Memorials and Museums
From Russia with Love!
Greetings from Peter(no one calls in St. Petersburg)! We are now counting down from 10 days until India, and the end of almost 2/3rds of the semester. Throughout our time here, we all have had some pretty funny stories. We are also learning a lot about Russia through the movie and books that we’ve read. For example, how many of you are aware of the diversity of Russia? What if I told you that Russia as a country, has over 100 ethnicities that make up its inhabitants? I found that out when our group visited the Russian Ethnography Museum in Peter! The museum was created during Soviet times to celebrate the rich history and culture of Soviet Russia through the many people that live there. While touring the museum, we learned about Russia pre-Soviet Union, and indigenous peoples who lived in different parts of the Soviet Union such as Kazakhs and Tartars. Many of these people still reside in what is today’s Modern Russia. We also got to see a lot of the traditional garments and headdresses of the cultures. A lot of us were saddened that we only got to see a few of those cultures while at the museum (perhaps 10 out of 185+), but I hope to make a trip back there before we leave. Another highlight of the week was a solemn time for all of us. For our last day this week we visited as a group the memorial dedicated to those men and women that died during the Siege of Leningrad. I must say we were all lost for words. We felt as if this was a reminder to us to never forget our past, and to continue to try and live at peace with others.
Well, that’s all for this week! See you all next week.
Cheers,
Victoria Bills and Ana Sofia Nolfo