Dear Russia,

You are so powerful and so huge.
You are located on two continents.
You are washed by two oceans.
You are the largest country in the world.
Your climate is extremely diverse:
You have swampy tundra, and rich green forests, and warm subtropical beaches.

The sun never sets on you:
When Kaliningrad falls asleep, Vladivostok has already woken up.

The bowels of your land are filled with diamonds, gold and oil,
And you willingly share these resources with your children.

Your head is St. Petersburg—a cultural center with a proud and Nordic character.

Your heart, Moscow, is surrounded by centuries-old temples with golden domes.

Your neck is Sochi—the city where snow-capped mountains meet with a warm sea.

Your chest is Siberia with virgin and wide forests.

Your legs—Vladivostok with amazing landscapes, as if painted by a fantasy artist.

I believe that very soon
your children will be prudent
and appreciate you more.

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Tatiana Nadezhdina was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1989. She studied journalism at Moscow University and worked in public relations. She learned German in school. At the age of 25, she taught herself to speak English. She came to New York City in August 2019 and attends English classes with Elke Stappert at the New York Public Library’s Washington Heights branch. When she’s not studying, Tatiana Nadezhdina loves to paint portraits, and she makes a wonderful carrot pie.