"We don't go to America"
halm...@my-deja.com
We have heard from Peteris about the
racist and Nazi haven created by Lithuanian
emigres in Chicago. In that the door is now
open I thought that I might repost a description
(if a somewhat kinder one) of a little
bit of russkieland created by russkie emigres.
Best - - Henry
The Electric Telegraph (UK)
29 April 2000
Remember the Cold War?
Brighton Beach is home to Russia's emigrés. Here you are assailed by
the smells, sounds, queues and even the rudeness of the Soviet Union.
Vitali Vitaliev investigates
In the course of their trans-American travels during 1935 and 1936, Ilf
and Petrov bumped into only one compatriot - a Ukrainian from
Volhynia selling popcorn in Schenectady, New York State.
These days, they would have had many such encounters. In New York
City alone there now live more than a million Russian speakers - washed
up on US shores by waves of Soviet (and later Russian) emigration.
The Russian network of modern New York is as thick and branchy as a
Siberian fir. It incorporates more than 50 newspapers in
American-accented Russian (for those who haven't quite learnt English
yet) and one in Russian-accented English (for those who have all but
forgotten their Russian); countless Russian restaurants, where one can
get borscht, caviar, vodka and, occasionally, food poisoning; Russian
bookshops, bath-houses, surgeries and funeral homes. People
concluding business deals on their mobile phones, in a curious mixture
of Russian and English, have become a common sight in Manhattan,
Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, which the Russians jokingly refer
to as Bronsk.
Had Ilf and Petrov come to New York in the year 2000, they would
definitely have visited Brighton Beach, an area in south-east Brooklyn
bordering Coney Island. In the past 25 years, 150,000 Soviet emigrants,
mostly from Odessa, have settled there, radically altering the face of
the
neighbourhood. Formerly regarded as "a retired poor man's Miami
Beach", it is now known as "Little Odessa".
Not worth a visit in the 1930s, when, according to the 1939 WPA
Guide to New York, Brighton Beach was but "a densely populated
year-round residential area, with closely packed apartment houses", or
even in the early 1970s, when it was a crime-ridden ghost town, it is
now one of the most idiosyncratic places in New York. To go there is to
step back 20 to 30 years, into a country that doesn't exist any more:
the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Spiritually, linguistically and psychologically, Brighton Beach is not
part
of the US. "We don't go to America. We have nothing to do there," its
residents like to say. An American, arriving there by accident, stands
out
and gets stared at - like an Eskimo in the streets of Abu Dhabi.
On a wet morning, when Manhattan resembled a post-modernist version
of Venice and the shoe-cleaners near Grand Central Station were
earning more in one hour than during the whole of July, I left the
United
States and boarded a B-line subway train to Brighton Beach.
My wobbly carriage resembled an Aeroflot plane of the 1980s. Having
crawled through China Town, covered with spider-like hieroglyphic
graffiti, the train rattled across Manhattan Bridge and entered
Brooklyn,
whose littered streets and battered red-brick houses were full of
Soviet-style despair. Having heard a lot about the dangerous types who
ride the subway during the day, I looked around nervously and kept my
hands in my pockets (which were empty anyway).
Soon, I concluded that I was the most dangerous type on the train,
simply because for most of the trip I was alone in my carriage: no one
in
his right mind - not even beggars or muggers - would think of going to
the Soviet Union by New York subway in the middle of a working day.
Nearly two hours later, I got off the train in Coney Island Avenue -
Brighton Beach's own "Broadway". It was raining, and the wind from
the ocean grabbed my umbrella like a street bully, trying to break it in
two. The whole neighbourhood, lying in the shadow of the elevated
railway, looked like the interior of a huge neglected house with leaking
roof.
I was surrounded by painfully familiar smells and sounds. The air reeked
of borsht and fried pirozhki (meat pies). In front of me, a fat angry-
faced
lady was telling off a young woman pushing a pram: "Button up your
baby, mother, or you will freeze it to death!"
Almost all signs were in Russian: "Michael Kozhin - American Dentist",
"Footwear from Italy", "Best Goods" (a one-dollar shop selling hats,
toys, suitcases and tacky postcards), "Cheap Goods from Russia" (this
shop was Chinese-owned), "We Accept Foodstamps" and "Bella Works
Here".
Having resisted the temptation to see Bella at work, I wandered off to
the nearest Gastronom (food shop). Inside, there was a queue for
cut-price concentrated orange juice. As in the Soviet Union, one had to
queue for the cash desk first and then for the counter, behind which a
busty blonde in a grubby apron was unhurriedly handing over the
coveted cartons. "Are you buying it or not, woman?" she shouted at a
little old lady, whose decrepit shopping trolley squeaked like a Moscow
tram turning the corner. The queue was regularly jumped by
rough-looking men buying packets of Marlboro - without a whisper of
protest from anyone.
The whole scene struck me as utterly un-American, for in the US,
according to The Americans: A Study in National Character by Geoffrey
Gorer, even "the smallest purchase should be accompanied by a smile,
and the implied assurance that the vendor is delighted and privileged to
serve you". People did not smile in the Gastronom; facial expressions
fluctuated between uncomplaining indifference towards the customers
and "the implied assurance" of the vendor that she had a personal
vendetta against everyone in the queue . . .
I couldn't tear my gaze from the vatrushki (cheese pies) - like those I
used to have for my school lunches; from fat-oozing salo, a pure pork
lard that can be sliced and eaten with bread; from dusty bottles of
Troika kvas, a mildly alcoholic drink, made of yeast and rye bread; and
from other culinary delights of my previous Soviet life.
"Can I have a cabbage pie, please?" I asked the salesgirl politely, when
my turn came. "Are you flirting with me, or what?" she snarled. She
must not have heard the word "please" since childhood.
There were no self-service food stores in Brighton Beach, where,
despite the over-abundance of food, shopping for it remained a
masochistic Soviet experience, featuring totally superfluous cash desks,
rude salesgirls and queues to be jumped.
Not so in numerous music stores, where I was allowed to browse on my
own, having deposited my shoulder-bag with a blue-faced attendant in
exchange for a nomerok - a soiled piece of cardboard with a number.
"We've got plenty of Russian criminal folklore," an attendant told me
proudly, inviting me to look at a stand holding hundreds of tapes and
CDs. Do I look like an underworld type?"
I ventured into "Parikmakherskaya", a barber's shop run by Syoma, an
old Jew from Minsk and a former "Soviet activist" (in his words).
Squinting to ensure he didn't chop off my ears, he complained of his
life
in Brighton Beach: "We are besieged by home-grown gangsters. The
other day they killed a jeweller. Burst into his shop and shot him in
broad daylight. And took the jewellery."
"The Mafia? Which Mafia?" Liova, a leading Brighton Beach
businessman, raised his bushy eyebrows in response to my question. "All
this Russian Mafia bull was invented by New York City fathers, who
hate us for being so entrepreneurial and successful."
He proceeded to tell me how they were slowly but surely driving
Africans and Puerto Ricans from the area, and I suddenly realised why
music of the underworld was in such great demand in Brighton Beach.
The people, having for generations had to cheat the Soviet system to
survive, were finding it hard to change their way of thinking. Some of
the scams originating from Brighton Beach, such as the sale of
water-dissolved petrol to gas stations across America, stunned the
country by their crafty simplicity. Talking of the so-called Russian
Mafia, an NYPD spokesman once noted: "It is much easier to
deal with a criminal who breaks the law than with a person who doesn't
know that the law exists."
By mid-afternoon the rain stopped, and couples of elderly immigrants,
wearing that indelible "I am waiting to be hurt" expression, could be
seen strolling along the wet wood-paved boardwalk. From time to time
they would stop and stare at the ocean, as if trying to discern the
outlines of their native Odessa on the horizon. Some of them would
later go to Odessa Restaurant, where a local bard, Willie Tokarev,
performs his nostalgic songs. In one, he calls Brighton Beach "a gipsy
encampment". True, its residents are as rootless and as gipsies, but
unlike gipsies they have stopped wandering.
It was with relief that I boarded the train back to America. Half a day
in
a country that no longer existed had been more than enough.
To while away the journey, I leafed through a thick Russian rag. My
attention was captured by this ad: "Never!!! The Weiner Brothers'
funeral parlour will never refuse service to Russian Jews!" I remembered
that in "the regional centre of N.", a fictitious Russian town,
described
by Ilf and Petrov in their brilliant novel The Twelve Chairs, there was
a
"Do Us the Honour" Funeral Home. Had the writers not been dead for
60 years, I could have believed they had visited modern Brighton Beach.
Vitali Vitaliev was assisted by the New York Travel Advisory Bureau.
Call (09060) 40 50 60 for a free copy of its guideand a discount card.
Vitaliev's new book, 'Borders Up!', published this monthby Simon &
Schuster.
******
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Vladimir Makarenko
halm...@my-deja.com wrote:
> For educational purposes only:
>
> We have heard from Peteris about the
> racist and Nazi haven created by Lithuanian
> emigres in Chicago.
poor Henry - couldn't pick up the worst timing to fling the article: how
unfortunate the feeble minded Latvian Nazi gone on the murderous spree
exactly at the time.My condolences.
> In that the door is now
> open I thought that I might repost a description
> (if a somewhat kinder one) of a little
> bit of russkieland created by russkie emigres.
>
> Best - - Henry
>
But after all the article is amusing:
1. Brighton Beach is not "home" to Russian émigrés. It is Ukrainian - Jewish
Community.
2. Russian community (never been there) is in Queens, Jackson Heights.
3. I personally been to B.B. and never observed there the scenes described
below (the rudeness in particular). Nor I saw any distressed people. And
this is a place to be to contemplate the Ocean from the Board walk.
4. Resume: the article deserved to be published in "Pravda" circa 1974.
Henry - are you a commie?
5. Whoever (or whatever) is " Vitaliy Vitaliev", "Petr Petrov" or " Jonhn
Johns" it is propaganda because even Mr. Holman with his (extremely) poor
Russian would recognize that the people speak South Ukraine variant of
Russian.
6. Henry, you lost the propaganda war as usual. Next time you read about
gardens on the Moon or food shortage in Kremlin - check it out before
posting.
VM.
halm...@my-deja.com
mal...@bellatlantic.net wrote:
From: halminas <halm...@email.msn.com>
Subject: Re: "We don't go to America"
Date: Thursday, May 04, 2000 10:47 AM
- - snip - -
>poor Henry - couldn't pick up the worst timing to fling the article:
how
>unfortunate the feeble minded Latvian Nazi gone on the murderous spree
>exactly at the time.My condolences.
>
>> In that the door is now
>> open I thought that I might repost a description
>> (if a somewhat kinder one) of a little
>> bit of russkieland created by russkie emigres.
>>
>> Best - - Henry
>
>>
>
>But after all the article is amusing:
>
Jewish
>Community.
>
>2. Russian community (never been there) is in Queens, Jackson Heights.
>
>3. I personally been to B.B. and never observed there the scenes
described
>below (the rudeness in particular). Nor I saw any distressed people.
And
>this is a place to be to contemplate the Ocean from the Board walk.
>
>4. Resume: the article deserved to be published in "Pravda" circa 1974.
>Henry - are you a commie?
>
>5. Whoever (or whatever) is " Vitaliy Vitaliev", "Petr Petrov" or "
Jonhn
>Johns" it is propaganda because even Mr. Holman with his (extremely)
poor
>Russian would recognize that the people speak South Ukraine variant of
>Russian.
>
>6. Henry, you lost the propaganda war as usual. Next time you read
about
>gardens on the Moon or food shortage in Kremlin - check it out before
>posting.
>
>VM.
Vlad declares war and victory simultaneously. Not too surprising
coming from a russkie - they do tend to have rather loose
definitions for words like "victory". "liberation" etc. etc.
His opening salvo consists of citing a news article about a man who has,
apparently, gone around the bend while working as an immigration
lawyer. That is perfectly understandable if the poor fellow had to
process russkie applicants. That is not to make light of the matter
however. People died and their families are suffering also, no doubt,
the man and his family are suffering.
In that it is a human tragedy we can not expect Vlad to work up
an understanding or sympathy - his childhood training wasn't in that
direction. Vlad goes in for more massive killing sprees - as exhibited
by his compatriots in Chechnya. Things must, however, move on the
scale of at least thousands - with rape and looting included. Why
bother otherwise? And it is, after all, a good ol' russkie tradition.
Now that is the real patriotic thing - with immediate rewards.
As to the description of little russkieland - that was lifted out of
an English-language russkie publication. If you are still unhappy,
however, I will be happy to post a description of some of
your compatriots right here in Denver. It is, however, substantially
less kind than the one I posted. Have a good war Vlad. At least
in this one your aren't liable to end up dead and sidelined in a train
- forgotten and rotting for several years..
Best - - Henry
Vladimir Makarenko
halm...@my-deja.com wrote:
> In article <390F9FC7...@bellatlantic.net>,
> mal...@bellatlantic.net wrote:
> From: halminas <halm...@email.msn.com>
> Subject: Re: "We don't go to America"
> Date: Thursday, May 04, 2000 10:47 AM
> - - snip - -
> >poor Henry - couldn't pick up the worst timing to fling the article:
> how
> >unfortunate the feeble minded Latvian Nazi gone on the murderous spree
> >exactly at the time.My condolences.
> >
> >> In that the door is now
> >> open I thought that I might repost a description
> >> (if a somewhat kinder one) of a little
> >> bit of russkieland created by russkie emigres.
> >>
> >> Best - - Henry
> >
> >>
> >
> >But after all the article is amusing:
> >
> >1. Brighton Beach is not "home" to Russian migr s. It is Ukrainian -
> Jewish
> >Community.
> >
> >2. Russian community (never been there) is in Queens, Jackson Heights.
> >
> >3. I personally been to B.B. and never observed there the scenes
> described
> >below (the rudeness in particular). Nor I saw any distressed people.
> And
> >this is a place to be to contemplate the Ocean from the Board walk.
> >
> >4. Resume: the article deserved to be published in "Pravda" circa 1974.
> >Henry - are you a commie?
> >
> >5. Whoever (or whatever) is " Vitaliy Vitaliev", "Petr Petrov" or "
> Jonhn
> >Johns" it is propaganda because even Mr. Holman with his (extremely)
> poor
> >Russian would recognize that the people speak South Ukraine variant of
> >Russian.
> >
> >6. Henry, you lost the propaganda war as usual. Next time you read
> about
> >gardens on the Moon or food shortage in Kremlin - check it out before
> >posting.
> >
> >VM.
>
> Vlad declares war and victory simultaneously.
Tell me how and when I am doing this. On my side,I have a feeling that
You are in a Crusade against Russia and Russians. Tell me when I tried to
fling a mud at Baltics as you are doing each and every day with respect to
Russians down to Nazi's vomit that we are genetically inferior.
> Not too surprising
> coming from a russkie - they do tend to have rather loose
> definitions for words like "victory". "liberation" etc. etc.
> His opening salvo consists of citing a news article about a man who has,
> apparently, gone around the bend while working as an immigration
> lawyer. That is perfectly understandable if the poor fellow had to
> process russkie applicants.
Can't get off your favorite?
> That is not to make light of the matter
> however. People died and their families are suffering also, no doubt,
> the man and his family are suffering.
>
I see. Now you exhibit surprising ability to take into account feelings of
other people.
How come Henry? Wasn't it you who said like: " you Russians don't understand
we don't care how much of your ilk died, I care how much OF MY ILK DIED"
> In that it is a human tragedy we can not expect Vlad to work up
> an understanding or sympathy - his childhood training wasn't in that
> direction. Vlad goes in for more massive killing sprees - as exhibited
> by his compatriots in Chechnya.
Oh, in this ng I heard a lot in my address,Henry, you cannot change the
balance.
> Things must, however, move on the
> scale of at least thousands - with rape and looting included. Why
> bother otherwise? And it is, after all, a good ol' russkie tradition.
>
Sure. your beloved opponent, Mr. Cedrins, was suspecting me in harassing old
women.
In Russian Dostoevsky tradition.
> Now that is the real patriotic thing - with immediate rewards.
> As to the description of little russkieland - that was lifted out of
> an English-language russkie publication.
I am puzzled - do you argue with what I wrote that the community is not
Russian. Or you refute their right to call themselves Ukranians or Jews.
Interesting. Anyway, if you'd like to go really anti -Russian- read real
Russians like Varlam Shalamov or Yuri Dombrovsky. Shelkopery come and go,
real masterpieces are there to stay.
> If you are still unhappy,
> however, I will be happy to post a description of some of
> your compatriots right here in Denver.
Just do it. And never try to scare me.
> It is, however, substantially
> less kind than the one I posted. Have a good war Vlad.
It is Your war. Again tell me when I tried to trick people around with
anti-Baltics propaganda.
You do this every day with respect to Russians. You lose.
> At least
> in this one your aren't liable to end up dead and sidelined in a train
> - forgotten and rotting for several years..
>
Now here are Your words:"People died and their families are suffering also,
no doubt,
the man and his family are suffering."
Sometimes it helps to think before you write.
VM.
>
> Best - - Henry
Perkons23
Makarenko battles Alminas:
>> Things must, however, move on the
>> scale of at least thousands - with rape and looting included. Why
>> bother otherwise? And it is, after all, a good ol' russkie tradition.
>>
>
>Sure. your beloved opponent, Mr. Cedrins, was suspecting me in harassing old
>women.
>In Russian Dostoevsky tradition.
Sheet, Vovochka, you are taking this a bit far. I suspect you only of kneejerk,
nothing more. I doubt if you're capable of more. C'mon, Makarenko, give us
more. If you give us more, I could easily prefer you to Aluminum, as I've had
it up to the clavicle with Henry's shit. The trouble is that your shit is far
more toxic, historically.
Love,
/Peteris
Vladimir
Perkons23 wrote:
I am not clear what you really want- my shit or my sheet? Or that of Henry?
Are you in fetish things? And stop blackmail Henry so obscenely flirting with me.
Btw, who are "us"?
Take it easy.
VM.