‘My teenage life in Russia’
‘My teenage life in Russia’ by Kathryn Hulick (published in 2018)
1. Russia is the largest country in the world by area. It contains the world’s largest forest and deepest lake, as well as tundra, taiga, mountains and grasslands.
2. In Russian cuisine there are a lot of traditional dishes: pelmeni (it looks like Italian ravioli with meat); borscht (it’s like a meat soup with beets, carrots, and potatoes); olivier or Russian salad made of potatoes, carrots, pickled cucumbers, and green peas.
3. No matter whether a visit is planned or spontaneous, a Russian host must always offer food and drink. It’s offensive for the guest not to partake. At the very least, the guest must eat some bread, even if he or she only stopped by for a moment.
4. The prevalence of vodka has its downside. An estimated one out of five Russian men die from alcohol-related causes. The root of the alcohol issue seems to be that drinking shots of vodka or other alcoholic beverages goes hand in hand with hospitality. It’s a gesture of friendship and solidarity to drink together.
5. Russia is known for its contributions to classical music, ballet, opera and theatre. One of the world’s most beloved ballets, The Nutcracker, was first produced in Moscow for Christmas 1892. Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the music. His symphonies, the ballet Swan Lake and a set of pieces for piano titled The Seasons are his other well-known works.
6. Saint Petersburg is the cultural heart of Russia. People call it ‘Northern Venice’ because there are a lot of rivers and channels. There are a lot of museums, churches, cathedrals and historical buildings. The real beauties of St. Petersburg are Peter and Paul fortress, St Isaacs Cathedral, the Admiralty, Kazansky Cathedral, the Church of the Savoir on the Blood, Hermitage (a museum) and Peterhof Palace.
7. The dates when Russian Orthodox Church celebrate Easter and Christmas don’t match up with most of the rest of the world. Orthodox Christians celebrate the Christmas holidays on January 6 and 7. These are the original dates that the Roman Empire designated as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day way back in 325.
8. Celebrations like birthdays must fall on or after the actual date — — it’s bad luck to celebrate beforehand. Other events, such as getting a promotion at work, retiring, or even buying a new car or house, are often marked with small parties. According to superstition, failing to celebrate an event means that it will not bring success.
9. Russians consider it strange and foolish to smile at strangers. Also, they don’t smile a lot, even for photos. Despite Russian’s stony faces, they tend to dress up much more than Americans do.
10. Of all the countries in the world, Russia has the largest reserves of natural gas. The vast, frozen expanse of Siberia yields real gold as well. It remains a leader in the world gold market today. After diamonds were discovered in Siberia in the 1950s, Russia has become the world’s leading diamond producer by volume.
11. Other important industries in Russia include manufacturing of aircraft and space vehicles, defence equipment, communication equipment, agricultural machinery, medical and scientific instruments and consumer products.
12. Russian government has been asserting more control including censorship of television, the Internet and other media. The government regularly blacklists websites and has put people in prison for posting or sharing material that contradicts its views.
Further pictures from HKMOA 香港藝術館60周年展覽
