Adventures in Russian Food #8

STREET MEAT EDITION

Sorry CIEE, but I ate a lot of street meat while in Volgograd. I'm not going to specify exactly how much, but enough to significantly increase the chances of getting food poisoning.

Street Meat #1- Котлет по-Киевски
Chicken Kiev. 25-30 rubles

Just like Shaverma in St. Petersburg, there were kiosks and stands everywhere in Volgograd. You could probably manage to find one on every corner, literally.
Chicken Kiev in this context is a little chunk of chicken, wrapped around either cheese and mushrooms, or just straight up butter. In both varieties, there is a significant amount of butter added.

These guys have a pretty delightful texture. You bite in, and it crunches and squirts much like you'd imagine a gigantic beetle to. They serve them in plastic bags partly because it's impossible to eat one without liquid butter getting everywhere.

Money shot

Street Meat #2- Хачапури
Khachapuri. 30-50 rubles

 

This is apparently a Georgian dish and is basically deep fried bread with an assortment of fillings. I only had one, and it was stuffed with a feta-like cheese. It tastes pretty much like you'd expect, but delicious nonetheless.

Volgograd

My life is complete.

Mostly kidding, but I do feel like I crossed a major item of my bucket list.

Fun Facts:
-Volgograd's name has changed three times. Tsartsyn was the name before 1925. In 1925 the name was changed to Stalingrad and as per de-Stalinization, the name was changed to the current Volgograd.
-It's located on the Volga river. Just to clear that one up.
-It mostly famous because of the Battle of Stalingrad, the most deadly battle in all history.
-There are two structures that still exist in Volgograd from before the war: A preserved building, and a tree
-The Mamayev Kurgan, a massive war memorial complex with the tallest non-Buddha statue in the world, is there.
-The city is around 100 km. long, stretching along the Volga.

Getting to Volgograd was the absolute longest train ride ever. It was exactly 24 hours from Kazan to Volgograd and I couldn't wait to get off the train. This trip also marked my first time couchsurfing. My host, Roman, met with me at the train station and led me to his apartment. Roman was a really nice guy who knew quite a bit about the city. It was great chatting with him about history, politics, and just small talk.
My main purpose for going to Volgograd was to see the Mamayev Kurgan. I have been completely in love with that statue ever since I found out about her a couple years back. Since train tickets are so cheap here, and who knows when I'll be back, I absolutely couldn't miss this opportunity to visit.
Riding into the center of the city, the train passes directly in front of the Mamayev Kurgan and you get this wonderful view of the statue on the horizon for a good half hour. Needless to say, I was practically peeing myself on the train.

Actually visiting the statue is a completely different experience. The complex is located on a hill and the MetroTram literally drops you off at the base of this hill. There are 200 steps leading up to the top, symbolizing the 200 days of the battle, along with ramps. Get some street meat at the base, you know, for energy.
After about half the steps, you get to the first lake. The next set of stairs is in this corridor of reliefs where they play all sorts of patriotic music.
The next lake is the "Lake of Tears". In the summer, the lake overflows. Along the side of this lake, there are multiple statues representing the various stages of the battle. The last one being two Russian soldiers throwing a snake, Germany.

Past this lake is the entrance to the hall with the eternal flame. There is a changing of the guard about every hour or two, I think. The guards march very slowly up the ramp and are perfectly synchronized.  The inside of the hall is almost completely mosaic. During the day, really creepy music is played and the echo produced is quite unsettling.
And there she is. There are now but a few ramps between you and the statue. The ramps are lined with various grave stones.
The statue is self-supporting and does not have any sort of foundation; it is simply sitting on top of a hill. To put her size into perspective, from foot to torch the Statue of Liberty only comes up to the Motherland's waist. She is gigantic.
When I was there, I couldn't stop taking pictures. I was considering uploading an album of just her, but who really wants to look at a 100 pictures of the same thing?

While in Volgograd, I also went to the Panorama Museum. The museum is a history museum of the Battle of Stalingrad. Next to it is the only building still remaining from before the war, the remnants of a mill. The museum itself is fantastic, one of the most well-done museums I've been to in Russia. In the museum, they have Vasily Zaytsev's sniper rifle (the sniper on which the film "Enemy at the Gates" is loosely based), and the sword of Stalingrad (the sword given to the city by Winston Churchill). The very top of the museum is a 360 degree panorama of the city during the war. It's painted on the walls and on the floor they have constructed dugouts and other 'war thingies'.

I spent the rest of my time walking down the main streets and the embankment, which in any city, is something I find enjoyable.

Overall, Volgograd was a very pleasant to place to visit; it's cheap, the people are nice, and it's just a good place to walk around. That being said, there really wasn't too much to do and I'm glad I was only there for two days.

Adventures in Russian Food #7

Ok, I SWEAR this will be my last pop blog. It's just that I find new pops and sodas really interesting, mostly because unless you go for that BigK stuff (carbonated fruit flavor), America really only has like 4 flavors of soda: Cola, Citrus, Dr. Pepper, and Root Beer. It's interesting to see what other countries find delicious. Alright, pop time! (Haven't done this in a while, grab a snickers)

Pop #1 Брусника
Or Brucnika. According to googletranslate, this means cowberry, bilberry, huckleberry, or whortleberry. Overall, REALLY tasty. This drink is also 'with grass', but specifically, grass from the TAIGA so it's probably pretty special. Because of the grass, it tastes a little medicinal, but pleasant. These fruity drinks are also half-carbonated. Unlike the pepsi's and coke's which produce really large bubbles on the tongue and foam up a lot when you pour them, this drink produces lots of little itty-bitty bubbles not unlike champagne. Really enjoyable. The bottle was darker, so I just had to imagine what an enjoyable, deep, succulent red color the pop was.

 Until I poured it onto a spoon and realized it was coffee colored. Oh well.

Pop #2 Cream Soda
Long story short- Like American Cream Soda, but not. A little sweeter, not enough of the 'cream soda' flavor. Just a little disappointing.

 Pop #3 Колокольчик
Or Kolokolchik. See those flowers? Those are Kolokolchiki. It really means 'little bell' which I guess makes sense. When I bought this, I thought it would be some delicious, flower flavored pop. Nope. Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you: Soviet Sprite. Yes indeed, this is Lemon-lime soda and that's it. It tastes exactly like Sprite, but perhaps a little more syrupy.

Pop #4 Байкал
Or Baikal, which for those who don't know, this is the name of the worlds largest, deepest lake located in Asian Russia. This is one of the classic Soviet-era sodas, which until I looked at the ingredients, had no idea what it could possibly be. It's dark brown, so I was thinking something like root beer. Nope. It's flavored with tea concentrate. That being said, I don't think it tastes like carbonated sweet tea. It difficult to describe, but it's sweet and has an interesting flavor. I like it.

Pop #5 Лаймон Фреш
Or Laimon Fresh. This is Sprite + Mint, or virgin Mojito. This is by far my favorite pop I've had so far. I was skeptical at first because, why would you want a mojito without the booze? It is yummy. It's refreshing and not overly sweet.

Pop #6 Абрикос
Or Apricot. I was SOOO excited when I bought this (in Volgograd) because I had never seen apricot soda before and it was a really cool bottle. Unfortunately it tasted like junk and I didn't even finish it. Next to the bottle on the shelf was peach soda and I thought I had purchased that, but instead accidentally grabbed the pear soda. It was the worst pear soda I've ever had. Not enough syrup, not enough pear. I didn't even take a picture of it. Ugh.

Bonus Round-McCafe

McDonald's coffee in Russia is legit. This is a 'coffee with milk', how it differs from a cappucino I'll never know. It's cheap, it's tasty, and it's well worth the purchase. McDonald's here actually has baristas, not someone with ambiguous gang affiliation, pulling your drink. And it's from an actual espresso machine that takes talent to run, not the ones in America where you ask for 'lightener' in your coffee and the person bops a couple buttons. Delicious.


P.S. There's a good chance I'm going to move on to junk food now, like chips and stuff. Also, if I find another yummy soda, I'm probably going to write about that as well.

Return to Kazan

As part of the program, we are all given one week in the semester when we are free to travel where ever we want. They call it 'Russian Travel Week' and it would probably be better if people actually chose to travel within Russia, but I'm guessing 90% chose to leave.
Regardless, I chose to visit Kazan, Volgograd, and Moscow with my time and I chose to only use platzkart train accommodations. 
My host sister from last summer, Liliya, had invited me back to visit them so I decided to take her up on the offer. The train ride from St. Petersburg took 21ish hours and it was pretty normal; everyone was civil and quiet, and the train ride was peaceful.
Arriving in Kazan felt great. I think sometimes it takes a couple times to realize how great and amazing something is. From the second I stepped off the train, I just felt comfortable and at home, more so than I do in St. Petersburg. I had forgotten how much I love Kazan.
Liliya was working when I arrived, so I took some time to cruise around the city solo before meeting up with friends. I was completely taken off guard when I realized how small the center of the city really is; I remembered it being larger. From the train station, I had only walked a short while when I passed TsUM and then I could see the Kremlin a short distance further. I toured the Kremlin for a bit, and then continued in the direction of what I believed to be the university I studied at.

And what do you know, after a short walk, I found my way back to the old FSB building, and from that point I knew how to get where I was going. I also visited Kazan State University (Now called the Kazan (Volga Area) Federal University) and the surrounding area. It truly felt great to be back in Kazan.

Before I left, Liliya had given me directions on how to get to their apartment even though I knew I could find my way back there. I hopped on the metro and off I went.
There seemed to be a lot of construction there. They are construction a new overpass on Prospekt Pobedy along with the never-ending apartment complex renovation. Liliya's apartment had undergone renovation and looked quite nice.
A lot had changed in a year. There is a new mall across from the apartment, construction everywhere, new bars and businesses on Bauman, and a new metro station opened earlier this year. I mad sure to visit it and cruise around that area.

Most of all, it was just great to visit with Liliya and her mother, Galia. I feel like I was able to talk with them more and understand them more than when last I saw them. Additionally, Galia is a great cook and makes amazingly tasting food. Homemade noodle soup, salad, delicious jams, and julienne (my absolutely favorite thing ever eaten in Russia) were some of the things I had.
One day, we met up with one of Liliya's friends, Leysan. Together we played a homemade variant of Apples to Apples that included both American and Russian culture. I tried explaining the Hellen Keller Trump Card rule, but I don't think it translated well (different senses of humor I guess).
The next day, we went to Leysan's and I tried persimmon for the first time. Let me tell you, they are delicious. Sweet, interesting texture...delicious.
One of the most memorable experiences in Kazan was going to one of Liliya's English classes. Her class consisted of adults who worked in the same office together. We did some exercises together and played a short round of the hybrid Apples to Apples. I was amazed at how well they spoke. It's always interesting to witness someone learning your language and being able to understand them completely despite the challenges.

Fun Experience-- I noticed a babushka selling suckers on the street. Not completely an uncommon thing, but sometimes the shapes the suckers are in are a little surprising. This particular babushka was selling pistol suckers, cow suckers, bar suckers, and....ahem...'rooster' suckers. I decided this was funny, so I bought one. The best part was as I handed her the 20 rubles, she said that it was good for sore throats. Yup, I'm sure it is. 
Overall, Kazan was a fantastic experience. I cannot wait to go back again sometime.

Next stop--Volgograd

Kiev, Ukraine -or- Holy crap I'm lazy

About a month ago, I went with the other 90 Americans to Moscow and Kiev, and shortly after, I got super lazy because I have not yet written about it.

Kiev was my first time in Ukraine, but it also marked my first trip riding the Russian Platzkart option. I have read about other people's platzkart stories, either of horror or of amazing memories, but riding with other Americans made the trip less than memorable.

We stayed at a pretty decent hotel, not as nice as the Holiday Inn in Moscow though. The hotel was definitely from the Soviet era.

The trip confirmed what I suspected. I hate group tours and excursions. The places we all went weren't horrible. Some of them were quite pleasant. What was not pleasant was being with 40 other people, most of whom were not happy to be there. Another thing was having a tour guide that was really bad about reading the desires of the group. For example: Sure, St. Sophia's is a really beautiful church. It does not, however, deserve an hour and a half of my time, especially when the tour only includes the first floor. I do not need to know the entire history of the church, rather maybe some interesting facts like during the fresco restoration, a bunch of workers died from dust inhalation. Cool Stuff. I also do not need to spend a couple hours in the National Museum of Ukraine and only see the sections on pre-Ukrainian history (granted the money exhibit was really cool and I explored that area by myself. Too bad the rest of the tour group just got to see a bunch of Greek coins and stuff).
The tour guide also assumed that were were all just a bunch of dumb Americans. When she asked us "Do you know who Lenin was?", what she interpreted as confusion was actually a group-aneurism. Most of us had actually seen his very waxy embalmed self just a few days earlier!

Kiev is definitely on my plans for winter break. I did get to visit the WWII museum in the base of the Motherland Calls monument as well as visit the Chernobyl Disaster Museum.

The WWII museum was spectacular, seriously one of the best museums I have been to on this trip. It cost only 3 hryvni on a student card. One thing I wish I would have done was, for just 200 hryven (about $35) you can go up to the top of her shield. My friend and I wrestled with the decision for quite a while before deciding it was too much money. Also, it would have required us to share the journey with a really creepy dude who was obviously in Kiev to purchase a wife. (Speaking of that, the map that we all received had about 10 escort service ads on it. Classy CIEE, classy)
The Chernobyl Museum, while very good, was not what I expected. It was designed as more of a memorial to the aftermath rather than an exhibit of the event itself. I kinda figured they wouldn't have any items from the site, and they didn't, but I still wish they did. In the front lot they had many old vehicles that were used during the cleanup and evacuation. The last room in the museum had a massive structure on the floor that looked like the top of a reactor, with chairs on top of extracted control rods. COOL.

On food. There is a super cheap restaurant in Ukraine called Puzata Hata (Пузата Хата) which, if I remember correctly, means something like "fat gut". The restaurant is set up like a cafeteria; grab a tray and tell the servers what you want (or point, if you're lazy). Not only is it absolutely delicious, it's cheap; you can get a complete, huge meal for under $6.

Since it's not obvious, These are Hryvnia, the currency of Ukraine

So I finally made it to Moscow

And let me tell you, it was pretty fantastic!

The program took an overnight train to Moscow which took about 8 or so hours. The ride itself was pretty smooth and the Kupe compartment was rather comfy.

*Note on Russian Trains: Traveling by train in Russia is still probably the best option in terms of balancing speed, comfort, and price and is the most popular means of intercity, and possibly international, transportation. Typical trains in the former Soviet Union usually have three classes; Lux, Kupe, and Platzkart. Lux is the nicest and most expensive. It has 1 to 2 berths per compartment. Kupe is the next nicest and about half the price of lux. It's a four berth compartment. Then we come to the infamous Platzkart wagon. This is an open-berth wagon and is the cheapest option for overnight train travel. No Doors, and as many beds as they can fit in. It's a hoot, to say the least.

Anyway, Moscow was great. We arrived in the morning and despite being super tired, my level of excitement was annoyingly high. Immediately upon exiting the train, I saw the top of the Leningradskaya Hotel, one of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow. For those who don't know, my fascination with these seven buildings (and a couple others) is approaching fetishism, so having one be the first thing I saw in Moscow was just splendid.

The first thing on the schedule was checking into the hotel, breakfast, and a bus tour, so after waiting for some very entitled people to get to the bus, off we went. We stayed at the Hotel Inn near the Cokol'niki metro, which was probably nicer than I would have wanted, but it came with a gas mask and a non-hand-held shower, so why argue? During the bus tour we experienced some of Moscow's horrible traffic, causing the bus tour to take about an hour longer than I would have wanted. We drove by a bunch of cool things, like a sputnik monument, Ostankino tower, the first McDonald's in Russia, and the center area. We also stopped by Red Square and the Sparrow Hills, where Moscow State University. Some point during the tour, we drove down New Arbat, which is a shopping/entertainment street with lots of Western things like Chili's, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts. I definitely need to go back there when I'm in Moscow again. Also, the bus tour added about 20 new things to my "Things to do in Moscow" list. Sheesh

After the bus tour concluded, about half the people on the program wanted to be lame and stay at the hotel for the rest of the day. I, however, went exploring to knock some things off the list. I hit up Gorky Park, to see the Buran parked there, and the sculpture garden across the street. Gorky Park was a pretty cool place to go walking. There were lots of sculptures and things; there was even a kids amusement park. I only explored about half of it, so I'm sure I missed a bunch of things. The sculpture garden is located outside the Tretyakov Gallery and is where they decided to put a lot of the old, Soviet monuments and statues. There are a bunch of Lenins there, some Brezhnevs, and a Stalin or two. This is probably one of the few places you can see a Stalin statue or bust after the De-Stalinization period. Also in the park, there is the monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky which used to be located in Lubyanka Square and was knocked down after the Fall of the USSR.

Hurray Capitalism!! I'm pretty sure this is the 1st McD's. If so, It's the largest in the world as well.

I had plans later on to meet with some friends for dinner on Arbat, so I needed to kill time around that area for a bit.
And then it happened. STARBUCKS. I got a way overpriced coffee, but dammit, it was worth it. It was ACTUALLY coffee, not an Americano. Also, it wasn't half bad. I mean, it was....Starbucks. (Caribou FTW)
Dinner at Chili's. Had an overpriced hamburger. Meh.

117 rubles of pure joy

Day Two: Crusty Communist Leaders and Over-zealous tour guides

On Lenin's Mausoleum: First thing in the morning, we set out for Red Square to go see Lenin in all his glory. Things you are allowed to do in the tomb: Talk, have anything electronic with you, have hands in pockets, smile, stop walking. After going through a metal detector (and in true Russian fashion, it's more for show than regulation), armed guards lead small groups of people to the entrance. The path takes you through half of the Kremlin necropolis (parts of the wall where important people are interred) and around to the front of the tomb. You enter the tomb and from that point on, you are being watched by at least 2 guards at any given time. The walls are black marble (think, Ministry of Magic), and there's just a creepy feeling in the place. After going down a couple flights of stairs, you enter the actual room. Lenin is in a glass case, dressed in a suit. He looks a little green, a little waxy, and a little plaster-like. Lots of people think he's a replica, and he could be, but he's also pretty old so I didn't expect him to look, well, lifelike.
After that, we had some time to bomb around Red Square before the Kremlin tour. I hit up St. Basil's (oddly tomb-like inside), and GUM, a massive department store.

Kremlin tour--Mostly churches, which we had just gotten done talking about in culture class. Also the tour just took forever and the guide just wouldn't shut up. Annoying. Next was the Armory, where they keep all the spendi things the Tsars had. Unfortunately, the jewels were not part of the tour and cost like 500 rubles extra. Our tour was mostly over a bunch of metal things the Tsars got from other country; lots of dinnerware. Lastly, there were like 5 Faberge eggs---Not worth it.

Day Three: Optional Tours-Lubyanka, Gulag, Cosmonaut
One of our coordinators led the group I was with to Lubyanka Square to talk about the building (it has a rather morbid history), and to see the stone placed there as a memorial to those who were killed there. Unfortunately, we were there during a holiday, the one day a year they let the families come and pay respects. We were not allowed into the area around the memorial.
Next stop-Gulag Museum. It was a pretty small museum, definitely not what I expected. The problem is there is no unified Gulag museum in Russia. The funding isn't there, and it is still a little taboo apparently.
Last stop- Cosmonaut Museum. This was the absolute coolest. It's located outside VDNKh, underneath the monument to cosmonauts. It's probably as big, if not bigger, than the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson. I was impressed. Also, for students, COMPLETELY FREE. They had models of all the Soviet/Russian rocket systems and capsules. A life size replica of a Soyuz capsule and one of the pods currently in the International Space station. They also had Belka and Strelka...stuffed. They were among the first animals to go up to space, and survive. One of their puppies was given to JFK as a gift and their descendants are still alive today.

As much as I got to see, I didn't even come close to completing my list. I still have about 40-50 things left to do, including every station on the metro. I guess that's just one of the downsides of being in a group. I could have completed almost everything had I been by myself, but at the same time, I wouldn't have gotten a tour of the Kremlin, and I wouldn't have gone to the gulag museum.
Upon returning, I read someone else's blog about St. Petersburg. He is currently in Moscow as a student and was in Piter during roughly the same time I was in Moscow. He mentioned how in St. Petersburg, everyone speaks English and how you get a truer Russian feeling in Moscow. My two cents? I wish that were the case, but from my experience here, NOBODY speaks English to me. I can pretty much count on one hand the times someone has spoken English to me in St. Petersburg. However, in Moscow, literally everyone did. The waitress at Chili's, the barista at Starbucks, the cashier at the produkti--All spoke English. 

We shall meet again soon, Moscow.

LOL JK RUSSIA IS AWESOME

1) Classes are easy. Like really easy, to the point where I'll have trouble finishing my last semester of college because it'll be rocket science compared to what I'm doing now.
2) I haven't tried it yet, when I finally decide to, I take great solace in knowing that I won't have to walk more than 3 blocks to the nearest Sushi Bar. Seriously, If you live more than 3 blocks from a sushi-bar here, you're doing it wrong.
3) I would say the same about coffee shops, but that's the one thing I'm ACTUALLY bitter about. And the same is true, if you're more than 3 blocks away from some incarnation of a coffee-house, you're doing it wrong.
4) I actually like my host family. She's nice, and she makes lots of delicious soups and things for me. Like: Schi, Sour Schi, Rassol'nik, Pumpkin soup, caviar, pate, caviar, the best cheese I've ever had (smoked ftw), Kasha that would kill angels, eggs just like I like them (burnt whites, yum), eggplant mash, vat jelly, homemade sauerkraut, sausages with mash, Ukha, and more.
5) The food is SOOOO yummy! Syrok, Pops, Yogurt, Cookies (nutela waffle tubes), Blini, Soup, omg BUCKWHEAT, other Russian foods---even RAMEN tastes better here. (coffee still sucks...grrrr)
6) The stoplights have countdowns on them. You no longer have to guess how much time you have left before a gypsy cab (or cop) runs you over in the crosswalk. The cycle works as such:
Green to Red- Green Blinks 3 times, then Yellow for roughly a second then Red
Red to Green- Yellow turns with Red for roughly 3 seconds before Green light comes on.
The previously Green side of intersection is at a Full Red before the Other side is alerted to the changing lights. In theory, a very safe, efficient system. The US should implement.
7) There is an overwhelming amount of stuff to do. And I do mean 'overwhelming'. I feel like I haven't done anything since arriving because my to-do list is so long. I'm slowly working through it. I still have a semester to go!!!
8) I get to wake up every morning knowing that I'm in St. Petersburg! And lemme tell you, that is all sorts of surreal. Up until two years ago, I had no idea the direction my life would take, and had someone told me, I wouldn't have believed them. I am simply amazed everyday.
9) This city is older than the United States. Peter the Great FTW
10) Drinking beer on the street--at least until 2012 (wah wah). A new law will treat beer as alcohol and thus, the ban on public drinking will extend to beer.
11) Cheap vodka
12) Finland is super close, ya know, for smuggling runs. Apparently things are cheaper over there. Somehow, I find that hard to believe.
13) Banya--- Sauna + Sadomasochism + Snacks= Awesome!! Not only is it fun, it's super refreshing. While in the steam room, you beat yourself or others with things called 'veniki'. These are traditionally birch branches with leaves still attached, but oak is cheaper and I have even seen evergreen (with needles, I need to try that!)
14) Kopeck hunting (not for 10's or 50's, but for 1's and 5's). Stalk some weddings, find some coins they don't make anymore, get some weird looks from Russians. Fun times.
15) Hazelnuts in candy, like Snickers and M&Ms

16) This place is full of magic and Everything is amazing!