Russia, a journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway

My dream vacation is inspired by a trip I never got to take.

Eleven years ago, in a remote area of Russia, at the stunning Lake Baikal in Siberia, actors and artists from all over the world met to study the Michael Chekhov acting technique at the first ever conference held in his honor.  I was a junior in college, studying at an acting conservatory when I missed my opportunity to attend this amazing event.  (I fell short of raising money for my plane fare by just $250!)  Though this was many years ago and I’ve since changed career paths, I still dream of reviving that opportunity.  

First stop: The Chekhov Moscow Art Theater, Moscow

From a production at the original MAT

The Trans-Siberian Railway originates in Moscow, Russia so it's a great place to start this journey to Lake Baikal. But before hopping on the train, the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater is a must see! The original Moscow Art Theater was founded in 1898 as a venue to feature naturalistic theater, under the direction of Constantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.  Few Americans know the tremendous influence that Constantin Stanislaski has had on modern American theater.  Many, if not most, of today’s popular actors have studied techniques, often referred to as method acting, that were directly influenced by Stanislavski.  Additionally, Michael Chekhov, the founder of one my favorite acting techniques, studied under Stanislavski here at this theater.


For more information about Michael Chekhov visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Chekhov.

This clip, from the documentary film Stanislavsky and the Russian Theatre, describes Stanislavski's role in the founding of the Moscow Art Theater and the major themes of his acting technique.

All aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway!


Now it's time to buy a ticket and hop aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway.  Visit this site for information about the railroad, get tips like "pack a pocket knife" and learn how to buy tickets.

How to read a Russian train ticket.

Second stop: Ivolginsky Datsan, Ulad Ude

Before arriving on the shores of Lake Baikal, gain a little enlightenment at Ivolginsky datsan.  This is the center of Buddhism in Russia and  attracts hundreds of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. The datsan is located about 30 km from Ulan-Ude city in the village of Verkhnaya Ivolga.

This temple was built in 1945 as the only Buddhist spiritual center in the USSR.  Buddhism was originally introduced to areas that are now Russia by the Kalmyk people who traveled into and settled in Siberia in the 17^th century.  Buddhism is now recognized as one of Russia’s historical religions.  According to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, 63% of respondents to a poll considered themselves Russian Orthodox, 6% Muslim and less than 1% considered themselves either Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant or Jewish. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Russia#cite_note-religionsurvey-5 –accessed 10/2/2011]


This temple is unique in that it    is home to the 12th Pandito Hambo Lama,Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov,  who died in 1927 in the lotus position and whose body, while never having been embalmed or mummified, has not yet decomposed! For info about this phenomenon and the temple visit this New Times article. 

This video was taken in 2002, when over 20,000 people traveled to the datsun to see and honor this famous lama's body. 

Last stop: Lake Baikal, Siberia


At last, we've arrived at the shores of Lake Baikal! All you need now is a pair of hiking boots or a kayak and a paddle to enjoy the spectacular beauty and the abundant wildlife of this area.


"The water of Lake Baikal is the colour of turquoise, more transparent than the Black Sea. They say that in deep places you can see the bottom over a verst below; and I myself have seen to such a depth, with rocks and mountains plunged in the turquoise-blue, that it sent a shiver all over me." - playwright Anton Chekhov in a letter to his mother, Letters of Anton Chekhov.

Visit Lonely Planet for all the information you need to enjoy Lake Baikal.

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This traditional Russian folk song is about a convict who had escaped from jail and was attempting to return home from Transbaikalia on Lake Baikal, Siberia. This performance is by Pyort Leshchenko.


                                              by Shannon Kirk
 

Mu

My dream vacation is to a place that never actually existed.

Usually folk theories about lost continents and civilizations are of such ancient vintage that it is hard to tell when and how they got started. The fact that these ideas pop up again and again tells us something about human experience. Clearly, for many there is an urge to explain gaps in the historical record with big, easy answers (“we all come from X”). At times, these are bound up with racist ideas about older, non-European civilizations (“Those folks must have had help from aliens to figure out how to build those things because we can’t believe they would figure it out on their own…”).

In the case of Mu, however, we do know the lineage of the idea. It was started, it seems, by the French author Augustus Le Plongeon (1825-1908). After a trip to Mayan ruins, he put forth a story about translating ancient Mayan texts that refer to a continent named Mu. It was said to be large, taking up a great deal of space in the Pacific Ocean. 

                                   (Source: http://bigthink.com/ideas/21096 - Original Link Broken)

Like most stories about lost civilizations or continents (see Atlantis), Mu meets a terrible fate. A larger earthquake strikes and the continent sinks into the ocean. The people of Mu are said to flee (those that made it out alive) and to become the basis for various civilizations around the world (e.g., Egypt, the Mayas, etc.). In some accounts, the people of Mu had displeased God, so they were punished. This is also a common feature of stories about lost civilizations.

Even without the advanced geological data we have today, people at the time were dubious about this claim. Not James Churchward. He took the idea of Mu and ran with it. 

                                                      

http://blog.my-mu.com/?cat=6

                                                          http://blog.my-mu.com/?cat=8

You see in Churchward’s work a typical mix of nostalgia for a more edenic past with the ideas that we have lost knowledge that “ancients” possessed. This is the case with beliefs about Atlantis, as well. It seems like the nature of these lost civilizations is taken for granted, which allows for disputes about which continent existed where to get heated. For example, over time, debates have arisen about whether Mu and another lost continent, Lemuria, are the same. Some would have it that they are. Others place Lemuria closer to the Indian sub-continent. I have to say I like these internecine struggles within marginalized conspiracy theories. Something about the passion that people bring to something so outlandish is captivating (though disturbing at the same time). See the history of Helena Blavatsky for an even stranger hodgepodge of ideas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Blavatsky) about history, the metaphysical, and race (much of which focuses on Lemuria). 

Churchward’s second volume, “Children of Mu,” seems to take Mu and Lemuria to be same. In describing the people he apparently explains that: 

“Sixty-three million people lived on the now lost continent of Mu over 200,000 years ago. The children of Mu became the most influential people on Earth. Mu had an incredibly sophisticated government, flowering culture and scientific technology. Much of the Lemurian civilization lived in homes with transparent roofs. They built shelters, made clothing, food, and their own tools. They were free from stress and disease, living in peace for hundreds of years. Their psychic abilities were highly developed - telepathy, astral travel and teleportation making traditional communication devices unnecessary. They were primarily a vegetarian, agricultural, outdoor, organic culture that worked in harmony with nature and the land.”  (http://www.crystalinks.com/lemuria.html).

 

Not surprisingly, Churchward thought these beings from 200,000 years ago were white. He went on to write six volumes about Mu.

As is usually the case with these ideas, evidence for the existence of the continent and the influence the Mu-ian diaspora on cultures around the world is shown through common themes in various cultures (e.g., the destruction of older cities, missing tribes, particular symbols, etc.).  It is also claimed that you can see similarities in the written language. 

                   http://eden-saga.com/en/3000-archeology-japan-yonaguni-under-sea-of-china-mysterious-mu.html

Of course, there are other explanations for these similarities (e.g., origin myths always deal with the cycle of life and death). Moreover, often suggested similarities are the result of poor translations and interpretations. People looking for links between geographically distant communities can find something to back their case up if they look hard enough and are willing to bend the truth.  However, I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff. I love it when theories get supported by a whole host of artefacts.

Claims about Mu (and Lemuria) don't rest solely on material evidence, however. A lot of the information is claimed to be delivered by channeled entities. Ra, Seth, Ramtha and others touch on Mu.  You can either look up the information online or at your local library. You can also apparently contact some entities by yourself. Here is an e-How on “How to Channel Entities” -  http://www.ehow.com/how_4466384_channel-entities.html. I’m not sure how you cite such entities in a bibliography, however…

All kidding aside, although Mu never existed, it would be fun to visit for a vacation. In fact, I have an idea for how I would do it. Off the coast of Japan, something called the Yonaguni Monuments do exist.

There are debates about whether these are natural formations or man-made. Some people want to point to them as evidence for Mu. Others suggest they are not so mysterious. I’m not a good swimmer, and I have never been scuba diving, but I’d love to go here and swim around. I don’t think they prove anything about a lost civilization, but they do raise some interesting questions. And frankly, they're just cool looking.

This has some cheesy narration (typical History channel production), but it gives a sense of what these look like in real life. Not Mu, but close enough.