Parks, People and Churches

Faithful readers,
My apologies for not being as diligent with my updates as I had promised. I have up-loaded some pictures from Park Po'bedy -- or Victory Park. It is a really beautiful park and monument to the Great Patriotic War as WWII is known here. The park is also the customary place for newlyweds to visit. On Saturday there were a least a dozen wedding parties out at the park. There is also a very beautiful, very small church at the park, built to honor the memory of those who died in the war. The picture of me in front of this church is for all of my dear readers who believe I am holed up the States somewhere (Jayson Blair-like), making up stories and pulling pictures off the internet.

On Saturday, I also met up with a friend of mine who works at the Embassy. She took us to the Embassy and gave us a tour and showed us her apartment. The American embassy in Russia is the largest American embassy in the world. It is its own self-contained entity. It has everything, a small grocery store, lending library, dry cleaners, movie rental place, common green area, restaurant, everything. The restaurant was closed so we ate at an Azeri place close to the office of the Alfa Program - on Bolshaya Nikitskaya. My friend invited us to attend church with her at the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy, which is also not far from B. Nikitskaya. The chaplaincy does not have its own facility (it shares with St. Andrew's Church parishioners), so the services are held at 3 pm in the afternoon.
The congregation is as diverse a group of people as you could possibly meet in Moscow. Mostly white Americans from the embassy mix with students and professionals from all parts of the world, Africa, Asia. The church is very welcoming and I felt at home immediately. The church is also very active and offers a tremendous amount of services to both the native Russian and foreign student (and other) communities. I think I have found if not a spiritual home, than at least a community home.

While at church, I invited myself to attend a meeting of the Moscow Task Force on Racism. This particular meeting was held in a private home. The meeting was also very racially diverse, with at least 7 countries represented by the almost 15 people present. The goal of this task force is to twofold -- to provide support for individuals experiencing attacks and to provide record-keeping and reporting about racial violence in Russia. The meeting was both sobering and energizing, as being the presence of truth has the tendency to be.

Racism in general and racial violence in particular is a serious issue here. The issue is not limited to "black people", but effects all non-white, non-ethnic Russians and is increasing effecting Jewish people as well. A "nationalist" aka Skinhead is currently on trial for walking into a synagogue and stabbing 9 people. Some months ago, the Ghanaian ambassador to Russia was attacked and his driver seriously injured, while simply walking in a park. This is the reality of Russia today. But being involved in this group and actually doing concrete work is an excellent way to channel all the anxiety and fear I feel into something beneficial.

I will keep you posted on my civic activities -- maybe you will see me on TV :-)


Ten Things that Do Not Exist In Russia
10. Index Cards
9. Peanut Butter
8. Taxi cab drivers with change
7. Taxi cab drivers willing to wear a seatbelt
6. Open container laws -people walk around with open beer bottles all the time, it is surreal
5. Skim milk specifically, low-fat products in general
4. A black male manager of anything
3. Hot water for two weeks at a time in massive areas of Moscow
2. Elevators big enough to fit 5 people
1. My family