History and Shared Memory
It is impossible for me to live in Russia and not appreciate the history all around me. I live in the city of Vladimir which was founded in the 10th century, and was one of the medieval capitals of Russia. A number of buildings from the 12th century still survive and are functioning. Within the city and surrounding area are a number of UNESCO world heritage sites, including the famous Dormition Cathedral, Dmitrievsky Cathedral, and Golden Gate, all located in the center of the city.
The monastery I attend church at every week (just down the street from Dormition Cathedral) was founded in the 12th century. While much of the monastery has expanded and been renovated since it's founding, much of the outside wall is still the original white stone. I visited the church of St. Michael the Archangel a couple weeks ago, and I was told that it was a "new" church because it had only been built about a 100 years ago, just before the revolution.
There are signs of history everywhere and it seems that Russians are more connected to their history than we are in America. People carry around the same plastic or fabric shopping bags every day until they actually wear out. You will never see a Russian try to carry 30 plastic grocery bags from the car to their apartment. For one thing, many Russians in Vladimir don't own cars, so you have to take what you can carry or ride with on the bus. My host mom fills up two (maybe three) of her reusable shopping bags when she goes shopping for the week; and that shopping trip might include going to two or three small stores and the market. You also have to pay a small sum for each plastic bag at the store most of the time. We don't use paper napkins in our house (though I'm almost positive that this is mostly my host mom and not all Russians). We also only flush the toilet when necessary because why waste that much water (I'm not sure how widespread this practice is).
As an American this all took some getting used to. At first I thought that Russians must be must just be much more ecologically conscious than Americans. While this might be true, I think it also has to do with memory. Even today's generation, that grew up after the fall of the Soviet Union, shares a collective memory with their parents and grandparents of a time when life was harder, when they couldn't find food, when everything had to be saved. My classmate told me that her host mom said that during the Soviet times there was money but nothing to buy, but today there is plenty to buy and no money.
My host mom and I had a discussion about Donald Trump one of the first weeks I lived here. She told me that she likes Donald Trump because "he knows how to make money." I didn't understand then, but the economic recession has hit hard here, following the crisis of the 90s, following a generation of life in the Soviet Union, following the famine and difficulties leading to up to the end of the monarchy, following centuries of history before that. It is difficult for Americans to appreciate collective history I think. The United States is only 250 old. We have never experienced a major land invasion, the World Wars did not play out on American land the way they did in Europe or in Russia.
A couple weeks ago, my host mom was discussing the situation in the Ukraine. She told me that there are people practically on the borders and "of course we have to defend ourselves." She asked me with tears in her eyes, "Why don't they understand that we just want to live too? But we have lived through everything and we will survive this too." It is heartbreaking to listen to everything that people here have experienced and realize that this is their life, their history, almost beyond my understanding.
This post is not intended as a critique or endorsement of either Russia or the West. Rather, it is a acknowledgement that understanding history is essential to understanding Russia. Living here has given me an opportunity to learn about Russian history personally, from the people I talk to everyday. History may be in the past, but the past always informs how we act today and tomorrow. Coming here has shown me that's not only true on a personal level but even on a national level.
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| The Golden Gate of Vladimir / Золотые ворота Владимира |
There are signs of history everywhere and it seems that Russians are more connected to their history than we are in America. People carry around the same plastic or fabric shopping bags every day until they actually wear out. You will never see a Russian try to carry 30 plastic grocery bags from the car to their apartment. For one thing, many Russians in Vladimir don't own cars, so you have to take what you can carry or ride with on the bus. My host mom fills up two (maybe three) of her reusable shopping bags when she goes shopping for the week; and that shopping trip might include going to two or three small stores and the market. You also have to pay a small sum for each plastic bag at the store most of the time. We don't use paper napkins in our house (though I'm almost positive that this is mostly my host mom and not all Russians). We also only flush the toilet when necessary because why waste that much water (I'm not sure how widespread this practice is).
As an American this all took some getting used to. At first I thought that Russians must be must just be much more ecologically conscious than Americans. While this might be true, I think it also has to do with memory. Even today's generation, that grew up after the fall of the Soviet Union, shares a collective memory with their parents and grandparents of a time when life was harder, when they couldn't find food, when everything had to be saved. My classmate told me that her host mom said that during the Soviet times there was money but nothing to buy, but today there is plenty to buy and no money.
My host mom and I had a discussion about Donald Trump one of the first weeks I lived here. She told me that she likes Donald Trump because "he knows how to make money." I didn't understand then, but the economic recession has hit hard here, following the crisis of the 90s, following a generation of life in the Soviet Union, following the famine and difficulties leading to up to the end of the monarchy, following centuries of history before that. It is difficult for Americans to appreciate collective history I think. The United States is only 250 old. We have never experienced a major land invasion, the World Wars did not play out on American land the way they did in Europe or in Russia.
A couple weeks ago, my host mom was discussing the situation in the Ukraine. She told me that there are people practically on the borders and "of course we have to defend ourselves." She asked me with tears in her eyes, "Why don't they understand that we just want to live too? But we have lived through everything and we will survive this too." It is heartbreaking to listen to everything that people here have experienced and realize that this is their life, their history, almost beyond my understanding.
This post is not intended as a critique or endorsement of either Russia or the West. Rather, it is a acknowledgement that understanding history is essential to understanding Russia. Living here has given me an opportunity to learn about Russian history personally, from the people I talk to everyday. History may be in the past, but the past always informs how we act today and tomorrow. Coming here has shown me that's not only true on a personal level but even on a national level.
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