Russian Babushkas

Carol Guzy

The Washington Post

In American dictionaries, 'babushka' means 'scarf'. In Russia it means grandmother or old woman, and it often evokes the image of cranky little busybodies with sharp tongues and killer elbows. But too many times the cliche proves unfair. The babushka is Russia's secret strength, a tired foot soldier in a black wool coat and thick wool kerchief who is on alert 24 hours a day against hunger and cold and the loss of Russian tradition. At a time when their world is falling apart, the babushki carry on. They hold families together, keep food on the table. They cook and clean and sweep the streets. It sometimes seems as if the whole engine of life in this country is run by millions of little old ladies. Maria Ivanova, 82, lives alone in a flat in the town of Mozhaisk, with no running water. The weathered face of a hard life.

Carol Guzy, "Russian Babushkas," in POYi Archive, Item #20441, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/20441 (accessed November 23, 2024).