Alone Together: Coronavirus Around the World (Russia)
The world has never been so united, even if that uniting force is isolation. This post is part of a series created by CultureGrams editors that features first-hand accounts of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on individuals in different countries
Today's installment is written by Nadia, a woman who lives in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
It's so strange how the world has changed in such a short time and things that were so common have become impossible. But also it's such a unique experience we all are sharing right now!
We live in Saint Petersburg—it's the second-biggest city in Russia, after Moscow. And it's been over a month that we've been in quarantine. All schools, museums, libraries, shopping centers—everything except grocery stores—are closed.
It is prohibited to use playgrounds and sports grounds. It's so sad to see the city lonely and deserted, a city which is usually full of merry tourists, laughter, and tour buses at this time of the year.
I work as a tour guide for Japanese groups, and obviously I lost my job for this season and so did a lot of people, especially those who work in tourist and restaurant businesses. My husband works for a software sales company, and he faces a lot of difficulties now as well, but he is doing his best.
The person who is the happiest in our family now is our 5-year-old son, who doesn't like Kindergarten that much and is so excited to do what he enjoys every day. He is creating his own worlds from chairs and toilet paper, dancing and . . . we decorated Christmas tree this week. Because . . . why not?!
If you are bored with quarantine routine, do something unusual and you will feel like you visited Disneyland with your parents. Well, almost. It's a hard time for all people all over the world now, but I'm 100% sure we will get through it, become stronger, and eventually tell our grandchildren about this experience.