First Impressions

Where on earth is Tomsk? When I signed up for a term in Siberia, I had no idea. But I can tell you now! It’s in south west Siberia, above China and Kazakhstan. And yes, it is miles away, with a 6 hour time difference from British Summer Time. It also turns out to be quite an interesting city. First of all, it is not cold. In fact it has been about 22 degrees everyday and the sun has shined like it would on the Mediterranean. The city takes pride in its famous wooden houses which are beautiful although sadly a bit rundown. Despite selling itself as Siberia’s oil and gas centre, it is not a very big city and is not even directly on the Trans-Siberian Railway (I think Novosibirsk deserves the title more). But don’t get me wrong, it is much more cosmopolitan than one would expect, boasting shops such as Levi and Calvin Klein, and 7 universities! As a result, the youth of Tomsk are the city’s heart and soul and therefore there is a good reason for why I am here.

The past 4 days since my arrival have been overwhelming. For starters, how can Russian girls walk in 4 inch stilettos all day, every day? And how can it be acceptable to keep bears in cages next to restaurants? And why do the babushkas still live like peasants, when the majority can afford not to? It is all very bizarre, and only one adjective springs to mind... It is all very Russian.

Our first excursion was lead by our teacher, Natasha, who suggested we went to see her dacha. We whizzed out of Tomsk in the black, leather seated 4x4 BMW and suddenly we were in the middle of nowhere. The other side of the River Tom’ (the city is based to the east of the river) is bare, and soon we are in the well-known and never-ending Siberian forest. It is just what one would expect- a lot of trees and not a lot else. But it is very impressive, and the mushrooms that can be found within it provide a lot of babushkas with a day’s entertainment, as they scavenge for the edible fungi and then sell them on the roadside in large buckets.


Natasha’s dacha is a “posh dacha”. It has a banya (a Russian sauna), a beautiful and well-maintained garden with a view of the River, and Jane Austen’s literary works lay casually on a chair within the wooden walls. Despite being called ‘posh’ it was quite enlightening to see what a Russian would consider a ‘country house’ and how they like to spend their free time. Quite a few of the surrounding dachas had all sorts of fruit and vegetables in their gardens and they evidently pride themselves on their home grown products.
The next stop was a shashliki (a Turkish kebab which is very popular in Russia) restaurant, which was just outside of Tomsk, standing alone except for a large cage to its right. This is where we spotted the bears. These enormous creatures had been captured (apparently their mothers had been killed by poachers) and kept behind bars. It was a sad sight, and the poor bears did not even seem to notice our presence, instead they sat looking bored and lifeless.

The cafes in Tomsk are the best place to find wi-fi, and reasonably nice coffee (at a price). One of my favourites is “Boulangerie”. Its name is evidently taken from the French for baker, yet its decor and ‘French delicacies’ would offend a passing Frenchman. However, they always have a nice atmosphere, offer a range of drinks and ‘torti’ (cakes), all at reasonable prices, and the wifi is speedy!

I have not yet mentioned hot water issue in the Babushka’s flat, where I am living. It is normal that the hot water is turned off in summer months, apparently there are repairs that need doing, but it seems odd that they need to be done at the same time each year for months on end. This was one of the first culture shocks I was met with when I arrived but I was kindly informed that it would be turned on soon, it was just a matter of when. Sunday was the day! I was just preparing myself was a scrub in the sink, when I heard Tatiana (the Babushka) shout from the kitchen, “HOT WATER! I can do the washing up!” On the subject of Tatiana, she is delightful. She told me the other evening that she had been a singing teacher and burst into song. I sat awkwardly on the sofa, admiring her grand collection of tea spoons and mini bells, whilst she sung me «Катюша» and «Тёмная Ночь» (for anyone who knows Russian songs). Every day she makes me breakfast and supper. To most Europeans, breakfast is a very different meal from lunch or dinner, but in Russia there is little to distinguish meals because they all are the same. One must eat meat at every meal (often several kinds of meat alongside fish and eggs) and the origin of this meat is unknown, whether it be from a cow, pig, chicken or dog, it does not seem relevant. I cannot say that any of this is delicious, I eat it for its energy content not its taste... It also struck me the other day that I have not used a knife yet for any of this meals - usually an essential piece of cutlery, it remains absent from the table.

The cuisine is not a disappointment. Russian food has a reputation for a reason! Nevertheless it would not be fair to say that everything is disgusting. The usual staples such as bread, pasta and rice all appear and the supermarket shelves offer Activia yogurts and Rye vita. “Pastamama” restaurant (a Russo-Italian copy of Wagamama perhaps?) embraces European cuisine and a chicken breast with grilled vegetables costs about 300 rubles (about £6), which would revive any European suffering from a meat-and-potato overload.
Yesterday I went to the opening of a photography exhibition at the art museum. It began with a talk, which started well, but by the end the microphone had been hijacked by a passing madman who proclaimed his respect for the photographer and gave a speech which completely lacked sense. The photos were amazing, very abstract and gave an interesting take on everyday city images.

We met some girls at the university who took us to their student halls. They are renowned for being grim. The bedrooms mostly have 2 bunk beds, a fridge, microwave, a desk and some wardrobe space. There is one shower per block, which therefore means that they have to wash in the sink.  Although they are far from luxury, the students pay 1000 rubles (£20) per year so they cannot really complain!

To end this blog entry, my first impressions of Tomsk are very positive. Everyone is very friendly, there are some beautiful buildings and the youthful atmosphere makes it a fun place for a foreign student. This next week shall hopefully include some student activities, and we have been invited to the Irish Pub (!) on Friday night with some Russian students...