July 22, 2004

Beggars and Pets/Попрошайки и домашнее животное

Russians are real animal lovers, and, as the interpreter Michael Berdy recently noted in the Moscow times, it is strange that Russians don't have a word for pets in their language (they have to use домашнее животное domashneye zhivotnoye which literally means house animal). Russian's care for animals can be seen in the love they give both to their own pets and mangy looking street dogs.

I see my neighbors stoop to both feed and pet the poor mongrels who congregate outside my metro stop. I wouldn't go near these animals, let alone touch them, but Russians are obviously very fond of these dogs. Recently, though, I have begun to wonder whether Russians have more sympathy for homeless animals than they do about dogs.

Throughouh the Moscow, like throughout U.S. cities homeless people are seen with animals in tow. The signs that these people in Moscow show, however, are different. With almost no exception, the homeless people's signs in Moscow say "Please help my to feed my dog" or "Help my feed my kittens or buy them." This, I think, is different to in the U.S. where dogs might arouse sympathy, but people's sign don't specifically mention the dog and not mention the person begging.

Homeless people are not stupid, and they must have realized where people's sympathies lie. Clearly if they say "homeless and hungry," they won't get money, whereas if they say "my dog is hungry people," will flip some change their way. Perhaps this has to do with Muscovites skepticism about homeless people. My students always say they are in gangs or they are really rich. Dogs, on the other hand can't have some of our more vile human impulses.
Posted by Aaron at July 22, 2004 06:56 PM

Comments

Your stories about dogs and bicycling in Russia remind me of the times I'd go jogging in the park next to Gostinitsa Mezhdunarodnaya. I'd get some of the same odd looks you'd get when riding your bike, but the dogs were the real problems. For some reason, old Russian ladies, unlike their American counterparts with their chihuahuas and poodles, are partial to rotweilers. And a lot of them don't like leashes. One time I was jogging and a big, nasty dog came after me. I'd finally had it and yelled at the owners "Haven't you ever heard of a leash?", to which they replied,"Haven't you ever heard of a running track?!"

At times like that, you just have to keep repeating to yourself Sean Connery's recurring line from "The Man Who Would Be King": different cultures, different customs.

Posted by: Josh on July 22, 2004 08:07 PM
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