All Aboard... the Russian Night Train

We left Moscow the morning after our performance at the Spaso House and headed South and East for a 3 city tour: Saratov and Samara along the Volga River and then further East to the border between Europe and Asia (and Siberia) to Ufa. When I saw the itinerary and located these 3 cities on a map of Russia, I assumed that we were going to fly between them as they are hundreds of Kilometers apart. No such luck- Masha, our program officer from the Moscow embassy, told us that in the WInter, Russian airplanes are often unreliable because of the weather. Delays can last for days, she said! We were to take the overnight trains from city to city, they always run, no matter what the weather and they are on time, to the minute!

I will certainly never forget the smell of our 3 overnight trips on Russian trains. Whoah- there's something sickeningly intoxicating about the polluted exhaust, mixed with the stale, pale odor of the cabins, which probably haven't gotten any fresh air since it was warm (perhaps in October). We spent 3 out of 4 nights on trains as we traveled from Moscow to Saratov (16 hours) where we spent one night at a hotel, then to Samara (12 hours) then to Ufa (9 hours). The cabins sleep 2 or 4, depending on class. For two of our trips we had first class cabins, which included a bland, if warm, dinner, for the other, there was no first class, so we folded the extra bunks up to enjoy room to actually sit upright. We were fortunate to have an extra half cabin (otherwise occupied by Masha) to store some of our luggage and instruments. In some ways, the trains are a stifling experience- they were either burning hot with no ventilation, or if your window had a leaky seal, the cabins could be quite cold. The air was stale, the sheets (which were actually clean; in second class we actually had to rent them) were sandpapery and the pillows were heavy and dense, with the odor that only years going back and forth between Siberia and Moscow can impart. Don't even get me started about the toilets... I couldn't actually see the tracks when I flushed, but let's just say that they locked the bathrooms during stops claiming we were in a "sanitary zone." Sanitary is the last word that I would use to describe these all metal cubicles.

On the bright side, I could actually stretch out and sleep on the bunks. They were exactly the right size for me. Good thing the Russians are a fairly large people... The bunks weren't too wide, so if I lay on my back I had to hold the hand on my out side arm with the one from my inside arm so my arm wouldn't fall. I wouldn't say any of the 3 nights we spent qualified as quality sleep, but I did manage to get some shut eye. In spite of the serious warnings, no one tried to break in and steal our gear or wallets. Once I adjusted to the lifestyle, it was actually a fairly relaxed way to travel. Plus, the four of us in the band and Masha could hang out together in one bunk and talk and enjoy a beer or snack. Compared to flying coach on the way from NYC to Stockholm, I'd have to say the Russian trains were in some ways more comfortable! However, if I never see the inside of another one again, that'd be cool too.

We flew back to Moscow from Ufa on a 1950's Aeroflot jet plane which was pretty banged up... It had huge round submarine windows and small old seats. We had also been warned about these planes. A friend of mine described flying them as among the scariest experiences of his life. I must say, the one we took wasn't anywhere near that bad, but when we transfered to the FinnAir flight from Moscow to Helsinki, I felt like I was back in the modern world for the first time in a week.

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I must note that we became quite enamored of Masha, our program officer from the US Embassy. Without her, none of our trip to Russia would have been possible. She did much of the difficult logistical work arranging the concerts and transportation, then she accompanied (babied us, when necessary) on most of the trip, until we left Samara for Ufa. We quickly came to appreciate her dry, sarcastic Russian sense of humor and her no-nonsense, all-business approach to making sure we performed our duties in a timely and professional manner. She expected a lot from us (your Russian schedule is "ambitious," she said), yet she showed us respect and compassion as needed. She tirelessly translated for us, in both public and private settings (the latter of which made her quite self-concious) and she always went the extra mile to ensure we were happy and comfortable (in a Russian sort of way). Thanks a million, Masha! We never would've made it without you.