My New Russian Family

I am staying with the Bolotin Family in St Petersburg. I met Vadim some years ago on the Internet and we planned to someday meet. Vadim’s wife, Olya, is a graduate computer engineer from the Technical Institute here in St. Petersburg (StP). Vadim’s daughter, Sveta is a student here in StP studying in the public relations field. The students are currently heavily involved in their examinations, so Sveta is quite busy. Sveta is incredibly fluent in English. She has an excellent command of both vocabulary and pronunciation. She has helped translate my conversations in the past. Vadim and Olya both work at a language school that was established here in StP about 25 years ago.

Vadim and Olya live in an apartment in the north end of town. It is a single room apartment about 500 sq. ft including a kitchen, like our studio apartments at home. It’s in a 12 story building on the main street. The majority of the residents in town live in high-rise apartments surrounding the center of the city. You can easily get visually lost driving around the residential area because all the residential area looks so similar for miles around the town center. Haa I bet they would say the same about our miles and miles of single story homes !

Vadim has a country house or “dasha” about 20 minutes out of town. This is also very typical in Russia, to own a dasha in the country. It provides a nice escape from the busy city. Daily we have been staying in the dasha, then come back in town to shower and prepare for the day.

The dasha is in a small city surrounded by forest north of StP. It’s a beautiful escape. It has no piped water, but nice wood stove, kitchen and large dining/living room for eating and entertaining.

I really feel blessed to have this opportunity to experience daily life in a Russian home. Although I know very little Russian, and Olya and Vadim know a bit of English, its amazing how well we communicate, laugh, look up words, and generally enjoy each others company. When Sveta left me with Olya and Vadim after picking me up at the airport, she said “Call if you have a problem”…haaaaa she was worried about our ability to communicate. It has been no problem, actually on the contrary, the communication has been an interesting, enjoyable fun challenge for us all. NOTE: (Marla, (my Russian Teacher ) I’m indebted to you for your help. Everyone has said my pronunciation is very good! And although I struggle with a lack of vocabulary, knowing the Cyrillic alphabet, and being able to pronounce Russian words correctly has been incredibly effective. With a limited vocabulary, I’m in the Russian dictionary often, but all in all communication going very well. Just wait till I get into China, that will be the challenge. haaaa

I have so many funny stories to tell about the relationships that we have developed, but no time here. One I must talk about is the man and woman’s role in the Russian home. Olya takes a pretty domestic role. I just can’t do anything without getting in trouble. Vadim kids about Olya the “Engineer cook” And I press Vadim with give her a break “Give her a holiday”…”Revolution”, like the Bolshevics I say. Vadim, with a very concerned look says “Bill NO NO Revolution.” The constant joke around here now is Engineer Cook and Revolution!

Again I’m blessed, this has been much more joy and more of an amazing experience, than I anticipated.

Yesterday, we had a party at the dasha with Vadim’s close friends and Sveta and her boy friend. What a great time. I did my first round of Vodka toasts. We toasted every ones birthday. I sipped the vodka and Vadim said NO NO NO bill, don’t sip like whisky, drink it down!!!
After a shot of vodka, comes a bite of dell pickle. Vadim takes a shot, smells the pickle and takes a bite. Boy the important things you learn in a culture

Last night I had a dinner with Vadims parents who are in their late 80’s. They were anxious to meet me as I was to meet them. This was an opportunity to meet and talk to the older Russian generation. Isaac, Vadims father fought in WW II in the Russian army as an anti aircraft gunner on the ground in Moscow. Margarita, Vadims mother, endured the siege of Stalingrad, and actually earned medals for her volunteer activities during that time.

Margarita served potatoe pancakes, a traditional dish from her home in Belarussia. Although there as an age gap, and there memories were fading, AND a language gap, we enjoyed many laughs and exchanges. This was a very special meeting. Isaac got out his coat covered with WWII medals, put it on and I took pictures with him. What a memorable experience. Just think back in the 50’s and 60’s these wonderful people were supposedly our enemies. So much for politics and power.

Be back in a few days!!