Just got back from another trip to Moscow, which we visit several times a year
And this thought occurred
Most Muscovite's do not secretly want to be Europeans they are quite happy being Russian
Most Muscovite's are not Asian either although a large part of the country is in Asia
Moscow stands alone there is no Paris next door or Frankfurt up the road
The nearest big place is St Peters burg and that's up by the Baltic a fair distance away both in kilometers and psychologically
.
Yes Moscow is different, a big buzzy place with a tough climate
A difficult place for most as life is not easy
A fun place for some who have huge amounts of money
A changing place as attested to by the increasing number of powerful motorbikes roaring around Moscow using the city as some kind of GP circuit most summer nights
There are few speed limits and these are very casually observed
As a pedestrian do not believe that those white painted lines are going to help you much
And if it is raining then keep away from the kerb because Moscow drivers think it's some kind of sport to soak pedestrians, that is if they even notice them
What is really so different about Moscow is that it was and still is the centre of power for over seventy nationalities that make up this huge country
One sixth of the world's surface area or thereabouts even after the breakup of the USSR
This gives Moscow a feel different from most other places
Feels like the centre, a capital not just of a country more like of a continent of many countries
And for Russians this exerts a pull
.
Many Nationalities, many people drawn to it
.
Big place and this is part of the Russian psyche
.
Over ten million people live in or around Moscow
.
Moscow is growing fast in terms of new buildings, shops, offices and roads
.
Many are very big, no fear of size here it fits naturally with the feel of the country around it
.
Every Muscovite has friends or relatives who live in Siberia or other far away places
.
Often they go on holiday or visit these places, places Europeans and others have never even heard of
.
Kazan?
.
Yekaterinburg, Magadan or Samara maybe?
.
So Moscow it has its own dynamic
.
Big seasonal moods
.
Now approaching winter the last outdoor parties
.
The last trips to the dacha for many
.
For others a sigh at impending long dark nights and short days
.
Moscow has a full on night scene along with grinding lives for many
.
Travel on the metro and you see the stress of urban living etched on the faces
.
And those of the visiting village people so obviously from another world
.
Yes Moscow is different
.
And yes Muscovite Russians too are different they reckon they are the best, seeing themselves as more urbane, civilised they believe than other Russians
.
The pull of both Russia and Moscow on Russians is enormous wherever they go in the World they want to come back to visit
.
Why?
.
Because the energy in Moscow is strong, a magnet if you will which once experienced also pulls outsiders back again
.
So yes Moscow is different and has it's own feel as do the people who are generous and lively
.
And no most Muscovite's do not want to be anything else although all could wish for a nicer climate
.
Just a thought then
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