Rivethnoexp. Part III. Gorodets, Nizhny Novgorod, Kozmodemyansk, Cheboksary, Kazan, Tetyushi
July Every bridge over a navigable channel always has a sign indicating the direction of the current. If we see a red diamond, it means we’re going downstream. If it’s a square—upstream. It’s easy to remember: the diamond resembles the shape of a ship’s keel, cutting through the waves with ease. And a square would hardly be able to swim at all; it encounters much more resistance from the water, which means we’re going against the current. Boats are supposed to try and pass directly under these signs.  GorodetsMapMore locks.  An ancient city.  We urge you to keep our ancient city clean and tidy! Trash dumpsters with the punny inscription “For a clean Gorodets” (gorodets means “little city” in Russian).  The trash cans are all made of metal mesh and painted light blue.  The police have set themselves up a spiffy stall.  Police. 1 Kutuzov St. Unexpected lush gardens in front of a Khrushchev-era apartment block.  A bulletin board which used to be a PSA in its better days.  Do not leave... Ulyanovsk Shoe Factory invites you to a shoe sale event September 17th, 10 a.m.—6 p.m. at Severny Community Cultural Center. Natural leather shoes for the entire family. Manufacturer’s prices Vox populi.  Whoever wrote this likes to lick matrons’ clitts A most rare artifact still exists here: a sign with the house number and the name of the owner.  M. Gorky St. No. 113. Chernonebov E.S. Overall, I’d say Gorodets is very pleasant.  Gorodets. Newsstand Albeit small.  Nizhny NovgorodMapAn aerial tramway across the river is being built.  The city is incredibly lovely. Well, meaning the old part, of course.  The one with the citadel (or kremlin, as they’re all called in Russia).  Even the people here are special somehow—they get together in the park and play chess. Instead of getting trashed on Four Loko.  Which is what everyone does on the other side of the river.  KozmodemyanskMapWe could already see from the water that some kind of action was happening in the city.  An annual holiday celebration was taking place that day: the Benderade, in honor of Ostap Bender (the protagonist of the famous Soviet satirical novel The Twelve Chairs).  This is something that Kozmodemyansk has in common with Elista.  Great fun was had by all.  The entire city gathered for a street party.  People danced.  And enjoyed themselves.  Riot Police Great fun was had by all.  The city itself is rather small.  No one noticed that the phone number, which is the reason the text on the sign ends with a colon, ended up on the other side of the banner. 
The local trash cans consist of a plastic bag on a stick. Almost like in Paris.  Great fun was had by all.  After dancing and eating cold shish-kebabs, everyone proceeded to the waterfront to see the promised fireworks.  And the fireworks were delivered.  A half-hour earlier than scheduled, because either the mayor or the governor got so wasted that they just couldn’t wait.  Great fun was had by all.  CheboksaryMapA trash can (almost like in Gorodets, only orange).  I’ve always wondered why designers’ unions and contemporary art centers inevitably have such hideous visual identities and signage.  Contemporary Art Center Patriotic payphones.  A pedestrian underpass to the beach.  Beach Your Christian faith or your bathing suit—you decide.  Taxis don’t stop in the street in Cheboksary. You either have to call one to come pick you up, or know where taxis usually stand waiting for passengers to come to them. KazanMapKazan residents enjoy their evening swim.  What a great solution: a bus stop that spans the entire sidewalk.  Smoke break.  Across the street from the maternity hospital.  Thank you for the twins, my love!!! Thank you for our daughter!!! Most of the flyers are ads for loans.  Attention! Money in Kazan!!! Workers needed for teardown of condemned buildings. Daily pay. Money, 100% guarantee. Now hiring workers for general labor, loading. Daily pay. Money—loans in 30 minutes. Money—cash in 30 minutes, 7 days a week Learning the Tatar language.  Bazaars Collective Farm—Collective Farm Market A V.P. Engelhard Astronomical Observatory staffer points out her favorite star.  TetyushiMapYou never know what sort of slogan a place with a name like Tetyushi will adopt.  Tetyushi. Let there be eternal peace on the planet! * * * In a dry dock near Kazan, an investigative committee examines the Bulgaria, a pleasure boat which sank a few days before the start of our expedition and has now been hauled up from the bottom of the river.  |
