Russian Blog
This is a blog by JustRussian about learning Russian. You will find useful tips for learning Russian, Russian courses available in London, information about Russian culture and links to websites with information for students of Russian.
Moscow 2008
By Vlada 5 February 08
Notes of a Russian teacher in London, or things you may be interested to know but won’t learn in a Russian course.
So what’s new in Moscow this winter? Here are my observations:
• The city centre has become very clean and smart. There are lots of new shops, restaurants and expensive cars. Muscovites are becoming richer and richer.
• There is a lot of construction: new houses and office blocks pop up in the tiniest imaginable places. Old buildings are renovated or knocked down to make way for new ones. Muscovites are upset by it.
• The city is clearly overpopulated. The Soviet infrastructure designed for 7 million people is struggling to support 14 million. The wonderful and fast underground system is chronically overcrowded. Muscovites are upset by it but it looks like it’s the price of success!
• There are huge numbers of young people everywhere. And they all smoke. I don’t like it. Neither the fact that they are much younger than me nor the smoking. My colleagues and I used to spend our breaks between lessons at Moscow University trying to kick smoking students out into the cold staircase. I wish I could do the same in cafes and restaurants!
• More and more women wear beautiful and expensive fur coats. They let the long hems sweep the dirty Moscow pavements and staircases with delicious nonchalance.
• Everyone had corporate (called “corporativ” in Russian) New Year parties, including taxi drivers and other people you wouldn’t classify as corporate employees. It was the hit of the season!
• Traffic jams have reached unspeakable proportions (worse even than London – honest!) so travelling by car in the city has become quite impossible.
• Prices are rising very fast and Moscow will soon be catching up with London!