September 18 - Birobidzhan

In Birobidzhan, we were met at the train station by Maya (R) and Sasha (L), who -- like almost all of the contacts we have along the way -- we had never met before. In keeping with the hospitality we've been shown by all our Russian contacts, Maya soon had piled the table full of homemade dishes, while Sasha openned a bottle of Bulgarian cognac. After dinner, Sasha suggested we go out for a drive and take in the sights of Birobidzhan. Within five minutes, we had seen it all: the bank, the hotel, the market place, the police station, the hospital and the city's crown jewel, the Philharmonic, where we stopped and took a little walk. At this point, we thought our little tour of downtown Birobidzhan was complete, but we were mistaken. We had yet to see the cemetery.
Battling vicious mosquitoes, we strolled through the cemetery where Maya showed us her parents' grave. She cleaned off some dirt that had collected on her mother's grave during the last rains. Russian cemeteries can be really quite pleasant places. Each family plot is separated by a decorative iron fence. Inside the fence and next to the grave there is usually a small wooden table and chairs. Families will often come and spend an afternoon eating and drinking with their lost loved ones.


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