July
2002
Just as the IFHE Council Meetings
in 
The
“Outreach to Central and Eastern European Countries” Programme Committee organized
it and it was led by committee member, Margaretha Sjoegren of
Chapter One: Transitions
On Wednesday evening, July 24, the closing day of the Council
Meeting a bus began its rounds to the many hotels in central
Arrival in
Forty two of us deplaned and entered the immigration and customs process, but only forty came out the other end! This was our first encounter with the Russian bureaucracy. No, this was really our second encounter, as many of us despaired of ever having the right information for our visa applications. But with the diligence of Margaretha in providing detailed lists and signatures, we all did access visas. Now what was happening? Well, all of us on the inside had no idea of what was happening on the other side of the immigration barrier. We only knew that two of our group was having trouble with their entry papers…. trouble that couldn’t be solved with a friendly smile and fast talk. We learned about the overnight stay on wooden benches that Ron and Ruth Gibbons enjoyed only much later when they rejoined the group at lunch the next day, 100 miles away!
The first duty of a tour guide is “not to lose anyone”. But
we had lost two, temporarily, we hoped. Now it was really dusk, our stomachs
were growling and a light rain had begun to fall. Our guides hustled the forty of us into our
bus and encouraged us to relax. We would stop in about two hours for a rest
stop and share the picnic supper that our Russian colleagues had assembled
for us. We obediently selected seats, stretched out and many fell asleep.
Three hours later we still were not at the half way rest stop, although the
long summer night was still aglow with light. The bus seemed to be traveling
at a snail’s pace. The heavy truck traffic, constant rain and pot holed two-lane
road made speed a luxury. We were told
that this highway was the major route to 
We finally arrived at a fairly large well-used truck stop.
A small building on the side of the parking area was brightly lit. It turned
out to be the toilet facility…two stalls on each side of a central counter
staffed by a pretty matronly woman; turn right if male, left if female. We
lined up making a long, snaking corridor into the parking lot. When one of
our members arrived at the head of line, the attendant ‘s eyes widened and
she peered excitedly in amazement…. Miss Marple! 
All within hearing distance smiled and shook our heads in agreement –yes,
our own Alberta Hill did look a lot like the female detective of Agatha Christie
fame. From then on, our adventure in Russia took on new proportions…. we were
on a quest to see if our very own Miss Marple could solve the mystery and
find home economics in Russia!!!! And so begins our four-day mystery tour….
“What is this, CABBAGE? “ “My first taste of food in
Finally, around
Chapter Two: Institutional Visits Number One
Morning arrives…our first full day in
The bus pulls into a well-established institution
with apple trees and numerous shrubs lining the roads. The large three-story
stucco faced building is our destination. It is both impressive and intimidating,
as only Russian architecture can be. Those of us interested in the Institution
alight from the bus and the others move on. We walk up the stairs and into
a very large but empty lobby, proceed up another flight of stairs and walk
down a long corridor to a classroom. A number of local hosts smile and motion
us into the room. We spread out into row after row of three sets of long desks
with benches—a flexible seating arrangement that can accommodate more or less
students depending on need. A podium is placed in the front and an overhead
projector is set-up ready for use. 
Mr. Migounovc Valdimir moves to the podium and greets us in English. He is
the head of the Department of Pedagogics of Technologies and Crafts, and obvious
leader among the others in the room. He is a most pleasant and hospitable
host, and although his English is very good, he chooses to speak in Russian
and have his comments translated. So Marina Potapova serves as translator.
She is the primary staff member for the Russian-Swedish Project, and our organizational
host for the day. His presentation provides a brief history and context to
the changes transforming his department. He shares the institutional structure
and organizational context of the department and how they work with pre-service
and in-service teachers. Then one of the other faculty members gets up and
continues to share information about their work, especially the crafts, such
as woodworking and stitching, that students are expected to become skillful
in. But the more we hear, the more we wonder, is this Home Economics? This
department is obviously responsible for the entire teacher-training curriculum.
We ask questions such as, “Is the training in crafts in the schools expected
to be used just for family enhancement or for employability"? The answer
is, “both”. We wonder at this response and most of us think
of the earlier days in our own countries when such skills were taught to help
students deal with the requirements of adult life. But today in our countries,
such skills are only useful as hobbies—or if combined with business training,
a potential home business enterprise. Later, in
We take a short break, browsing the materials set out on a table illustrating typical student projects. As is true of education in many parts of the world, this institute is encouraging “projects” or active learning exercises to engage students in the subject matter. The room is beginning to feel rather hot and a workman is invited-in to open some of the large windows lining the length of the room. The breeze is a welcome relief.
After our short break, a young woman is asked to come to
the podium. She has been sitting with us, among a group of teachers. She is
shy but well prepared. She speaks in English with assistance from 
Miss Yanina Patturi, is the “teacher of housekeeping economy” in the Institute
of Economy and Management at Novgorod State and teaches what we would call
“Family Resource Management”—household budgeting and financial management.
Literally translated, Home Economics is Household Economics and only Household
Economics! None of the other subjects that we would associate
with secondary Home Economics are taught, except for crafts.
Miss Patturi indicates that she just graduated and started
teaching at the Institute this past year, taking over from a retiring teacher
who also taught this subject matter. The older teacher is in the back of the
room and receives our applause and recognition. The group shares information
about family resource management curriculum and experiences from their own
countries, and Miss Patturi asks us to send her any textbooks or resource
materials that we might have. She is most interested in expanding the range
of projects that her students undertake in her classes. This subject matter
is of special interest to the school systems as the economic transitions within
the country have left many families at-risk. And the newer financial tools
that we enjoy (mortgages, credit cards, insurance policies, investments) are
not yet widely available.
Our time is almost up, but Mr. Valdimir asks that we view some of the crafts projects that are displayed in another classroom down the hall. Most everyone visits the crafts display. We are impressed with the wide range of items and very surprised to be asked to take an item of our choosing as a souvenir of our visit! My small wooden box, turned on a routing machine is in the shape of a Russian dome. It sits proudly on my dining room table, and is shown here along with two puppets purchased at a street market.
We slowly start returning to the building entrance, shaking
hands and thanking our guests before we go. Both Mr. Valdimir and Miss Patturi
accompany us to the bus and warmly wish us farewell. They invite any of us
who can, to return to 
Chapter Three: Lunch and Institutional Visit Two
We load the bus, mingling with the others who visited the
artist and hear of their adventures of wine and vodka smoozing. The bus only
travels a short distance across town and stops at a low building that looks
like a business establishment. As we unload, we note that a few extra people
have joined us—people carrying instrument cases! As we settle into places set around numerous
tables in a large dining room, the “extra people” become known. They are two
young students and a matronly teacher who entertained the group at the artist’s
home and now are planning to entertain us at lunch! As we begin to serve the family-style cabbage
and beet soup that is brought to our tables, the entertainment begins. 1950’s-70’s western style music is played by
the female pianist and sung by the teacher! This set is followed by saxophone
melodies played by the male student and proudly supervised by the teacher. What a strange group? But we all take them in
stride, applaud their shaky renditions and encourage them with clapping and
singing. Our Asian colleagues even
invite them over to their table for group photos! We all open our purses to
find a tip to collect for their efforts.
In the meantime we ponder, is this sumptuous setting of cold meats, relishes, salads, bread and pastries, plus the soup, the entire meal? Just how much should we eat? We all sort of remember similar situations where we chow-down on the first course only to realize that many more courses follow! But we talk about that possibility and decide that since the dessert is on the table, this must be it. So we do chow-down and clean the serving dishes clean. Just as we finish second helpings, the door to the kitchen opens and a group of servers begin bringing large platters of roast pork, boiled potatoes and cooked vegetables to the various tables! We were wrong! But we dutifully stuff ourselves and wash down our indulgence with steaming hot tea. A wonderful meal!
As we are finishing our tea and pastries, our guides announce that our afternoon program needs to begin immediately in a room just down the hall. Families have traveled great distances to be here to meet us, so we must begin.
As Margaretha and Marina begin to explain, this is our opportunity
to learn about the Russian-Swedish Home Economics Project that brought us
to Norgorod in the first place. Dr. Anna Kozina is with us, the Director of
this Institute of Agriculture which is a public-private educational outreach
unit that receives government grants for educational initiatives, but relies
on it’s own income sources—the major ones being class fees and the restaurant
that we just patronized! Margaretha
can provide a great deal more information about the project than we can here…but
we will highlight aspects. The Swedish government funded the project in the
mid 1990’s under the auspices of funding reserved for small home business
development. The concept that seemed appropriate for the rural families of
A
third family was present, but their story was different. The mother of the
two young teen girls present explained how she used her training to start
various youth classes for her daughters and their friends after school and
in the summers. The youth constructed craft items, learned to can and preserve
fruits and vegetables, developed various horticulture projects and had fun
being kids! Some of us familiar with
4-H noted that this women was a one-woman 4-H program—volunteer and program
leader all in one! We were proud of the people that shared with us. They had
confidence, optimism and firm business plans—an outcome of the outstanding
home economics extension that was emanating from the project.
As we left the Institute, much later than anticipated, we all marveled at the important gap that this project filled. Not only was it a practical educational outreach service, helping families generate income in rural areas that are not going to create jobs….but it also gave the fledgling concept of home economics a boost in showing how a diverse set of household finance and management skills can be focused on a real life challenge. Margaretha’s extension background showed clearly in the design and implementation of the project—congratulations Margaretha and company!
Chapter Four: Dinner in a Fortress
Our business day is over and we transition into tourists.
Norgorod is a very old city serving as a trading center along the Baltic-Volga
(north-south) trade routes that tied northern 
First
we visit the Cathedral of St. Sophia, built in 1045-1050. Russian rulers in
the tenth to twelfth centuries saw the advantages of Christianity as a unifying
force across peoples from a vast numbers of tribal and language groups. Thus
the rulers built cathedrals throughout the land to promote Orthodoxy.
Our second stop is at the Kremlin! Yes, the old walled city of the early capital
of 
That evening a special dinner is being arranged within the
walls of that ancient Kremlin in a restaurant that features traditional Russian
cuisine. We arrive around 
Champagne
Chapter Five: Bonanza
Our second morning at the hotel and breakfast proceeds with
no incidents. We linger over a second cup of coffer or tea and then begin
thinking about packing the bus for a long day of touring as we travel toward
Chapter Six: Extravagance
The day was bright and sunny and we were on our way to Pushkin,
the location of the Summer Palace or Katarina's Palace. The road didn't seem
so bad in the bright sunlight. We enjoyed leaving the city with its high-rise
apartment buildings and bellowing buses behind and heading for the countryside.
We saw many
small cottages with garden plots lining the highway--family owned vegetable
farms. But in one area about 45 minutes out of Novgorod we came upon "gingerbread
houses", one on each side of the road. It seems that the two families
are competing to see who can create the most decorated house! Our bus draws
to a stop nearby, in spite of the large roadside signs that indicate "No
Stopping". Oleg tells us that it is OK to get out to take pictures, so
half of us wonder up the road a ways to get a better shot of the house and
garden. Just as we are taking a picture, a woman emerges from the house and
motions us to come closer.
We thank her and tell her we were just curious, but she insists that we come
in to see the house, so about 20 of us venture forth. The rooms are very small
and extensively decorated --flowered wallpaper, flowered carpets, doilies
on every surface, lots of pictures and knickknacks--you get the idea! All
is very neat and clean. An older woman begins to pour glasses of vodka and
hand them around. In the meantime, the woman who beckoned us is unlocking
a side room near the backdoor. It is full of handicrafts--for sale! Imagine
a very shrewd businesswoman. Some of us hurrily buy a few trinkets and run
to get back on the bus. We all admire the pins and pencils and other souvenirs
and share our stories with those who remained in the bus. But the end of this
story is that when we were at the hotel gift shops in St. Petersburg, the
same trinkets cost 1/3 to 1/2 less! We paid dearly for our little escapade.
This experience also reflects our unmet shopping urge that was just waiting
under the surface! Our retailing students would have understood this phenomena.
We arrive at Pushkin, the city
of the arts. Catherine the II or "Catherine the Great", ruled over
Russia in the late 1700's during a time known as the "golden age of the
nobility". Golden is a good word to describe her reign as gold leaf adorned
every nick and cranny of her now famous, Summer Palace.
Catherine loved fine things and fine living. She was known as a patron of
the arts, education and liberal ideas. But she was also a very powerful empress,
making Russia into the great European power that Peter the Great envisioned
one hundred years before. We arrived at the Summer Palace just at opening
time and saw the crowds of tourist gathering. With her tourist badge, our
guide took us through the back gate and around the building into the interior.
There was no comparison between the little gingerbread house and this palace.
Each room was bigger than that entire farmhouse! The architecture is Baroque
style with lots of flamboyant scrolls and decorations. We were amazed at the
quality of the interiors. Although sparsely furnished, the walls, floors and
ceilings were shining with paint and renovation. One felt that the owners
had just recently departed! And yet we heard that great sections of the palace
had been destroyed during the Nazi campaign to take St. Petersburg. The opulent
lifestyle depicted by this building makes one wonder about the excesses of
Tsarist Russia.
While
in Pushkin we met the famous poet, Aleksandr Pushkin, immortalized in bronze.
His statue sits in the gardens of what once was a school for boys. We also
noted the tree lined streets and great expanses of parks and flowerbeds. The
city truly reminds one of a summer holiday destination.
Chapter Seven: A Day in St. Petersburg
Finally, late in the afternoon
of our second full day in Russia we arrive in St. Petersburg. We have little
time, so we tour the city quickly before heading to our hotel. The city is
a clutter of cranes, scaffolding and construction. New building facades line
the streets intermingled with the old. Public buildings are getting spruced-up,
all in celebration of the city's 300 year anniversary coming up next year.
In 1703 Peter, of "Peter the Great" laid the first stone of the
fortress he named St. Petersburg in honor of St. Peter, "guardian of
the gates of heaven". It wasn't until 1712 that he decided to make St.
Petersburg Russia's capital and require the aristocracy to move and build
lavish homes, and help him build lavish public buildings and parks. As Russia's
political and economic power grew, so did the city, "flourishing with
commerce and flowering with the arts". That evening we gather for our
first "outing" in St. Petersburg. 
The
friendly basement level restaurant is ready for us, with a gypsy band, a three
course meal and privacy--that elusive element that one craves after fighting
the crowds and traffic all day. We enjoy the delicious meal and entertainment.
Although we are not aware, the musicians are a famous nightclub act in town...we
should be impressed!
Our prime objective on day three
is the Hermitage! Knowing that this is the prime tourist season and that we
need to be close enough to the door to access one of only three wheel chairs
available to the public....we planned to arrive early and wait in line. Luckily
it is a pleasant morning and the gathering hoards of tourists make interesting
conversation. We also find that enterprising young salesmen can sell us about
anything. How about one, no two, no three fur hats--to the couple from Minnesota?
You want picture books, postcards, or brass military buttons? We have it--"very
cheap, madam." Our tour guide spars with another tour guide whose people
get mingled with us....there must be some etiquette among guides! Finally
the doors open and a guard allows one group at a time to enter. We have made
it! We cross the lobby, pass through metal detectors and finally relax and
begin observing the entrance hall. All eyes rise toward the largest, most
glorious staircase in the world! We stand in awe as people mill around us.
This truly is a palace for kings! And now it is a public building open to
the world!
We had no strategy as far as was
discernable. Our guide asked us what our priorities were and they were similar
to what she had planned. So we proceed to the Old Masters, transition into
the Dutch Masters and finally end up in the Modern Art section. But surprise,
everyone else seems to be moving in the same pattern. As Charles Leidenfrost
notes, "this is like herding cattle"! Each guide pushes his or her
way in front of a famous exhibit and then motions for his or her group to
gather round (pushing others aside or cramming into ever smaller spaces).
Then a brief description of the art is given and the group move off to the
next object, while another group crowds in behind. It is very frustrating
for short people and anyone who wants to linger over an especially important
piece and appreciate its qualities! This is not a relaxing stroll through
one of the most famous galleries in the world. No, this is a whirlwind of
keeping tract of your friends, straining your neck to glimpse a painting,
and protecting your purse at the same time (one in our group found that the
zipper of her purse was open and her cosmetic case missing---luckily her money
was safe).
This is also a time when we look around to observe Miss Marple. Has she discovered
some new clues about Home Economics in Russia? Surely this world famous collection
of art can tell us something about family life, human relations and culture.
We move through the various exhibit rooms covering an entire city block, climb
to the second floor (which is noticeably less crowded), and finally collapse
back where we started--exhausted but pleased and a little stunned. It is hard
to express the feelings of awe and rapture that the various masters elicit.
And one is impressed with the various stimuli that motivate artists....a perfect
sunrise, beautiful people, earnest workers, everyday happenings, and especially
one's images of God and the spiritual side of life. How many different portrayals
of angels, death, and the afterlife did we see? The mysteries of life captured
on canvas!
We gather together occasionally
as we walk down the block on the outside of the building, winding our way
through the crowds. We find the bus among the thousands of tour buses all
looking alike, parked in a nearby parking lot. This is where cell phones pay
their keep! We leave the hustle of the area and drive a short distance to
our lunch stop. It is past the lunch hour, and we all look forward to a cold
beer or soda and a place to sit and relax. The restaurant serves an all-you-can-eat
buffet. We find our reserved tables and make our way to the line. The delicacies
are hard to recognize, but there is always a chance to come back if something
doesn't meet your taste. As the meal winds down, people begin to explore plans
for the rest of the afternoon, our only free time on the tour. The bus will
return to the hotel for those who want to rest, directions can be given for
those who wish to walk back, and a motor launch can be rented for only $20./per
person if one wishes to see more of the city by river and canal. A group of
20 of us opt for the boat tour. 
Olga
accompanies us to the launch site nearby to help negotiate the price. With
20 persons we can have our own private boat, but the price remains the same,
the per person rate. We agree to wait for a private boat and hand over the
cash. The boat is comfortable and our eyes are heavy, especially with the
hot afternoon sun shining down. Some of us have a hard time staying awake,
but the breeze off the water and the constant turns from one waterway to another
keep awaking us. The buildings are even more beautiful from this angle. One
can sit back and imagine a bygone era when all commerce was handled by water
taxis and floating markets.
The tour ends all too early, and
yet it is nearly time to again meet the bus for our evening at the opera,
ballet or folkloric. We need to rush back to the hotel. But now the fun starts,
“Who knows the way to the nearest metro stop”? We heard the directions and
they sounded so simple. The group takes off in the right direction with our
German colleague leading the way. If we were to walk about a third of the
way back, we could get a red line train and get off in two stops. So we head
in that direction. But a group of 20 is hard to control. Along the way someone
at the back notices the large "M" for metro across the way in a
department store. So the group changes directions, leaving our front runners
so far ahead that we can't contact them to tell them our plans. The majority
of the group heads for the metro stop across the way. We figure out how to
buy tickets. Sam buys enough for everyone (at about six cents each) so we
all don't need to stand in line. But now how do we know where to go? Everyone
is rushing down the long escalator and that seems to be the only choice right
now, so we proceed down. At the first Y, we gather together to see if anyone
can recognize the signs....we watch for a while and then try to attract attention
to get help. Two women stop, listen to us but move on. We stop some others
and finally a woman seems to understand us and tells us to get on the train
on the right. We plunge ahead barely keeping the group together as some get
in one car and others in another. We had remembered hearing two stops, so
we let the first stop go by. But when the train slows down for the next stop,
it merely hesitates and then keeps on going. We ride and ride for what seems
a very long time. When the train finally stops again, we all get off and look
around. We know this is not right! 
Again
we try to stop other passengers, some of whom listen to us and others just
ignore us. English is not that useful in the metro stations of St. Petersburg!
Gertraud takes the metro map to an attendant, but she is not interested in
listening to our English. We try to figure out the wall maps. Finally a young
man comes along and asks if he can help. We tell him that we want to go to
the Hotel Moscow station. He laughs and says to get on the train across the
way. It seems we were on the blue line....now we would be on the red line
and heading in the right direction! We follow his directions, get off at a
stop with a name that we recognize and breathe a sigh of relief. We had made
it home!
Chapter Eight: Peterhov
Our fourth and final day in Russia
is before us. This morning we plan to visit the central produce market and
some other tourist attractions and then after lunch, head out-of-town to the
famous Summer Palace that Peter built. Our first stop is at the "Church
of the Resurrection of Christ", or often called, "Cathedral of Spilt
Blood" as it was built in 1907 on the site of the assisination of Russian
Emperor Alexander II. All of us had seen glimpses of this Cathedral from afar
and specifically asked our guides to take us to see it. 
One
glance and you will think you are in Moscow. The same architect practiced
on this structure before building St. Basil’s in Moscow. Just from a mental
pictures one would say this Cathedral is smaller and taller than St. Basil’s.
It also has fewer and smaller domes. But the decoration and style is authentic!
We all take pictures from various angles and walk over to the ticket gate
to see if we can tour the interior. But the admission price is rather steep
and the next tour is an hour away, so we content ourselves with admiring the
exterior. Across the road and along the canal leading away from the Cathedral
is a double row of stalls selling tourist souvenirs. As we wait for people
to complete their photo session, some of us wonder into the maze. Wow, what
wonderful crafts—dolls, puppets, children’s toys, boxes, fur hats, scarfs,
doilies…the list goes on. These are some of the best examples of handicrafts
that we have seen. But we know the bus is about to leave, so quickly return
with few purchases. The group is off to lunch and then Peterhov. As we settle
into our seats and show some of our quick purchases, our guide unassumingly
comments, “This is the best tourist market in town!” We are flabbergasted
and a little annoyed that she tells us this after the shopping opportunity
is over! Oh, Well!
Our
next stop is the Central Produce Market nearby. The market is stunning—large,
open and airy, overflowing with stalls full of wonderful sights and smells,
and a continuous flow of shoppers negotiating for the best price. The outside
vendors are mostly pensioners trying to make a penny from their own small
plots or from gleaning wild herbs, flowers and berries from the roadside.
These are a sad lot. Inside the market, typical business owners compete fiercely
for attention and sales. The traditional cheese, bread, honey, herb and cold
cut counters have a permanent look to them lining the exterior walls. The
vegetable and fruit vendors dominate the interior. And one whole side of the
market is reserved for fish and meat—anything from live animals to full carcasses,
to cuts of meat including the heads, ears and feet! We roam the aisles, indulge
in samples warmly offered to us and watch as Olga and some of our group buy
nuts, fruit and honey. At the appointed time we leave the market and make
our way past the pensioners with sad eyes and walk up the block and across
the street to our lunch spot.
After lunch, we board
the bus and drive out of town toward the sea. Peterhov is located on the Gulf
of Finland; a cool, breezy location, an ideal setting during hot summer weather.
This is the town that Peter chose as his summer capital and the extensive
grounds of his Summer Palace exemplify the elegance and wealth of that era.
Again the crowds are in evidence. As we depart the bus a three piece Umpapa
Band warmly greets us with various national anthems. Our South Korean group
is especially pleased to hear their anthem, a familiar tune since the World
Cup Soccer Games this summer! We divide into two groups, one planning to tour
the interior of the Palace and the other heading for the vast gardens and
fountains. 
As
we marvel at the wondrous explosion of water in the main fountains in front
of the Palace, our guide tells us that all of the fountains use gravity flow.
The water comes from springs, is collected in holding tanks and flows by gravity
through the grounds and into the sea. We wonder through the many avenues of
park-like forests and gardens. The flowers are so large and vibrant! That’s
what 16 hours of daylight can do for perennials!
We also enjoy seeing whole families with children, grannies and strollers enjoying a day out. It is Sunday and a favorite destination for Russian family vacationers. At one spot the children are laughing and screaming in fun. It seems an underground water system spurts-up when touched at the right spot. The children are stomping everywhere trying to make the fountain spurt. They are stripped to their underwear and soaking wet-- enjoying this unusual plaything. Our Miss Marple is very pleased to see this family unity as fathers yell directions to help the children find the right spot, and mothers stand ready to wrap shivering bodies with towels or shirts or whatever! All too soon our guides say we must leave. We will have supper just outside the Palace grounds and then head back to St. Petersburg’s airport for our departure to Finland. Our exciting mystery tour to Russia is about to end! The group gathers near the gates of the Summer Palace for a group photo. We are all most appreciative of the wonderful organization, hospitality and friendship extended to us by our Swedish and Russian hosts. This Study Tour will go down in our memories as a very special time of bonding and sharing. We all feel very sad and yet exhilarated!
This story was written and posted by Dr. Mary Andrews, Michigan, USA <mandrews@msu.edu>
To learn more about
the Russian-Swedish Project, contact the organizer of this Tour, Margaretha
Sjoegren of
For more information about the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE), go to the website: http://www.ifhe.org