Spring is here!

After hovering around freezing for the last 3 or 4 weeks, we FINALLY have +10 degrees F and sun! The snow is still around, but things are looking up.

Yesterday Petr and I went to a local park in the south of Moscow, called Tsaritsyno which means "Tsarina's".  It was royal land for a long time but in 1775, Catherine the Great bought the estate and built what is now the largest Neo-Gothic building in Russia. Actually, it's more like an eclectic mix of Gothic, Baroque and Moorish styles. Turns out Catherine wasn't as impressed by the style as her architect, Bazhenov and in 1785 she replaced him with another, named Kazakov. Unfortunately, she ran out of money in the end and the project was abandoned and left to ruin. In the 19th century a local factory needed roofing material and borrowed from the palace what they needed. Mountaineers also used the facade for practice, covering the building in holes from their crampons. Fortunately (or not), the estate has been almost completely restored today and is now a park where loads of Russians come on weekends to push their babies around in stiletto heels whilst the men carry their wives' purses.

A cool old photo of the ruins

Tsaritsyno in the summer (reconstructed)

Russians also come here to practice their favorite outdoor pass time: posing, model-esque for photos with their friends and loved ones. To take up this hobby you need: one professional-grade minolta or nikon (whether or not you have training to use it); one rose or similar flower as a prop; one (or two) Russian girls whom have spent hours preparing their hair and makeup for a stroll in the park; and finally, your arsenal of Vogue poses that have likely been practiced in front of a mirror.
Next, find a rock, pleasant shrub, or Romantic-era grotto and set the girl up in one of her many poses.
Now you can begin to snap shots like you're Helmut Newton. If the lighting is bad, by all means improvise by making a reflector out of a plastic cup or umbrella. You want these to look the best for your Facebook page, after all. As Petr said, "It's a country! Every woman is a model, whether she looks it or not."

This plays into another theory we've developed as to why Russian women don't smile: models don't smile. Beauty is about looking sullen and underfed. Seriously, with one of my classes I asked the girls (the class is all female) to bring an image of a person and to describe their expression and what they are wearing. All but one brought an image from Vogue, Elle or Cosmo. Not a very diverse group of characters, unfortunately. Whenever I asked what expression the model had, every girl said theirs looked tired or sad or maybe angry. Great! And these are their role models (pun intended)! Actually, I think the real reason fashion models don't smile is because that would distract the viewer's attention away from the clothing that is being sold. A model's real job is to be a sort of flesh hanger for the design. Unless they are selling makeup, then there are some smiles. But not mascara, because the focus is the eyes. You see what I mean.

At least it's only a public persona. The great thing about teaching Russian students is that I get to see a more personal (and personable) side of the people. They actually DO smile and can be very polite and kind as long as they know you. But in the metro, supermarket or on the street? All bets are off.

On a slightly related note, I am also getting a glimpse into the lives of the well-to-do, tutoring the kids of CEOs and oligarchs. On Sunday I took a substitution where I had to go to the student's house. It was in the center of the city and his family owns the whole house- some 5 floors in a historical building! They had original art on every wall and the kid took me upstairs in an elevator. These kids are 8 and 10 years old and they've been to Dubai like 6 times in their little lives, not to mention spending summers in Florida, Cyprus and various European capitals. Unbelievable. Most of the kids are pretty down to Earth despite owning i pads and i phones at their tender age and having drivers take them to school. If I were single and liked kids more, I might consider being a live in nanny/tutor for rich Russians. Think of all the places you'd go! But that's a lot of ifs...

For now I'll just stick with my weird cat.  I have captured her odd vocalizations on camera. Will post soon.