Life on the road

Since Monday we've been traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railway and have stopped in Nizhny Novgorod and Perm along the way. Until the 90s, these two cities were off-limits to foreigners because they had a significant arms industry. Now we are in Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Urals - already 1800 km away from Moscow.

Time for a brief look back at life on the train. In the 3rd class, where we are traveling, there are many locals. There are no compartments with doors. You meet Russians of all ages and often whole families including grandparents and children. At first, people are shy after the train departs, but they quickly become talkative. Most of them don't speak English or very little. But they are patient, so despite my limited knowledge of Russian, surprisingly long conversations arise. I will remember the about 18-year-old Oleg, who gave me Russian lessons for almost 3 hours and explained everything with football ('Arshavin bigger than Shakiri').

At the end of the carriage, there is always a heated samovar, so you can make tea and instant soups at any time. But the Russians in the train like to prepare whole tables full of meals with vegetables, fruits, sausage, cheese, biscuits, and bread. The rides are all about sleeping, eating, reading, and 'looking out the window'. Children are climbing in the aisles or going 'to the potty'. Contrary to our expectations, the train only stops every few hours and there are hardly any street vendors yet.

Each carriage has a conductor, the Provodnitsa, who keeps order with an iron hand. These are hardened, harsh Russian women with a strong personality. They check the passports when boarding, allocate the seats, distribute bed linen and cups. They have a loud voice, and if you don't understand them, they will gladly speak even louder. You must never mess with them.

In the train, everyone is lounging around in track pants, pajamas, and slippers. Shortly before arrival, there is movement in the compartment. People put on nice shoes and clothes, apply makeup, and give the children nice braided hairstyles before they proudly walk out of the train, typically Russian.

The rides are very enjoyable and you sleep quite comfortably. Surprisingly, there is not a sound during the night.