Adventures of a Frenchman in Russia (11 photos) Bashny.Net

Stereotype of the "mysterious Russian soul" is gone. Who is more relevant is another question: what attracts foreigners in Russia. Frenchman by birth, Olivier Renault came to our country a year ago. He leads his blog where shares with Western readers his impressions of Russia. What brought it to our country? Of course, love! At a time when the views of our fellow citizens are directed to the West, he discovers our country.



I made a leap in time, as soon as I saw all these machines that are still working and roll on Russian roads. It was a real avtomuzey! Of course, most people in Europe think that these old mashiy and trucks - proof of poverty in Russia. I saw this as the ability to resist time. These old cars live. They snore.
They produce noise. They have an oily smell - the smell of life. And this is proof that globalization can not develop in Russia at the same rate as in Europe. That's why I ended up here, where the car can have a soul, character and his story, and between machine and human relationships may exist.



Test UAZ
One friend of mine invited me to ride at UAZ model "Hunter". I was already in love with the shape of the machine with it so simple and robust appearance. For me, this car - a device created to operate even in the most unlikely circumstances. My friend started a "Russian jeep" something very vaguely reminiscent of the key, the engine roared, and we can easily overcome the steep slope. I enjoyed! I saw what this machine is capable of, I felt the spirit of Russia.
Red button
In my car, which is the norm in Europe, there is a red button. It is situated near the engine. Designers provided for stable operation of the vehicle and passenger safety. Last fall, we returned with my future wife of one Karelian village. It was nearly midnight. I was traveling at an average speed, but suddenly lit up on the panel warning "Unstable machine. Recommend staying for your safety. " And she stopped. About an hour we tried to revive our vehicle, but to no avail! The situation was really unsafe - night, around the forest, cold crept closer to the body. Imagined wolves ... We had no choice but to call my parents as my wife that they have taken from the Karelian forest. And they came at night to take us home on a rope for 4 hours at recreational step.



Only in the showroom, I learned that just something and needed - press this red button that turns off the on-board computer of my European car in the event of excessive vibration. Well vibration on Russian roads is quite stable!



These old Russian cars do not have this problem the red button. They are reliable and can be repaired using any piece of iron.
These machines are still breathe the air, which does not exist in Europe.

These machines are still breathe the air, which does not exist in Europe.

Dust
Petrozavodsk for me, a Frenchman - a large wild city.
Last summer, I had the feeling that I live like a movie »
The sun and dried up red-hot ground. Hot wind and dust flying in the air moved me to cowboy western, and more specifically, in the Eastern. After all, I was riding on my gray horse far east - Wild Wild East.

In the summer the city's streets are full of dust. This is something special!
The dust gets into everything. In your clothes, in your eyes. If your machine has been recently washed, do not worry, it will be covered with a uniform layer of dust in a few minutes. And if you ever want to ride in a car with an open top - convertible, the earth and sand is sure to become your companions.
Nothing like you will not survive in France. Only if your path does not pass through plowed fields!
And when something - intricate patterns in the sky or a beautiful tree will attract your eyes and make your eyes wide open to you immediately fly a cloud of dust and sand, raised by the overtaking vehicle.
Buses, large and small, urban residents carrying raise dust from the road, and then vanish - completely dissolve in clubs gray slurry. This movie!
The fine particles in the air around the earth. This free mobile earth puts city in clothing hunter. And I love it! This is better than in Paris. Here you can feel nature. Sand and dust make the city wild. But not only that ...



Dogs



I've never seen the city, the streets of which freely roam the dog, and even in such numbers! Nothing like I had not seen in Paris, Lille, Strasbourg, Marseille, La Rochelle, Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Munich, Hanover, Hamburg, Brussels. Wherever the work takes me. I've never seen on the streets so loose pets, as here.

One day I was surrounded by a small pack of dogs. And, after they examined me - sniffed his pockets and looked into his eyes, I have long watched them from afar. They slowly walked down the street and stared at people as if evaluated what we godimsya. They are more like the owners who control the streets, checking that everything was in order in the city or on the sacred cows of Indian invisibly protect the town. In France, I also saw the cows in the streets, accompanied by large sad eyes of passers-by. But it was in the village!

If you go to the dogs in the streets of the city of Petrozavodsk, I personally did not notice that someone called the police shouting: "Save the dogs! "And ran away because of a possible attack ... Especially since I have not seen the aggressive behavior of citizens directed against these animals. Quite the contrary! I often see people feed them and even talk to them, inviting walk to the nearest meat and sausage stall. This behavior speaks volumes. Dogs - this part of the city, town, consisting of dust.





Children



Almost every day of our kitchen window, I see children running and jumping in the garage.
I noticed this in other areas of the city. And none of the adults does not forbid children to play on the roof of the garage, no one calls the police. Children are free!
I just had to look at the faces of the boys and sometimes girls. I did not see fear. They smile, they are happy. Faces of the children that no one bothers to play wherever they want. They have the opportunity to learn to live and feel free. Find your character. Of course, I understand that these games are not always safe, but they are not prohibited! And, in my opinion, it is much more important and more natural for a child - to play freely in the street, in the yard, than be in a safe, but non-free situation. For example, in Germany, even the natural expression of emotions - laughter or crying - can cause a passerby to call the police. That is, if you happen to notice a sign in the yard, "Children do not play! »



The dust on the road, walking the streets of dogs, children playing in the yard - these signs of life in the city is almost non-existent in France. I'm not talking about Germany, where a stray dog ​​to be shot, as it defaults dangerous. There is as dangerous to the life of the child. As a result, children are not allowed to play freely in the street, the right to be themselves, to grow free.
What I see here in Petrozavodsk, Karelia, gives me a sense of freedom.
Of course, this is only a small part of the vast country, but I hope this is the general spirit of Russia.



Our first encounter with the "normal" occurred when the plane on which I flew in from Europe, landed at Moscow airport, and touched my luggage Russian land. I took a taxi and asked the driver: "How's life in the big city? "The answer was only one word -" normally ". In the surprise of such brevity I calmed down in the back seat.
Peering into zipping taxi outside the city, I thought it was still in Moscow okay?
Outside the window there were people hurrying through the streets, the people standing at bus stops, departing from bus stops, large and small trucks, police driving, traffic jams, shops, supermarkets, banks, high buildings and a lot of advertising ... Everything in the big city. Ok!
Then I thought that the taxi driver tired of answering the same question to all passengers, and abandoned me "normal" - an exception to the rule. After all, I addressed a similar issue to the driver of a taxi in Paris, I would be guaranteed news of the town, the history of his personal life, tales, and for dessert, a favorite dish - a political discussion. Anything, anything but "normal", I assure you!
But my surprise only grows when I began to hear this expression throughout with obsessive regularity. If I was interested in his new acquaintances: "How are you? "Then, of course, all of them were" normal. " Not otherwise!
What does this mean? What does it mean to be normal, feel normal? Is it good or not? I doubt gnawed ... After all, for me, this phrase means nothing and explains nothing. We're all normal people in a certain sense. And only our doubts, feelings, thoughts, expectations do have individual!
So when I came across another "normal", not to get more information, I tried to assess the situation. I looked at the man from head to toe, making sure it is. Yes ... People looked quite familiar - one head, two arms, as expected (even the one hand I was shaking at the meeting), the trunk - and all of this quite so "normal" is based on two legs and feet ends. I arranged this way. It seems that Russian "normal" means when all parts of the body in place, and bad whether well, but they work.
But here I was wrong! People forced to move in wheelchairs or injured, they say the same thing! Maybe it's just meant to be alive? This is for the Russian norm? I do not hear complaints here. And remember what they say about Russian in Europe - they are strong and able to endure hardship. Russian history is full of examples. The most vivid proof - the resistance of the inhabitants of the siege of Leningrad during World War II.

And when there is something unexpected - pleasant or not - speak Russian "normal." So say all. Men and women. Children who barely learned how to pronounce the letter "r" answer - "drug-rr-formal." Ten year old son of my friend asked, "How are you doing in school? "Without thinking, says that" everything is fine "! At the same time on his face shining smile.
I often hear the phrase that almost believed - Russian nothing can be deduced from this "normovesiya." Dropped the cup, stepped in a puddle, the car will not start, missed the train, stole a bag, spring snow (!) - "OK! ". On the day when the spring (as I think!) The air again whirled snow flakes, and the temperature was close to the mark of minus 10, I noticed on one of the central streets of the girl in one easy pullover with an open throat. I approached her and asked, "Can I talk to you? You cold? "-" Okay, - she assured me. - I am from Murmansk, and the weather as spring for me. " She smiled, as if around the beautiful flowers blossomed under the rays of the hot sun ... somewhere in Normandy.
As a result of my observations and thoughts, I decided that the Russian did not complain or do so very rarely as a result of the rich historical past shocks. Revolution and war builds character and learn to appreciate life itself. But now I think - it's not just that. Russian character took place primarily due to strong Orthodox tradition. "Do not show the form, if you are happy and satisfied with life. And vice versa - no one complain when you are very bad. " This humility and resignation. This is how Jesus Christ carrying his cross. And we all have our cross, and that's okay! It seems that Russian understanding of the word "normal" is very deep roots.

Blog Frenchman