Today we had our first snow and visited the charming town of Dmitrov. To reach the town we had to leave the hotel early in the morning and drive for two hours outside of the city. Along the way we passed by the many rings of Moscow and then began to see more open spaces and the countryside. We also were able to see the great canals built by Czar Peter the Great that connect that Moscow River with the Volga River.
The first place we visited in Dmitrov was the gymnasium where our colleague Ivan and his wife work. It was a beautiful school and only four years old. We had a nice breakfast there of pastries and tea and then we were able to meet with students. Unfortunately, we were not given a lot of time to speak with the students, but we used the time well both answering their many questions and asking them our own questions about deliberation. As with other students we have visited the students wanted to know how people pay for higher education in our country (they usually do not have to pay for it in Russia).
After the school we visited the center for educational instruction where Ivan also works. While there we learned about the function the center plays in the community and also a lot about the region of Dmitrov. Something that makes this region special is that it is a region where many athletes live. Every winter the town hosts ski and other winter sports competitions which bring in thousands of spectators.
When these meetings came to an end we were able to explore more of Dmitrov and learn about the interesting history of the town. The first construction of the town was in the 11th century and so they have a very long and interesting history that we learned about as we visited all three of the Dmitrov history museums within the city center. The thing I remember most about the city is its beautiful gold-domed church that was built in the 16th century.
We also had the chance to visit a monastery and a WWII Memorial on our way back to Moscow. The monastery was built in the 1500’s but during the times of the Soviet Union the majority of churches and monasteries such as this were closed. During those years the buildings at this monastery were used as a headquarters for the KGB. Today the monastery is functioning once again.
Last night I ate one of my favorite things that I have had so far. After a very nice dinner of Russian staples such as a beet salad and chicken and potato soup, we all enjoyed blini from Teremok . These pancakes are the Russian version of crepes and can be order with meat, vegetables or sweets inside. I had one with melted chocolate and bananas and it was amazing!
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