 There are often elements of mystery that come with the trips that Wendy and I take abroad. None, however, seem to match those associated with our visits to Russia, particularly those that are made in the dead of winter.
Russia, as Napoleon and Hitler found out, has strong seasonal variables. On the trip that we made in December 2010, the surprises began with Continental Airlines and their new code share partner Lufthansa who we met in Frankfurt, Germany. They provided the second leg of our trip to Moscow from Houston.
The Continental/Lufthansa apparatus for transferring passengers to their connecting flights in Frankfurt transcends surprise and moves directly to the nightmare category. Here the much touted German efficiency is reduced to a mess that has come to be understood as the norm in Frankfurt. Misinformation or no information is available at various points.
Those who were lucky enough to be in the First Class Lounge were able to trade cots for more
comfortable
accommodations to sit out the general chaos.
Insufficient security personnel made sure that hundreds of passengers missed their flights. We
were among them. Of the million miles that Wendy and I have flown, Frankfurt Airport is the
most
inefficient we have encountered so far.
On arrival in Moscow, we were greeted by our warm friends, Irina Tchmyreva, Evgeny Berezner, and Natasha.Tarasova. Irina immediately started wrapping up Wendy. Chilling billboard babes were not so comforting however.
Reuniting and visiting with our friends was the original purpose for our trip but as we talked the surprises began to unfold with respect to the future.
The team had arranged for us to give a lecture about FotoFest at the Garage Center for
Contemporary Culture, a new art space in Moscow that was founded by the Iris Foundation established by Daria Zhukova.
This building was designed in the 1920s by K.S. Melnikov, a famous Soviet constructivist architect
and was originally used as a bus depot to house imported English double-decker busses. In 2008
it became the hottest art space in Moscow, compared to London's Tate Modern in foreign journals.
In addition to a slide show/talk there is an projection of 300 images from past FotoFests to be
continued into 2011. Our lecture was attended by 250 artists, curators, and press.
There is wonder in the Russian in the winter. It's not possible to understand the country without experiencing it. It stores so many surprises as the buildings are lit for Christmas in Moscow.
 
Walking through the snow first challenges your feet, fingers and finally your eyes.
Looking out from a warm car can be an inspiration day or night, especially if you don’t have to
drive yourself through the slippery, congested streets of Moscow.
Part of the surprise package provided by Evgeny, Irina and Natasha was a daylong visit to
Skolkovo, the new Moscow School of Management, an MBA program that was housed in
a building looked like it had just landed from outer space.
Towering colored obelisks in a central hall of the school dramatically stated Skolkovo's program. The effect of these words set in such an environment was powerful; screaming money and power. Every detail within the building was of the highest quality and delivered with a style that expressed a new look, a way of seeing things that was completely the opposite of the heavy dreariness of the post Stalinist past. The atmosphere was open, light, bold and encouraging. It was designed to provide an environment that gave new ideas permission to fly. I could imagine it would be a joy to follow their orbit. One of the red obelisks had written, first in English and then in Russian:
EXECUTIVE EDUCATION – Get up to date and stay ahead. Unique educational solutions for corporations and open programs for executives and young leaders of multinational and local companies and public sector and entrepreneurs.
Another obelisk headlined promotional ideas:
Action based learning, Projects in Russia, China, India and the US, School founders' act as the students personal mentors.
Given that the school was funded and founded by eighteen of the richest businessmen in Russia, this was a potent last detail. The sixteen month program is taught in English by professors from leading business schools and the posting stated the obvious: immense networking opportunities are provided. No kidding!
My one word description of the interior architecture of Skolkovo is enthusiastic. One of the
interesting aspects of the space was its extended walls suitable for exhibitions. There was also
an excellent restaurant and a student dormitory that was more luxury brain cabin than dorm.
Just as were about to leave, a blizzard arrived to remind us that were in Russia not Mars.
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