School visit

I had the unique opportunity to visit a proper Russian School in the south suburb of Scherbinka with EducationUSA which promotes higher education in the US. I talked (in English) with a high school English class. It was heaps of fun and a great chance to get out of the city.

Here are some photos from the visit:

Scherbinka School Visit

I am in the states for three weeks, but have some postings to catch up on.
Enjoy!
Carolyn

Protests in Moscow

Saturday was the first large-scale political protests in the city since we arrived. It's a difficult time for Democratic organizers in Russia who face constant oppression from the current government.

Here's the NYTimes article from today's paper
Former Chess Champion Is Detained at March in Moscow

By ANDREW E. KRAMER and MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ
Published: April 15, 2007
Garry Kasparov, the former chess champion, was arrested during a rally that ended in clashes with riot troops.

Best,
Carolyn

Easter Vigil

It was midnight when we finally left our apartment to walk over to Danilovsky Monastery for Easter Vigil service. Fireworks were going off in the distance marking the city's welcome of Easter. The streets were quiet, relatively empty of people which seemed so strange for Moscow.

We entered the gates of the Monastery, a 10 minute walk from our house, after passing through a non-working metal detector (not unusual in Moscow). The service from the main Hram (XPAM) was wafting out of speakers in the courtyard. Hundreds of people were milling about carrying candles in a subdued, yet festive atmosphere.

Russian Orthodox houses of worship are relatively small compared to their Catholic counterparts. There's also no seating and worshipers stand throughout the entire service (4 hours for Easter Vigil!). We tried to squeeze (literally) through the doors to get a peak and hear the music. The church was ablaze in light and the enormous golden chandelier radiated from the ceiling. An all male choir sang a repeated refrain in old church Slavonic while three priests encircled the inner part of the church carrying large, ornate candles. The congregation joined in with the choir on the refrain "XPUCTOC BOCKPECE" (khri-STOS vos-KREH-seh) 3 times. A joyful welcoming of the Risen Christ.

XPUCTOC BOCKPECE (khri-STOS vos-KREH-seh), which, in English, means "Christ is Risen!" It's the Paschal greeting, to which the proper answer is, "BOUCTUHY BOCKPECE" (vo-EEST-ih-nu vos-KREH-seh), which means "Truly he is risen!"

This dance of the candles, refrain and congregational response went on for at least half an hour while we were there, and I suspect long before and after we arrived. Growing tired of being packed in like sardines, we wandered to the basement where several icons were being prayed to and priests were offering Easter blessings. The crowds continued to amaze me as they lined up for a blessing. A few words were whispered in the priest's ear, the petitioner leaned over and the priest's stole covered their head, the priest offered the sign of the cross over the stole draped on one's head, a kiss to the cross and the Bible lying on the podium and the sign of the cross finished the ritual.

We wandered to the other XPAM where a mixed voice choir sang in the upstairs sanctuary, icons and frescoes lined the walls. Children lay sleeping in parents arms or sacked out on benches. Again everyone stood and some joined in the acappella singing. There was quiet stillness.

XPUCTOC BOCKPECE

Easter Call

Faith
in the resurrection
must come from
real glimpses
of our ability
to make whole
our suffering world.
For the work of
Christian grace
and love
is now,
not just later.

Rita Nakashima Brock
Disciples Theologian

Something Strange from Armenia

This Blogger is also Foreign Service. Good to know the strange and absurd is everywhere!

Divine Underground

Clean Thursday

Today is Clean Thursday, a day in the Russian Orthodox tradition where one cleans the house in preparation for the Easter Feast and burns junipur branches to clean out the stuffy winter air from your house. It's also the first day when Kulich(es) appear in the bakeries. A tall pastry much like pannetone, this brioche style bread takes 3-4 days to make and is a treasured Easter treat. I asked my Russian tutor about Easter traditions and she told me about this bread. On my way home, I peaked in the Goriachi Hleb (Hot Bread) stand by our house and was excited to see the tall, round loaves in the window.

I got in line and asked the woman at the window, "Eta Kulich?" "Da" she answers with a smile, amused at the cute little foreigner's interest in this Russian treat. My tall cake in hand, I headed home eagerly anticipating my first Russian Easter treat.

For a recipe: Kulich Recipe

Eggs play a significant role in Easter cooking in Russia. Besides in Kulich, they appear in a crustless cheesecake like dessert as well. I am watching a Russian talk show right now on Easter preparations. They have a nun and a priest along with other guests demonstrating the traditional foods for Easter. It's all in Russian so I am understanding about a third, but it's still kind fun!

On our evening stroll around the neighborhood Thursday, we walked up to Danilovsky Monastary which is the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church. Mostly women were streaming out of the grounds with candles in hand. It was beautiful to see the light being carried out of the church. In protestant traditions, the light gradually is extinguished marking the death of Jesus.

I watched the women guarding their light in the wind, ensuring it didn't go out as they returned to their homes. I think it says something about how their faith has been preserved during Soviet times when the church was supressed by the government. The faith was sustained through the nurture of women much like many significant cultural traditions.

Here's a little peak at my Kulich. Blessings on your Maundy Thursday.

First Month Pics

Here are some pictures from our first month in Moscow. Enjoy! The weather has been unusually warm and we haven't seen snow since we first arrived.
Cheers,
Carolyn

Moscow Arrival March 2007