Vind ik leuk:

 

The Queen Winter has arrived to Russia… I wouldn’t say that all previous seasons were absolutely without snow. There was something like snow, but… But this year the Nature prepared for us a wonderful winter miracle. It reminded us what a beautiful, snow-white, downy and briery because of frost the Russian winter could be.

 

We live in one of the north-western regions of Russia, the Leningrad region. This is not the actual North of the country and we don’t have the polar day and night here, nevertheless our close location to the North always gives us a heads-up. The Sun comes to our region very seldom. Our short summer begins in the second half of June and finishes in the beginning of August turning into a long-term autumn and then into a grey wet winter which flowed by prolonged spring. By the end of December I was quiveringly looking forward to coming Christmas Holidays and checking weather prediction in the Internet every day, as the most people in our region. The prediction insistently showed a cold weather with winds and frost approaches. For the period of many years we have got accustomed not to believe weather predictions – they turn into life seldom. It is even mentioned in our website, just for fun, that “Weather is not responsible for conformance with its prediction…” But, what a miracle! All predictions seemed to become a real one.

A snow fell down from heaven… Our town became clean and bright so that there was no need to highlight the streets with lanterns. Then a black frost came. Everyone was happy that snow after his habit is not melting. It was sparking with diamonds in the lanterns light at night and in the sunlight during the day. Children were playing snowballs, skiing and skating in the rink. And the most important thing was that frost has broke up clouds heavy with snow and the sun we have being waiting so long arrived. It was about -10С outside but the sun seemed to be warming. Nevertheless the weather prediction continued to let us know about another snow storm to come. Now it came. It wasn’t just a snow storm; it seemed to be snow slip.

One morning when I got outside on the way to our office, I discovered that about 30 centimeters of snow fell down that night. All cars were buried under snow, it was difficult to recognize some foot paths; as to the other ones it was impossible to walk on them. People had to tread out narrow pathways in the snow. We didn’t walk in the streets. I would say that we were mixing snow by feet. And if someone moved against wind direction it seemed that he was walking on the same place. The way to the office took sufficient time. First we had to dig out our cars, then we were driving very carefully and as sequence very slow – the road was unlearned and slippery. It was surprising that there was none car crash that morning. Snow was falling and falling… In spite of all these difficulties we were glad thinking that the New Year celebration would be as it used to be long time ago with snow and frosty weather. But it was just a beginning of all our problems. If in your country there is a prevalent stereotype that Russia is a place where the winter is always cold and snowy and the Russian people are always ready for this, you are deeply wrong. In comparison with our north regions, as Murmansk one, I would say that we have been never ready for this. It looks funny, but it’s true; and this season showed it more particular then ever.

 

Yard-keepers and snow removal facilities I haven’t met the yard-keepers in the streets of our town for a long time; and it isn’t surprising. The matter is that average number of the yard-keepers is 86 persons. Moreover 6 of them were on a sick list those days. As to the snow removal facilities it is about 13 pieces. The town administrators informed our citizens that 23 yard-keepers and 3 snow removal machines have being working 24 hours a day by turns during that period. But, what can do 23 persons and 3 machines in the town with population of about 70 000 people covered with snow, in particular when it continuously snowing daily. The real situation was the following: the available power was insufficient for quick cleaning the microdistricts of out town from snow. It was almost impossible to drive car within the yard areas.

During the last year our small town is hard to handle an abundance of personal cars. Our yards and parking places were not designed for such a huge amount of cars, in particular in old district areas. Therefore during the snowfall a number of parking places considerably decreased. Some people decided not to use their cars and walked by feet in order to save efforts and time looking for parking place. In accordance with the point of view of the officers of the Leningrad region, Saint-Petersburg and Sosnovy Bor the reason for this situation was the following: the previous 3-4 winters appeared to be warm and almost snowless! So than the administration of the Leningrad region and Saint-Petersburg decreased the budget for additional facilities purchase and didn’t prepare the existing one, which is far too scanty. I take the liberty to add that they probably didn’t believe the weather prediction again. However with the help of our citizens the problem was solved stem-by-step. Many people took an active part in cleaning their yards from snow. The most enthysiastic ones began to clean approaches to the pedestrian crossings in the streets. All these activities caused one more problem – the rabbles disappeared from the shops within one moment. They were delivered to the shops in small portions. Therefore as soon as someone got information to which shop they were delivered, he informed all his friends by phone and all rabbles were bought up immediately.

Some difficulties with cleaning the roads were caused by personal cars left on the road shoulders. The roads became quite narrow, for example 4-lines roads turned into 2.5-lines ones. Can you emargin what happened to the 2-lines roads? The time required for the way to our office located at a distance of 7km from the town increased from 10 to 40 minutes. Therefore in some cases the traffic service personal was forced to use evacuator while removing snow from the roads. From the other side all the above mentioned difficulties made our people closer! If you seized in a deep snow or dirt in any other situation, you would looking someone who would help you to pull out your car. But during this period you just thought to ask for help and at the same moment 2 or 3 men passing near by came up to you and almost carry out you with the car.

Everyone understands that tomorrow he can be on your place. It was in this situation several times. One time I get out from my car to thank my saviors, and was surprised to see two thin ladies in stead on men. Their car was not far from my one. Waste collection problem As you see this hard snow fall resulted in many serious problems and one of them was — delay in waste collection from the containers in the yards. All yards were blocked and special cars were unable to approach to the containers. As a result a huge amount of rubbish accumulated within the yards area. Nevertheless one solution was found – to arrange a temporary system of wastes removal. People were suggested to come out at a certain time to the special trucks waiting nearby the yard area. Winter fashioned nature… So, it came hard with everyone. Moreover we were expecting for hard Christian frosts.

Every year during the Christian week the temperature goes significantly lower, but this January it dropped to -25С and in some regions to -30С. By that time we acclimatized and didn’t take a notice of it. But from the other side there were many positive things caused by these changes. To find them you should just look around. One of the most beautiful features of such weather is that snow became knocking sonorous and sparking as diamonds more brightly. A diamond snow is falling down from the sky. Queen Winter hided under it snow-white cover all old and grey dirty leafs and grass. It dressed our firs and trees with so laced and downy dresses and put long beautiful icicles on our roofs, as Christmas-tree toys. It decorated the shore of our Finish Gulf with high hummocks and icicles stalactites. In spite of a hard frost our Gulf maintained unfrozen for a long time, till the end of January. All this time its cold high waves were breaking on the shore. Splashes were freezing in the cold air, raising the shore level, and turning into mountains and hummocks. Water flowing down on the walls of these mountains formed many quaint icicles and small cavities. When the Gulf eventually has frozen it becomes looking like a white cold desert – a real pleasant place for those who like winter fishing. Ice sculptures exhibition A long-forgotten real Russian Winter gave young and professional painters and photographers a wide variety of beautiful moments, which they depicted in their photos, canvases and ice sculptures.

These days Saint-Petersburg looks fascinating, in particular its central streets. They were decorated with snow, hoar frost, Christmas lamps, strings, trees. An ice castle was build up in the Nevskiy Prospect, in which the ice sculptures exhibition was arranged. In spite of 20-degrees frost two young carvers embodied their ideas into ice compositions outside nearby the castle walls. It is very impressive and interesting to watch the piece of ice is turned into the Easter egg, or flower, or a girl swimming in the waves, or heathen symbols of Africa. But too cold… For the strongest spectators a bar with so called warming up drinks, such as vodka or cognac ant etc., was arranged in the rear yard of the castle.

Don’t try to understand Russia by mind…Do it by heart.. In spite of all the problems and difficulties described in my story we like our winter much. Every year we are looking forward to coming snow and frost as manna from heaven. And each time when we try to push out one’s car from the next bulk of snow, firstly we damn all over the place and after say again: ”Nevertheless the winter this year is rather good! What a beautiful present our nature has given to us!”

Elena in the snow