Preparations...

Well, it's been two years since I set out on my first adventure overseas to Russia and one year since I returned from what I can call now my second home. At the present moment, I'm preparing again for that already familiar flight from JFK to Moscow and then "up" to St. Petersburg. This time, the trip is made possible thanks to the Fulbright grant (I need to put here that this blog has absolutely nothing to do with them and if I say something offensive, then I am solely to blame, not them). I am returning to teach English for the year at Tuvan State University in Kyzyl (Кызыл). For those not blessed with the knowledge of Russian (it's never too late), I shall guide you through the pronunciation. First off, the letters К and З are pronounced similarly to their English counterparts "K" and "Z". I trust you can roll those off of your tongue. Now we move onto the letter "Ы". This letter does not have an equivalent in the English language, but that doesn't mean we can't produce the sound. Simply sit up or stand up straight (this reminded me to do the same) and press a finger or a fist lightly into your abdomen. The resulting sound should be close enough to the "ы" that you can give yourself a pat on the back.

While we're on the topic of "ы", I must share with you an interesting fact about the name of this city. It is grammatically incorrect according to the rules of the Russian language. There is a rule concerning seven letters of the Russian alphabet. The name of this rule is the "Seven Letter Rule" (what else would it be?). Well, one of these letters is "ы" and what that means is that "ы" cannot be used right after the letter "к" along with a couple of other letters which I shan't bother you with at the present moment. Hence, the name of the city is grammatically incorrect, but that's okay. Why? Quite simple. 

It isn't a Russian city!

But it's spelled with those funky letters!

Yeah? So what! As my friend from Texas would say, "y'all kn put yer boots in thuh uhven but that don't make 'em biscuits". (I should add that my friend is literate and does not speak like this all the time. But, for authenticity, he wrote it out this way) So there you go. However, I should make a slight technical adjustment to what I wrote about it not being a Russian city. It is in fact not a русский city, but a российский city. There, now everything should make sense. Wait, not everyone reading this speaks Russian?! Well, get thee to a library! I'm just kidding (well, you should go to a library if you are able, they are wonderful places). In any case, this lays bare what I consider a deficiency in the English language (one of many, but that's a theme for another post). We use the adjective "Russian" to describe everything from vodka, dancing bears, the Moscow Kremlin, Putin, to the cold of the Siberian landscape.What what if I show you this picture:

This is a picture of the central square in Kyzyl. It doesn't look very "Russian", does it? Not what we think of at least. However, in the Russian language, you would still describe this as "Russian", but the word you would use ("российский" - rasiisskee) would distinguish itself as Russian in the sense of non-ethnic Russian, part of the country, but not of the western Russian group of people. The word to describe the "Russians" is "русский" (russkee). If you are familiar with the Russian way of writing out the Russian Federation, you may recognize the word "российский". This implies that the country consists of groups that are not ethnic Russians, but they share one language (Russian) and are united under one governing structure. The distinction is very technical, but I think it is an important distinction to make, because when we are speaking of groups such as the Tuvans (where I will be) or the Chechens, we are not speaking about Russian people, however we are speaking about those subjects of the Russian Federation who speak Russian but are not ethnic Russian. These groups of people came under the rule of the governments of Moscow and St. Petersburg over the course of the foundation and expansion of the Russian state (whether that was embodied in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, or the Russian Federation). Nowadays, many of them hold special privileges within the Russian Federation, meaning they were granted semi-autonomous rule and organized into republics. Kyzyl is the capital of the Republic of Tuva, an area along the border of Mongolia. Tuva is home to the Tuvans, a Mongolic group that is traditionally nomadic, but after the Soviets took control of the area, they were forced to settle down and organize themselves into collective farms and cities.

Today, many Tuvans may have returned to their nomadic roots, although I cannot comment on that at the present moment. Kyzyl then is a place that isn't natural to the environment of the region. The Russians founded it when they came through under the tsars (so in this case, you could make the argument that it is in fact a "Russian" city). We back track a bit from the discussion of what the Soviets did during their years in power. The tsar's explorers plowed through what is now called Siberia, running into the groups of people that called these areas home. In events all to familiar to our own natives, the Europeans took the land, killed the natives, and settled happily. I would poster though, that the Russian conquest of Siberia was much less violent and devious as the theft of native lands that occurred in the United States. This is a point I wish to research further while I am on the ground in Tuva. Anywho, the tsar's explorers arrived and over the course of time, they established a city where present-day Kyzyl stands. The city at that time though bore a different name, Белоцарск (Belotsarsk - "White Kingdom"). That remained so until the events of the revolution and proceeding civil war. With the change of power in Western Russia complete and the Soviet conquest of Siberia, the new leaders didn't care so much for a city with the word "Kingdom" or "White" in it, so they summoned up the might of Soviet creativity and changed the city's name to the Tuvan word for "red". So if you are having too much trouble pronouncing "Kyzyl", then go ahead and call it "Red". I'm worried to think that other cities suffered the same fate. In either case, it's fun to live in a city that doesn't follow a spelling rule.

I'll be spending most of my time in Kyzyl teaching English or planning my lessons. I will also of course do my best to explore the city and the surrounding countryside (and possibly even hop over to Mongolia while I'm at it). Adventures await and with their expectation comes the thought of proper preparation. As this is my second trip to Russia (and second long-term trip at that), I am approaching this round of preparations much differently. I know for example what I need to bring now, what I can ship ahead, what I may want later, what I won't need at all, and what I can get in Russia and where. I'll be packing lightly (the goal is to have one large suitcase, a largish backpack, and my computer bag). I am however in a sense moving to Russia. For me, that means that I bring parts of my life with me - souvenirs, pictures, cards, etc. Those will be numbering more than my trip two years ago. I don't plan on acquiring as many souvenirs from Russia this time around (I think I took care of that the last time). Another change will come in day-to-day supplies. Last time, I took the advice of an experienced traveler, who told me to pack only enough toothpaste and soap for a few days, that way I would have to go to the store and interact in the local environment. It was some of the best advice I'd received. Not only did it save me luggage space, but I hit the ground and started speaking Russian right away. On this trip, while I am looking forward to jumping back into Russian culture, I will be bringing with me any extra soap, shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste that I acquired over the year. This is in an effort to save money - a key component of my packing philosophy this time around. Especially after living in an apartment this past year at school, I have quite a few things (namely cooking supplies) that I am planning to bring in order to avoid having to buy them in Russia.

Another difference in my preparations this year around is my attitude to the whole process. I'm not as wide-eyed and giddy as I was before (well, okay. Maybe a little giddy). It isn't about setting off to an unknown part of the world (although I am going to a new part of Russia). The trip this year is for me a return home. It is a return to friends; friends who became family. With that, I am looking at my packing as semi-permanent. An odd sensation comes along with such decisions. I am certainly not alone in this as all of my friends from school are also making a change in address that could become permanent, at least for the time being. It is a period of change for all of us. At the same time, we have been preparing for this our whole lives. Therefore, I approach the precipice, ready to plunge into the depths of adventure and thrust my arms out to grab hold of any and all ledges.

With that, I leave you my dear readers to dream or to go off  and google Kyzyl.

Until my next post!

Yours sincerely,

Joey