Not only the sea: how Russians live in Hurghada
In Hurghada, Russians unite in groups of “interests”. On the holidays there are most: "from small to great." Serious reasons for general collection: New Year, May 9 and the annual "Russian Fair", "Christmas Bazaar".
A mandatory option for a cultural and entertainment program is the beach.
The rest of the time, people lead an ordinary lifestyle: shopping, sports, excursions. Students attend classes.
ballet
The cult of Russian ballet reigns in Egypt: the name Anna Pavlova is pronounced with respect and trepidation. Perhaps it is impossible to find a single Egyptian (or a visiting European) who does not know Russian prima. With love, the Egyptians also refer to the French singer-chansonian of Egyptian origin Dalida, but this is another, and of a lesser meaning “song”.
The great ballerina repeatedly came on tour to Egypt and performed with resounding success. Prima became fascinated by the Egyptian flavor: she visited the pyramids of Giza, admired, and then participated in ballet productions based on Egyptian motifs, performed at the famous Opera House in Cairo, and then in Alexandria.
The monument to the great Russian ballerina was opened in February 2020 in a solemn atmosphere in the courtyard of the Academy of Arts of Egypt. The monument was performed by Egyptian sculptor Osama El Seroui. Fascinated by the art of ballet, Egyptians are happy to teach children in specialized Russian ballet schools.
In Hurghada, graduates of the Indigo ballet school perform at every festival.
The performance of the ballet without “artistic exaggerations” is an event not only for parents who admire the performance of their talented offspring, but also for spectators not related to the artists by family ties: bright costumes, the program is talentedly “converted”, and the performers are inspired and technically prepared – the performance is a holistic aesthetically advanced spectacle, gratifying and positive.
The performances come to watch several times.
Graduates of the ballet school pass exams to schools and later work not only in Russia, but also in other countries and theaters of the world.
The school accepts children from the age of seven, and in some cases earlier. The head of the school Diana Kornysheva remembers each student: “Everyone is unique, everyone does not want to let go.”
The school hall is located in Mubarak-2. On the glass wall is a picture: three ballerinas and the name - "Indigo".
It’s not just children attending the school: groups for adult ladies are also popular.
It is clear that older visitors to the ballet group do not set a goal to perform on the stage of theaters: they dance to develop plasticity and move for pleasure and health.
Immortal Regiment
The action “Immortal Regiment”, and then the concert, is held annually with the support of the Russian Consulate General in Hurghada and “MK in Egypt”.
The action itself is the placement on the wall of the Cultural Center of Hurghada of pictures of relatives and friends who participated in the Great Patriotic War, or those who worked in the rear. Everyone brings photos of relatives with a description of life and participation in the war to the office of MK in Egypt, then take a picture against the wall.
The concert on May 9 sometimes turns into a spontaneous action, as has happened more than once: the audience begins to sing “Katyusha” together with the speakers.
Russians traditionally meet the New Year with family, friends, sometimes use a ready-made program in hotels or book seats in restaurants.
Egyptians do not celebrate the New Year on the 31st: officially, January 1 is called the beginning of the year, and the day is declared non-working and festive. Most Egyptians associate the New Year with the Nile. With the beginning of the spill, the rivers are considered miraculous: the water is collected in special vessels.
During the Egyptian New Year ceremony, participants carried a rook with a statue of the goddess Hathor, daughter of the god Ra (the sun). Since the time of the Pharaohs, the Egyptian New Year begins in September.
Muslims of Egypt celebrate “ras-as-san”, the beginning of the new year according to the Muslim lunar calendar “hajra”, the date of celebration is the day of the resettlement of the Prophet Muhammad with followers from Mecca to the oasis of Yasirib, the city of Medina in Western Saudi Arabia.
Christmas
Egyptians who profess Islam respect Christians: in the Quran, Christians are called “people of the scripture.”
During the time of Hosni Mubarak, January 7th was declared a Christmas and a holiday. Before Christmas, a procession is held in Coptic temples.
On the eve of Orthodox Christmas, hundreds of Orthodox Christians gather in Cairo in the Temple of Dmitry of Thessaloniki, as well as in Alexandria, Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada too.
In Hurghada, Orthodox Christians unite in the church of Sant Shinoda. The Coptic temple of Sant Shinoda towers above the buildings of the old town of the Arabia district. With the onset of dusk, the towers of the cathedral crash with illuminated crosses into the starry African sky.
The Orthodox Christian community lives a separate life in Sant Shinoda: 50-60 Orthodox Russians from Moscow and other parts of Russia regularly gather for services.
Pilgrimage excursions
Pilgrimage tours are organized by the Orthodox community: they travel to biblical places in Egypt. For example, a popular trip to the monastery.
On a day trip "fits": a visit to the monastery of St. George. Antony, the first Christian monk on the planet, visits Antony's cell on the mountain, located at an altitude of 680 meters above sea level, and the monastery of St. Paul.
In the monastery, the excursion stays at dawn, and then at dawn the group climbs the mountain where St. Anthony lived (251-356), following the sun.
St. Anthony was referred to in the Scriptures as “the Great One.” Perhaps the holy monk got his name and nickname because he lived more than a hundred years. But perhaps the monk was so called because of the exceptional state of body and spirit: having reached the cell on the mountain, you understand that going down to the spring in the monastery for a water pot is an occupation for an exceptionally healthy person.
Despite the reputation of Antony as a big man, he fit in a cell the size of only a meter and a half to two. The stone in the grotto, which served as a pillow, was polished by tourists who wanted to “try on” the monk’s bed: it is interesting to try to imagine the thoughts about God and the universe that Antony visited, clinging to the stone – a pillow.
After the death of the Holy Monastery and the cell of the first monk in the mountain became a place of pilgrimage for Christians from Ethiopia, Syria and Egypt.
The monastery was laid in the XIII century. Later, the monastery was reconstructed after constant raids by Bedouins, and then monks from Wadi en Natrun, the Libyan desert, began to move to the monastery.
The monastery still operates today. In the Church of St. Mark on the territory of the monastery of St. Antony is celebrated the Liturgy. In the temple, the monks carefully store 1,700 manuscripts of ancient manuscripts.
Excursions for Russians are led by the monk Abuna Ruwais. Abuna Ruwais is a legend of the monastery. Ruvais is not Egyptian: he is from Brazil, speaks several foreign languages, encyclopedic knowledge and remarkable insight. The duties of a monk include not only excursions. The work, obedience of the monk - interact with the media, tour bureaus and communicate with the outside world when necessary.
After 2-3 minutes of communication and “scanning”, the monk tells what personality he saw and how to change his fate if he wants to.
Such excursions are popular among faithful pilgrims and lovers of visiting tourist places. Pilgrimage tours are no less popular among the diaspora of Russians permanently living in Hurghada than trips to the pyramids or visits to tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Although a trip to the locations of the wonders of the world is an educational “mainstream” part of the tourist program.
Christmas market
At the fair exhibit products of their own production. Here they buy and sell everything from lollipops and homemade cookies to furniture. They sell: clothes, embroidery, handmade "blankets", handkerchiefs, cakes, papier-mache dolls. On the shelves put up for sale unusual skillfully made things. At the end of the fair, a concert and fashion show are organized before closing.
Fashionable clothes are shown with caution, so as not to cause dissonance or condemnation from the locals: Egyptians also often come to such events, but still the main religion in Egypt is Islam.
yoga
Yoga is a suitable lifestyle in Hurghada sport: leisurely and thoughtful stretching and “correct” inhalation of the healing sea air without jerking and excessive effort opens the mind and develops the body.
Hindus in Egypt, for whom yoga is an officially recognized national sport or even a lifestyle, celebrate Yoga Day. In India, this day was established by the Ministry of Health and the AAUSH department, which oversees alternative medicine: yoga, Ayurveda and homeopathic treatment. In yoga groups, adherents of this sport, Hindus, Russians, Europeans, are often engaged together, united by one addiction and a sports idea.
There is not one yoga group in Hurghada: the Mubarak-2 group is popular.
Sea, beaches and water sports
Of course, the main sports hobbies of Russians living on the sea are diving and kiting: small waves and wind create comfortable conditions for kite riding.
But diving in the Red Sea can not be compared with either the Maldives or Thailand: the unique underwater world of the Red Sea is rich in corals and fish, which you will find only in this part of the world. There are 30 schools and free instructors in Hurghada.
Visits to beaches in 2020 (as well as dive centers) are limited due to the pandemic. On the beaches it is allowed to appear, observing a distance, swim in the water at a respectful distance.
However, the beaches are not so clogged with visitors: the swimmer is more likely to encounter a fish than another swimmer.
Shopping and the market
In the Eastern market, the ability to trade from “0” to “advanced level” is not trained in one day.
A month later, another Russian already knows a bench where he will buy coffee, fruit or fish, and in which street cafe the fish caught in the bazaar will be deliciously fried.
Text: VF, photo provided by author