{"id":2736,"date":"2012-05-22T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2012-05-22T08:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2736"},"modified":"2014-07-17T18:11:35","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T18:11:35","slug":"so-provincial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/so-provincial\/","title":{"rendered":"So Provincial!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

What cities or towns would you like to visit when travelling to Russia? If you have been to Russia, what cities have you visited?<\/p>\n

While I am awaiting for your answers (feel free to post them in the comments), I\u2019m going to venture a guess. I\u2019d say that the vast majority of \u0438\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0442\u0443\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044b<\/strong> (foreign tourists) to Russia split their visits between just two cities – \u041c\u043e\u0441\u043a\u0432\u0430<\/span><\/strong> (Moscow) and \u0421\u0430\u043d\u043a\u0442-\u041f\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0433<\/strong> (St. Petersburg). Some might tour \u0433\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u0417\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e \u041a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0446\u0430<\/span><\/strong> (the towns of the Golden Ring) or sights near St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n

Only a handful make it as far as \u0412\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0434<\/strong> (Volgograd), \u0415\u043a\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0433<\/strong> (Yekaterinburg), or \u041f\u0435\u0440\u043c\u044c<\/strong> (Perm\u2019) even though these are all large cities and important \u0430\u0434\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0446\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u0440\u044b<\/strong> (administrative centers). Still, they are \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0446\u0438\u044f<\/strong> (the provinces). And \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0446\u0438\u044f<\/strong> is frequently dismissed as backwater, boondocks.<\/p>\n

People who live \u0432 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0438<\/strong> (in the provinces) are known as \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044b<\/strong> (provincials). That\u2019s strictly according to the dictionary. The way the terms \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b<\/strong> (for men) and \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u043a\u0430<\/strong> (for women) are used much of the time, their closest English-language translation would be \u201ca hick\u201d or \u201ca hillbilly\u201d.<\/p>\n

There are quite a few stereotypes about \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044b<\/strong> in Russia. For example, these \u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0438 \u0433\u043b\u0443\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0438<\/strong> (residents of the backcountry) are usually viewed as \u043d\u0435\u0434\u0430\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u0435, \u043d\u043e \u0434\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u0440\u044b\u0435<\/strong> (simple-minded, but kind), \u0441\u043b\u0435\u0433\u043a\u0430<\/span> \u043d\u0430\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043d\u044b\u0435<\/strong> (slightly naive), but \u0441 \u0445\u0438\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0446\u043e<\/span>\u0439<\/strong> (with a measure of cunning), \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u043e\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0435<\/strong> (quaint) when it comes to both \u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0430<\/strong> (fashion) and \u043d\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u044b<\/strong> (mores), and, as long as they stay in their \u0433\u043b\u0443\u0445\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u044c<\/strong> (middle-of-nowhere), \u0431\u0435\u0437\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0438\u0430\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043d\u044b\u0435<\/strong> (lacking initiative or drive to succeed). Yet they are also considered \u0441\u0430\u043c\u043e\u0431\u044b<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0434\u0438<\/strong> (true originals), \u0441\u043e\u043b\u044c \u0437\u0435\u043c\u043b\u0438<\/span><\/strong> (salt of the earth), as opposed to the residents of corrupt, crime-ridden, dissolute big cities.<\/p>\n

Yet many \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044b<\/strong> don\u2019t stay in their hometowns, but instead leave for \u043e\u0433\u043d\u0438<\/span> \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430<\/strong> (lights of the big city). And don\u2019t let the words \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0434<\/strong> (big city) confuse you. The only two ultimate big cities in Russia are Moscow and St. Petersburg. Only these two are not considered \u0433\u043b\u0443\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u044f \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0446\u0438\u044f <\/strong>by anyone.<\/p>\n

\u041c\u044b, \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044b, \u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435\u043c\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0435\u043c\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u041f\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0433 \u043a\u0430\u043a-\u0442\u043e \u0438\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0438\u043d\u043a\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043d\u043e.<\/strong> (We, provincials, intuitively rush to St. Petersburg.) wrote Mikhail Saltikov-Shedrin in his \u201cDiary of a Provincial in St. Petersburg\u201d back in 1872.<\/p>\n

\u041f\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0434\u043e\u043a\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e<\/strong> (ironically), \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044b, \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0435 \u0432 \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0434<\/strong> (provincials who moved to a large city), are viewed as \u044d\u043d\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0435<\/strong> (energetic), \u0446\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435\u043c\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435<\/strong> (purposeful), \u0430\u043c\u0431\u0438\u0446\u0438\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u044b\u0435<\/strong> (ambitious). They might even be described as \u043d\u0430\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u0441\u0442\u044b\u0435\u00a0\u043a\u0430\u043a \u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0438<\/strong> (lit. pushy like tanks).
\nThe stories about \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u043a\u0438<\/strong> (female provincials) tend to be either about \u0431\u0435\u0441\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438<\/span>\u043f\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0430\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0442\u044e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043a\u0430<\/strong> (unscrupulous gold digger) ready to do just about anything to stay in the city. Or they are about \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0437\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/strong> (a provincial cinderella), \u043e\u0442\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u0432\u0447\u0438\u0432\u0430\u044f<\/strong> (compassionate), \u0434\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u0440\u0430\u044f<\/strong> (kind), \u0438 \u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0431\u044f\u0449\u0430\u044f<\/strong> (loving), trying to make it on her own in the cruel city. \u0422\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0435\u0433\u043e \u043d\u0435 \u0434\u0430\u043d\u043e<\/span><\/strong> (there is no middle ground).<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s my question to you – what town is considered the capital of Russian provinces, where is it located and what\u2019s it claim to fame?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What cities or towns would you like to visit when travelling to Russia? If you have been to Russia, what cities have you visited? While I am awaiting for your answers (feel free to post them in the comments), I\u2019m going to venture a guess. I\u2019d say that the vast majority of \u0438\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0442\u0443\u0440\u0438\u0441\u0442\u044b (foreign…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,8],"tags":[1131,117592,1220,117591],"class_list":["post-2736","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-culture","category-language","tag-learning-russian","tag-living-in-russia","tag-russian-cities","tag-russian-provinces"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2736"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6438,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2736\/revisions\/6438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}