ell, Russia is not white or at least ‘in the black’ these days,
but living up to its historical ‘red.’ It’s quite interesting
to be here in the midst of financial and political crises. Not
being big Russophiles before we came, we find ourselves surprisingly
caught up in the daily changes in this country’s issues, sentiments
and exchange rates! Having been out of the world news for awhile,
we were taken a bit off-guard upon arriving in St. Petersburg and
finding the exchange rate a lot better than what we expected. Still
unaware, we checked into our accomodations and the clerk quoted our
stay in US Dollars. When we asked the cost in rubles, she highly
inflated the ruble price to make it disadvantageous to pay in
Russian currency. It was then that a Canadian woman told us that
‘everything was falling apart out there’, 'banks weren’t accepting
traveler’s cheques or currency other than US Dollars or the Deustch
Mark', 'ATMs work, but who knows for how long.' We knew then that we
were in for a ride. Subsequently, we’ve see the value of the ruble
fall over 100% while we’ve been here, and prices rise (for some things) in a similar fashion.
eedless to say, it hasn’t been too hard for us. We were accustomed to
using ATM’s across Europe. This was an easy way to get foreign
currency at a good exchange rate. Once the ATM’s ran out of money
here, (one woman laughed when we asked if it would be refilled), we
dipped into our Central Asian cash reserve.
n some ways, it doesn’t seem too hard for Russians either. This
weekend celebrated ‘Moscow Day’, the 851st anniversary of the city
of Moscow. Althought the festivities were quoted to be ‘tamed down
due to the financial crisis’, we enjoyed a large street festival with
multiple music venues scattered around blocked-off streets downtown.
There was a light mood in the air, and it didn’t feel like the mobs of
pople around us were part of a country in crisis.
here are many signs of it though, and perhaps a festival was a respite
from the recent panic-stricken days. There are long lines outside
the banks as customers anxiously wait to hopefully withdraw their
savings. Stores of imported goods - the hardest hit- have temporarily
closed ‘for technical reasons’ or having remained open, seen a
flourish of Russians purchasing goods in an effort to tangibly
recognize their current wealth. Here in Moscow, we experienced a
grocery store flooded with shoppers buying up staples from barren
shelves while stockers tried to keep up. The Central Bank of Russia
changes the national exchange rate daily while the resurging black
market exchanges, popping up everywhere, potentially quote a truer
picture. It is outside of these spots that Russian men have
approached us asking if we want to ‘change money’.
ne elder Soviet man told us in so many words (and signs) that
'His Father country had hung itself'. We wonder if many of the
old soldiers that we’ve seen still wearing their medals proudly,
share this same sentiment. In these crazed days, it is easy to
wonder what normal Russian life would be like, (Are there always
this many policemen about?!), and even to question how it was before
terms like 'glasnost' and 'perestroika' came to be common words.
egardless of the now and then, one cannot change the beauty and the
grandeur of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg or the historical presence
of Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow. We have taken in the culture
of these cities, the culture of years gone by and the culture of today
and tomorrow. It is in taking in all of these things that we have
enjoyed the longer days here and have often pondered what the days
without nightfall, the ‘White Nights’, of Russia would be like.
Even without these nights, we are still content with our evening
views of parks, onion-domed churches, and a full moon.
ell, Russia is not white or at least ‘in the black’ these days,
but living up to its historical ‘red.’ It’s quite interesting
to be here in the midst of financial and political crises. Not
being big Russophiles before we came, we find ourselves surprisingly
caught up in the daily changes in this country’s issues, sentiments
and exchange rates! Having been out of the world news for awhile,
we were taken a bit off-guard upon arriving in St. Petersburg and
finding the exchange rate a lot better than what we expected. Still
unaware, we checked into our accomodations and the clerk quoted our
stay in US Dollars. When we asked the cost in rubles, she highly
inflated the ruble price to make it disadvantageous to pay in
Russian currency. It was then that a Canadian woman told us that
‘everything was falling apart out there’, 'banks weren’t accepting
traveler’s cheques or currency other than US Dollars or the Deustch
Mark', 'ATMs work, but who knows for how long.' We knew then that we
were in for a ride. Subsequently, we’ve see the value of the ruble
fall over 100% while we’ve been here, and prices rise (for some things) in a similar fashion.
eedless to say, it hasn’t been too hard for us. We were accustomed to
using ATM’s across Europe. This was an easy way to get foreign
currency at a good exchange rate. Once the ATM’s ran out of money
here, (one woman laughed when we asked if it would be refilled), we
dipped into our Central Asian cash reserve.
n some ways, it doesn’t seem too hard for Russians either. This
weekend celebrated ‘Moscow Day’, the 851st anniversary of the city
of Moscow. Althought the festivities were quoted to be ‘tamed down
due to the financial crisis’, we enjoyed a large street festival with
multiple music venues scattered around blocked-off streets downtown.
There was a light mood in the air, and it didn’t feel like the mobs of
pople around us were part of a country in crisis.
here are many signs of it though, and perhaps a festival was a respite
from the recent panic-stricken days. There are long lines outside
the banks as customers anxiously wait to hopefully withdraw their
savings. Stores of imported goods - the hardest hit- have temporarily
closed ‘for technical reasons’ or having remained open, seen a
flourish of Russians purchasing goods in an effort to tangibly
recognize their current wealth. Here in Moscow, we experienced a
grocery store flooded with shoppers buying up staples from barren
shelves while stockers tried to keep up. The Central Bank of Russia
changes the national exchange rate daily while the resurging black
market exchanges, popping up everywhere, potentially quote a truer
picture. It is outside of these spots that Russian men have
approached us asking if we want to ‘change money’.
ne elder Soviet man told us in so many words (and signs) that
'His Father country had hung itself'. We wonder if many of the
old soldiers that we’ve seen still wearing their medals proudly,
share this same sentiment. In these crazed days, it is easy to
wonder what normal Russian life would be like, (Are there always
this many policemen about?!), and even to question how it was before
terms like 'glasnost' and 'perestroika' came to be common words.
egardless of the now and then, one cannot change the beauty and the
grandeur of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg or the historical presence
of Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow. We have taken in the culture
of these cities, the culture of years gone by and the culture of today
and tomorrow. It is in taking in all of these things that we have
enjoyed the longer days here and have often pondered what the days
without nightfall, the ‘White Nights’, of Russia would be like.
Even without these nights, we are still content with our evening
views of parks, onion-domed churches, and a full moon.
