology we will have developed breads that fight off the common cold, fruits that reduce the chances of developing cancer, and vegetables that provide added vitamins and minerals for growing children. This could be the food of the future.