A couple of weeks ago, we went to the countryside 200 km from Moscow.
I told my wife we should leave at lunch time to escape the Moscow glue (the traffic) but needless to say, she did not arrive home till 3.00pm with her work friend. It was planned that me, my son, wife and her female friend would go together and I was not looking forward to it.
I loaded up the car like the old deaf butler, under the instruction from her ladyship and unpacked it and repacked it as my wife and her friend decided they needed to bring more things. Needless to say, by the time we hit the Moscow roads at 3.30pm, my stress levels were high.
The journey from the magnetic hold of Moscow was only 200 km, but it took us three hours to travel just 50 km. The traffic in Moscow was thick. We moved at the walking pace of an old man.
Russian drivers seemed to just accept this as normal, although I was getting increasingly tense and felt like turning back, my female passengers insisted to keep going, so I did as I was told.
Our destination was Rostov, one of the oldest towns in Russia and a town in the golden ring, which is situated on a large lake called lake Nero.
It took us six hours in total before we arrived in Rostov at 11.00pm. We took the M8, a kind of two-lane motorway from Moscow to Rostov. The road is not bad, although a few impatient Russians had crashed along the way and one truck had turned over, resulting in goods scattered all over the road. The roads off the motorway are not good and there are many large holes.
Spaso-Jakovlevskij Monastery
Rostov: one of oldest towns in Russia
We stayed at a small bed and breakfast (it has two guest rooms) which is situated next to a white church/monastery on the lake. The monastery is called Spaso-Jakovlevskij.
The accommodation was basic and provided by a nice man called Viktor (correct spelling). For breakfast, we had fresh Syrniki -- a small cake filled with a kind of sweet cheese -- cooked by his wife. They are quite nice but very fattening and very filling.
That weekend was the "Holy Trinity" and all churches had cut crass thrown on the floor and sliver birch trees inside. I asked a woman what it was and she said it was "to thank the grass". I did not ask any further questions, but it must be like our harvest festival or to thank spring, I will never know.
One thing I did not think about before going on this trip was the fact that we were going to stay on a lake. There were mosquitoes everywhere in the air. The end result: I was covered in red mosquito bites that looked like English sausage and my body looked like a road map of the Russian Urals.
The town of Rostov does not look like it has had any money spent on it since the early 1950s. The buildings are old, faded and in need of some love. There is also not much in Rostov town.
Various funny-looking people were just sitting around on the town’s main street; girls dressed in short skirts sipping beer from plastic cups, men with missing teeth, kids smoking and many homeless dogs lying in the road. I can't imagine there are many career opportunities in Rostov or much to do for the young. In many ways, it’s not unlike my own country and towns in the UK, dead, dull and hopeless.
Panorama of Moscow Country Side
We found a restaurant on the left down of the high street called Lion which serves things such as "fish from the chefs bottom", "love story" and "chicken cooked to a crisp" on the menu. (I never get bored of reading menus in English in other countries.) We went in and there were four staff smoking at the bar with the restaurant lights turned off. As we were the only customers, service was fast.
Kotroma: traditional Russian village
I highly recommend a visit to Kotroma. This is an hour drive from Rostov. It’s a nice town with a large monastery. The monastery, like so many in Russia, is almost falling down. It’s a bit sad that the government does not do anything to help preserve Russian history. Instead they spend money on weapons, on increasing their own bank accounts or for breast enlargement surgery for their mistresses.
Behind the big monastery in Kostroma is an interesting wooden village. It is a romantic representation of how a Russian village would have looked a long time ago. It’s worth a visit and very beautiful. You can walk round the entire village and go inside each house. It seems to be popular for wedding photos as I saw one or two Russian brides with heaving wobbling breasts (with each bosom covered in tantalizing gold shiny glitter). They were squeezed into tight white wedding gowns, tottering along in white high heels, to have their photos taken under birch trees with nervous large Russian men.
We looked at many monasteries along the way and in the area. Here, you have to show your entrance tickets before entering any room inside the monastery. I am not quite sure what the logic is since you can’t enter the monastery without a main entrance ticket. Most of the old female staff who guards the room looks very miserable. They were also often rude and that put me off looking at anything. Small children in these places are also frown upon.
Moscow = not Russia
I have been told many times that Moscow is not Russia, and I agree. Some may say Moscow was once the jewel in the crown of Russia, I would say now it’s like another country. All expats and visitors to Russia should get out from Moscow and see other parts, to feel the real Russia. It may be rough in parts, but it has charm, you will see beautiful green forests of silver birch (Betula) charming little wooden houses, beautifully carved wooden frames around the windows, ducks, geese, old ladies, and real cultural and historic charm. When you look at the houses, they look unchanged and as if many generations have lived in them.
Panorama of Moscow Country Side
Rostov and Kostorma are definitely worth a visit but I recommend you should only go for two days as any longer would be too long. It was so good to get out of Moscow and breathe cleaner air. If you are leaving Moscow by car, go early in the morning or late at night to avoid the nightmare traffic. Despite my fears, It was a good idea of my wife's to drive out of Moscow and I am pleased I went. The journey out of Moscow was not fun and yes, they did both boss me around (French women).
Justin M. / Expatica
The writer is a British expat who moved to Moscow in September 2009. He is married with a son who was born in Slovakia. Justin and his wife lived abroad for over six years, first moving to Slovakia and now Russia. Before they became an expat family, he was an IT manager in London. He now spends his time as a full-time stay at home dad looking after junior, writing and sightseeing.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons and Alex Grechman
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Accidental Moscow dad braves the traffic in Moscow to drive out to the countryside where he was attacked by mosquitoes, ate Syrniki and saw one too many churches.
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