ExGingi's 3 generation wedding & Pesach trip to Russia.

[ExGingi]

You won't find such vending machines in the US!

[Sam 77]

You won't find such vending machines in the US!

They have a basic first aid vending machine in American dream water park

[JMHO]

Choral Shul pictures.

They don't build Shuls like they used to!

[ExGingi]

They have a basic first aid vending machine in American dream water park

These are contact lenses!!!

[ExGingi]

These pictures (which were posted earlier) are of the small (side) shul in S. Petersburg, ostensibly the Rogotchver davened there. While the main shul was not reform, there was a time when there was music there on Shabbos. The local Chassidim davened in the side shul. It was also commonly used until recently for weekday minyanim. I am not sure when they switched to Davening daily in the large shul.

[EliJelly]

There are similar old grandiose shuls all over Europe. The chiddush with this one how it is so well kept, probably with constant maintenance, and still fully in use.

[ExGingi]

Friday night we were hosted by our cousins Rabbi & Mrs. Lazar with several community members at the Eden Fleishig restaurant. I finally got to see what a seven course meal actually means (though we only had six courses, as dessert wasn't served). Guests were asked to speak. I was told I can choose which language to speak, as it will all be translated. I spoke in Yiddish thanking the hospitality and repeating a point of the Rebbe's farbrengen from Shabbos Metzora 5735, that neither the money nor the kids that we "have" are ours. They belong to the רבש"ע and we are merely his proxies to do the right thing.

On מוצש"ק we stopped at Jerusalem Cafe for Melave Malka before heading back to Raminskoye, 12 adults and 7 kids ₽14,060 + ₽3,000 for service of a party of 10+.

[ExGingi]

One of the soft drinks serves at events is a bright green soda. I thought it might be mint, or lime, but upon trying it I realized that my relationship with it will be similar to the one I have with Root Beer in the US.

My kids gave it various names ranging from Lysol, Detergent, Dish Detergent, Laundry Detergent, etc. It is called Tarchun (Тархун). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarragon#Uses

[ExGingi]

A few words of caution regarding the Russian language. Even if you are familiar with the alphabet (in its various forms), that doesn't mean you can actually say the words you see, as you are likely not to know which syllable gets stressed. Get the stress wrong and you won't be understood.

Sitting at the יא ניסן farbrengen Thursday night, I was surprised that while I probably understood 10% of the Russian words used when Rabbi Lazar spoke, I probably understand 80% of what he said, and it wasn't just the Hebrew words interspersed.

On Shabbos (Friday night, Shabbos day, and דרשת שבת הגדול) I would say my overall comprehension was down to 50% or less, maybe due to crowd/setting.

[ExGingi]

There's a charge for shopping bags, so in almost all stores you will be asked in advance whether you want bags, and how many. Kosher Gourmet is an exception (owned and run by an Israeli).

[ExGingi]

Isn't there Russian coke? (Branded in Russian)

As someone from the community told me, the simple man on the street is unaffected by sanctions. Business with China and India is booming (plenty of Chinese car brands on the streets). And those with money easily bypass sanctions (Mercedes sales in Kyrgyzstan rose exponentially since Russian sanctions were put in place).

In addition to Afghan coke I've seen Georgian, Chinese, Belarussian, and others (can't recall if it was Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz or maybe a few - you get the picture). McDonald's was replaced by M. (М Точка)

[EliJelly]

Where will Pesach be spent in Russia? Moscow, St. Petersburg, Lubavitch, Rostov, or all of the above?

[ExGingi]

Where will Pesach be spent in Russia? Moscow, St. Petersburg, Lubavitch, Rostov, or all of the above?

Ramenskoye

[EliJelly]

Ah, forgoing on 770 only when offered a other 770 instead.

https://vinnews.com/2009/03/31/ramenskoye-russia-architectural-style-of-chabad-%E2%80%98770%E2%80%99-being-built-near-moscow/

[Dan]

One of the soft drinks serves at events is a bright green soda. I thought it might be mint, or lime, but upon trying it I realized that my relationship with it will be similar to the one I have with Root Beer in the US.

My kids gave it various names ranging from Lysol, Detergent, Dish Detergent, Laundry Detergent, etc. It is called Tarchun (Тархун). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarragon#Uses

They sell this at Mamilla Cleveland.
Vile stuff.