Ode to a Russian Seminary

Can I interest you in the first article of the trip?

"Catholicism in Russia"

St. Petersburg Math

This...
plus this...
multiplied by...
equals a wicked birthday. Good-bye Leningrad

St. Petersburg Pop Quiz

Why does Russ love the Leningrad Underground?

A) It's like going back in time. The light fixtures look like they belong in a 1957 Cadillac. The coaches look like trolleys. There are portraits of Soviet leaders.

B) Everything is in the Cyrilic alphabet.

C) It runs on a token system.

D) The trains seem to come once every 3 minutes.

E) You have to go to a window to purchase a ticket.



If you chose A, you were wrong! What did I tell you? Rule #3: Embrace Challenging. The answer is B. So there.

Moy Moy Helsingfors, Privet Leningrad

I've been spoiled. English isn't obligatory in Russian schools. Russia doesn't put English on their street signs or their underground, especially those around the train station. As much as I've fallen for St. Petersburg, Russia hasn't gone out of its way to make me more comfortable.

A word about Helsinki before I gush about St. Petersburg:

It's hard to get a feel for a city after only 4 days. Understanding a city takes time and I was only in Helsinki for two day, taking into account all the time spent in Tallinn and Suomenlinna. But I have to say the Fins seem to have it figured out. My host Jim spent a lot of time describing the idiosyncrasies of Finnish culture. It's a culture of appreciation and care. Like many European countries which have respect for the individual, Finland maintains an egalitarian system heavy on education and mandated time off. In Helsinki the trains run on time and locations, streets, methods of transport, and signs are laid out logically and clearly. Throw in the unique sense of style: simple, elegant, modern, utilitarian, and you have a very attractive and easy aesthetic. And the people couldn't be more friendly.

St. Petersburg couldn't be less user-friendly. No one seems to speak English well. There's not much English on the signs, which is fine in most European countries, except that Russia has a different alphabet. This made getting around on the underground a real experience.