One Russian Tourist visiting … Russia

My holidays this time was a double-exotic journey. From cosy and stuffed Austria I went to hot and developing India via cold and diverse Russia.

Born Russian and being a Russian citizen I actually spend only 5 years of my life in Russia: every time I visit it I feel more like a tourist (which gives me an interesting perspective and still the ability to act like a native).

This slide show can give you some impressions I got from staying in Moscow for several days.

My last visit to Russia was 2 years ago. Any changes? Any new impressions? 

It feels like people have become more satisfied, more peaceful. At the same time more reserved

Putin Q&A to TIME magazine and what I like about it

 photo: TIME

Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin was chosen TIME’s 2007 Person of the Year. What a scandal! The Austrian press even forgot to write about a damage of one Alpine oil tube and ecological consequences of it while negative featuring Russian President.

I was actually going to post something about the unfair attitude to the Russians in the western media, even made up a nice title ( “Bad Russians everywhere, even in The Golden Compass Film”)… And here comes Mr. Putin, my dear President to help me out!

I really enjoyed reading his brilliant interview to the TIME magazine putting them all right, with the typical Russian directness, with dignity and self-confidence.

Alcohol and the Christians

 photo: TomLA 

“The only thing they have picked up from Christ that He went to a wedding, and created wine out of water, and distributed. Now this wine is just the juice of the grapes. It’s also called wine in the Hebrew language…

A person without a past

 

There is one very strange thing about my life that keeps repeating again and again: my past disappears till the point of destruction or dissolving and there is no way I can keep it or catch it…

In my school time I went to 3 different schools - none of them is existing any more. At all. In fact none of the places I lived as a child exist (I mean the place is there, but there is no state units like I used to live in). I can not come back to any of my schools and meet the teachers and thank them. I can not see the old walls…I am not sure that the building even exist…Thanks to Internet I have found 2-3 schoolmates, but this is almost nothing. Typical destiny of a child with the soviet military background - we just spread everywhere.

Also in my adult life many realtionships´that used to be intensive just dissolve in the air when over (for any reason like the change of place, job, family situation) - especially the ones that have not been easy.

Austria is like a painting

 photo by axinia

It is not a picture of a painting -  I took this landscape photo on one of my last walks around Vienna, the capital of Austria.

Austria has been always fascinating me with its almost unreal, picturesque beauty: the nature itself seem to be somehow surreally perfect, as if made by some Vienna Opera setup master… The only country that seem to be more beautiful and more perfect to me is the Austrian neighbour, Switzerland.

The country of Mozart and Maria-Theresa (both absolutely exceptional personalities in the human history) gives a feeling of high comfort and beauty, balance and peace. Perfection without tension. Enjoyment without excitement. Like a cosy blanket.

Just come and see for yourself!

LOVE, axinia

axinia - the name origin

 

Again and again I am being asked about my name (axinia), so I decided to write a post and let all the curious people just read that

I was lucky to be given that strange but beautiful name by my parents. Strange because it is not easy to identify the origin and meaning of it. Beautiful - because it is what everyone says However, when you know the history, it becomes very easy!

What is the true size of your country?

source: Peter Equal Area Wall Map

When I first saw this map, depicting the true sizes of the continents and countries I was astonished about the manipulative nature of the traditional map.

But the more astonishing fact is that that most popular map (named after its designer Mercator) was actually created in 1569! Centuries after centuries people (at least in the Western world) have been convinced that North America is bigger than the South, Russia is really huge and Africa is actually not that impressive.

What is your favourite season?

 photo by axinia

It is Autumn in Austria: Rain, wind, cold, little sun… How can one enjoy that?

The strange thing about me is that I enjoy every season as it comes.

Then the spring comes I think “What a lovely time!” and breath in the fresh jolly air… What can be better than that curious green and blossoming gardens?

When the summer comes - I forget the spring and bathe in the warmth of the summer nights and the joyful look of the summer smiles…

Then the autumn comes in, clad in a golden coat, it breaths its cooling and wise odour of the fallen leaves into my face… Oh, how much I love this very special feeling!

The mysterious beauty of Lithuanian language

 photo by axinia

Why mysterious? - Because almost nobody (except neighbours and experts) are aware of it. The language of a heart-shaped country… The place I was born and spent my childhood. Lithuania…

What is so special about it?

• Lithuanian (lietuvių kalba) is the closest among all European languages to the Sanskrit, or even Proto- Indo-European language. “Anyone wishing to hear how Indo-Europeans spoke should come and listen to a Lithuanian peasant.” - said a famous French linguist Antoine Meillet.

Why most of us just love the seaside?

 

photo by shashchatter

Most people I know are just crazy about the sea. The best holiday they can dream of is to go to a seaside and swim, swim, swim – to bathe in the water and in the sun… I am a bit of exception here as I am fully in love with the sky (airplanes, parachutes, paraplans, any kind of flying is what attracts me the most). 

Anyway, this mass phenomenon – love for a seaside has been always puzzling me. There must be something very special about it. Why swimming in the river/lake is not that popular? Why is this salty, vast water?..

The answer came from an unexpected side: foot soaking! To soak the feet in salty water has been known since centuries (I believe, in the Arab tradition – please correct me somebody if not). Apparently it is meant to bring some relief, especially after work). Today foot soaking is offered as one of the most natural and effective relaxation methods of wellness.