Per a recent assignment, Schuyler and I made an intentional visit to one of Moscow’s much less touristy areas, the Maryina roshcha (Марьина роща) district north of the city center. This provided an impetus to get away from the hustle, bustle, and sense of relative wealth one inevitably feels in the areas around Red Square. Moreover, we were tasked with interviewing at least one Muscovite native to the district. The challenge piqued my interest.
As I ascended the steps out of the Maryina roshcha metro station, I was immediately struck by how comparatively grey everything was. Multistory buildings, restaurants, and even trees and grass seemed shrouded in ash. I remember thinking to myself, “This must be the real Moscow.” Khrushchev-era apartment buildings, looking worn, towered around me, although there were a few relatively new structures to be seen. I headed to a nearby cafe, tucked away amongst more grey, looming buildings where Schuyler was waiting.
Braving the chilling rain, we set out for the Jewish Community Center, just several blocks away. After we were screened at the door by security, we stepped further in and looked around. Schuyler had already been there once for Seder, but this was my first visit. I was struck by how brand-new everything was. Later we learned that the building is less than 20 years old; the old structure was gutted in a fire. We put on yarmulkes, entered the synagogue, and asked an elderly man if we could have a few minutes of his time. He seemed reluctant, but he pointed us to an office where two women in their 30s were sitting.
We sat down, and thankfully they were willing to answer our questions. Maryina roshcha has long been a locus of Russian Jewish life, even throughout the tumultuous years of the Soviet Union, in which Jews experienced perpetual discrimination and even violence. Our hosts explained that now, however, they feel very safe in the neighborhood and even receive financial help from the government. President Putin himself visited the Center when it opened shortly after the turn of the century. Also, a block or two from the JCC stands a museum dedicated to Jewish history and tolerance; this establishment receives funding from the state as well. For these two women and many others who call the district home, the fall of the Soviet Union clearly brought about a number of positive changes.
Although we only spent half an hour at the JCC, I felt an overwhelming sense of community permeating the building and those who were working, worshiping, and simply visiting. In the middle of one of the largest cities in the world, in an ostensibly run-down, melancholy neighborhood, the people of Maryina roshcha have found a place they can rightfully call home. However unnatural and discomfiting the drab concrete seems at first glance, a closer look reveals a complex character, a rich, complicated history, and a place full of people who know their home intimately and there find comfort.
During another walk around the area several days later with one of our Russian assistants, Liza, we learned that centuries ago, Maryina roshcha was a lush, beautiful green area within the city. Although the landscape has changed dramatically, one can still feel the calm offered by a natural environment. This is what Maryina roshcha is for its inhabitants: a sanctuary, a safe haven, a home.
