>Attachment Converted: "C:\EUDORA\ATTACH\DOME-L12.htm"
>Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 00:20:06 -0500
>From: "LANDIS, ROB (JSC-DF2)" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Not Your Father's Moscow <long>
>Message-ID:
<[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>I continue to receive questions about life in Moscow.  While this is a bit
>off topic for dome-l; I hope the cultural context will be appreciated and
>gives
>folks a glimpse of Moscow life through an American's eyes.
>
>It is very easy to remain within the "NASA bubble" here.  Within this
>bubble, you don't have to speak Russian, you can remain within the
>confines of your apartment and not do anything.  However, I do think
>Moscow is reasonably safe.  Bear in mind, it is a large city.  Huge!
>Between 12 and 14 million people.  And, to be honest, I feel safer in
>more parts Moscow than I feel in Washington or Baltimore.
>
>A colleague of mine, Bill Huebner (ECLSS flight controller), wrote this
>piece during his stint here a few months.  I could not write a better
>snippet.  He catches some of the essence of life in Moscow today.
>
>Again, I realize full-well this is off topic; but, it is a good read.  R.
>Landis
>
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>^^
>
>
>> In raw terms, Moscow is a city of about 12 million inhabitants which fits
>> within an area roughly comparable to that bounded by the DC Beltway.
>> It is an old city, just having celebrated its 850th anniversary, and it
>> has seen
>> its share of "character-building" times.  From being burned and rebuilt
>> following
>> Napoleon's occupation in the early nineteenth century, to the overt and
>> striking
>> changes which came as a consequence of the Bolshevik Revolution early in
>> this
>> century, to the Nazi threats during World War II, to the radical changes
>> brought
>> about as a consequence of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow and its
>>
>> people have adapted to the changes and endured.
>>
>> I am a member of the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems group
>> within
>> the Systems Division of the Mission Operations Directorate, and I am
>> currently
>> serving a rotation as a member of the Houston Support Group (HSG).  The
>> HSG is
>> comprised of a collection of individuals working at the Mission Control
>> Center in
>> Moscow (MCC-M) to assist as a real-time operations and future planning
>> support
>> interface between MCC-M and MCC-H.  I have been here since early March and
>> will
>> return to Houston in mid-May.  This is my third trip to Moscow and the
>> first in two
>> years.  Although in some ways this city has managed to go on about its
>> business,
>> since my previous visit I have noticed many subtle and not so subtle
>> changes in
>> Moscow and its people.
>>
>> Someone arriving to the city for the first time will notice several
>> interesting things.
>> The main airport is located outside of Moscow's version of Houston's
>> Beltway 8.
>> Leaving the airport, one sees many small dwellings or "dachas."  These are
>> either
>> regular residences or weekend cottages for affluent city dwellers.
>> Although usually
>> quite small, very old, and in some state of disrepair, one is struck by
>> the elaborately
>> carved frames around the windows of these dachas, each dacha with its own
>> unique,
>> highly detailed pattern.  As one reaches the "beltway"-the city limits of
>> Moscow
>> proper, and about the only highway one sees here-the first major
>> peculiarity
>> observed by a first-time traveler is the sharp transition from having
>> dachas line
>> the roads to seeing high-rise apartments everywhere, and very close
>> together.
>> Virtually everyone in Moscow lives in a high-rise apartment building,
>> often reaching
>> 20 stories or more.  These were obviously built during Soviet times, and
>> those in
>> the outskirts of the city are usually very large and very plain-looking,
>> without much
>> effort given to aesthetics.  Most apartments have a balcony, although many
>> of these
>> balconies have been makeshift adapted into serving as an additional room.
>> It is
>> not uncommon for some apartments to house two or even three generations of
>> a
>> family, so space is at a premium.
>>
>> Something which has become a growing issue in Moscow, and an area in which
>>
>> Moscow rivals other large European cities, is the driving arena.  Cars and
>> utility
>> trucks of all different sizes (mostly small) are everywhere and going at a
>> brisk pace.
>> Pedestrians in no way have the right-of-way here, and lane lines, if they
>> exist, are
>> only a suggestion.  Vehicles cut sharply in and out of amorphous lines,
>> often within
>> a very few inches of each other, just to duel with the next vehicle ahead.
>> Left turns
>> are interesting-three or four cars in a row at a stoplight waiting to turn
>> left will all
>> break concurrently when the light changes to turn in more or less
>> concentric arcs
>> into different lanes, much like an unchoreographed but
>> understood-by-experience
>> auto-ballet.  Don't be surprised to find someone cruising directly toward
>> you in your
>> lane at high speed-the high-speed lane in one direction sometimes serves
>> as the
>> passing lane used by police and other daring individuals in the opposite
>> direction.
>> I have no desire to drive here.  Doing so would shorten my life, either
>> through
>> accident or by coronary arrest following all-too-many close calls.  Thank
>> goodness
>> it is possible, and not unreasonable, to get around this entire city on
>> foot and
>> through the use of public transportation.
>>
>> One interesting task for a pedestrian is to cross the "Garden Ring," a
>> street loop
>> around the older, central part of the city much like the "Inner Loop" in
>> Rochester, NY.
>> It is about seven lanes in each direction and a real test to one's wits
>> when trying to
>> cross it.  Thankfully, this city is equipped with numerous underground
>> walkways
>> associated with the large streets which allow pedestrians to cross a
>> street without
>> fear.  Frequently located in these underground walkways are small kiosks
>> selling
>> such things as magazines, tapes and CDs, food and produce, beverages
>> (including
>> beer, but no longer vodka), simple drug store items, lingerie, and
>> flowers.  Muscovites
>> buy flowers all year around, and it is not uncommon to see several people
>> carrying
>> bouquets in transit.  Sometimes these underground walkways also serve as
>> entrances
>> to Moscow's Metro transit system.  For about 12 cents, a rider can take
>> the very
>> long escalator decent into the bowels of one of Moscow's Metro stations.
>> Although
>> some stations are somewhat plain, many of the older stations are
>> exquisitely crafted
>> and decorated with huge chandeliers, murals, carvings, and statues.  Some
>> could
>> pass for halls of fine castles or museums.  Trains run very frequently,
>> and if you
>> happen to miss a train toward your destination, the next one is likely
>> only a few
>> short minutes behind it.  Once in the system, you can go anywhere within
>> the
>> system, transferring as many times as you wish.  Although all the signs
>> are in
>> Cyrillic, the system is very well laid out and easy to navigate.  Using
>> the Metro,
>> one can quickly get almost anywhere in the city.  To me, it is the
>> backbone of
>> what keeps this city vital.
>>
>> Once on the Metro, there are many interesting places to visit in Moscow.
>> Besides
>> the well known attractions such as St. Basil's Cathedral with its
>> characteristic "onion"
>> spires, the Kremlin, museums like the Pushkin and Tretyakov Gallery, there
>> are a number of interesting sites at which to spend time.  One interesting
>> place on the Moscow River
>> is Gorky Park.  It has amusement park rides, several gardens, fields, and
>> a forest,
>> and it is the non-characteristic residence of an engineering mock-up of
>> the Buran (the
>> Russian version of the space shuttle) which has been converted into a
>> restaurant.  Across
>> the street from Gorky Park is a large art institute behind which is a
>> fascinating sculpture
>> garden containing many old Soviet-era statues and monuments that had been
>> relocated
>> from their original, more prominent locations.  Adjacent to the institute
>> along the river one
>> can find a long row of outdoor artisans showing their works.  The
>> paintings are incredible
>> and would be right at home in many galleries in the U.S.  This market
>> exists year-round,
>> even in the deep cold of winter.
>>
>> There are other outdoor markets through town which provide residents and
>> tourists
>> the opportunity to buy all sorts of things including military clothing,
>> oriental rugs,
>> home-crafted toys, dolls, jewelry, hand painted wooden eggs (a local
>> favorite), lacquer
>> boxes (another local favorite), CDs, produce and meat, and of course
>> flowers.  The
>> bargains aren't what they were a few years ago, I suspect because the
>> vendors have
>> learned much more about western supply and demand, but some deals can be
>> had
>> with a little bargaining effort.  Shopping in more conventional stores is
>> not what it
>> used to be.  The selections are big and the supply is plentiful.  Products
>> are
>> common from Europe and the U.S. in addition to an interesting supply of
>> Russian
>> items.  Coca Cola and Pepsi are available almost everywhere, and
>> American-style
>> restaurants, including McDonald's, Starlite Diner, and T.G. I. Friday's,
>> are scattered
>> throughout the city.  A fun and satisfying alternative to eating
>> "familiar" food is to
>> take advantage of the opportunity to sample the local cuisine.  Even so,
>> menus are
>> frequently written in Russian and English, and although prices are often
>> listed in U.S.
>> dollars (called "equivalent units" in the menus), payment is solely in
>> Russian rubles.
>> This is to tie prices to a stable currency to avoid having to reprint
>> menus as the value
>> of the ruble changes.
>>
>> Normally a late-night return to the hotel on the Metro is not an unsafe
>> proposition.
>> Except for current tensions associated with the NATO actions in
>> Yugoslavia, my
>> experience indicates that Moscow is a relatively safe city.  Occasional
>> groups of
>> Gypsy children can be seen trying to distract and pick-pocket unwitting
>> visitors
>> on or near the Metro, but this is quite rare.  Traveling in small groups
>> tends to
>>  keep problems away.
>>
>> The changes I have seen over the last two years are striking.  Where food
>> and
>> accessories were available, I would now say that they are plentiful.  Many
>> buildings
>> were looking quite rundown, and the city frankly looked tired.  Now many
>> of these
>> same buildings have been repaired, attractively lit and reflect a new sort
>> of optimism.
>> There is western-style advertising everywhere (although mostly written in
>> Cyrillic).
>> The people seem to be embracing "western" ways and culture with great
>> interest.
>> On the radio one can here an eclectic blend of Russian and American
>> (albeit outdated)
>> rock and pop music.  But perhaps the biggest difference is what I see in
>> the people
>> themselves.  Nike and Adidas logo clothing is everywhere (authentic? who
>> knows?),
>> and it is much more difficult to distinguish the Russians from the
>> non-Russians.
>> The women had discovered fashion-now they have taken it to a level which
>> would
>> rival women anywhere.  Very attractive and smart-looking clothing, makeup,
>> and
>> hair styles can typically be seen.
>>
>> It's difficult to know whether the Russians are truly experiencing a
>> better living or if
>>  they are putting on a good front during a difficult time.  One possible
>> clue may be
>> gained by looking in their faces in public places-where I formerly saw
>> blank stares
>> or frowns I am now more likely to see smiles or innocent but still
>> somewhat guarded
>> looks of hope.
>>
>> This is NOT your father's Moscow.
>>
>Bill Huebner, ECLSS
>NASA JSC
>


Bobby Thompson
Labs and Observatory
Physics, Geology, and Astronomy Dept.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
http://www.utc.edu/~jonesobs