Embracing Winter

I am from Kentucky, where one inch of snow is kind of a lot. I've always loved snow, but I absolutely hate being cold, and I tend to get cold easily. So when friends asked me, "You do know that Russia is cold, don't you?" I always mumbled something about managing to get through the Russian winter. I researched what kinds of fibers were the warmest and packed pretty much every piece of warm clothing I had.

The window in my room /
Окно в моей комнате

My first night in Russia, I put on my normal long sleeve shirt and yoga pants for bed and my host mom told me I would be too warm if I wore long sleeves. So I changed. And she was right. It may be cold outside, but it's always warm in the house. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to change the temperature in the house. My room alone has two radiators. Instead we regulate the temperature by opening and closing the window. Since most Russians don't use air conditioning, it also allows a breeze in the summer. I'm actually really enjoying this system, since I'm never cold inside the house and opening the windows helps air out the house regularly.

Standing on the steps of the main church at Bogolyubovo /
Рождественский Собор в Боголюбском монастыре

In fact, for the most part, I've found myself enjoying winter here. Some of it's just that I really do love snow and find myself just a little happy about having "huge" (to me) piled of snow around. I think maybe it might be a little less humid here than in Kentucky, so it doesn't feel quite so bad, but I'm surprised to find myself enjoying the winter. It's refreshing.

Last week we went on an excursion to Bogolyubovo, a small village with a women's monastery founded in the 12th century. After we had a tour of the monastery and the church, we left the monastery and took a hike out the the Pokrov church, several kilometers away. It was a really long walk, the wind was sharp and bit our faces, but it was so beautiful! It was a true wintry day. 

The snow plain / Снежная равнина

I talked with one of our teachers about winter a couple weeks ago and she said that days like this are "romantic" winter days. I just couldn't understand "It must be different for Russians and for us because I don't understand how someone can think that." But standing out on the plain, I think I get why. I remember looking out at all the space between us and the church: only clean snow and bright sun and cold wind. I understand how the poets can write about beautiful winter mornings the birches. And now I can understand how Russians can love these days. It seems as if the winter calls to you and there's nothing to do but thank God for such a beautiful day.

Birches / Берёзы

I'm waxing poetic now, so I'll stop, but it's safe to say that my fears about the Russian winter are gone. Sure I still don't like being cold, but I can also see the beauty there and I think I'm genuinely starting to love winter here. I think this is key to being in a new place. I can't completely change how I feel or what I like, but I can learn to see the beauty and understand why other people think differently. This is what cultural exchange is all about, and I'm looking forward to discovering more.

Scroll down for more pictures from our trip to Bogolyubovo and the Pokrov Church.

Hiking out to the Pokrov Church / Мы ходили в Храм Покрова

The church of the Protection on the Nerl / Храм Покрова на Нерли

The back of Nativity Cathedral at the Bogolyubovo Monastery with the Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Theotokos. Prince Andrei Bogolyubskii built a fortress and palace here in the mid 12th century. One night the Theotokos (a name for the Virgin Mary, meaning God-Bearer) appeared to the Prince in a dream and told him to build a church and place the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God there. Prince Bogolyubskii founded a church and monastery here and an icon was written of the event. Parts of the foundation of the church and the bell tower remain from the 12th century.

Standing near the train station in Bogolyubovo with the monastery in the background