The Fine Details of Russian Timepiece Craftsmanship.
Dateline: Thursday, April 3rd
Lucerne, Switzerland
I’d like to take the time to write a bit as to my observations of Russia during our limited stay.
I’m not sure what I expected, but I do know that the experience was different. I suppose my preconceptions were largely crafted from films, TV shows, and books, not to mention numerous history and social studies classes. They all painted images of ominous buildings, streets with only the occasional and invariably Russian-made car, suspicious glances, spies slinking about cloaked in overcoats and comrades standing in long lines to buy really wide shoes.
What I did find was a city (Moscow) far larger than I expected, with a population of around 14 million, not counting the suburbs. Contrary to the lack of cars under communist rule, this place now has by far the worst traffic I’ve ever seen, and the vast majority of cars are imports.
Something I definitely didn’t expect was the huge influx of very high-end goods. Vacheron Constantin and Breguet have their own stores. One of the old and ornate buildings (which I was told used to be a grainery) adjacent to Red Square has been transformed into a glass-ceilinged, high-end mall that rivals any that I’ve seen anywhere. The Lamborghini and Bentley dealerships are thriving, and there is a waiting list for some of the Porsches. Basically, any ultra-luxury brand you can think of likely has a very opulent retail presence here.
The dress here is far from drab. Both men and women dress in very vibrant and colorful clothing, especially the women. Some nightclubs and restaurants, including the finer ones, are open 24 hours a day to cope with demand.
Not that there aren’t definite remnants of the old days. For example, I had looked forward to the possibility of doing some night-time photography in Red Square, which I had been told would be no problem. As night fell, I was told that it would still be ok, but that I could not use a tripod. To do so would “bring the KGB”, which I was informed was not a good thing. I also could not use the tripod while photographing the very ornate subways. Apparently, there are only a very few spots in the city that the authorities have deemed OK for tripod use – one of which Craig Hester and I used to film views of the Kremlin. It’s a spot approved for use by international television reporters’ newscast.
Every time I was driven by the infamous KGB building, I noticed that the occupants in the vehicles spoke very little. One of my companions told me that “they still scare people”. Technically, I should be referring to the “former KGB,” but I found it interesting that the locals still use the original term much more so than the new moniker.
The highlight of the trip was definitely getting onto an active military base about an hour’s drive outside of Moscow to visit with the SWIFTS, which are the Russian equivalent to the United States’ Blue Angels or Thunderbirds. I can’t get into the particulars of how this all came about - suffice to say it was an adventure unto itself.
This base is literally a product of the cold war, and much of the ominous imagery you might recall from films depicting a Soviet base was in fact present, ranging from camouflaged pillboxes to barricades to bunkers.
We were advised “not to speak English and to remain quiet.” In fact, the taped interview with the SWIFTS was one of the few times any of us spoke above a whisper. Not only was the photography restricted as to area, but also as to lens direction, and at one point, I was encouraged to put away my personal rig due to “KGB agent now coming.”
I was school-age during the cold war so had been steeped in. The experience of being a US citizen walking through a former Soviet and still-active military air base was a rather emotional and highly impactful event, and one that I feel privileged to have been a part of.
One stereotype that does seem to have some basis is vodka usage, or as the natives prefer to say, “wodka.” It was not uncommon to be offered the first shot before noon, and outside of breakfast, it was a staple at every meal I attended. It’s not like Russians are spending their days and nights constantly drunk – indeed, they are not - but there is no question that a shot of vodka is woven into the social fabric.
After our first night, I was let in on the secret that you just sip from the shot glass after every toast (there are numerous), as any empty glass is to be immediately refilled. Here the term “breaking bread” can be quite literal, where a loaf is passed about and you tear off a chunk for yourself. One such occasion was when our caravan pulled to the side of the road in a small village near the active military base that we had just “visited.” A loaf of bread was handed about, to be combined with cold cuts and cheese, along with wodka mixed with apple juice “for to add shine to cheeks”.
If I could give three pieces of advice to anyone considering a visit, it would be the following:
1. Moscow is not for the amateur traveler. The city is a vast labyrinth of very crowded streets, and everything is seemingly a great distance away. English is very rarely spoken here. I’ve personally traveled in over 40 countries and would have been horribly lost were it not for the generosity of our gracious hosts. Russia is definitely an experience well worth having, but you absolutely want to have local guidance.
2. Bring rubles, and lots of them. Moscow is the most expensive city in the world. Credit cards are rarely accepted outside of some of the higher-end stores. Even our hotel did not take plastic.
3. Russia is indeed a land of diverse peoples and experiences. My short visit has given me some wonderful memories and fodder for stories for some time to come. Should the opportunity to visit present itself, you should absolutely take it, and I’ll raise a glass of wodka to that.
Stay tuned for more updates – straight from our Basel Tour.
- Tim Temple
