Krylatskoe

In M., I lived at the end of the line. The metro stop was Krylatskoe, which means Winged. In the station there was a sculpture of a man and woman rising up towards the heavens. This was a reference to the space program or, failing that, to the high spirits of Communism.

Krylatskoe was a swatch of hills that nestled a tiny turquoise church in its bosom. In the winter men and women tugged sleds laden with empty bottles and jugs. They were bound for the baptized stream hidden in the hills.

My host family out in Krylatskoe brewed a pot of tea every morning. By day's end, the brew was often quite weak, and they would say, "Чай не работает," meaning, "The tea's not working."