Russia and Russians as I know

Like all others I too look forward for the day when conflict between Russia and Ukraine will end.
I have been associated with Russians since my days in Indian Oil Corporation's Refinery at Barauni when Russia was Soviet Union or USSR in 1967 .That Refinery was built by Russians with aid thrown in. Russians had a separate 3 blocks as their hostel.
I remember our ceremonial football matches  against Russians after the 15th August flag hoisting.
We were evenly matched but as the refinery expansion work was petering out so during the  last  encounter they somehow cobbled up 11  players with the lady interpreter playing as goalkeeper. I was the captain of Indian side. Yes,that match we won but don't feel proud about it but appreciate their sporting spirit. Two Russian words used by the players during the match still ring in my ears "dabai" (give )and "khorosho"(good).
I must admit that Russians freely shared their engineering calculations.  There was a problem of tankage area not getting proper illumination from Tower lights,each tower had 6 flood lights of 1000 watt each. Though I got all bulbs replaced but still it was not adequate. I went to our archives and looked up illumination design of the plant and I could lay my hand on original calculations and settings. I corrected the solid angle of each of the flood light as per calculated setting, the problem got resolved. That gave me confidence that I can resolve any problem related with Electrical equipment because of those engineering documents.
Next I came across Russian designed 210 MW turbine and generator in BHEL. At one stage in 80s these 210 MW sets were the backbone of Indian grid. Again elaborate documentation helped to carry out repair and maintenance of these sets. I commissioned 5 such sets of LMZ at Singrauli Superthermal Power Station from 1982 to1984.
During my posting at Vizag Steel Plant from 1988 I again met whole lot of Russian experts and their families at Ukkunagaram, the township of steel plant .  They had a separate colony inside the township with shop and school. During that stay when  Russia disintegrated and those experts were totally dismayed about their nationalities. Overnight friends became foe. Their passports became invalid because Russia was fragmented. Suddenly the usual cheerful Russians became grumpy as their future was uncertain. By 1991 December Russia finally became many countries.
I had visited both Russia and Ukraine in 2003 ,I still remember visiting World Famous art museum Hermitage in St Petersburg, standing on the Red Square in Moscow.  I also enjoyed a show of circus in Moscow, they have permanent hall for circus. I still remember the breathtaking acrobatics by Russian gymnasts.
We visited LMZ turbine factory on the right bank of river Neva in St Petersburg.Steam turbines have been produced here since 1907 when the company was licensed to build French Rateau turbines. At the same time it began to build gun turrets, gun mountings and torpedo tubes. It was like our own turbine block at Bhopal. When I met the design engineers then didn't see any computer around,I was curious about this not having computer which by that time has become necessary tool in India. When i asked their chief about it then he gave a tolerant smile to me and said tapping his head, "all data stored here ! "
Curiously our guide Alexendrov who was an  accomplished engineer with 7 patents under his belt was not carrying any laptop.
Then I remembered their famous Grandmaster like Karpov, Spassky etc could out maneuver many,to me it appeared each of those engineers were having Karpov or Spassky like quality of storing data in mind.
Our stay in Kiev was eventful, we had visited a tram manufacturing factory known as Tatra Yug. They organized a special tram ride for us to take round of the city.
In both the countries I met hardworking intelligent engineers of both sex.
Yesterday when I heard that a dam in Ukraine has been bombarded by Russian and caused flooding.
I felt sad  and frustrated. This mindless war must end, I feel for those civilians of both the countries.

Frozen in time

“In Russia do you have arranged marriage?” Bhatnagar had been asking this type of questions to the Dy.Chief Engineer Ms Lana which was promptly translated in Russian by our guide and translator Alexendrov to Lana.

I was amused by the way Alexendrov was translating such question to Lana which he himself could have replied as it was no technical question.

We were standing by the side of frozen Baltic Ocean, to avoid people walking on the frozen sea they had put up a barbed wire fencing. We had gone to Russia for a technical collaboration, the meeting was over so I requested Alexendrov to show us around. When he mentioned about frozen sea I got interested. We could see the white sheet of ice like a skating rink in place of sea water. At a distance we could see some ships marooned. Lana avoided replying to such type of silly questions. Lana looked to be in her fifties, the usual typical squarish Russian face cut and solidly built. The Chief Engineer Chekov was a thin gentleman always smiling. Alexendrov though was acting as our guide and translator but he was a professional with 6 patents under his belt. I was pretty surprised when he told me that he had patents not only in electrical but also in chemical components, dealing with electrical insulation. I still remember his visiting card which had a caricature face of him in beard, just outline and his credentials.

While I was enjoying the frozen sea Bhatnagar threw another of his nagging questions to Lana which she refused to answer and Alexendrov explained why.

‘When did you pass your engineering?’

Alexendrov spoke in Russian to Lana and she smiled and gave some reply.

With a serious face Alexndrv told Bhatnagar, “She will not give reply to this question as you will then calculate her age!” then he guffawed and I laughed out loud.

Well gentleman that was Alexendrov and I had this incidence in St Petersberg in April,2003.

Back to present ,when this time I was in Goa then on the beach I found some Russians standing around a few cows by the side of Arabian sea,  They were clicking pictures while passing them I looked at an elderly gentleman and said, “ For tonight dinner you don’t have to hunt much for beef, it’s there for you!’

He laughed out and looked at his wife said smilingly while rubbing his belly, “Yes I love beef.”

I teasingly rubbed his belly and said, “Sure you have that fat there.’’

We stuck up friendship and walked to the shack known Pedros on the beach. A cool breeze of February was blowing, we could watch the restless waves of the sea breaking on the beach and the sea foam sidling down the beach leaving behind myriad patterns on the sand.

I   ordered beer for both of us and introduced myself. He was a retired Engineer from Petersburg, February month meant freezing cold back home so they had come to Goa. Russian tourist makes up the majority of foreign tourists visiting Goa. Due to the fall of Russian ruble numbers had decreased but they recovered soon. Tourists in northern belt of Goa are mostly Russians. Many shacks and restaurants run by locals have become accustomed to it and have sign boards and menus in Russian. Due to their large presence, the town of Morjim is often called ‘little Russia.’ It appears there are some Russian tour operators who operate chartered flights from even unknown cities of Siberia. Russians prefer Goa over middle east in winter because of our friendly culture. There certainly is a very strong presence of them in Goa, and like most mass-migrations, there is no particular date in history that can be assigned to this. However, common consensus seems to be around the time the Russian economy started opening up under Putin. Russians began travelling to friendly countries like India.

While talking to him my mind went back to that day by the side of Baltic ocean, I was remembering about Alexendrov , the twinkle in the eyes and wry smile were like that of Alexendrov. We exchanged visiting card, his card was a caricature of him and his credentials. I was taken aback by the similarity of the visiting card of his with that of Alexndrov.

“I have seen such card, my friend Alexendrov’s visiting card was like this!”

“Oh, you knew Alexendrov, the engineer,inventor?” He said excitedly.

“Yes, the same! Wish I could meet him again!”

“He was a close friend of mine. I had borrowed his visiting card and got mine made as per his design. I am sorry to inform that Alexendrov is no more, he left us 6 years back.” The Russian said with a gloomy face.

I was shocked,Alexendrov was such good engineer, he helped us in designing Shunt Reactor, often he would come from Russia to BHEL,Bhopal. I remembered that he could turn any ordinary topic to an erudite discussion with his creative mind.

That Russian gentleman could sense my melancholy mood, he quickly finished his beer and shuffled off bidding good bye to me. I did not try to remember his name, no use loading the mind with another name which eventually I forget at this age of mine. Yes, I had his visiting card, his visiting card was like a prism refracting two situations, one by the side of frozen Baltic Ocean and another by the side of roaring Arabian sea. I slowly tore off his visiting card and without bothering to look at the name and scattered the pieces on the beach. Those pieces flew away with the strong gust of wind blowing on the beach, as though taking away the memory of my friend Alexendrov with it.

Well friends meeting the Russian on the beach is my imagination. I have seen lot of Russians on the beach around the cows , the Russians were in every beach of Goa. Seeing the Russians my memory of that day by the side of frozen Baltic sea got triggered. Alexendrov was real and he was our guide and adviser in Russia and he is no more, left us a few years back.While walking on the beach of Goa i started thinking about Alexendrov and if one of these Russians turned to be his friend but that was too much coincidence to expect, so i did the next best thing of spinning this yarn.