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The Ural State Pedagogic University
Here the conference on literature was held. I spent three whole days in Yekaterinburg at the end of February, 2009. I remember how very sad I was waiting for the night train. Russia is a very large country, and traveling by train could take whole days and days, but the trip to Yekaterinburg took only seven hours or so, you know, it is very close to my homeland. Lately, I began to dislike the time before train. By now, 100% of my travels were fulfilled alone, except some cases when I spent a little time with people, for example, I met with a girl in Sochi. But usually I walk and travel alone.
So, I listened to music while waiting for the train; it came some 30 minutes late. One more thing - there were seats, and it is rather uncomfortable to sleep on them. But they are very cheap. That night was terrible, since there were some - don't quite remember - drunken people who made noise all night long. To tell you the truth, I began to dislike people in trains recently, only those who make noise after it's sleeping time. But I just plug my ears with music and fall asleep all the same.
You know, people in trains are usually very little worried about their neighbours. But not all of them, surely.
My purpose of coming to Yekaterinburg was participation in a scientific conference on literature. It was a great experience, there is so much pleasure in listening to clever people talking. I was a postgraduate student and wrote an article about M.Yu. Lermontov’s works and feminist motifs in them. Not much of a great article was, though. Just summarizing some material. But I was very excited about making a speech at the conference. And doing the sights, surely. But that night made my terribly sleepy, and I went to bed right after the main part of the conference and slept till evening.
I hope people who read this do not get bored with my long passages dealing little with the city. But I delight in feeling memories come back.
One more important thing to note is that I had a large text to translate by a certain date and was going to work during those two days, but on the third day I would just walk. And, remember, I visited the conference for some 3-4 hours a day. And
the rest of time I translated.
Our section at the conference included only 5 people. I am quite nervous when I make speeches, and excited. Ok, I will cut it short, I read my report and answered some questions - and that made me glad.
The last evening before sightseeing my roommate offered drinking some cognac, there also was a girl, also a postgraduate student. We three had nice conversation and drank and eat sweets and fruit. The girl had to leave that very evening, and I had to translate, damn it. The text was about radionavigation in the USA. Very interesting, actually.
The next morning I started my walk. Yekaterinburg is a highly industrial city, with many plants, but that can be read in the Internet, I suppose. I started from the Vaynera Street, it’s one of the central streets of the city. It is only for pedestrians. From there I walked to the Historical Park and saw the City Pond. It was February, so it was snowy and grey. I also had a walk to the Dendropark, listening to music in my player. I always do. It makes my spirits high, and combined with the
Vaynera Street
A good place to have a walk and rest sights and photographing, it is still more exciting.
My train for home was leaving at seven or eight P.M. So there was plenty of time to walk round the whole centre. I saw the Boris Yeltsin Street, you know, a former president of Russia. That makes me turn to my childhood and remember his presidency. I am not politically-minded, I care very little about politics. Excuse me for deviating from the topic.
Then I crossed the City Pond on the ice, Heading to the Temple-on-Blood. That temple is really awesome, and it reminded me of the Christ-the-Saviour in Moscow. We’ll turn to Moscow a bit later. It is beautiful, standing high with its bright colours.
Actually I find it difficult for me to describe particulars of monuments. Well, first of all, that trip was long ago. May be let the photos speak, though to see a photo is nothing as compared to visiting in person.
I walked along the City Pond embankment, and returned to Vaynera Street to have a meal. I had a full-course business lunch, it tasted good. And then, I sat on one of the benches in the street and had a rest.
I decided to walk on foot to the railway station, since there was plenty of time before the train. It is rather gloomy to walk in winter.
The trip home was more pleasant since nobody made noise.
See you next time.
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