A journey on a tourist train

 A journey on a tourist train
As a child, I did not often travel by train, only during the holidays when I was sent to my grandfather in Belarus. The trip lasted 18 hours, it was quite difficult to spend so much time in the slowly moving and stopping at every turn. Of course, I dreamed of going on a long journey on a beautiful, new train with good friends and cheerful company. By the way, it turns out that a two-story modern train already runs between Kharkov and Kiev! Awesome!
I do not think that I will be able to ride with the breeze on such a beauty! But I remember my youth and do not regret it! I took an active part in the social life of my department at the factory, where I worked back then. The authorities decided to send the best Komsomol members and workers on a trip to three cities. They were Kiev, Moscow and Leningrad. And I was among the lucky ones! Hooray! Young people of my age, cheerful guys and girls, went one evening on an ordinary train, but intended for a special occasion, on an interesting and useful journey! Note that it was in the cold wintertime, but it did not stop or discourage any of us! Conversations, acquaintances, playing the guitar and singing contemporary songs, together with the rumbling wheels and loud voices! I had not had such a good time before then! Nobody slept, everyone was excited, dozing off in the morning, and then we arrived in Kiev!
I really love that city. A few years later, I again found myself on its wonderful streets, wandered around Khreshchatyk Street, visited theaters and went on some excursions. I got a lot of pleasure and joy. On this first visit, I did not manage to walk much around the capital; I spent more time at home. The fact is that, there at that time, were my closest relatives (my aunt and family). I was glad to visit them. Of course, I walked around the city for a bit, visited the park, admired the Dnieper. But I spent most of my time with my aunt and her children.
And the fast train left again in three days. And again, conversations, songs, and arguments until midnight and later, and in the morning, a sweet dream...
In the morning, the conductor announced that we are approaching Moscow! We looked through the windows and could not believe that it was we, Kharkiv citizens, who would soon walk along Red Square, through wonderful historical places and admire the beautiful Moscow! My God, what is happiness for? The train parked somewhere far from the station. We were told that we could walk all day, wherever we want, there will not be organized excursions; we would have a lot of free time. By the way, during the day our staff moved our train several times to other places; I barely found it. I found a stall with oranges right near the station, stood in line, and bought several kilograms of this orange vitamin for my family. Then I found my car, left my purchase there and went to explore the capital of our Motherland. Since that time, I traveled to Moscow many times, but my first impression was the most impactful. I stood and looked at the streets and houses near Kursk station, and was shocked from happiness! Then I arrived at the Red Square, looked around and sat down on the low window sill of a store, GUM, in front of the Lenin Mausoleum. I sat for a long time, watched the changing of the guard, I did not want to move, my happiness was unlimited! With my little money, I had nothing to do at an expensive store. But nothing stopped me from admiring Moscow! Late in the evening, I hardly found my train. That night, in the car there was a dead silence, everyone was fast asleep.
The next day I went to the Tretyakov Gallery, spent almost all day there, got much pleasure from the museum and its exhibits. Back on the train, I talked to the guys and my girlfriends. They told me that they spent the whole day in shops and made many purchases. I had nothing to brag about, except for oranges… But I got aesthetic pleasure.
               
Finally, there was the third, last day in Moscow. I decided to attend the Exhibition of the National Economy.
 
Now the VDNKh is undergoing a grandiose reconstruction, everything looks different. But I also came to the exhibition in the winter season; it was cold and frosty. I decided to visit several pavilions quickly, without delaying in any one for too long. And here I was, runing in a little coat with an artificial collar, in a light cap on the vast territory of the Exhibition. And I could not understand, what had happened? I ran to the door of one pavilion, and it's closed! I run up to the other, it's closed! I ran around the territory, and all the doors were closed! And no one was around; no workers, no visitors. Tired and exhausted, I was looking for at least someone to ask why everything is closed? And there it was! I saw as one man exited out of a cute little house. I ran to him: “Tell me, please, is this pavilion open?” He looked at me in some strange way and replied: “Yes, this pavilion is open…” I rushed into this room with joy and was stunned: in front of me was a public toilet! Well done! This was how I visited VDNKh!
               
Well, I should not end my story on such a sad note! After that, we have still another magnificent city: St. Petersburg. That's what I want to tell you about.
I adore St. Petersburg, because it is a city where beauty and love live. I love it for the modest, quiet streets and the avenues (especially Nevskiy) that amaze with their beauty, for the white nights and proud rivers, for that special atmosphere that always reigns here.
The names of Pushkin and Gogol, Blok and Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov are connected with this creative city.
By the way, I happened to meet A. Pushkin many, many years after that. I was lucky again with a trip to St. Petersburg. On an exchange of teachers between the USA and Russia, I went to Moscow, to Kaluga, Vladimir and other cities. Some of the Americans decided to take the opportunity to visit St. Petersburg. So we did. We spent a wonderful time visiting many famous places, taking part in excursions; the Hermitage made an indelible impression. I helped the Americans to navigate the city, and was an interpreter. Honestly, I was growing tired of the bustle around me, and of the endless questions. One evening, I managed to tear myself away from my friends, I was walking along Nevsky avenue, went to a cafe, joyfully bought some custard cakes, a lemonade, and decided to consume it alone. And now I walk along the street and suddenly I see Pushkin sitting at the table in the window! So much he looked like himself, that I had to climb the frozen stairs and enter this cafe! The joy of seeing him was extraordinary, although on closer inspection I saw that this sculpture is made of wax.
      
And this photo accurately conveys my impressions of winter in Petersburg. I walked here on snow and ice, remembered this weather in Ukraine, falling into the snowdrifts! Pleasure and only!
I will continue my narration. I was inspired by St. Petersburg, its majestic buildings and structures. I love this city for St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Winter Palace, for the Russian Museum and the Admiralty, for the Anichkov Bridge and the Bronze Horseman. I realized all these beauties much later than during this winter excursion. The agents who organized our trip to Leningrad (St. Petersburg) did not think it all through and did not think to warm up the bus. All the windows were frozen, we had to make holes in the ice and look through them at the beauty and sights of the city. Of course, we saw very little. We listened to the guide and turned obediently in the direction that she said. "Look to the right, here is ..." "Look to the left, you see ..." We did not see anything, in particular. But we felt the soul of this magnificent city.
The journey home was calm, the people were very tired and everyone was thinking about the past 10 days. But it was, it turns out, not the end of my adventures. At the station in Kharkov no one met me, my parents went to rest in a sanatorium, and my sister’s husband had just returned from the army on leave. I got on the tram home, entered the hallway, and just wanted to start telling the story of my glorious journey, when I started feeling bad, fainted, and fell to the floor. I got home! It turns out that I was so frozen that I fell ill with the flu. I had traveled nobly!
Some years later, when I was already living in the US and teaching Russian, I managed to return to Moscow several times; to admire its beauties, to sit again on the windowsill of the GUM, see the changing of the guard, and even get to Lenin's Mausoleum. And each time, this trip was impressive and unforgettable! When I came with teachers from the USA to Moscow for the first time, my tears began to flow in excitement on Red Square. When asked by the Americans why I was crying, I answered that I will probably be here for the last time! But a miracle happened, and a year later, I had again returned to this place. The red square met me, as usual, elegant and solemn…
So here’s something to know: Never say never! And at VDNKh I also got to visit many pavilions! They were all open! Hooray!. Wonderful! Unforgettable!
            
               


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