Sasha is a very popular name, and I like it. And it can be both male (Alexander) and female one (Alexandra, but that is more rare). But in a short version (like me being Sveta) they are both - Sasha. There were always several Sashas in every class or university group, and there are lots of Alexanders in the older generation – as here in Russian we all have middle names based on the Fathers` names, there are a lot of Alexandrovitch (for any boy with Alexander as a father) and Alexandrovna (for a girl). I am Vladimirovna by the way.
Other options, but not Russian. One of Obama`s daughters is Sasha. And there is also Sasha Guitry (the “Faison un reve” author) – named so because he was born in Russia, when his Dad, the French actor, was here, and the name is in honor of Russian Tsar Alexander II. But if he were Russian he would be Alexander Guitry in his passport :) Short names are not official.
One of my first boyfriends was Sasha. Though if you knew me at the age of thirteen, you would know that it sounds much more promising than it was in reality. I mean we were very serious kids, so nothing too adventurous. He had the most blue eyes in the whole school and a very beautiful and quite an exotic for simple me family name - it sounded very Polish, finished with “- vsky”).
I actually saw him last week – we had the class reunion. Fifteen years already. That is our school tradition to invite the graduates on February 1st, though honestly I was always trying to avoid the meeting. I can meet my close friend, also Sveta, anytime I want – and that actually happens like twice a year. For some reason I am not inspired by the idea of meeting the past. Perhaps I rather disliked my school experience. School system was based on very Soviet traditions, everything was pretty strict with a very high possibility for pupils (for me to start with) to loose one`s personality.
It was actually a specialized English language school – now, in modern Russia, they are called “gymnasiums”. In England the closest analogue would be “grammar schools”, supposed to be more “classy” to some extent. In reality some of the graduates went into real linguistics, like translators in the embassies or so - but that was already not that popular with my generation (I can speak about the reasons but that will take much time). But most of us keep forgetting all the “theory” they`ve got at school (schools here were very “theoretical”, with not much really useful practice - that is being changed now, a bit).
So what`s about Vladimir? As you perhaps have noticed, it is both the male name and the name of my native city (almost native, because there are still more details about where I was born). So “Vladimir” was the name of the Russian Prince (“Vladimir the Baptist” or “Vladimir the Red Sun”), its founder back to early medieval times. Actually that is a tricky moment, because there were several Vladimirs on the ancient Russian Throne, like another Vladimir, Monomach. And for years and years - in “my” times there - it was him to be known as the city founder, which was making the town like 890 years old. But then, in the end of the twentieth century, the archaeologists have found some piece of something which was proving that the town is older than a thousand years.
Perhaps that sounds a bit too complicated, so – just in case - here are two wikipedia articles about Vladimir (as usual they will be opened in a new window, unless you click the right button). Enjoy the photos (if you are lucky to know Russian) or the text (a bit in English, though feel free to ask me about the true stuff).
And the following is something from my part. No way it is the story about the town, but I just happened to have the camera with me. So not promising to show you the full picture, am just showing a bit of this and that. “Real stuff” sort of thing, and in random. Enjoy!
The fence. Creative usage of materials. The houses in this part of the city are not skyscrapers, five floors maximum. Old “Stalin” buildings. They actually have large rooms and high ceilings. It is only after Stalin they began constructing huge buildings for hundreds flats (apartment is a too big word for them, though it solved the lodging problem). You may notice that some windows have modern plastic windows now (bit of luxury, to be honest).
Old mailbox, in use. The small ventilation window is covered with tulle – because the real net was in deficit for years and years before, though you can find some leftover material. And tulle looks nicer than just ordinary soulless net, right. One of the secrets of the Soviet charm – use whatever you have at maximum. Also you can see the “triple” something near the number plate. It`s for the flags during the holidays (again, in earlier years). There are some flags now for holidays, but the feeling of “the nation united” is not about modern Russia. Good it or bad… Still those transitional times.
Kind reminder: “Free food here”. Near the Milk shop. Plastic bag is the modern upgrade.
We do have a lot of celebration in winter: “western’ Christmas, New Year, Russian Christmas (January 7th). We also have Old Russian New Year (January 13th – because the calendar has been redone after the Revolution of 1917). The most devoted ones celebrate Chinese New year (beginning of February, I guess). The photo might be called “Enough” or “Communal service also celebrates”.
Sometimes funny colors are being chosen for the buildings in smaller (than Moscow) towns like Vladimir. Most of the buildings are municipal, so presumably city authorities have a large stock of funny colored paint. It looks quite lovely though. And yes, the roads are less cleaned than in Moscow (I am that spoiled now, ahah).
One entrance, lots of adverts. The ground floor is sometimes given to small businesses, and that started since after the USSR period, when private business was allowed. By the way, in Russian we count “the ground floor” as “the first floor’, because it is more obvious not to be confused with the total number. So think while using the Russian lift (US elevator). Typically lower parts of trees are whitewashed - painted every spring if a town has money. That is "city design", to make it nicer :) And electrics - neat and obvious :)
The “message” graffiti. Again, honestly, more often there are far less humane slogans, vice versa even. But this one is worth putting here even if it is spoiling the wall. And again – the corner of rather lovely “Stalin`s time” building. By the way the window bars should give an impression about the safety of the place. In nineties there were a lot of (the “really a lot of”) thefts and burglary. It is far (the “really far”) from being perfect now, but it was worse.
The modest entertainment of my childhood. Once in my school years I organized three British girls staying in our flat for couple of weeks. That was some exchange, but only from their side. Some language practice for me. And once I offered them to go to the city park (on the photo). At my fourteen I still could be excited by such carousels. “Merry-go-round”, my dictionary is suggesting me. Well, it was definitely going round, but nothing more or else happened, so those Liverpool girls were not impressed at all.
Kids playing on the pile of dirt – because that is sort of construction site – nicely covered by some snow. Again, I totally believe that this is fun for kids, climbing and falling, though it looks a bit too exotic even for me now.
The so-called “garages”, with enough space just to keep a bicycle. More important, they may accommodate several sacs of potatoes and dozens of pots with salted cucumbers or tomatoes and jars with jam (hello, winter - preparation done in summer). Again in nineties it was impossible to keep anything here – too much small crime. Though it is close to “my” house (the roof of the higher, five floors building on the left), my family never had anything like that – never rooted enough to treasure such piece of real estate.
The stairs to nowhere. It was so d* freezing, my fingers couldn`t control the incline of the camera, so pardon if hurting anybody`s artistic feelings.
It`s winter time. And you sure do know what to do with the icicles, right? You throw a stone trying to avoid the window - you should never confuse icicles and windows – and with all your luck you have it, the icicle, fallen down somewhere in the deep snow which prevents it from breaking. And don`t know what you will think right now, but that is almost an ice-cream)) Not that we were so bad with ice cream during my childhood but still. There are so many things I can`t even imagine doing now.
Yes, that is a lovely view, and not trying to spoil it, but that is a cemetery. I visited it this time, for the first time in several years and for the first time on my own. Usually I was using somebody`s car for that journey. Now I was using some old bus, very dirty on the outside because of the changing weather and lack of cleaning. It is outside the town in the forest near the village Ulybyshevo (ironically translated like “Smily-evo”). My Dad is here for already seventeen years. I felt very quiet, calm and sort of comfortable after that journey with minus 23 Celsius outdoors. It was calm.
The main street, the old one. With rows of small shops (“Trade rows”, built like a gallery in the 19th century). The so-called Golden Gates are on the far away left and are dated the 12th century. It was part of ancient city defence. Now you just pass it on a car, bus or on any vehicle – just two meters from such ancient walls. And that is a busy road in the city center (pictured on a less busy Sunday).
Stopping now, perhaps unexpectedly and with no logic, but that was a short story about the town where I came from. See you later!
