February!

WINTER

February is definitely the most beautiful time of year in St. Petersburg.

…just kidding. It’s pretty cold and slushy. However, it does have a charm of its own! Here are some shots of winter:

Sometimes people take walks on the frozen river… so do ducks.

CELEBRATIONS

My host Nina Nikolaevna’s birthday was in February, so we had a nice celebration:

February also brought “Maslenitsa,” the time before lent when everyone fattens up on blini (traditional Russian crepes). Here is my friend Andrei enjoying a plateful:

If the saying “you are what you eat” is true, I am definitely part cabbage by now. I have fully embraced cooking with it and make “Щи” (“Schi”) and “Борщ” (“Borscht”) regularly. If cabbage is not the national vegetable of Russia, it should be.

PUSHKIN

The great Russian literary genius Aleksandr Pushkin died on February 10th, 1837, in St. Petersburg, after being wounded in a duel. The apartment where he died was turned into a museum, and every year there is a day-long series of activities and events to mark the anniversary of his passing. My voice studio presented a program of art songs and arias based on texts of Pushkin, and we sang to a completely full concert hall! I also stayed and listened to a poetry reading held in front of Pushkin’s statue.