Meet the Parents – The Trans Siberian Rail 

Deciding that I still had plenty of time before I had to leave Russia it was about time I met Elena’s Parents and family. I had got to know fragments about these people through the many letters that Elena had written to my over the last 9 months. Walking into Kazan Station to buy tickets lead me into a childhood dream. When I was a child my grandparents built a house next to the main railway line and I would watch the trains travel down the tracks and around the bend and wonder where they went. I imagined a vast countryside full of fields and forests. Now I was here and about to experience it for real.

Inza Station
Jostling at the counter and handing over my passport for identification, the clerk looked me up and down as if I was some young troublemaker. Elena and I were lucky and managed to get a ticket for the next day although we were travelling in a open carriage and this was a concern for Elena with me being a foreigner. “Keep you camera and passport safe” she said there are many criminals on the train. Great just what I needed for the next 2 days as we traveled 2800km to Chelyabinsk in the heart of the southern Ural Mountains.

We settled in and said our goodbyes to Galina not knowing that we would never meet again. Not sure what to do Elena kind of took over the situation and stowed away our belongings. There is a life on the trains that until you experience it is hard to describe, people selling treats from all parts of the country – Polish glassware, food and drinks and even caviar! We had bought a lot of supplies with us  to save money but we couldn’t resist the Caviar to spread on the brown bread that Elena loved so much. Night was settling on the city and the train started to groan and creak as it made it’s way out of the station. After our light meal of precooked meats and pickles we settled in for the night and were rocked to sleep by the motions of the train.

The next morning came too quickly as we pulled into a small station in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. It had been raining yet the old grandmothers brigade where outside preparing to sell us anything, the smell of cooked food outside was too irresistible and we just had to get out and buy a few supplies for the day and one more night on the train. The day consisted of several stops and us jumping off at any opportunity, we were finally getting to know each other and having fun.

on the train to chelyabinsk

Dawn, as the Trans Siberian train pulled into Chelyabinsk with the clanking of wheels over the points we started to gather up our belongings. I was excited to be going but somewhat sad to be leaving the train, still not knowing where the final destination was for the travelers still moving down the tracks.

Elena’s family had organised some American missionary friends to help us with our luggage as no one in the family has a car. Kelly helped us up the 3 stories of stairs to Elena’s parents apartment and it was good to hear English. I learnt that Kelly & his family lived in the same block of Apartments and were very close to Elena’s younger sister Victoria and her boyfriend.

No one was home so we just sprawled out in the lounge room and had something warm to drink. Elena’s Ex- mother in-law knocked on the door and presented Kirill (Elena’s son) and made a hasty retreat. At almost the same moment Elena announced that she would go and get some groceries for the family and that her Dad would be home from his University Job in a couple of hours. “Look after Kirill” she said and was gone.

Alone , with 3 1/2 year old Kirill staring at me not understanding English. We found a Magna-Doodle write on wipe off board and a couple of balloons to entertain ourselves and the bonding process began.

Alex & Nat

Alexander arrived home and with a formal greeting he managed to take  care of Kirill. It was tense for both of us not really knowing what to say. As if by divine intervention Elena arrived with her mother and and the shopping. and the introductions and getting to know each other began, I wanted them to not make a fuss but it fell on deaf ears.

I was here, in the middle of Russia, but our troubles were still ahead of us….