Well now, where to begin? A great deal of events have taken place since my last entry. First of all, I should begin by saying a happy halloween to everyone out there. I would also like to make a note that the Zentralflugzeug Tempelhof (The architectural masterpiece built in the early Nazi era near downtown Berlin) officially closed yesterday. Tempelhof, as I mentioned in an earlier entry, was best known as the location where the 1948 Berlin Airlift occurred, representing the geographical border between ideoligies. I read an entry on BBC World about this, so if you feel inclined, use the link I have included at the top of this page and search for 'Tempelhof.'
The Day before our journey Eastward, I headed down to Potsdam to the Filmpark Babelsberg. This was the same studio where many notable films were shot such as Nosferatu, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It was very enjoyable, but I was restless, looking forward to my flight eastward the next day.
After we arrived in St. Petersburg on Sunday, our first embrace with culture shock was attempting to deal with the cyrillic alphabet. I had a great deal of trouble working my way around the streets, and most likely would not have found my way had it not been for the helpful assistance of our fluent guides. The shock in St. Petersburg was greater than I had felt in Berlin, because I had only been given a few phrases to review; I had not been studying the language for a number of semesters so that I would be able to carry on a steady conversation. In other words, I felt greatly weakened.
The city itself was founded upon a marsh, near the mouth of the Neva river opening into the Gulf of Finland. I found myself wondering for some time why a nation so large as Russia would create so large a city so far north -- without any stone or timber within miles! Apparently, it was a necessity for defense against the Swedes during their war, early in the 18th century. Surprisingly enough, the city itself is only about as old as New York, perhaps even newer.
Each morning we woke up and walked almost an hour to the Herzen University, located in the downtown portion of the city. My Urban Development professor was correct in saying that St Petersburg shows a jump in scale when compared with Berlin; everything seems so much larger. In addition to that, construction was everywhere. But I noticed that the equipment used to improve the infrastructure were not at all modern. They rather appeared quite broken down and dirty. The air quality of the city was also a bit poor in comparison with Berlin. I apologize for focusing on the negative aspects of the city, because other points were very intriguing, such as the Mariinsky Theatre, in which our group was able to see a performance of the Russian Ballet. Also, inside the Church of the Spilled Blood, I saw an incredibly intricate mosaic design that had taken local artists about 12 years to piece together.
Another interesting aspect of their contemporary culture is the shift from soviet lifestyle to more of a western society. We learned in classes that as McDonald's was introduced -- the epitome of Western restaurants -- waiting lines stretched around the block. Culture was in a drastic state of upheaval at the end of the soviet era, and eastern Russia hitched onto some partially successful corporations from nations to their West, hoping to improve their economy. The Russian Ruble did not treat the American Dollar in a very friendly manner, I can tell you that much.
When we flew back from St Petersburg to Berlin, I was very happy to feel a sense of familiarity come back to me. I am sure that if I had spent a longer time studying in St Petersburg, it would have more pleasant. I managed to decipher some of the cyrillic alphabet towards the end of our stay, finding certain cognates that fit in with the latin base. But Berlin has a much better developed public transportation system, a currency that is more friendly with my own, a language that I know better, and last but not least a more updated approach to technology and urban development.
"Money, like vodka, turns a person into an eccentric."
Anton Chekhov
