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Different Moscows
March 1997
Like a flag shown in the picture, Russia at the moment is not in its top shape. A bit abused, slightly torn apart, unhappy, and uneasily stirring, the country still tries to find a comfortable position in the hard-edged reality. The pace of life has accelerated, and for many it's too hard to keep with it.
Politicians of all ranks seem to be obsessed with a New
Russian Idea. None of them has anything serious to offer, but
everyone is positive that the nation needs some guidelines. Or at
least something to gather around. Some begin to flirt with the
Orthodox Church
in an attempt to find there the hidden root of a
Russian soul. (Here is a page
that will offer you some info about Moscow churches.) There
are, of course, many other confessions in Russia, and not
necessarily they will be happy to see that The Russian Orthodox
Church is selected to represent the State itself. But who cares
about any minorities in Russia?
Moscow churches quietly await for the times of glory to return.
Some of the church buildings, once confiscated by the Communists,
have been recently given back to the Church. Some other still
remain closed for services, still being used for secular tasks.
Museums, laboratories, and occasionally even warehouses keep
using the buildings. These two churches in Izmailovo are so nice,
but their fate is still obscure.
In the meantime, religious items,
genuine and bogus, bring huge profits to merchants. On Moscow
markets one can easily find entire stairways packed with icons
for sale. Looking so ancient. Most of them are actually modern
stuff that has nothing to do with real tradition - or Church, for
that matter. But of course the vendors will never tell you that.
Not surprisingly, hordes of foreign tourists come to Izmailovo
Vernisage to purchase a piece of what they assume is a token of
that mysterious Russian soul. The bullshit they get for enormous
amount of bucks, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with
real Russian tradition or history. On the other hand, only what
you believe is what matters, right? The guys who sell the shiny
items at the Vernisage, are very professional in making you
believe. Not bad, if you stop to think about it. At least, Russia
has recently produced lots and lots very talented salespersons.
We are fast learners, and that sounds promising.
By the way, the whole style of Izmailovo Vernisage is designed
to meet the expectations of foreign guests. At the entrance, a
lady dressed up as an unmistakably Russian mix between a last
century peasant and a Matreshka nested doll sells you a ticket.
Not a regular policeman, but a Cossack with nagaika (a whip)
instead of a trivial club is supposed to maintain the order
inside the fence.
A very few Muscovites visit Izmailovo market. The items sold here
are all invisibly but clearly labeled "For export only". They
are here because they are supposed to be a part of Russia. They
are part of the our image, almost as important as Russian tanks
and missiles (and you can enjoy the sights of those too in
several exhibits - but at least you cannot openly buy them in the
streets!). If you prefer jet-fighters, not surface warfare, take
a look at my last fall story. Why these symbols? I really don't
know. Icons and tanks, two items that Russia can manufacture in
abundance. Nothing for a comfortable quiet life. Just something
to kill and something to heal the soul after the murder.
Is it really a Russian tradition or part of national character? Some agree with the statement, and I was not too much surprised when on the shelf of an American bookstore a few years ago found a book about Russia titled "An Icon and An Ax". So simple. Read the book. Visit Moscow on a three-day tour. Mark the country as read and understood.
Muscovites and Russians don’t care much at the moment about
all this philosophy. Most of the population is busy with more
trivial tasks. They do their best to survive in a completely
weird economy. The State still owns practically all industries,
even those formally privatized. This ownership means that the
State wants its employees to keep working, but not being paid for
it. This is not unusual in Russian tradition. We have a saying
that came from the novel of popular Soviet writers, "Saving of
one who drowns is in the hands of that person drowning". 
People wholeheartedly follow this simple advice. If somebody can
play music, she or he gets out in the streets and plays for the
money. Those who are not paid at their jobs, go to numerous
street markets and sell whatever they can. Policemen work as
private bodyguards for wealthy criminals. Since industry does not
produce much under these circumstances, the good sold are mostly
imported. And it's not surprising that the flags in front of a
small and dirty street market represent Finland, Cuba, Brazil,
Azerbaidjan...
Street vendors sometimes make a good profit. The volume of
trade is surprisingly high for the country with not much
production and the shelves of Moscow shops are full. Moscow
obviously is getting richer. You feel that reading long pages
with the names of expensive restaurants in a newspaper or simply
observing horrible traffic jams.
Oh, Moscow traffic! It deserves a special report but I hate the
mere idea of doing research for it. Fortunately, I do not drive,
so do not experience all the pleasure of heavy jams personally.
I'm also not an insider in all these horror stories of Moscow
auto service. Not my lifestyle, thank Metro. I do not spend hours
behind the wheel to get to a location where the Metro takes me in
15 minutes. But of course this is an issue of faith. If you truly
believe in your car, you won't betray it using public
transportation.
And if you are truly successful in your business, you'll get
not only a car, but a house too. A house in Moscow is something
really special, it may be difficult for you to imagine how much
special. It's really the new idea, not the New Russian Idea,
but the New Russians' Idea (and if you feel how dramatic is the
difference, congratulations, you do already understand Russia a
little!)
I'm not a realtor and cannot give you the exact price tags, but
the houses in the photos are in the $500,000+ range by Moscow
standards. Sounds good in the country with official annual income
per capita around $2,000.
And of course single-family houses have always been unique in
Moscow. 99.9% live in the apartments in apartment blocks. Even
the President and every Minister. Yes, the apartments also vary
in the size and luxury, but still they are cells in a block. A
stand-alone house is truly outstanding. There have always been
people, of course, who've been living comfortably and in
beautiful buildings. Here is an example from the past, a nice
house designed and built for Vasnetsov, a famous Russian artist
after his own sketch. That was much earlier in this century,
though...
Now this house that looks funny sitting in the middle of a cheap
bed-room community and looks slightly out of place between ugly
concrete blocks. It's a museum now, and a beautiful one. Not a
very popular museum, but it only adds to its charming coziness.
One of the places where official tours will hardly bring you. Not
many visitors inside even on a weekend, devoted staff inside, and
every curator ready to tell you endless stories about the former
owner, both about his paintings and family. Do not miss the place
if you are in Moscow on your own.
Technically, the spring has already come. March spells spring
in Russia. There is still snow, and occasional serious frosts in
the night, but now I can run a countdown of days that separate me
from summer adventures.
I'm more lucky that the owner of this bicycle. In our
apartments, there's no room to for keeping bulky things, and no
basements or cellars. So bicycles have to suffer. This guy keeps
his two-wheeled friend outside of his window on the roof of the
shop occupying the ground floor. I use the balcony for the same
purpose. But it won't be long before we take our
metal-and-rubber friends inside, wash and oil the vehicles - and
start riding again. And then there will be more stories to tell
and pictures to share with you...
Andrey Sebrant -
asebrant@online.ru.ru
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