I remember earlier in this term one of our professors jokingly described our trip on the Trans-Siberian Railroad would be like sitting in jail for three days. We all laughed off what was clearly a joke but as the time flew by in Moscow and then in Siberia, I started to think more about that […]
In the Kremlin armory, there’s an ornately crafted Faberge egg, given by Nicholas II to his wife Alexandra. It celebrates the Trans-Siberian Railway, which was a project under Nicholas’s leadership when he was Tsarevich. Inside the egg is a minute replica of the royal train. While the real train wasn’t made out of silver, I’m […]
Smells have always had the power to transport me to past experiences and memories. I love smelling pumpkin pie and associating it with the comfort of my kitchen at home and being warm and cozy next to the fireplace. I hate the smell of rooms that are empty and clean and cold, because they remind […]
Construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began at the turn of the 20th century. Today, the map is quite extensive, carrying passengers and supplies across Russia, central Mongolia, and Manchuria. Constructing a railway was no easy task, and at first the map did not look like this. Lake Baikal, covered in ice for six months of […]
Our coupe on the Trans-Siberian. Owen Yager photo I’m starting to write this post on the first morning of a train ride that will take us from Irkutsk, on the western shore of Lake Baikal, to Moscow. We got on this train some twelve hours ago; in total, we will be on this train for three […]