Coronavirus quarantine. 7 easy steps on how to find yourself in Russia staying at home 🤣

During this uneasy time, we have to help to stop the spread of the coronavirus, to cancel all our trips and to stay at home on quarantine. But what about a little cheer up? Let’s travel all together to Russia without leaving your flat? Read how through 7 easy steps find yourself in Russia and to feel as if you are in Russia!

Step 1. Tapochki

First of all, when you just enter the flat in Russia you take off your shoes and will need “tapochki”. What is that and where to take it from? This is how in Russia we call home shoes, soft and warm, sometimes with funny animal toys on the top.

As far as you want to find yourself in Russia, what about having tapochki with a Teddy bear? Don’t have it? Ok, then take Chinese slippers, then two small Teddy bears toys and just attach it somehow to slippers (to tape, or sew), it will be also nice. 

Logic: actually in Russian houses the floor can be quite cold, especially during wintertime, so it has become our tradition.

Step 2. Carpets. 

You definitely need carpets! They should be on the floor, on the walls, near the entrance door, in the bathroom, everywhere!

Don’t have it and there is no shop close by? You have 14 days! Just knit it as our grannies do! 🙂 

Logic: again connected with cold time mainly. Helps to protect walls and floor from freezing and to keep warm air inside the house. And during the Soviet Union carpets helped to decrease sound from neighbors’ flat, where there was already another family.

Step 3. Pickled Cucumbers.

We suggest to cook some Russian food. Make home-made half-pickled cucumber – a very easy step to imagine that you are in Russia. Here is the recipe for 1 kg cucumbers (you have 14 days, you need to eat something during that time!):

Wash cucumbers (it is better to take medium-sized cucumbers, small ones are too quickly pickled), cut off the ends. If you have garlic, crush it with the wide side of the knife, no need to grind. And if you have dill, tear with your hands. Both of these components will make cucumbers taste even better. Put everything in a plastic bag, or even preferably in two (for reliability), sprinkle with 1 spoon of salt, tie and shake well. Put the bag in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours, while shaking the bag every hour, or even half an hour to evenly distribute the brine that forms in the process. After time runs out, rinse cucumbers from excess salt with cold water and fast salted cucumbers are ready. Priyatnogo Appetita (Bon Appetit in Russian)!!! 

Logic: half-pickled cucumbers can be preserved for 3-4 weeks. And by taste, they are very close to the fresh one. Completely pickled vegetables (made in hot vinegar-salt solution and put in glass cans by special methodic) can be preserved even for a much longer time, for 1-2 years minimum. And we are pickling a lot with the idea of preservation as far as during winter there are no fresh vegetables, i.e. no vitamins.

Step 4. Watch a movie.

While waiting for cucumbers, watch the Russian movie “How I became Russian” Instruction for survival or start to read “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy. Or choose any other Russia related movies or books.

Logic: no logic, just enjoy and try to get an understanding of mysterious Russian soul.

Step 5. Vodka time.

When cucumbers are ready, take a shot of vodka! But only with the toast “Za zdorovie” – what means “For health” in Russian. This is the most popular toast nowadays. What is more we never say “Na zdorovie” as most foreigners think about us. Vodka will help you to find yourself in Russia in a quick period of time, but do not overdo:)

Logic: vodka is a famous Russian alcoholic drink, however not the most prevalent. Some people believe, that it is very good during illness, helps to kill bacteria and even virus, what actually has not been proved by science research. But it definitely helps to cheer up. 

And while drinking alcohol by Russian tradition we drink for something, i.e. love, meeting, friendship, peace, etc. But health was always one of the most popular types of toasts. Since ancient times people understand that health is the most important.

Step 6. Kalinka-Malinka

Learn the main moves of Russian traditional dance Kalinka-Malinka. This dance is quite hard, but you have plenty of time for training. Try to repeat at least some moves. Take a look at one of the examples in the video.

Logic: we like to dance, and to dance very energetically. And Kalinka-Malinka is one of our most famous traditional dances. Apart from that, you are not going to spend all 14 days on a sofa, right? Our doctors advised dancing for maintaining physical health (this is official information).

Step 7.  Dance.

Turn on the music from the video above “Kalinka-Malinka”, dance, enjoy! You are in Russia now!

And make a short video how you are doing some moves (maybe with cucumbers and your branded new “tapochki” or just with any Teddy bear toy) and share it in fb or instagram with hashtag #explorussiastayhome

Hermitage, Sant-Petersburg www.hermitagemuseum.org

Russian Museum, Sant-Petersburg Google Arts&Culture

Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow Google Arts&Culture

We hope that these funny steps will help you to find yourself in Russia and start planning the real Russian adventure after all these Coronavirus panic and impact come to an end. Stay safe and healthy!! And see you soon in Russia!

Read more how to visit Russian museum virtual tours here.