Anna & Vronsky Dance - from the most recent filmic adaptation of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.

The pivotal waltz scene in Joe Wright's filmic adaptation of Anna Karenina is gorgeous, if you haven't seen it. Beautiful film, shot and produced with an incredible eye for detail. I enjoyed it even more than the book....

The Music of Dimitri Shostakovich

I once spent 3 awkward months sharing a college dorm room with a quiet, unassuming student from Japan who couldn't speak a word of English.  He was a gifted clarinetist, who had gained admission to Oberlin's prestigious Conservatory of Music and had somehow, through the absurdity of fate found himself housed with me, a quirky Bengali-American insomniac equally out of place in small town Ohio. We were beyond an odd couple. Even now, in retrospect, I realize I can't even remember his name, and considering that I strive to learn from and appreciate everyone who crosses my path, that's a quite a testament to the language barrier between us. Or maybe it's an indictment of how self-involved I was at age 19. In any case, I only have a few token memories of my old roommate, one of which is watching him spend night after night hunched over his desk, meticulously whittling clarinet reeds into the wee hours of the mornings, a tribute to his instrumental prowess and fanatical dedication to his instrument. He spent a few short months in my room before departing from my legendary hippie dorm and finding a safer, more appropriate place for him on campus. But before he left he did happen to introduce me to the music of Shostakovich, which was the kind of providential  encounter that left a mark that's lasted almost 20 years. I'm not a classical musician, by any means, but anyone with an ear for composition can recognize the genius of one of the Soviet Union's most gifted musical talents...

Read a little about Dmitri Shostakovich. His life and work were completely and utterly shaped by the times he lived in. Once a darling of the Soviet state, he fell from favor under Stalin, and saw his fortunes change dramatically as a consequence. He wrote a symphony under siege in Leningrad during WWII, which was performed by underfed, starving musicians as a tribute to Soviet fortitude under duress. He led an astonishing life, a movie-worthy journey filled with a litany of personal and political challenges that most people today can't even fathom, and he ultimately left behind a profound body of work that shaped the soundtrack of the 20th century for the Soviet Union. He is one of countless artists whose life and work help constitute the rich cultural heritage of 21st century Russia. Have a listen to the cello concerto above, played by Mstislav Rostropovich, another legendary musician. Again, I am by no means a classical musician. But I can appreciate virtuosity, even in forms and styles I don't engage with much. This is a phenomenal performance of an impressive piece of music. I look at Shostakovich and I marvel at what the people have endured in the last 100 years. To live and prosper and create stunning beauty under a totalitarian regime is a testament to the human spirit, and also a spectacle worth considering as we step forward into the brave new world of the future.

  

Dinner @ the Conservatory

Had a lovely dinner at the roof of our hotel, overlooking the Kremlin and Bolshoi theater. This isn't my pic, but I didn't have a camera handy so this will have to do. Had some pumpkin risotto, jamon iberico, & a nice expresso. It was nice to catch up with my old boss and trade grievances before we get down to business tomorrow morning. The gorgeous view put things in perspective. Rosalie and I visited this city before, in April 2011, but that was a long two years ago, and this promises to be a much different week. I'm grateful to have an opportunity to see this place again, through older, hopefully wiser eyes. I hope I'm open enough to get a deeper sense of it...

Old Apartment Blocks

There's a lot of run down multistory apartment buildings on the drive into Moscow from the airport. There a characterless uniformity to these buildings that really jumps out at me, and feels reminiscent of some of the public housing projects that blighted the skyline of Chicago for decades. I wrote about these government buildings the last time I visited and I found myself staring at them again on the way in. Here's an interesting slideshare document called "The History of Public Space in Soviet Mass Housing Developments." Interesting pics. The spaces we design shape the culture that emerges there. Have a look.

The History of Public Space in Soviet Mass Housing Developments from Future Faculty

Epic Rap Battles: Rasputin vs. Stalin vs. Gorbachev vs. Putin vs. Lenin

If you don't know this series, Epic Rap Battles of History, this might not be for you. It's ridiculous, yes, and this episode is especially preposterous, but I still find the premise pretty amusing. Or not. Russia's history is full of deep, rich characters, who in today's irreverent world seem especially ripe for spoofing. 

Border Crossings

Long travel day. 20+ hours from door to door, including a long layover in Seoul. Landed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport around 6 pm and spent an hour getting through immigration and customs. Some countries feel welcoming when you first set foot in them, while others come across as much more guarded. Russia feels unassailable, which is a perception that develops when you first begin the laborious process of trying to obtain a visa. The forms are long and elaborate, and you get a sense that no one in charge is in any hurry to let you into the country. I suppose people could say that about many countries, but I find Russian government officials to be somewhat intimidating, as holders of absolutely unreasonable levels of arbitrary power. Here's a quick little sketch of the visa section of the Russian consulate in Bangkok: Enter through a unmarked steel door, walk through an unplugged metal detector, into a small anteroom filled with 15 people sitting around ill-placed couches. A queue machine occupies one corner, next to a dozing security guard, and in an adjoining room of the same size, 40 people are crowded around a single window, behind which an unsmiling official calls out queue numbers and invites and dismisses people at his leisure. All the signage is in Russian, and the room is full of anxious people filling out copious forms and wondering how long they'll have to spend before being granted an audience with a consulate official. The whole scene s a portrait of dysfunction and bureaucracy, and this is for many their first impression of Russia. The feeling at this office in Bangkok is not too different from what you find at the airport upon arrival... I don't believe in borders. Actually, that's not quite true, so let me clarify. In a world where corporations are allowed to traverse national boundaries with impunity, through free-trade agreements like those that created NAFTA and the Eurozone, I think it's unfair to enforce harsh prohibitive boundaries preventing the free flow of people to and from different nations. If capital can move across borders without being taxed or policed, people should be able to as well. I realize this is a minority opinion, but it's something I believe in strongly. We spend far too much time defending arbitrary lines in the sand, and giving meaning to them. I guess this comes up today because as I stood waiting for the indifferent immigration officer to flip through my passport and stamp my entry, I found myself looking at all the people around me and wondering about their journeys... Must we police people's movements? Must be restrict entry into the privileged realms of the planet? The world would be a kinder, more cohesive place if travel was less burdensome, if governments were more welcoming, and if trade was easier... Right? Or have I not thought this through clearly?

Join the Moscow Creative Parade

The good folks at LB/Moscow sent this hilarious little video out to the attendees of the 2Q13 GPC. It's nice to work with folks who have a sense of humor.