A few weekends ago (see post date), we went to visit the beautiful city of
Ekaterinburg. It is 5 hours north of Миасс by bus. We were on a mission: celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary and delivery some gifts from America to some mutual friends.
When people in Ekat heard that it was our anniversary they decided to through a huge party for us!! Russians are so wonderful!
Ok, fine, it was actually the birthday of the city that weekend. The main street Улица Ленина (Lenin Street) was closed to traffic. There were people everyone, food stands, balloons and tons of music, both new and old.
On the bridge crossing река Исеть (
Iset River), newly weds place locks with their names engraved on them.
Traditional Russian music from ethnic minorities (I think). This was great stuff! The women have jingly things sown into their clothes so their bodies become an instrument when they dance.
Does it mean that I am not cool if I think accordian is one of the best instruments ever?
And of course, no Russian city would be complete without Lenin watching over the residents.
Later on we went to a Serbian restaurant. Caitlin is preparing to devour this plate o' meat. It was a bit too much for us, but really delicious none the less.
The owner was a great guy, a Serb who has lived most of his life in Russia and who recently moved to Ekat. Yours truely with a traditional Serbian hat and jug of alchohol.
An American style mall with an interesting facade.
This church was built on the site of the execution of the
last Russian Tsar and his family in 1918.
Our new friends: Olga and Stas. One of the wonderful Russian ladies (Hello Anna!) who I practiced Russian with in Newton is from Ekat originally. She was so execited to learn we would be near her birthplace and her long time friend Olga. We got in touch with them and they took us around town and out for lunch. They were wonderful hosts!
We had a great anniversary weekend in this wonderful city, happy 1 year anniversary to us!
When people in Ekat heard that it was our anniversary they decided to through a huge party for us!! Russians are so wonderful!
Ok, fine, it was actually the birthday of the city that weekend. The main street Улица Ленина (Lenin Street) was closed to traffic. There were people everyone, food stands, balloons and tons of music, both new and old.
On the bridge crossing река Исеть (Iset River), newly weds place locks with their names engraved on them.
Traditional Russian music from ethnic minorities (I think). This was great stuff! The women have jingly things sown into their clothes so their bodies become an instrument when they dance.
Does it mean that I am not cool if I think accordian is one of the best instruments ever?
And of course, no Russian city would be complete without Lenin watching over the residents.
Later on we went to a Serbian restaurant. Caitlin is preparing to devour this plate o' meat. It was a bit too much for us, but really delicious none the less.
The owner was a great guy, a Serb who has lived most of his life in Russia and who recently moved to Ekat. Yours truely with a traditional Serbian hat and jug of alchohol.
An American style mall with an interesting facade.
This church was built on the site of the execution of the last Russian Tsar and his family in 1918.
Our new friends: Olga and Stas. One of the wonderful Russian ladies (Hello Anna!) who I practiced Russian with in Newton is from Ekat originally. She was so execited to learn we would be near her birthplace and her long time friend Olga. We got in touch with them and they took us around town and out for lunch. They were wonderful hosts!
We had a great anniversary weekend in this wonderful city, happy 1 year anniversary to us!
Such an incredible trip! Thanks for posting this Jon!
ReplyDeleteI read these postings backwards, so now I'm confused about which tsar was buried under which church (or monastery). If this is Tsar Nicholas, who was the other dude in the birch forest? And why so much Lenin all over the place? I thought Lenin was in bad repute now in Russia. That seems not to be the case. (You are bringing me home a 6-foot statue of Lenin that talks Russian, aren't you? Don't forget. The traditional costumes look very much like the ones in the Ukrainian dance concerts I used to go to in Philadelphia, though not the green dresses. You and Caitlin look adorable in all the pictures of you. Please post some more Russian stuff before you leave. It's all fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThe tsar family was killed in Ekaterinburg (in the place of the church above) and then their bodies where "buried" (E.g. thrown down a well) at the place where Ganina Yama is today.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary...1 year..I forgot to send a note on your day..You both look so happy in the pictures..you're beginning to look "Russian", whatever that is!!
ReplyDeleteAunt Mary