Go big or go home

Last Thursday, we took an overnight train from Latvia and arrived in Moscow Friday morning.  If you’ve never taken a train anywhere, I highly recommend it.  I was surprised by how spacious and comfortable the cabins were and we got to experience first hand the Latvian and Russian countryside.  FYI, every preconception that you may have of rural Russia is probably true.  It seemed like every couple of minutes a giant Soviet era factory that has long since been abandoned appeared.  When we crossed the border into Russia, men in drab uniforms with large dogs circled the train and proceeded to carefully examine each of us with a stern and unwelcoming face.  Everything that we saw was old and dirty, and unfortunately, there were people living in what appeared to be squalor.

Despite the lack of shower and sleep, we toured Mars Candy (the makers of M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way, etc.).  It was probably the best corporate visit that I’ve had so far.  They were very prepared and had an interesting presentation on their relatively brief history in Russia.  Plus, we got a giant goodie-bag J. That night, we got to go to the Old Moscow Circus and experience clowns, Russia Style.  

Yesterday, we visited Red Square including a visit to Lenin’s tomb.  I oddly found it to be a very spiritual experience.  Most Russians (especially the older generations) still pay great respect to Lenin.  I felt very humbled that I, an American Capitalist that represents everything that Lenin fought against, was allowed to view his body and visit the country that he devoted his life and intellectual capital to.  Yesterday, we also visited the WWII museum and got to see a little bit more of the city.

Today included a church service (2 hours long, and in Russian), and then lunch with an 80-year-old minister who spent 18 years in Siberian Prison Camps during the Soviet era.  His story was unbelievable.  He should have been dead at least 5 times throughout his tenure in the prisons, but somehow he survived and continued to preach the gospel.  This too was a humbling experience.  Finally tonight, we got the go to the Moscow Ballet’s performance of “The Nutcracker”.  I think it was one of the best things I’ve done on this trip—I never thought I would be able to experience Tchaikovsky in his native country…nerdy, I know.

One of the most interesting things that I’ve noticed in Russia is how incredibly large everything is.  This can probably be traced back to the former Soviet Union’s obsession with economies of scale as well as the sheer size of the country.  I find the architecture in Moscow difficult to grasp because of its size and intricacy.  It’s amazing.

On Tuesday, we visit IKEA Russia and then fly back to Amsterdam.  Hopefully I don’t come back with a new Trondheim.