Prizes for You: My Favorite Russian Pottery

Dear Blog-reading Friends, Just to thank you for being there, for swinging by and saying preevyet from time to time, brought some little gifts for you back from Russia. Oh, they're just little bitty things, but they're a few of my favorite things. For you. . .and You. . . and YOU!


(Click photo to enlarge.) Here are a few pieces I very seriously considered packing. The tea cups and the sugar bowl got nixed. . .

See, this dinnerware is made in the Rostov area. It's called Semakarakorsk, or something very close, named after the village in which it's made, several hours south of Rostov. I've come to love it and have scads of it. This is just my back-up stash, for when company's comin'. I did consider bringing a few pieces of my stuff to pass along. . .

But, in the end, I packed the usual, a big ol' bunch of these little salt dishes. And one's a prize for a lucky winner. You're not obliged to use it for salt, you know, it works great for jewelry. Or stray buttons. Or salt, especially if you use coarse-grained salt and like to sprinkle it on your food.

And then there's this little thing. With an Orthodox cathedral, a Cossack horseman mounted on his trusty steed. This is made to be hung. But you can use if for a spoon rest. Or for paper clips.

Then there's this that I'm sacrificing from my personal stash. Haha. Actually it's been in a box but it deserves a good home. It appears to have been designed to serve as an ashtray. But who smokes, anyway? Certainly not me, so let's call it. . . a button dish. Or a spare change dish. Hey, we could call it a cash stash. Kinda rhymes.

So, here's the drill to enter the drawing: 1) Leave a comment with your name or nickname. 2) Indicate which prize you would prefer ~ wish I could guarantee that you'd get it. . . but. . . 3) Share something about your interest or connection with things Russian. And that's it.

I'm hoping to draw three winners on Monday. I'll do my best! And dear friends, this is just to say thank you ~ spaceeba ~ спасибо ~ for your faithful support of From Russia with Love through thick and thin! When you come to Russia, you'll see this pottery lots of places, it's quite popular.

And Ze Vinners Are. . . !

Dear blog-reading friends, thank you so much for helping celebrate my 11 years in Russia by taking a few minutes to stop by and say preev-YET - that's like howdy in these parts. It's been simply delightful to read your comments and learn a bit about you and your interest in things Russian.


So here are our prizes to be awarded to three lucky vinners. Oh first, let me explain why we're talking so funny here: The Russian alphabet does not include the W sound. It does have several sounds we don't have in English, but not the w. So Russian-speaking folks, when speaking English, tend to substitute the V sound for the W. Oh, and then also, there's no th sound in Russian, so when learning English, that often that becomes a zee or es sound. But that all pales in comparison to the matters at hand, which are these items made from white birch, a tree common to the massive timberlands of northern Russia. Birch wood makes for nice little souvenirs, да (da)?


So we have eleven comments, which is perfect for 11 years here and the names are above. As you see, what we have here is a high-tech operation.



And here into the little bowl sugar bowl go the randomly-generated names.



Oh time out to talk about this pottery, called SemekaraKORSK - at least that's how I say it - made in a nearby village of the same name. One of the most popular souvenirs I take back to the US is a little salt dish with a hen sitting on the edge, made from this pottery. That might be fun for a future drawing, yes? But let us not digress. . .



And here are the winners! First place goes to John from Kansas. Second to Mica and Charlie. Third to Katie (and Tony). Oh this is perfect! John from Kansas has stopped by my blog nearly from the get-go back in January 2006, back when the blog got maybe two hits a day. Thank you John! I have really appreciated all your encouragement and comments over the years!



So, what goes to whom? Well, of the top 3 winners, Katie (and Tony) mentioned the square box. Other two didn't specify, so I trust you'll be happy with whatever. So John, how about the round box goes to you. And Mica and Charlie, the little shoes to you. That might be just perfect, considering the charming legend that goes with the shoes and your dear son from Chelyabinsk, Russia.

So will ze lucky vinners please contact me by email (eileen.emch*gmail.com) with your mailing addresses. Oh and thank you all, Each and Every One, for stopping by and saying hello! I'm going to read through all your comments again here in a minute and that will warm my Slavic soul on a cold, mushy, slushy Monday!

A Pirana Tooth Necklace: Need One?

Dear Blog Reader, since it's just the two of us here, allow me to put you on the spot. Have you ever brought contraband or iffy stuff home from a trip overseas? Okay, maybe not you, but perhaps a friend (wink-wink)?

Recently I was hurrying through Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and in the international terminal were the Buyer Beware exhibits of travel treasures confiscated from passengers. And I thought of you, dear blog reader. And you and You over there. And I knew you would want to see all this. So I bit the bullet, ditched my beloved extra-large iced tea and fished out the camera. Because this contraband is so interesting. And because you have the right to know.


Does any of this look like stuff you might like to bring home? Does it look like stuff that you would try to bring home? (Double-click on photo to enlarge.)



Let's zoom on in and check out those boots. Hey, they're made from sea turtle, the label says. And I'm wondering about those eggs there. . . any ideas what those might be?



Oh lots of pretties! There are those shells and all that coral-y stuff. Might you have a place to display any of that?


Hey, how about some athletic shoes made from stingray leather. Well la-de-dah. Apparently there's a market for such. . .



A little further down the hallway more confiscated stuff awaits us. . .

Here's the wide view. . .Let's zoom on in for a close look at the poster on the right.


Okay, when in doubt, don't buy. The small print lists these reasons: Many souvenirs are made from endangered or threatened species. Many countries do not allow the export of wildlife or wildlife products without a permit. Many items may require a US permit. And right there, dangling by the sign is a necklace made from pirana teeth, which indicates they're quite serious about all this.



Moving right along, how about a snake-head fish? Might add a special touch to your bookshelf. Nyet?


And then there's the exotic butterfly collection. Butterflies are free, someone said. But probably not these ones. Oh, wouldn't you just hate to have to turn those over to the customs guys?


How about a blow gun with fancy feathers? Or the classic, pirana-tooth necklace? Perfect for a gala evening.


So here's a crocodile up closer, spiders, various insects. There are people who are into flora and fauna.

You know, this brings back memories of treasures I brought back from Australia in 1978 and didn't think twice about it. A fetal shark in formaldehyde, shark jaws, a kangaroo leather belt and pillow made from hide. Is there a shortage of kangaroos or sharks? Not likely. . .

How about you dear blog reader, have you any interesting experiences at the border? I've got stories for you, myself, but all that can wait. First I want to hear your stories!

The Day I Represented Russia in Crawford, Texas

Vladimir Putin, former president of Russia, was the first foreign leader to visit Crawford, Texas, home of former President George Bush and his wife Laura. The Putins visited November, 2001 and their visit was covered extensively on Russian television. And so I parked myself in front of the TV for a day or two. I found it gratifying, somehow, that my US and Russian presidents were getting together, a connection of my two worlds.


The Putin's plane landed in Waco and President Putin descended the steps with a long-stemmed yellow rose that he handed to Mrs Bush. This might come as a surprise to Texans, but The Yellow Rose of Texas, the state's unofficial song has meaning mostly to Texans and I can assure you that it is of no particular significance to Russian folk. So somebody in the Putin camp had done careful research on the perfect gift for the First Lady. Brilliant.


Another special touch was the handful of welcome signs written in Russian. The highway from the Waco airport to Crawford was lined with well-wishers, many holding placards and 98% of them in English. But a handful said Добрго Пожаловать! (DOB-ro po-DJAL-ovat!), Welcome!- in Russian. Another brilliant stroke.

The Former Presidents Putin and Bush. The gentleman in the background is a translator. (Photographer Unknown)

Later Crawford High School hosted a joint press conference, dubbed The Crawford Summit. Interestingly, only students were permitted to ask questions of the presidents. I wondered if those young people had any idea that the eyes of the world were upon them. That at least in Russia, they were being watched and their words broadcast across 11 time zones.

Stage and podium at Crawford High School during The Crawford Summit. November, 2001. (Photographer: Unknown)

I wondered what the students knew about Russia. I wondered if they had any idea of the cultural richness, the complex history, the diverse peoples of Russia. I wondered if, per chance, any of the Crawford students had passports or had ever traveled overseas.

Lydmila Putina, then first lady of Russia with Laura Bush during The Crawford Summit, November 2001. (Photographer: Unknown)

Where is Crawford, anyway, I wondered? I had lived in Texas quite a few years but had no idea. My trusty atlas showed to be an easy drive from Dallas. And because I'm based out of Dallas and planned to be there the following spring, I had an idea. . .




I could put together a great slide show of things Russian. I could collect lots and lots of souvenirs. I could introduce the students to the Cyrillic alphabet, write their names in Russian, and teach them a song or two. . .




And that's precisely what happened. April of 2002, at the end of a long week of standardized testing, students were ready for a change of pace. Perfect!



So I did a slide show especially from them, From Russia with Love. . .to Crawford. We sang I've Got Peace Like a River in Russian with all the motions. I introduced them to the Cyrillic alphabet and did their names in Russian.



Later that afternoon, Principal Harris showed me the school's collection of memorabilia the summit. I noticed there were no matroshka dolls in the display, you know, the wooden nesting dolls of Russia. So I solved that problem immediately. There's nothing worse than a display of things Russian with no matroshka dolls!





President and Mrs Putin had given this magnificent vase to the school. It is traditional porcelain, called Gzhel ware, and although smaller pieces are available in stores here, this is by far the largest piece I've seen. Looks like the Kremlin wall, depicted there on the vase.





The day had been so exciting that when it was time to leave the school, I was not ready to leave Crawford. First, I went driving out in the direction of the Bushes' ranch, dubbed The Western White House even though my vehicle was low on gas. I drove. . . and drove. . . and eventually turned back around before I got there. Or maybe I passed it and just didn't know. But I didn't want to gamble on Crawford's lone gas station and getting stranded in that town, nice as it was.




By then I was ravenous - similar to, but different from ravishing, you understand - and The Coffee Station sure sounded good. Plus I had read about the place and seen photos of the Bushes and their entourage eating there thanks to Yahoo! News and Photos. So I went on in. Oh, was that fun.



The Coffee Spot is the only eat-out place in town. And half of it is a gas station. Diane, above, is the manager of the place was a great source of information and trivia. I wanted to know what it was like in the kitchen, cooking the president's hamburger. Or what it was like to be there dining when the president and his group were en route and wanted the place secure. I wanted to know how Mrs Bush liked her hamburger and what she liked on the side - fries, onion rings or deep fried peppers. Fascinating stories, all.





They say that Crawford is getting back to normal these days. Now, when the Bushes are in town there are probably fewer network vans with satellite dishes lining the road through town. I'm so grateful to Crawford for their hospitality to former President and Mrs Putin. And it was my privilege to serve - even for just a day - as ambassador of Russia to the people of Crawford, Texas.

2 comments:

Tammy said...

YOU almost look like a cut out in that picture with Bush! Fun!
I was in Kiev all day with friends here adopting. Walked a ton! The day was so foggy that even tho we were drug to the "Rodina" statue by some other friends, there was just NO SEEING her! Soo funny! Dnipr... no view! :)
Off to Kiev Tues to get the visa, stay overnight at a seminary & to Petersburg early Wed. Ahhhh.... Am I ready for this??!

11:34 PM

Pat said...

Hello Eileen! A friend linked me to you blog. My husband and I are in the process of adopting 2 boys from Rostov and we live in Texas! Your blog has been wonderful to see pictures in Rostov as we anticipate are travels there!

Thanks for the view!

Pat

Welcome to Matroshka Doll Class

A person obsessed with matroshka dolls would be called what - a matroshka-phile? You know those wooden nesting dolls, the most popular souvenir of Russia. Well, I bring back several of them each trip I make to the US and right now, being stateside as I am, (Greetings from Beautiful OHIO, by the way!), I've got Russian souvenirs on the brain. Matroshkas, in particular. Say, care to join me for a behind-the-scenes look at matroshka painting?

First stop, friend Julia's studio in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Julia's matroshkas are magnificent, in a league of their own.



Say, let's try our hand at matroshka painting. Here we can join a class already in progress.



Back to dear friend Julia, cranking out another set of matroshkas.




How about you? If you were painting a set of matroshkas, on what theme would you paint them?

The Taxi's Waiting, He's Blowin' His Horn. . .

Hello from Moscow! I'm at Sheremetevo-2, the international airport here and prepping to catch flight to Atlanta after trip on the "Quiet Don," the overnight train from Rostov to Moscow. Like a nice, cheap hotel. Plusses and minusses, but a great way to catch up on naps for lik 18 hours.


This was the scene yesterday:

Taxi waiting for you-know-who.


What some folks would give to have one of these. Very blessed.


And what would I give to have my Russian visa renewed. Well, for starters about $350 to the consulate. Hoping and praying. . .


Last minute souvenir. Yumm, caviar. Some people think it's yummy anyway...have YOU ever tried?


Kids love rubles. They think they're getting a lot of money when I give them a 10-ruble note. Divide that by 23.5 rubles to the dollar and, yep, suddenly they're millionaires. ;)

Well, got a plane to catch, Delta Moscow to Atlanta. Overnighting with family of little Natasha there, remember the young lady just adopted by a family in Atlanta? Yea - a long layover, almost 24 hrs.

The taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn. Already I'm so lonesome I could cry (well, maybe, maybe not. . . give me a few weeks. . .)

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go. . ." (Ha ha ha!)

There's a secret to getting packed and out the door without last-minute frenzy. According to Rick Steves, the Seattle-based guru of travel writers, the secret is to be ready three days prior to departure date. And then you'll be ready on time. So that's my secret. Except that I have yet to accomplish that.

This week, however, I have a chance to try again. Wednesday mid-day, I'm scheduled to depart Rostov. That means today, Sunday mid-day, I needed to be ready to go. Hilarious. One bag is ready to go, the souvenir bag, and that's an achievement right there. Perhaps you'd like a look inside. Who knows, one of these souvenirs might be intended for you!


Matroshka (pronounced muh-TROSH-ka) dolls are the most popular Russian souvenir. These are the wooden nesting dolls. The biggest one here is a set of seven dolls and the smallest are sets of three dolls. The container of golden coins are actually chocolate rubles, a great little gift for school groups. Boy will they be surprised when they find out how much they're really (not) worth!


Matroshka magnets are a great for refrigerators and take up lots less packing space than the real thing. I've got 45 of them, including 3 samovar magnets.


Postcards are a perfect souvenir and on the left are seven sets of postcards, 12 to 15 per set. They make great bookmarks and what's that they say about a picture being worth 1000 -- make that worth 100 words in a foreign tongue? Remember kvas, the Russian homebrew? Well, there are starter kits of kvas, the cola of communism back there. And we can't forget some Russian lacquer-ware, called khokhloma, the red and black designed spoons and such. And dear Charity, especially for you, two boxes of Russian tea! =D


These little salt dishes have become a classic gift. I usually pack ten of them and chances are that nine will survive the trip, little chicks intact. This pottery, called Semekarakorskaya Pottery is made in the Rostov area and my dishes are all from this company. Without the hens, however.




I should be packing shouldn't I. And then there are dishes to wash and bird cages to clean. But most of all, I a have responsibility to you, my dear blog readers. That's a priority. Because when I go to exit Russia, the first question they'll ask me at the border is this: Is your blog up-to-date? And then, about the bird cages. So, first things first. ;)

Of Kings and Queens, Pawns and Lacquer-ware

Checkmate! SHAKH-mat-ee, the Russian word for chess, is a cognate of the English checkmate and last Monday strolling through Gorky Park, I happened upon some SHAKH-mat-ee action. It’s not uncommon to see chess in the park but this was the first time I’ve seen women playing. It was a mild September afternoon and the players were so absorbed in strategy, they were oblivious to being photographed.

Russians have been playing chess for more than 1,000 years and today consider chess an official sport and include match results in television sports coverage. Grooming starts young for those with potential. Vasgen is a sharp kid 10-year-old in our children’s Bible classes and today I asked him about his chess classes. He noted that his classes included five and six years olds and that once he was beaten by a four year old. He has since switched to judo.

Russia has produced legendary players including Garry Kasparov, world champion of chess in 1985 at age 22. He has retired from competition but uses his notoriety to help push Russia toward democracy, he says. And nowadays when headlines scream his name it’s about his sharp criticism of the Kremlin. Kasparov has written a book *Life Imitates Chess.* I would have suggested he consider writing *Chess Imitates Politics* or vise versa. Certainly the political scene is ripe with moves and countermoves. And occasionally we’re reminded rather graphically that some of the key movers aren’t just playing. Checkmate!






A stone’s throw away from the kings, queens and pawns, a souvenir vendor had her khokhloma wares – pronounced hok-lom-A – on display as she does every day, regardless of the weather. Good thing it’s all waterproof, heat-proof and impervious to the elements. Khokhloma is easy to recognize with its red and gold paintings of flowers, leaves and berries on a black background.

Khokhloma is a 300-year-old style of woodworking that developed in the forests along the Volga. Producing a piece is a multi-step process which takes up to three years. Logs are dried for two years, turned on lathes in a workroom where, according to proprietary legend, there are still lathes used by Peter the Great. After more drying, comes hand-painting which can take weeks.

Like everything else, khokhloma has gotten more expensive and so it has been a while since I’ve stocked up on it as a souvenir to take home. A small spoon might run 20 rubles that’s about 80 cents. A little box would probably be 250 rubles or $10. But maybe I should reconsider stocking up on khokhloma spoons. Now that I think about it, they have been a hit with kids back home.

I’m reminded of a young girl in Montpelier, Vermont who just loved the spoon I happened to give her, not sure the occasion. I met her at church summer of 1998 when I was there enrolled in Russian language school. The girl’s mother told me later how much she enjoyed the spoon and insisted on eating her oatmeal with it each morning and then washing it in the dishwasher. Maybe I should reconsider those spoons. As colorful as khokhloma is, I find it a bit garish for the typical home. Perfect for Christmas though, isn’t it? And for kids too. Guess I might start a stash of khokhoma spoons and small items.

* * *
Sources:
(Teach Yourself) Russian Language, Life & Culture. (2002). Stephen and Tatyana Webber. By McGraw Hill./ Golden Khokhloma, website./ NPR website./ TimesOnLine (UK)./ Book worth checking into: Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters: http://www.amazon.ca/01-Secrets-Russian-Chess-Masters/dp/0393324524