Dear All,

well, after all the trouble I had trying to get a train ticket to Volgograd one day, I went back the next day, early morning as per my orders, and within 5 minutes of handing over the handwritten note (carefully copied from the Good Book), I was asked for my passport and R1110. Bingo - no problem at all, I got the ticket. I don't think I'll ever understand the system but maybe that's not necessary. It is also bizarre that the ticket desk I used was probably the wrong one (they had 25 in Yekaterinburg, each selling different kinds of tickets), but although everybody got sent away, I wasn't. Maybe it was my blue eyes. Or maybe just that they like hassling foreigners - they can't talk back.
Either way, this seems very typical of Russia - huge contrast. In the landscape, too: to Novosibirsk it was quite hilly or mountaneous, with seemingly endless forests of pine and fir trees. Up to Yekaterinburg it was flatter than Holland with no features at all. Then the places - some big cities (1.6 million in Novosibirsk) and then these really small villages, make that hamlets, along the track. With no obvious means of survival, no factories nothing. Apparently no running water, either! And the same with the people, some good, some not so good.

What I am trying to say, I guess, is that although I may take the mic out of this place (apologies if anyone's offended), I do have a healthy respect for the country and its people. I am very glad I am here, regardless of some tougher bits (I guess it's all part of travelling). It is going through unimaginable changes, past truths and certainties no longer hold and the new ones are probably not particularly nice at first. There is a huge influx of foreign things, as can be seen on telly and in shops, but also an enormous drive to maintain the old and the russian. As a consequence, there is drain of people from the countryside into the cities, which further aggravates problems that already exist I guess. Hopefully it'll turn out fine in the end. And yes, next time I go I will take some conversational Russian classes!

Back to Yekaterinburg. My last impression of the city (this is the day before getting the ticket) was at the riverside, where there were lots of people doing bad karaoke and basking in the sun. I then spotted these two Russians, obviously being "cool". You know the type - short blond hair, tattoo on one shoulder, trendy sunglasses, ciggies in one hand, beer in the other, T-shirts taken off to show off their skinny-white-chicken-chests, leaning backwards slightly as they eyed up a woman and, when she looked back, slowly strolling to their... wait for it... red... LADA! Even though it had the blacked-out windows, that just doesn't work! I strolled past (looking my usual dopy self I guess) and wandered off, chuckling. Searching for a restaurant that according to the Good Book should exist. It was now a casino and after passing through the metal detector (and setting it off) to get in, the friendly guard told me the restaurant was closed. Fine. I also wandered past a musicshell in one of the parks and listened to a live string orchestra for a bit, very nice.

Anyway, my luck didn't end with getting the trainticket. On the train, which departed mid-day, my compartment-mates were great. One was a Russian man, director of a Russian-Czech company that imports part for shoe-repair-machines. Yes it does just about match the complete randomness of the pie-funnel-person I met in the US once! Although we couldn't speak a word directly (see below), he did invite me to the restaurantcar twice, ordered the food and paid for it! And it was nice food too, very different especially the cold soups we had. We also downed a bottle of Moldavian white, too sweet if I have to complain, but given the company, great. The other people in our compartment turned out to be (get this!) an English teacher and her daughter! Halleluya I was saved! I could speak! She initially didn't believe I was from the UK, thinking the Russian man and I were father and son. I guess that means I blend in? Alternatively, a country full of people like me - shudder! It was great meeting her and talking to her, informative. I can only hope she thought the same of me. It certainly lightened the long journey, although eventually I got a bit fed up with the ontinuous questioning: "so Mark please tell me..." for 30 hours? Hm. They all got off before my stop (some 9 hours before mine; I had 42 hours in total on the train) which was a bit sad. The train slowed down into Saratov (their destination); there was a glowing red sunset over initially fantastic hilly countryside, then over the city; my friends were leaving; over the radio we heard Mystical Panpipes... if it hadn't been for the company I'd have cried.
From Saratov onwards I got a Nicolai and a Sergei in the compartment. Nicolai had lots of gold (coloured?) teeth, so when he spoke I almost needed sunglasses. They were nice, but communication was difficult so we all just slept through most of the journey. The only thing to do anyway, as the window in our compartment didn't open and the temperature outside was something stupidly hot.
A bit about drink, by the way: I've not had any vodka. I'd rather not drink it on my own, as I'd rather not get bladdered on my own in a strange place. Plus, I've seen only two people drink it so far. Most people drink beer, and the start early: I've seen people at 9 in the morning with half-empty bottles!
Russian - I've basically given up. I know enough words to figure out if places are closed and if so for how long. And I can make myself understood when buying train tickets, although I don't understand the answers (phrasebook syndrome!) Lots of "da! da!" works, though. And one day I'll end up somewhere completely wrong undoubtedly. But the pronunciation is fiendish (every heard of a letter changing sound if the stress of the word is not on them?!). There is no "h" or "w" in Russian. So Harry Potter is Gary. And Hitler (see later, I am/was in Volgograd) becomes Gitler - all things considered a bit of an understatement but on the right tracks. And any language that can put the word "kak" in a lovesong is just not right. No really it's true! (okay I'll be hones: "kak" is a question-word and means how? or like)

From Yekaterinburg, then, I went to Volgograd. The centre of Volgograd is reasonably compact and actually very nice. Situated right next to the Volga river, where people swim in between the oil-slicks left by the many boats carrying people up and down the river, and to a nearby island. As in Yekaterinburg there are many waterfront cafe's, set up in make-shift tents, where there's cold beer and hot dogs! Not bad going. There's also a nice breeze which makes the temperature of (according to the local forecast) 36-38C bearable. The city itself is new, having been built after the war (see below). As a consequence it has wide streets, grand buildings in what's called "Stalinesque classic style" and lots of green - it actually is very pleasant. The hotel I stayed in had good rooms at a good price. I even had satellite telly with the BBC! Civilisation! Bizarre how things change when you get back into Europe - I crossed the border some miles west of Yekaterinburg. Bizarrely also, during breakfast at the hotel I ran into a man from... Belgium. And not just that, from Antwerp too - I grew up 10mi from there. Odd.
Volgograd does suffer from the usual lack of (easily identifiable) restaurants. I had dinner in the "English Restaurant" which was very good indeed - the salmon was excellent, much better and different than at home. Although having both a piece of salmon and some salmon eggs on the same plate seemed... cruel. The place also serves pints of Guinness and Strongbow cider) for a hefty 3.50 quid, ouch. I stuck to the russian beer. The second night I went to an Italian place, which was not bad. I didn't have pizza, the fact that they were "sauced by Pellatti gravity" scared me a bit.

My main reason for wanting to come here is that, in a previous incarnation, the city was known as Stalingrad, and was the scene of some of fiercest fighting during the second World War. There is a giant monument, just outside the city centre, to commemorate this: a huge (72m!) statue of Mother Russia, arms outstretched and yielding a sword, calling the troups to arms. Near it is a big round building, with inside, in the centre, a giant stone hand holding a torch with an eternal flame. All around it, on the walls, are inscribed hundreds maybe thousands of names of some of those who fought and died here (the total toll, of Germans and Russians, being upwards from a million!). This is very simple, but incredibly powerful and moving. But there had to be something funny too, of course. Two guards stand there, very stiff, guarding the place. Because they were sweating profusely (uniform in 36C heat?!) a third soldier was nearby and came round to wipe their faces every so often. Standing guard they obviously couldn't do this themselves. In the actual city is a big museum devoted to the Siege. Although completely in Russian (you are in Russia after all) I did get a fair bit out of it. Most of the exhibit consists of stories of soldiers, displays of their uniforms and some of their personal belongings. Not just guns and ammunition, but some pipes, pens etc. Similarly there are displays of people's personal belongings - and children's toys. Or the remains of an aircraft engine, with bullet holes in it. You look at it and realise that someone must have died in that... Equally powerful were the maps on display. The first one was of eastern Europe pre-Barbarossa but after Molotov-Ribbentropf (I think that was the name). Intruigingly I couldn't find any reference to that name - it just showed half of Poland as part of Germany, and the other half "of interest to Russia". Hm... The next map was of the Stalingrad area, showing various frontlines on other cities in the area too. The last map, and most impressive one, was a map of just Stalingrad, with the front lines literally going through the streets, back and forth. All around this was a model of Stalingrad after the battle, and all it showed was hundreds of shot-to-pieces buildings. Maybe it was the airconditiong, but I felt a definite chill in the air. The last part of the exhibition was a giant panorama, showing what the battlefield might have looked like. A giant round room, with perhaps 7m of the perimeter remodelled into battlefield, with mortars, grenades, soldiers, trenches etc. The field cleverly continued into the paintings on the wall, often it was difficult to see where one began and the other ended. Very impressive. Intriguingly, many of those present had their pictures taken in front of this - perhaps for a T-shirt, "I survived Stalingrad '42"? Who knows. Now I don't mind people taking pictures - I would have done if I though it'd come out, but to be in it? Hm. I also spotted a woman powdering her nose - let's hope her make-up had run because of the emotions. Perhaps somewhat simplistic, as it detailed none of the German casualties or of the large numbers of Russians shot by the Russians for "treason", the place left a very deep impression on me.
Since there wasn't much more to see in Volgograd, I decided to go to Yaroslavl, north-east of Moscow. On the train to Moscow, where I had to change stations and trains to Yaroslavl, I got hassled by passport control (why on an internal train? I don't know). There was some confusion over my first destination (Ulan-Ude) it seemed, so I was asked to come along, with my bag. I had visions of Siberia again... Instead we went into an empty compartment and I was asked to unpack everything form my bag. They went through my moneybelt (yes they felt my trousers to make sure I wasn't hiding... something?!) and counted all my dollars. Checked with my customs declaration (of which I have a copy). Lots of questions from the two guards, in Russian with no help from the phrase book. I unpacked my bag, they wanted to know what everything was (for). I so much regretted not having more dirty underwear with me! In the end their question was what the purpose of my trip was, since I travel on a business visa but had seen so much of the country. When I replied "tourist" one guard looked really disappointed, but I was free to go. Very odd and quite nerve-wracking too! In my compartment I had an Andrei this time, very nice although communication was very difficult. But as before we shared food, he even took some of my biscuits and bread! I had some of his fish, so now - as on an earlier train journey - I can say "Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish" (since I used to swim for a swimming club called the Dolphins that is particularly apt, too!).

In Moscow I had a 7 hour stopover which was enough time to drop some things off at the youth hostel and then have a quick look at Red Square. Wow! I made it to Red Square! It was partially closed, for some reason, and the church with the onion-domes is being done up, but still, great! Can't wait to see more.
Then on to Yaroslavl, a 4 hour trip by train. I wanted to buy a ticket back to Moscow immediately, which involved 2 hours of queueing. The four people (literally!) ahead of me seemed to all be buying tickets to the moon for their extended families or something. But I got the ticket, found a hotel, and then went to bed, it was late.

Today I wandered around Yaroslavl, saw the many churches and the monastery, and enjoyed what is a nice place. Leafy streats, lots of trees and nice houses/buildings, the river (Volga) is nearby... Great! The churches are, on the whole, in good shape. One was decorated on the inside as I'd seen before: murals on every wall and ceiling, very impressive. Other than that there isn't much to see, so I am about to take my hard-earned train back to Moscow.

That means this is also near the end of my trip, I'm flying back in 9 days time. I'll try and send a last e-mail from St. Petersburg before then, but can't make any promises.

Lenin, Kremlin, Nevsky Prospect and Hermitage: here I come!!

Mark

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Mark Krebs, England, 2002