Return to the Motherland
Back to Russia after five years away
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to Russia. First, there was the pandemic. Then, I had a life-threatening illness. Next was the Special Military Operation (more on that later). In short, for the past five years it was either impossible or inadvisable to travel to Russia.
Recently, I ran into an old friend who had traveled to Russia twice in the past year. “It’s fine. Just GO,” she said. And you know what? I did. So here I am in Moscow.
For the past five years it’s felt like I was missing a limb and now that limb has suddenly re-appeared.
It’s not without confusion. Air travel has now been re-routed through Istanbul and most international flights arrive at Vnukovo, a different airport than I am used to. I didn’t rent an apartment in my usual neighborhood because, frankly, I’m a cranky lady now and wanted the comforts of a hotel. My Russian was kind of rusty and weird. Some of my friends no longer live here. This is all to say I couldn’t just slide into my old routines.
But, I had no problems whatsoever going through passport control or customs. I changed a little bit of money at the airport and bought a SIM card for my phone and a ride on the metro. And then POOF! I was off to downtown.
Like I said, I wanted some comfort. But I’m not a millionaire, so I chose what is now a mid-price option: the historic Peking Hotel. Completed in 1955 (two years after Stalin’s death) it was constructed in the “Stalinist empire” style. Originally it was supposed to be an NKVD (secret police) building, but then the Second World War happened and all work was stalled. It was eventually reconceptualized as a sort of monument to Sino-Soviet friendship, but ironically that friendship fell apart.
It’s still a grand building, although the kid sent by the bank to bring me my debit card asked if I was staying in the “Peking Hostel.” So maybe the younger generation just pays it no attention whatsoever.
My first hurdle was getting a debit card. Russia has been cut off from all the SWIFT systems but it is also VERY inconvenient to pay for everything with cash. For example, all the taxi apps are connected to bank accounts. So for the first few days of my trip I battled bureaucracy, trying to get a card as fast as possible. In the process, I walked and walked and looked and looked, almost like my eyes couldn’t see enough.
I basically just walked and walked until my legs wouldn’t take me any farther. I stopped for a beer and a salty snack: forshmak, which is a paté made from fish and lard. It felt like home.
