Saratov town, the Volga river, Engels trolleybuses etc

So I am back from the Volga river banks, from good old Saratov.

All was quite kind of adventure, with hectic timing. I had a flight to Saratov and a train back to Moscow. Local airline with budget meal (not that bad in the era of budget flights with no food at all). Local flight attendants, making quite a contrast with international flights. I think it would be better to employ them for international flights – to show the real picture. They are still nice, but also more real, more ordinary.

As for the train – I love them! The farther – the better, though I admit that the neighbors might be a critical moment here. This particular train gave me almost a day of doing nothing and a compartment-mate to chat with. A bit of reading, a bit of eating junk-food, excused under the circumstances, and just freedom of not having to do anything.

There were no time for me digging in museums and cultural life, and frankly speaking I rarely do that, unless it rains hard or something. More often when I am in another town, I am just walking (read: “running”) the streets. Somehow I do believe that this is life – just ordinary people in ordinary situations.

And the following are the pictures of Saratov as it is and as I saw it. Pictures are resized, but not terribly, and by right-clicking on them might be enjoyed even in bigger size.

My window view. The deal was that the hotel is on the bank of the river, but with all my luck I had quite a noisy street to enjoy.


There are a lot of homeless dogs there. The same in Moscow, but local ones looked even less friendly.


The river Volga on the other side of the hotel.


The bridge goes to the town of Engels, named after Engels, which (the town) is famous for making the trolleybuses. Until I was ten, I wanted to be a trolleybus driver, so I know about this town since then. The town got its “German” name not only because such Marx-Engels-Lenin-Red etymology was typical for Soviet Union, but also because historically there were a lot of Germans there (ethnically similar to Mr.Engels). It was even the center of Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which was existing for several years in the very beginning of the USSR.


Again the Volga. Still ice. Already fishing.


The view from another building, where I was working. The word in capital letters is the city name in Russian ("Саратов", pronouncing "Saratov").


Past and future.




Hate to say that, but the roads are terrible in Saratov. It is difficult to surprise me, because I am “from here”, have seen the stuff and know what`s this all about, but here is a serious reason of why I felt a bit sad. The central street.

That is where people live, and women wear their fancy heals.



A bit of culture, theatrical events pillar.


But kids always manage to find a place to show that actually they feel happy (watching the drawing, showing the family). The father`s figure is a bit detached, but he is wearing such a glamourous pink suit that we`ll forgive the young artist :) Perhaps he works all the time, and the girl (obviously according to the drawing) spends more time with her Mum.


Local advertising is based on visual effects and mobile structures.


This actress was the Russian "Lady in pink" (the piece based on E.-E.Schmitt`s "Oscar and the Lady in pink"). Here is the advert of "Tango forever" play, upgraded by local street artists. She and her theater are from Saint-Petersburg, and sometimes - as all actors, I guess - they go touring in the regions.





Still advertising. The poster on the left says: “Cleanliness of the town is in our hands”. I am seriously thinking that using passive voice in such slogans never looks persuasive. It could better say: “Keep our town clean”, though it still looks quite impersonal.


Using every inch available: the door, the torch, the pipe.



Very popular this season – the Hippopotamus Show (yeap!), glued to every corner. Another sticker with a “favourite” word is a naughty one – “dosug” means “leisure time”, and it`s actually advertising girls and so on… Perhaps the idea was to use English letters not to be prosecuted by police, at least not immediately.


Narrow roads are reasons of regular traffic jams.







The poster says, with all pathetic involved: “Three children mean continuation of a clan. Who will support you in the old age?”. What a play with public opinion!


A depressive poster, supposed to be very ceremonial, with the portrait of the last Russian tsar (king). Even if you wont` believe that a city poster can announce something like that, it says: “There are betrayal, cowardice and fraud all around”. Like a quotation from Nickolay II, should be used in certain circumstances. The resume is: “For faith, king and motherland”. I totally missed the message of the poster, unless it was supposed to be that faith-killing.


A better message, at least more useful: “Do not invest all your savings in securities and stocks”. Actually that is a bank advertisement (the bank name on the bottom), so perhaps fraud is not all around, at least there is some human information.


Just pictures, just a town.







"Monet", the Eiffel tower dreaming...

The phrase before the collapse was "Aiming to the best".







"Versaille", as written :)


More of Saratov









Bakery + police


Police in pink


Not sure but should be some military academy, with the President`s portrait.



The white poster – theatrical. The blue one – the official party poster (“Yedinaya Rossiya is the party of Putin”). Meaning that he is a real leader. No comments.


“64 is the code of politeness”. 64 is the number of Saratov region, for cars registration plates. Ironically the poster stands on the pedestrian street.


The restaurant “Bouratyno”. Russian Pinocchio.


“Unemployment? There is a solution: paid public service”. Men are not the target audience of the message, only women working desperately.


“Join the race for a million”. By drinking beer apparently.



“Want to be noted? Grab a poster in your hands”


“We love Saratov”


The city emblem, coat of arms, represents three friendly sterlets. It is a tasty fish, I have to admit.


I liked this one – the book shop advert, “The reading Saratov”


Typical church stall.


Typical newspapers stall.


Typical music and video stalls.




Books on wheels


Typical fast food stall.


Honestly, there was a hint of melancholy after that visit. Perhaps that`s the typical after-winter lack of vitamin D (read: sun rays). Or I was just tired after using all my energy for participants (there was the training for tutors who had to be cared about on the per diem basis). I felt a bit sad and even made a new hair-cut, hoping to feel better, which helped. Actually it was not that much depression, but also an hour before my train back, anyway... I have a bit of a new look now, with even a fringe :)

To make this place looking more "educational" - reinforcing the obvious, though doubtful English learning part – here is (use the right click to open a new window ) the link to read about Saratov in English.

By the way, Saratov has Marseille as a twin-city, where I am hoping to go soon, though still no visa. As for twin-cities, I always wanted to know how much artificial this term is, and whether people (towns) abroad know about their “twins” in Russia. So if you have any information on the subject, let me know.

"Открыто" on the door means "Open" :)