My earliest memories of football are playing with my school friends in the rain. I remember the huge debates we would have the night before the matches, all of us supporting a different club. Witnessing the Football World Cup live was on my bucket list, as was visiting Russia. So this was an opportunity I could not let go.
I started planning my trip to Russia last October and got my ticket by April. What’s great is that you don’t need a visa entry if you have a ticket to the matches; you can enter via your FAN ID. When I stepped inside Moscow airport, there were banners of FIFA all around, even around the city. The city wore an air of celebration.
I flew from London, where I study, to Russia for two games: Russia vs Saudi Arabia in Moscow and Iran vs Morocco in Saint Petersburg. The matches were electrifying to say the least. I was sitting with the Russians for the first match, and even they were taken aback by the 5-0 win that they scored. They believe they are good at ice hockey, but football, they never expected; even the jerseys they were wearing were the hockey ones!
Before the matches, we gathered at the Kitai-gorod, near the Red Square. Fans from all across the world — Peru, Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mexico — had come there, singing their national anthems, their team songs and folk songs, and chanting in support of their country. Still, it didn’t feel like we were part of different groups. Nationality was not a barrier; everyone was just a football fan at heart.
I attended the Iran vs Morocco match with a Moroccan friend. We ended up making random friends from the Moroccan crowd and all of us went to dinner together. There, we were joined by Iranian fans. There was no tension at the table; the Iranians, who had won because Morocco scored a goal against itself, were very polite about it and congratulated the Moroccans on a good game.
I also enjoyed the food there; the syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes) and pelmeni (dumplings) were delicious. Most cafés and pubs had the matches playing on their TV screens, with the customers singing Russian folk songs. But the Fan Fest was where the crowds were gathered at. The Fan Fest is generally located in popular touristy locations like Sparrow Hills in Moscow and the Konyushennaya Square in Saint Petersburg, which has a huge screen on a colourful stage, and where there are other cultural performances. You can see hundreds of fans — from eight-year-olds to 80-year-olds — waving their flags; it’s beautiful.
I had always wanted to go to Russia; it’s a country rich in history. I wanted to see if the stereotypes set by the Western media were true. They are not. Moscow, especially, was like any other Western city, except that they don’t speak English. Yes, communication with the locals and volunteers at the information desks was a bit of a problem, but once I started using Google Translate and tried speaking in Russian, I found them to be very friendly and helpful. One thing I found striking was the line of Western brand stores just yards away from Lenin’s Mausoleum.
Moscow is unique in the sense that it has mixed the old and new very well: on one hand, it has these stately ancient cathedrals, and on the other, it has a modern skyline. Everything looks very bright there. Saint Petersburg, on the other hand, was relatively quieter and less modern than Moscow, with a lot of palaces and canals. I would go sightseeing in between matches, ambling through parks, churches and museums; it was pleasant sunny weather.
Though I stayed there for only two matches, I have to say this is an experience of a lifetime; one that I will carry with me back home — along with the gzhel pottery and fridge magnets that I bought as souvenirs.
