Ekaterinburg, Russia

Russia may not love the United States (and most European countries) right now, but I was really excited to cross another intriguing destination off my bucket list. I'll admit that Ekaterinburg wasn't my first choice of Russian cities to visit, but the randomness of it was charming in itself.

For a while, I wasn't even sure if the trip would happen because the visa process was such an ordeal. To apply for a business visa, I needed an official invitation letter from the Russian government, which takes about a month to fulfill. The letter must then be sent (in its original form) to me in Hong Kong, and attached with a series of other forms and government documents that come from my local office. 

When I finally had all the requests in place, I arrived at the consulate and had to wait just for the sake of waiting. When I finally spoke with someone, he informed me that the normal processing time was 2 weeks (which I didn't have enough time for), but I could get it rushed in 3 days for an ridiculous fee. I couldn't help but wonder: Does it really take 2 weeks to attach a sticker in my passport?

At the end, the entire process cost almost US$700, but I had a multiple entry visa for one year. I should have been eligible for a 3-year visa with my American passport, but they said I could only get one year with a rush application. The whole ordeal taught me one thing: Russia clearly does not have a strategy to grow its economy through tourism! 

I flew business class on Aeroflot, which was surprisingly luxurious. The meal was a 7-course dinner (clearly geared towards large Russian people), and the seats were so far apart that I could have squeezed about 3 rows of economy class passengers in my space. I finally arrived in Ekaterinburg around 3AM, but the sun never actually sets in the summer so I was treated to a beautiful mix of amber and violet hues in the sky. 

Landing in Ekaterinburg at 3AM

Unfortunately, my luck ended when I reached the baggage claim and learned that my luggage did not arrive with me. It's no fun to be without any clean clothes after almost 24 hours of traveling, but I was too tired to care at that point. I raised a claim with the attendant (who spoke no English) and searched for my hotel driver. 

The next morning, I met up with my coworker and explored a bit of the city center. Despite having a population of over 1.3 million, Ekat felt like a small city and it was easy to walk almost everywhere. We were both tired from flying (and I was wearing the same clothes from the day before), so we just went through the pedestrian shopping street. The Ruble has fallen drastically this year, so it felt like the entire city was on sale.

The shopping district looked very "Soviet" to me. Lots of square cement buildings, people in ridiculous costumes trying to hand out advertisement pamphlets, and quite a few imposing statues looking down on everyone. None of the people looked particularly happy, although I suppose I wouldn't be happy either if I lived in such an economically depressed country. 

It is difficult for me to pass a status without posing for a picture with it

Not sure what this guy is doing, but it was worthy of a picture

The city did not feel crowded at all. Buildings were all spread far apart from each other, and my hotel was located adjacent to a lake that had a very quaint ambiance. In a complete contrast to me life in Hong Kong, I enjoyed being in a place where I could have some personal space and where I didn't completely stand out from the crowd. 

View from my hotel room

Several of the days had beautiful weather and I was amused to see hundreds of people playing in this giant fountain near the hotel. Some were shooting people with water guns, others were just filling empty soda bottles with water to pour on other people. It was such innocent fun that almost felt like the way America must have been in the older, simpler times. At first, I wondered whether people only get attacked with water from other people they know, but I learned the hard way when a huge container of water was dumped on my head. 

People celebrate warm weather by playing in the public fountain.

There are several beautiful Orthodox churches scattered along the city. The most visible was Cathedral on the Blood, which garnered its name from an imperial execution that happened on the very same land by the Bolsheviks in 1918. The Russian Orthodox church was built on the hill in 2000, which explains the freshness of the building. 

Looking up at the Cathedral on the Blood

I went on a Sunday, so it was busy with worshipers. The entrance on the basement level was filled with religious paintings and statues. People were lighting candles and walking through at a relaxed pace. We then climbed the stairs to reach the main sanctuary, which was actually quite small. No one really stands for very long, but rather, walks through slowly while the priests conduct their prayers. It was interesting to see, but I didn't understand anything that was happening since it was all in Russian. 

A woman lights candles in the basement of the Church on the Blood

People worship in the sanctuary level

From there, we walked along the river to another church that looked inviting with its shiny gold domes. The inside was much less busy than our first destination, but the ambiance and decoration was very similar. 

Outside of Khram Bolshoy Zlatoust Cathedral

Another woman prays at the church

Overall, there really isn't much for tourists to do in Ekaterinburg. The city has a system of very old trams that make the B-Line in Boston look cutting-edge. Even the architecture was largely unremarkable, other than a government building that is impossible to miss. I didn't go inside, but still felt it was worthy of a picture. 

One of the old trams that traverse the city center

Probably the most beautiful (and frightening) building in the city

One day, we went outside the city to visit the Ural Military Glory museum, which (by the name alone) sounded incredibly interesting. Growing up, I have heard about the history of world conflicts from a Western perspective, so I was excited to see how Russians portray their military history. It turns out, the museum was more about displaying military vehicles and other large equipment. 

Tanks lined up outside the museum

Lots of rail equipment from the USSR was available to see

I almost got run over by a train :)

Inside, the display was a lot different. The first level had old luxury cars (which were very chic). There were even some American brands showcased here, which was surprising to me (partially because they are American and partially because I didn't think Ford made luxury cars...)

An old Ford sits proudly among the luxury cars

I'm not sure what this is, but I want one

The next level had cars that normal people would drive around. Even my coworkers were sharing stories about the cars that their parents and grandparents would drive growing up. I have to admit that none of the brands looked even remotely familiar. 

One of many old fashioned cars on display

The top level was mostly military uniforms and other random artifacts from the past century. Overall, I really enjoyed the museum. There were lots of cool things to look at, without feeling like you are being dragged through a history lesson. 

Old military uniforms looked surprisingly fashionable to me

On the way back to the city, we decided to stop inside another Russian Orthodox church that looked interesting. The architecture was more traditional, and we were lucky enough to witness a service going on. The men were allowed inside with shorts, but my female coworker was required to cover her head out of respect. Again, I had no clue what was happening but I find it interesting to witness how different religions conduct their weekly services. 

Front gate of the church near Ural Military Glory museum

People worship inside the cathedral

Much different than the onion-domed cathedrals in the city

Overall, Ekaterinburg was a very cute and interesting place to visit. However, it was quite obvious that the economy is struggling and that life is not easy for people living there. I was lucky to visit during one of the few warm periods, but I would be absolutely miserable if I had to spend an entire winter there. Compared to Hong Kong, it was really nice to have wide open space and fresh air, but I definitely missed the vibrant and forward-looking atmosphere. Time to go back home.