After a beautiful flight from New York where I watched the sunrise and the sunset, we arrived in Moscow on Sunday. The drive from the airport was amazing! My first glimpse of the academy was thrilling and I quickly found my room with two wonderful roommates, Chloe and Natalie. Despite our jet lag and intense fatigue, we immediately began taking classes on Monday morning. Our schedule every day was 4 hours of dance classes and 4 hours of Russian language classes. After dinner each evening, we did our homework and then had a little time to explore the city and see some of the amazing sights for which Moscow is famous!
Our first group excursion was to the Bolshoi Theatre, one of the greatest theatres in the world. It was so magical, it took my breath away!!! When I first laid eyes on it, I felt like I was in a dream. This is one of the oldest and most renowned ballet theatres in Russia and in the world. Tchaikovsky’s ballet, Swan Lake, premiered at this theatre in 1877. The Bolshoi Theatre's dramatic neoclassical architecture is well-known and the facade is even depicted on the Russian 100-ruble banknote!
The next evening we went to St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square. I’ve seen photos of this many times, but nothing could prepare me for the intense emotion I felt as I approached this incredible place. It seemed larger than life, rising up into the glorious blue sky with golden light and soft clouds like an enormous jewel gleaming in the sun. I was utterly swept up in its grandeur. I was really there, truly in Moscow, Russia, living my dream! This magical evening that we shared in Red Square was a defining moment for our entire group and we will never forget it.
Another highlight of the first week was a visit to the studio of the Artist Zurab Tsereteli, one of Russia’s most celebrated artists as a painter, sculptor, architect and the president of the Russian Academy of the Arts. First we enjoyed dinner at Tsereteli’s restaurant, then we were given a tour of his studio, and finally we painted our own canvases with Tsereteli himself!!! One of the things we saw inside Tsereteli's studio was a miniature model of a sculpture that he built and presented to the United States after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. The name of the work is To Struggle Against World Terrorism and is also known as the Tear of Grief. The actual monument is one hundred feet tall and stands on the end of a pier in Bayonne, New Jersey. A rectangular bronze block with a fissure down the middle has a teardrop suspended in the middle, remembering all those whose lives perished in 9/11. Nine pathways lead to the 11-sided granite base where the names of 9/11 victims as well as victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombings are engraved. With this sculpture he attempted to reveal the deep feelings of grief that cannot be expressed in words. His work is both loved and hated by Muscovites, but his passion to promote peace and increase tolerance are at the foundation of all of his artistic endeavors. Even though his work is passionately debated, no one can deny his vision expressing a poignant view of humanity. I feel that one of the roles of an artist is to promote discussion and debate. Tsereteli’s strong commitment to promote peace in the world is one of the things that make him such an important and interesting artist! We not only saw his different works in various mediums such as monument sculptures, mosaics, and paintings, we were given a master class in oil-painting, that he instructed personally! He was very warm and generous with his time and attention. At the end of the evening, we felt like old friends and he told us all to let him know when we get married, so he can attend our weddings!
It was such an incredible first week in Moscow, and then, it only got better! On the weekend, I met my first host family and I was folded into their loving family: Elena, my host mama, Sophie, my host sister, and their adorable kitty, Piggy. We had the most amazing pancakes and homemade yogurt for breakfast and then we walked around the Kremlin together, speaking a mix of English and Russian. They made me feel so welcome and loved and didn't mind a bit when I stopped to take multiple photos of the incredible Russian sky and all the magnificent churches. My host mama even helped me learn the words to a song I had to memorize for my Russian language class, called "Song of The Crocodile Gena". It contains the famous line "Such a pity that one's birthday only comes once a year." and is fondly referred to by Russians as "Пусть Бегут Неуклюже" (Pust Begut Neuklyuzhe). I felt like I had truly found a second family!
