Monday morning, after staying up late, reading what my Russian friends are saying on Facebook, watching Russian TV News, perusing the Washington Post, Politico, and FoxNews, I roll out of my apartment about 9am to walk to the institute.
I'm not a worrier, at least from a global socio-political perspective---anyone who is like me who followed the events following the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s---knows that the potential of Europe to do something unimaginably inhumane every 50-60 years or so is within the realm of possibility---but I don't "get" that feeling with these events here. The news cycle on Ukraine had me slightly worried---not for personal safety, but that some sort of missive from my government---or the Russian government---might have me on a plane before I am finished here.
So I immediately notice lots of police! No cars at all on Moscovskaya. White police tape all along the thoroughfare for blocks and blocks. Hardly anyone on the street. I'm thinking....hmmm.
There are two cops, big, well dressed dudes on both sides of the street, every 20 yards. I make eye contact with probably 50 of them on my "commute". If I haven't already said this here, I basically stand out like a flashing strobelight. Only blind people do not know that I am a foreigner, if not American. These police officers do not seem to care that I am walking by, do not seem threatening in the least, nor worried about anything in particular. By the time I get to the Institute, I'm pretty relaxed, thinking this can't be related to anything geopolitical.
When I get up to the International Office, I use the opportunity to ask in terrible Russian about what might be going on....
The Para-Olympic Torch is in Saratov! It will come down Moscovskaya around noon. They've basically paralyzed downtown traffic for this. People are crabby like they would be in DC when a caravan of political bigwigs tie up traffic. Many are late for work or don't come in at all.
There you have it. We are not that different are we?
I'm not a worrier, at least from a global socio-political perspective---anyone who is like me who followed the events following the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s---knows that the potential of Europe to do something unimaginably inhumane every 50-60 years or so is within the realm of possibility---but I don't "get" that feeling with these events here. The news cycle on Ukraine had me slightly worried---not for personal safety, but that some sort of missive from my government---or the Russian government---might have me on a plane before I am finished here.
So I immediately notice lots of police! No cars at all on Moscovskaya. White police tape all along the thoroughfare for blocks and blocks. Hardly anyone on the street. I'm thinking....hmmm.
There are two cops, big, well dressed dudes on both sides of the street, every 20 yards. I make eye contact with probably 50 of them on my "commute". If I haven't already said this here, I basically stand out like a flashing strobelight. Only blind people do not know that I am a foreigner, if not American. These police officers do not seem to care that I am walking by, do not seem threatening in the least, nor worried about anything in particular. By the time I get to the Institute, I'm pretty relaxed, thinking this can't be related to anything geopolitical.
When I get up to the International Office, I use the opportunity to ask in terrible Russian about what might be going on....
The Para-Olympic Torch is in Saratov! It will come down Moscovskaya around noon. They've basically paralyzed downtown traffic for this. People are crabby like they would be in DC when a caravan of political bigwigs tie up traffic. Many are late for work or don't come in at all.
There you have it. We are not that different are we?
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