One thing I’ve noticed about Russians since coming here in April is their affinity for painting things. Street curbs, steel fences, and children’s playgrounds are all painted bright colors, lighting up streets and neighborhoods.
A Playground in the US
A Playground in Russia
Most interesting of all, however, are the trees.
Trees outside the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir.
Walking through parks, I often found trees with their trunks painted white and wondered for what purpose.This seems to be a common practice, as I’ve seen it in Vladimir, Suzdal, Gagarin, and even in Ulan Ude, a city in the Eastern Siberian region. Was there a superstition I was unaware of? Perhaps the white paint kept life-sucking spirits away?
I finally asked Lera, an MGU student who had spent a year at Carleton, and the answer was actually a lot more boring than I thought. The white paint is actually an insecticide. It prevents bugs from eating away at the bark and damaging the trees.
I suppose this explanation is a lot closer to my guess than I let on, but it just goes to show that sometimes its not all myths and legends in Russia.