On April 6 the sun came out and the thermometer hit 50F: Moscovian spring had begun. It might seem odd that I remember the exact date, but after 2 and a half months of resembling a marshmallow, it was a miracle to walk around without a coat and only a long sleeve shirt. After class that day I set off for what turned out to be a 3 hour wander around Moscow; for the first time the streets were filled with people and I realized that yes, people actually live in this city. It was great to finally get out and explore while still being able to feel my face.
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| View over the river |
For the next two months aimless walks became a regular for me and I gathered a much better sense of the city. In late April and May tourists started to crowd the streets and all types of vendors and performers set up shop on the Arbat (a large pedestrian street); it was great to see the city come to life.
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| Arbat street |
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| New shops set up on Arbat street, waiting to open. |
I've got to say, life was much more enjoyable during the springtime than in the winter; I never thought grass would make me so happy. The only downside to this whole warm weather thing is that the dorm didn't turn off our heat until mid-May so our rooms were always toasty. Holding out for a May snowstorm or what? Additionally, I thought the Russian natives would be the first to ditch their coats and I fully expected to see them wearing shorts at 60F. However, they always seemed to be bundled up; even in mid-May I saw people wearing light coats. Why? I myself was wishing I had brought shorts for the last couple weeks of the semester, but the weather was definitely still bearable in jeans.
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| Library of Lenin |
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| Near the Kremlin |
The spring went by so much more quickly than the winter but I suppose that happens everywhere. I'm really glad I was here in the spring as going from fall to winter would be pretty hard. Basically, if you're going to visit Russia, maybe do it when there isn't 2 feet of snow on the ground.
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Emily Gentles is spending the spring 2018 semester studying math in Moscow.
Read more from Emily at
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