Russia Today. It May Not Be What You’ve Been Told.
One photojournalist learns ordinary Americans and Russians are not very different.
Food PANCAKES AND COKE (БЛИНЫ И КОКС Fast food, Russian style dots the city streets around and near business centers. This is one of the more colorful, offering a limited fare of pancakes and coca cola.
Restaurants.
Hot Dogs and Baquettes. TASTE OF FRANCE. (ВКУС ФРАНЦИИ) Buying fresh French baguettes, croissants and brioche at the boulangerie on Arbat Street, in Moscow, and hotdogs in the park on Sparrow Hill.
Traveling to the Office. MORNING COMMUTERS (УТРО ПАССАЖИРОВ) Riding up and down the steep Moscow Metro escalators requires one to lean back on the way down and lean forward on the way up.
Metro as Museum. UNDERGROUND GEMS. (СКРЫТЫХ ДРАГОЦЕННЫХ КАМНЕЙ) Arguably, certain fully functioning Moscow train stations rank with the finest examples of post wartime architecture in the world.
Transportation Traditions. METRO STEPS AND DOGS. (ОДИН И ТОЛЬКО МЕТРО) At many Moscow stations, passengers take an long, long escalator ride—1,207 feet below ground level—to rub the good luck dog before boarding the metro.
Shopping Malls. NIGHT SHOPPING. (НОЧЬ ПОКУПКИ) A former government building transformed into a Disneylike shopping mall dominates Red Square at night.
Family Fun. ICE CREAM AT THE MALL (МОРОЖЕНОЕ В ТОРГОВОМ ЦЕНТРЕ) Locals, tourists and children alike brose the shops at GUM mall, the largest indoor shopping center in Moscow.
Street Music. MINSTREL MAN. (МЕНЕСТРЕЛЬ ЧЕЛОВЕК) A street musician on Arbat street serenades passersby on his rare Erevan double-neck guitar/bass made at a factory in Armenia.
Sunday in the Park. WATER FOUNTAIN (ФОНТАН) Unusual water fountain in the shape of a framed piece of metal work sits in popular family-oriented vest-pocket park surrounded by shops.
Farmers Market. NOVOSLOBODAKAYA STR. Novoslobodskaya Street, a neighborhood 20 minutes outside of Central Moscow, with stands that sell fresh vegetables, fruits and meats everyday.
Department Stores. SHOP TILL YOU DROP (МАГАЗИН ДО УПАДУ) On Nevsky Prospect the shopper can spend 12,000 rubles for a Gucci leather bag or 120 rubles for a bowl of tasty, homemade borscht.
Neighborhood Grocer. RAINY DAY (ДОЖДЛИВЫЙ ДЕНЬ) St. Petersburg gets more than its fair share of rain and snow, but it’s hardy, determined citizens simply shrug their shoulders and continue along their way.
Social Change. GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS (ДЕВУШКИ БУДУТ ДЕВУШКИ) Freedom of choice and the shattering of historical social mores are clearly visible in everyday life.
Elections. Movies.
LIVING IN THE CITY CENTRE. (Жизнь в центре города) Moscow Center looks and functions pretty much like the Center of Manhattan.
University Campus in the City. MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY. (МОСКОВСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ) MSU sits on top one of the highest points in Moscow, a mere 720 feet above sea level, called Sparrow Hills, known as Lenin Hills until 1991.
Canals of St. Petersburg. VENICE OF THE NORTH (СЕВЕРНАЯ ВЕНЕЦИЯ) 26 canals wind through central St. Petersburg, thus giving it the nickname “Venice of the North.”
Springtime in Moscow. CENTRAL PARK (ЦЕНТРАЛЬНЫЙ ПАРК) Couples walk in complete safety, night and day, in the tranquil parks of central Moscow. Springtime is a particular favorite, after a typical long, cold winter.
The Daily Routine. LOOK AROUND (осмотреться) Billboards advertising featured deals with a touch of brand image. Smoke breaks, illegal parking and quick lunches fill out a usual day.
Selling Stuff. LOCAL ADVERTISING. (Местная реклама) Whether you’re selling a motor scooter or promoting an event citizen advertising is cheap and surprising effective.
DEEPLY RELIGIOUS (глубоко религиозный) Russians have always believed in God, the power of prayer, the celebration of saints.
Russians Believe in God.
Russians are Friendly and Generous.
Russians are Educated and Curious.
Russians Are Fiercely Determined. CATHERINE’S GOLD. (ЕКАТЕРИНА ЗОЛОТА) Locals and tourists alike visit the Gold Room in Catherine’s summer palace in the town of Pushkin, 25 kilometres southeast of St. Petersburg.
Russians Laugh at Themselves. RUSSIAN HUMOR (РУССКИЙ ЮМОР) Sending-up politicians has gone from a “quiet pastime behind closed doors” to an burgeoning entrepreneurial business.
Russians Celebrate Art and Culture. ETERNAL QUIET (ВЕЧНЫЙ ТИХИЙ) Isaac Levitan’s masterpiece—virtually unknown in the United States— is considered one of the greatest impressionist landscapes by the rest of the world.
KORVIN’S WINTER (КОНСТАНТИН КОРОВИН) Isaac Levitan’s masterpiece, Winter 1917, is considered one of the greatest impressionist paintings of all time.
Russians Respect Patriotic Sacrifice. HONORING THE DEAD. (БОРИС ПАМЯТЬ) Every hour of everyday, there is a changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier just outside of Red Square.
Russians Cherish Freedom. VICTORY DAY (ДЕНЬ ПОБЕДЫ) Considered the most important holiday throughout the Federation. Tribute to the 30 million people killed during the Great Patriotic War.
Russians Reject Communism. REVIEW STAND (ОБЗОР СТЕНДА) Stalin reviewed the powerful Red Army from these stands, now used for Victory Day, while Stalin’s Grave sits disregarded in a dark lonely corner of Red Square.
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