Yaroslavl

Greetings!

This week is IA's spring break, and we are actually having spring-like weather.  Things have been very sunny and the temperatures have been creeping upwards, even if we are still waiting for the return of leaves and grass. The time off has given us a chance to relax, catch up on a few things, and also to take a short trip.

We spent two days (plus another 24 hours for travel) in the city of Yaroslavl. We were hoping to be able to travel somewhere over spring break, as we continue to try to see as much of this part of the world as we can while we are here and blessed with money from outside tutoring to let us travel, and I in particular wanted to see more of Russia. While St. Petersburg is of course part of Russia, it also lies on the very western edge of the largest country on earth, so I feel like we only get to experience a small slice of this vast country. St. Petersburg is also, by Russian standards, a very young city (founded in 1703), so we set off to a city that was founded in 1010 A.D.

Yaroslavl is about 750 kilometers from St. Petersburg, and is located to the north-east of Moscow.  By train it took a little over 12 hours to get there.  We left from Petersburg in the evening on Monday and arrived a little before 7 a.m. on Tuesday.  We had some unplanned excitement when we were unable to find our hotel.  We had bought a map of the city, but when we found the street our hotel was on, the building right next to the number after our hotel was abandoned.  We asked a person on the street where our address was and he was unable to help us.  We ended up walking to a nearby hotel that we had seen before and asked if they had any rooms available.  We were able to make a reservation there, but could not check in for another six hours. Later that day, a mere 15 minutes before we could check in at our new hotel, we stumbled upon the place where we had made a reservation.  It turned out that the street it was located on ended at one place, but continued, partway down another street.  This was not indicated on the map we had or in the guidebook we had bought.  At this point we were very tired and didn't feel like trying to go back to our new hotel cancel our reservation there and take our bags from there back to our original hotel, so we decided to cut our losses and just go to new hotel.  The hotel ended up being very nice and the staff was extremely helpful, so we didn't regret it.  It was a bit frustrating to have spent half a day waiting to be able to check in and take a shower and thinking that our hotel didn't exist only to find it at a very inconvenient time.  Apart from feeling a bit frustrated and a little stupid, we had a wonderful time exploring the sites of Yaroslavl.

Since we went at a time when not many tourists visit, there was not as much open.  The old churches in the city are the main sites to see, but many of the ones with famous interiors are closed until the start of the summer season.  Unfortunately, this meant that we were unable to go inside some of the best known churches (including the church of Elijah the Prophet, which is famous for its frescoes). However, we were still able to appreciate the many examples of 17th century architecture found in the city.  Yaroslavl is part of the Golden Ring, a series of historic cities to the north-east of Moscow that represented important principalities and centers of trade from the 11th through 17th centuries.  Yaroslavl was once the second largest city in Russia in the 1600s and an important trading center before the rise of St. Petersburg.  It was also an important center of activity during the Time of Troubles, a period of political, social, and economic turmoil from the late 1500s to 1613 that witnessed coups, civil war, and foreign invasion before the establishment of the Romanov dynasty. The city today has a population of around 600,000, which pales in comparison to Moscow and St. Petersburg, but still makes it an important regional center.

Yaroslavl is also located alongside the Volga River, which has played an important historic role in Russia and continues to be a key waterway.  I had wanted to see the Volga for some time, so finally being able to see a small part of Europe's longest river was an enjoyable experience for me. Most of the main churches were located close to each other and along side the river, so we were able to walk almost everywhere.

It is always fun to get outside of St. Petersburg, and especially interesting to be able to experience other parts of the Russia.  We were happy to be able to spend a few days in Yaroslavl.  Here are some photos that document the main sites that we took in during our stay:

The hotel we actually ended up staying at. It was located right in the center of town and had a fun, Russian folk/fairy-tale theme to it.

One of the old towers/gates located in the center of the city.  Like most of the main historic buildings, it dates from the 17th century (although it has undergone various restorations through the years), when the city was at its peak in many ways.

The Volkov Theater.  The Volkov was the first theater in Russia, opening in 1750.  While the current building dates to the beginning of the last century, Yaroslavl is considered to be the birthplace of Russian theater and has continued to maintain a certain level of cultural influence.

A monument to Dmitri Pozharsky, a prince from the Time of Troubles who was one of the main leaders of a people's army that worked to drive out the invading Poles and Swedes who were taking advantage of a period of chaos in Muscovite Russia.

The belfry inside of the Spaso-Preobrazhenskie Monastery, located in the center of the old part of the city alongside the river.

A statue of Yaroslav the Wise, grand prince of Kievan Rus (the earliest Russian state). Yaroslav was the founder of the city and Kievan Rus is considered to have reached its height during the time of his reign.

A monument to Our Lady of Kazan, a famous icon that was invoked as the protector of Russia during the Time of Troubles. This shrine (along with other scenes from Yaroslavl) is included on the 1000 ruble note.

I'll be honest.  There are about 100 churches in Yaroslavl that look just like this one, so telling them apart can be a bit difficult for visitors like us.  This is the Spas na Gorodu church, which is next to another church of very similar appearance.

This statue of a bear was in front of our hotel.  According to legend, Yaroslav the Wise killed the scared bear of the local pagans with an axe.  A bear carrying an ax is the symbol of the city.

The Church of Elijah the Prophet.  Arguably the most famous of Yaroslavl's churches and another example of 17th century architectural treasures in the city.

Elijah the Prophet from a different side.

The Assumption Cathedral.  This church was destroyed during Soviet times and rebuilt in 2005.

The front of the Assumption Cathedral.

Amanda with the Volga and Kotorosl rivers meeting in the background.

A park at the spit of the old part of the city.  You can see the seal of the city, featuring the bear and the ax.

The Church of Elijah the Prophet, lit up at night.

The Bogoyavlenie Church, located next to the Spaso-Preobrazhenskie Monastery.

The St. John Chrysostom Church. This church was easily visible from the other side of the river, but difficult to find once we started walking towards it.  It took us about an hour of walking around muddy roads and decaying wooden huts to finally locate it.  Like many of the churches, it is in a state of disrepair and currently closed.  However, the beauty of the church is still evident.

The Assumption Cathedral and park, as seen from the other side of the Kotorosl River.

Me putting my hand in the Volga.

Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, is from Yaroslavl.  A museum dedicated to her and to Russian space exploration is located in the city.  In front of the museum is an interesting model of the solar system laid out in stone.

Part of another beautiful church that has fallen into disrepair.

We found this metal carriage in front of two small churches.

On our last night we went to a fun restaurant with a Ukrainian peasant theme.

It's always good to be back home, but we were happy for the chance to enjoy a few days outside of St. Petersburg.  Thanks for reading!

-Matt

Busy!

Things have been more busy for us the past few weeks but it's all been really enjoyable for us. 

One of my family's friends has a son who was doing a Flat Stanley project so we took Stanley to the Sochi Olympics clock by the Kazan Cathedral. Also happened to be on Women's Day, one of my favorite Russian holidays. 

Of course we celebrated Pi Day again this year with various Olympic themed activities. The teams were named after countries, such as PIkistan, PIerland, and the PIvory Coast. Above we have building the tallest tower.

Building the track

The whole event was ended with singing the various national anthems that the teams composed. The above team had a very impressive anthem with several verses set to Amazing Grace. 

Later that day we had Fridays @ 5 (youth group). Myself and Natalie had volunteered to take the JR High to their location which was quite the feat. They're a fun group but very high energy! There was a visiting college mission team that led the session. 

After school that same day, Matthew went to the 5th grade class' sleepover. My friend Sveta had a sleepover for one of her students that was moving and Matthew had been asked to be the male sponsor and to share. He talked about how there are things we know that God wants done in the world and how sometimes we just need to step out and do those things in faith that God will provide a way. He also talked about how he and I are leaving this year and it was very touching. Sadly, I don't have pictures since I joined them after youth group.They were a fun group of kids and they performed the skit they were putting on for Matthew and I. One exciting thing that happened was after Matthew and I had gone to sleep. We were in one of the brothers' bedrooms and the other brother ran in and jumped on us thinking we were his sibling! He certainly seemed surprised! 

This past week was the last basketball game for our one senior guy so we went to see them play. It was a great game to watch, not only because we won but because the team played very well. 

Number 2 is our graduating senior and he has been with the team for a long time since he first played in elementary school! This year he also worked with our junior high team. 

The very next day was the opening game for our girls' basketball team! This was something one of our sophomore girls (Number 7, below) had been hoping to organize for a long time. She's practiced with the guys' team consistently the past few years and this year there was finally enough interest to get a team together! 

Our girls paired up with the Anglo American school that is here in St Petersburg (they are the Panthers; hence the name on the jerseys). They've been practicing for the past few months and this past week was their first game. 

It was really exciting to watch and our girls played very well, with a final score of 21-22. 

The whole team! 

Also this past week I journeyed to our location for senior banquet this year with a student to check everything out. Matthew and I have been put in charge of it this year and I am very pleased with what we have found and arranged so far. Should be a lot of fun! 

Our spring break is this week and it has already started eventfully as Friday I went to a birthday dinner for my friend Sveta and yesterday we watched Attack of the Killer Tomatoes with a family from our mission organization.

On the elementary floor there was quite the bustle of activity two weeks ago! The halls were decorated with various illustrations and covers from Dr. Seuss books in time for his 100th birthday. This impressive feat was done by our chaplain (very multi-talented!).

This week we will be heading out to Yaroslavl, a city on the Golden Ring around Moscow. We were excited to be able to travel a little more within Russia before heading back this summer! So there will be a post about that forthcoming as well. 

Prayers:

• Matthew is now looking at where to accept out of the schools that have made offers (located in the Midwest and East Coast). We both have one we are leaning toward but pray that there will be clarity and peace of mind in making that decision. 
• As the end of the year draws closer we are working on plans for our departure from St Petersburg and arrival in the US. Some things have come together nicely while others have not. Pray that we will be able to make all the necessary arrangements without hassle. 

March Musings

Ok, there really aren't any musings in this post, I was just trying to think of a title that wasn't "a bunch of stuff that happened over the past three weeks."  However, that would be closer to the purpose of this post:-) Life has been continuing on here in Russia, and we have actually had quite a bit going on over the course of the past few weeks.

At the end of February we had a teachers' retreat/training time here in St. Petersburg.  The school rented space in a nice hotel downtown and invited a professor of education from Spring Arbor University (a Christian college in Michigan) to lead the sessions and activities.  We both felt that it was a worthwhile experience, and especially enjoyed the time we were able to have with our fellow teachers.  We don't get enough opportunities to talk about what has been going on in our classes and what sorts of ideas, problems, successes, etc. we have been experiencing.  It was also a good time for reflection and for planning, especially as IA continues to work on formulating ideas about our vision for education as part of the accreditation process we have been working on.

Little by little, things continue to fall into place as we think about our plans for life after Russia. We are continuing to find out admissions decisions from the universities that I applied to for graduate study this past fall.  So far I have been accepted into three history Ph.D. programs, am on the waiting list at a fourth univeristy, have also been accepted to a master's program, and am still waiting to hear the decision from two more places.  Please continue to pray for wisdom and direction as we make important decisions in the coming weeks.  Pray also for Amanda as she will begin looking for teaching positions once we have made a decision about where we will be heading.  All of this is exciting and also a bit scary, so we greatly appreciate your prayers for us.

This quarter has given us more opportunities to be involved in serving outside of the classroom as well. We have continued to be involved in the youth group at IA this quarter as well, and we had another good meeting a couple of weeks ago.  This coming weekend Amanda and I will be helping out with a sleepover for the 5th grade class (taught by our friend Sveta) as well.  We feel very blessed to have so many opportunities to help out, share with others, and serve the community that IA is a part of.

Last Sunday we spent some time with friends enjoying the final day of Maslenitsa, the Russian observance of Shrovetide and the holiday that is meant to mark the end of winter. The roots of the holiday go back to before Christianity's arrival in Russia, and while the holiday is technically supposed to be part of the lead up to lent for the Orthodox Church, it still carries much of its ancient pre-Christian Slavic origins. You can read a good description of the holiday from Russia Behind the Headlines (which, by the way, is probably one of the best English language websites about Russia you can find). For us, Maslenitsa meant going to the park where IA usually goes for field day and enjoying folk music, trick horseback riding, tasty food, and watching people light scarecrows on fire.  The scarecrow is supposed to be a symbol of winter, so lighting it on fire is the symbolic end of winter and marks the coming of Spring.  The culmination of the day's festivities was when everyone gathered around the big main scarecrow and watched it burn as fireworks accompanied it.

This past Friday we had the day off in honor of Women's Day (which was actually Saturday), and on that day we had the IA talent show.  Student council organized the talent show, and since I am the faculty adviser to the student council this year it meant that I had to be available throughout the day to help with things related to the performance.  The show was held at Saint Petersburg Christian University, and the students did an excellent job of organizing and planning the evening.  They  have done a great job this year of making my role very easy! We had a dozen acts that included comedy dancing, original music, singing, choreography, and some special performances from teachers and other staff members. The students who performed all did a great job, and the audience was pleased with the show.

Our spring break is coming up in just a few weeks, which means that we are now scrambling to get everything done before the end of the quarter.  Our school's search for a new building for the coming year is underway as well, and we ask that you continue to make this a matter of prayer. We don't have much time to find a place for next year, but we have seen God provide time and again for us and for IA during our four years in St. Petersburg, and we are confident that He will do so yet again.

Here are some photos that catalog some of the recent goings on mentioned above.  Enjoy!

Two weeks ago we went to a free exhibition on the history of the Romanov dynasty that is touring Russia. It is an enormous display of images, maps, multi-media stations, and short films that chronicles the rulers of Russia and the development of the country from the late 1500s to the 1917 revolution. The exhibition is sponsored by the Orthodox Church and certainly reflected its perspective on the events being displayed. It was still a fascinating and impressive way to get a panoramic view of major developments in Russian history.

Me by the main entrance to the exhibition.

Amanda and I with one of the many smaller scarecrows at the Maslenitsa celebration.

A young girl performs tricks while riding a horse during Maslenitsa.

There were many vendors selling little scarecrows as well, which people bought and set on fire. We bought one, but opted to keep it as a souvenir.  I guess that means that winter will be living on in our apartment.

The main scarecrow!

You can practically sense the cold of winter being driven away as the flames rise higher.

And the entire scarecrow is now alight! I'm not sure how this makes one think of Lent, but it was a fun experience.

An elementary school student who performed at the talent show.  She was actually the overall winner of the contest, performing an excellent rendition of a ragtime piece on piano.

Some of the high school guys formed a band and wrote a song.  They performed it at the talent show, with a little help from our basketball coach. They took second place in the contest.

Our third place winner was a high school student who has a wonderful voice.  We had never heard her sing before and were very impressed!

All of the performing acts, gathered together on stage at the end of the show.

After the show there was a special performance from two of the teachers, a teacher's aid, and one of the high school students. They performed an "impromptu" rap to close out the night.

Thanks as always for reading!

-Matt