Ukuvakashela “Edolobheni LaseRussia Elidala Kunawo Wonke”
MINA nomkami, uLinda, safika ngo-July 1998 eMoscow sizé ngomsebenzi. Sasiqala ngqá ukuya eRussia, futhi sasimagange ukufunda ngaleli zwe, ulimi lwalo nabantu balo.
Lapho sisanda kufika nje, ngaphawula umdwebo othakazelisayo oqoshwe ngemuva emalini eyiphepha engama-ruble amahlanu. Wawunento eyayibukeka njengenqaba yezitini yangekhulu le-14 noma le-15 eyengame umfula, enesiqhingi nechibi ngemuva. Echosheni kwakuqoshwe igama lendawo: iNovgorod.
Ngabuza abantu baseMoscow ngayo. Bonke babeyazi iNovgorod, kodwa munye kuphela owayeke waya khona kulabo engababuza. Ngatshelwa ukuthi kuyibanga elingaphansi kwamakhilomitha angu-550 ukuya khona usuka eMoscow, ugibela isitimela esiya eSt. Petersburg ebusuku. Mina nomkami sanquma ukuya khona.
Uhambo Lwethu Lokuya ENovgorod
Njengoba ngangike ngawathenga amathikithi aya eSt. Petersburg, ngangazi ukuthi athengiswa kuphi. Inombolo yesitimela sethu negumbi kwakubhalwe emathikithini ethu. Safika esiteshini sesitimela ngemuva nje kancane kwehora lesishiyagalolunye ngobunye ubusuku ngo-September wanyakenye futhi sahlala egumbini lethu enqoleni engunombolo 5.
Sabubula futhi sathi ukusixukuza, sashona phambili. Lokhu kwakuzokwenzeka ubusuku bonke, njengoba sasigibele isitimela sendawo esima kuzo zonke iziteshi. Sasima, futhi ngemva kwemizuzu embalwa, sizwe sekuduma esinye isitimela. Kwakudlula eminye imizuzu sime kujantshi oseceleni, kuthulekile ebusuku. Bese kukhululwa amabhuleki, sidume, sibubule, bese kuthi ekugcineni sisuke. Bese ngiyaphinda ngiyalala.
Umnakekeli wasesitimeleni wangqongqoza emnyango wethu ngaphambi nje kokuba sifike eNovgorod. Isiteshi sesitimela sasiphithizela, ngisho nangehora lesikhombisa ekuseni. Sathola ibalazwe ledolobha lapho kudayiswa khona amaphephandaba futhi sabuza umthengisi ukuthi libiza malini itekisi eliya ehhotela esasizohlala kulo. Umshayeli wetekisi wasibiza ama-ruble angu-20 (cishe u-R4,50) ukusithatha ngeLada yakhe yaseRussia asiyise ehhotela esasizohlala kulo, ngaphesheya koMfula iVolkhov—umfula okhona emdwebweni osemalini.
Lo mshayeli wasitshela ukuthi wayengeyena owaseRussia kodwa umkakhe wayengowakhona. Yingakho ayehlala eRussia. Umamukeli wezingcingo nezivakashi ehhotela wasamukela futhi wasingenisa, nakuba kwakusengu-7:30 ekuseni. Wasikisela izindawo esasingaya kuzo. Sahamba sagudla umfula sishaywa umoya sabe sesidla ukudla kwasekuseni.
Sabona ipaki elalinotshani obabugundwe kahle nezihlahla ezazitheniwe. Indawo yokuhamba egudla umfula yayihlotshiswe iziqephu zezimbali. Nakuba zazikhona izivakashi—iqembu lezivakashi elalilethwe ibhasi laseKorea elifika ngezikhathi ezithile—iNovgorod ayilona idolobha elithandwa yizivakashi. Abantu abaningi esababona kwakungabaseRussia.
Izakhamuzi eziningi zasitshela ukuthi iNovgorod iyidolobha elidala kunawo wonke eRussia. Kuthiwa ineminyaka engaphezu kwengu-1 100 ikhona. Inqwaba yamasonto amadala agcwele kuleli dolobha ifakazela ukuthi kade laziqala izindaba zenkolo. Ebalazweni, uLinda wabala angu-25 kule ndawo enehhotela kuphela.
Sathola inqaba ngaphakathi kuyi-kremlin—hhayi kuyi-Kremlin eseMoscow, elithi “kremlin” igama lesiRashiya elisho “inqaba yedolobha.” Kule nqaba kwakuhambeka kahle uze ufike phezulu. Ngama-ruble amahlanu (imali engaphansi kuka-R1,50), savunyelwa ukugibela izitebhisi ezizungezayo siye phezulu. Ngaqhathanisa lokho engangikubona nesithombe esisemalini eyiphepha engama-ruble amahlanu. Izihlahla zase zikhulile, futhi indlela yokuhamba engasodongeni lwe-kremlin yayisimboziwe. Nokho, wawusekhona uMfula iVolkhov—wona lowo mfula onesiqhingi nechibi ngemuva. Ujibha owawumba umfula yiwona kuphela owawungekho emdwebweni osemalini.
Saphawula into emangalisayo ngosuku lwethu lwesibili siseNovgorod. Yize abantu baseRussia bethi lincane leli dolobha—nakuba linabantu abangu-250 000—abantu bakhona babesikhumbula futhi bekhumbula nezinto ezithile ngathi! Uweta wasehhotela owayesibone ngayizolo wayesikhumbula. Wayekhumbula ukuthi sithanda ikhofi, futhi wayelokhu esilethela lona. Wayekhumbula nokuthi sasingawuthandi ujuzi ngakho akazange abuze ukuthi siyawufuna yini ngosuku lwesibili. Lapho ngimbuza imali okwakufanele siyikhokhe, u-Olga—ngiyalikhumbula igama lakhe—wamomotheka wayesengibheka emehlweni ethi, “Angithi inombolo yekamelo ngu-356?”
NgeSonto izinkulungwane zabantu zaziphithizela kuyi-kremlin, ebhulohweni labahamba ngezinyawo elinqamula uMfula iVolkhov, emigwaqweni nasezindaweni zokuzihambela ushaywe umoya. ULinda wahamba wayothenga u-popcorn kowayedayisa emgwaqweni eduze nebhuloho lezinyawo, naye—qagela!—owayesamkhumbula njengoba ayembone ngayizolo.
Lapho siphindela emuva siyokhwela enqabeni ukuze sibuke izwe futhi, intombazane eqoqa imali yokungena yamomotheka yabe isithi kithi: “Angithi benilapha izolo? Nikhokhile izolo ngakho akusadingeki ukuba niphinde nikhokhe.”
Sahlangana noDavid, umngane esasimazi kudala eNew York. Wayeshade nentombazane yaseRussia, u-Alyona, futhi manje base behlala eNovgorod, bekhonza nebandla loFakazi BakaJehova. Sahlangana phambi kweSitolo Sokudla iDetinets, esakhiwe phezu kodonga lwe-kremlin. Lapho, sanikwa ukudla kwaseRussia okuphambili kunakho konke esake sakudla. Kwazise-ke kwakungabizi. Isidlo esiyizigaba ezintathu (usaladi, isobho nokudla okuphelele, ikhofi nekhekhe) kubiza cishe u-R40.
INovgorod kwakuyidolobha elinabantu abanobungane ababesikhumbula, ukudla okumnandi kanye nomlando owanele nezinto ezihlukahlukene eziwenza uthakazelise. Siyabuya futhi.—Inikelwe.
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Imali eyiphepha yaseRussia engama-ruble amahlanu nesithombe sayo le ndawo yaseNovgorod
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I-“kremlin,” uma uyibuka useMfuleni iVolkhov
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Ukuwela ibhuloho lezinyawo eMfuleni iVolkhov
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Sekungamakhulu eminyaka inkolo ivelele eNovgorod