Russia
Moscow
1996 • Boris Yeltsin's reelection was the background music during six months in a still staggering, post-Soviet Russia. Stayed the entire time with Jon and Arline, and worked at the Moscow Times as a copyeditor and at Reebok Russia as an English teacher. Even with two jobs and no rent, I came back to the U.S. deep in the hole. Highest cost of living I've ever experienced. Yeltsin disappeared in the final stretch of the campaign—suffering either a massive heart attack or a stroke—yet that drunken old clown still managed to win by a huge margin. Most people just rolled their eyes at the whole thing, because democracy and free-market enterprise hang on Russia like an ill-fitting suit.
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![Metro station (photo by Joe DeMarie)](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/hot_pants (2).jpg)
![Monument to the Conquerors of Space](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/rocket (2).jpg)
![Renovation](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/renovation (2).jpg)
![Worker and Kolkhoznitsa (photo by Joe DeMarie)](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/vdnkh (2).jpg)
![](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/portrait (2).jpg)
![St. Basil's Cathedral](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/st_basil (2).jpg)
![](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/autumn_hat (2).jpg)
![](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/pedestrians (2).jpg)
![Yuri Gagarin Monument](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/astronaut (2).jpg)
![Sarah, Jon, Arline](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/hosts (2).jpg)
![Gorky Park](https://www.johnmikulenka.com/assets/images/travel/russia-1996/bungee_retouch (2).jpg)
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