Mother Russia

Made a trip to Russia last week. However, given the geographical, cultural and historical size of the country, my trip was the knowledge equivalent of dipping one's hands in the water to gauge the depth of the ocean.

Having said that, the short stays were stays, no doubt. This is a vastly different country than what one from Dubai is led to believe. This might be Communist, but then, the only flavour of Communism comes from the buildings. The public buildings of both St. Petersburg and Moscow are largely plain, and without any balconies. They look like huge, long, windowed walls, rather than facades,- too plain and foreboding to be capitalist. But then, the feeling of Communism ends there. And, to note, the older structures carry a prestige, heritage and legacy unto their own, and seem too W. European to be Russian. To put things in perspective, the only way you would guess you were in Moscow and not in Milano would be from the road signs. Otherwise, everything seems perfectly W. European. And just like in Milano, no one will speak English for sure.

Both cities seem to be thriving capitalist hotbeds. All the visible signs of flourishing capitalism are there for view,- the Bentleys, the poverty, the high-rises, the high-end clothing stores, et al. By the way, Russia and India shared a lot of camaraderie during the 60s till the late 90s. I guess it peaked during the 'Mera Naam Joker' period. In fact, I got a pleasant surprise when one of the hotel channels showed the Raj Kapoor-Madhubala 'Chori Chori' movie dubbed in Russian. Also, made me realize that some foreigners actually like Hindi movies, in spite of the fact that most Hindi movies are like Telugu and Kannada movies, also, less ridiculous.

Another possible product of the India-Russia bha-bhai culture of the 70s is evident on the roads. Take the power of European cards, the speed unlimits of American freeways and the road manners of Indian drivers, and behold, you are driving in Russia. Also, for the former Communist HQ of the world, Russians are delightfully superstitious. My hotel did not have a 13th floor, and this seems very common here.

Finally, Russia is also noteworthy for me for a different reason. This is the first trip where I have had the tragedy to be body scanned at the airport. However, my first experience in St. Petersburg happened so fast, that I forgot to be embarrassed. And only then did it strike me why most staff at the airport were female.

Great going, Mother Russia!