Back in the 90s: our immigrant told about Russian stores in the USA
'26.07.2021'
Source: Yandex Zen
When, according to the plot of the film "Brother-2", Danila Bagrov first came to Brighton Beach, he had the feeling that he had not left anywhere - all the inscriptions here are in Russian, they speak Russian, even swear in their native language, writes the author of the blog "Cafe -shafran "on Yandex Zen.
Here time seems to stop and it seems that you are somewhere in the end of the 80s, but not in the 21st century, when there was the most massive influx of immigrants from the USSR. Danila from “Brother-2” in his “dashing” 90s it was not so noticeable, but now - yes.
There is a similar area in any major American city. They are especially large and colorful in the very same Brighton and San Francisco, where the Russian-speaking community settled in the Geary area. It is also jokingly called "Giribasovskaya".
I am not one of those travelers who shy away from Russians abroad and deliberately “forget” their native language. On the contrary, I really like to visit such places, look at traditional birch trees near Orthodox churches and, of course, go shopping. After all, it is here that you can plunge into a real immigrant life, chat with someone, learn the latest news.
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It is about Russian grocery stores that I would like to tell you. Soon they will probably become history. New generations are actively joining American society and adopting its traditions, and their parents, grandparents - those who left the USSR in the 70s and 80s, alas, are not getting younger.
Thanks to the cinema, Brighton has become the most famous area in America. At first glance, little has changed here since the filming of "Brother-2" - the same spacious embankment, and the inscriptions on the shops are practically the same.
Pharmacies in America sell not only medicines and hygiene products, but also everything, including souvenirs.
In the USA, in small private stores, all fruits and vegetables are usually left on trays outside (weather permitting). It is very convenient and does not clutter up the already narrow shopping arcade.
What's inside? Almost all stores looked like this at the junction of the 80s and 90s (perhaps without such abundance) and this is by no means a nostalgic "feature" of Brighton. Below I will talk about how things are going in the Russian regions on the other coast - in California.
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It turns out that the Russians appeared in California before the Americans. While they were fighting for their independence on the East Coast, we had already mastered the West - we built a fortress there, brought livestock and even planted vineyards. This happened in 1812 thanks to the explorer Ivan Kuskov, who was sent on a mission by the Russian-American Trade Company to look for a place south of Alaska, convenient for the fur trade. It exists to this day and is called, as it was 200 years ago, Fort Ross. But the Russians lived here for only 30 years, after which they curtailed trade and sold their Fort to the Americans, later a similar thing happened with Alaska itself.
At the end of the 19th century, Russian immigrants began to appear in California again - at first they did not agree with the tsarist regime, then they did not accept the revolution, and so on until Perestroika. After that, this wave began to decrease every year. Now the life of the Russian-speaking community is concentrated just south of Fort Ross - in San Francisco. The Russian region can be easily recognized by its stunningly beautiful temple - the Cathedral of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”. Its domes are visible from almost all ends of the long Giri boulevard.
But the shops here practically do not differ from those in Brighton. And, sometimes, and from the most ordinary general store, which still remain with us on the outskirts of cities and in villages.
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The assortment duplicates our stores. There is also a culinary department familiar to a Russian person with all Olivier and herrings under a fur coat that are possible:
- Dairy products not always found in America. A lot is brought here from Russia, but some of our brands produce their goods here in California in small batches.
- Canned food that you can't find in American supermarkets. They even have different pickles.
- There is even Soviet champagne. By the way, they bought this here for the New Year - horrible disgust.
Service is also carried out in the old fashioned way - through the counter. Sellers seem to know every visitor and their preferences. Here you can even find a long-forgotten phrase: "Irochka, dear, I put two mackerels for you."
But with black bread abroad, as a rule, San Francisco is no exception. They never found the real me.
But there is an extensive culinary department with fresh sweets. Baking, cakes and even inexpensive red caviar - this is what Americans look for in Russian stores.
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They learned our words "pies" and "pasties" well. In the Giri Street area there is an old Russian bakery called Cinderella (Cinderella). She changed owners several times, but baking recipes were always passed from hand to hand. I can say that the taste is exactly the same cakes that we have become accustomed to since childhood.
It is difficult to say which clients they have more - Russian-speaking or Americans and other tourists. The fame of this bakery goes far.
Nobody else, but I personally regret that soon such foreign corners of our Soviet history may disappear. It's very spiritual here!
Original column published on the blog. "Cafe-Saffron" on Yandex Zen
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