Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 2, 1993 TAG: 9312020427
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W16 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"It was interesting," she said. "It was history in the making."
Enyart, along with her traveling companion, Anita Thompson of Roanoke County, and eight other people in a tour group arrived in St. Petersburg while rebels opposed to Boris Yeltsin were being evicted from the parliament building in Moscow known as The White House.
They arrived in Moscow two days later while the city was still tense from the confrontation.
"Every day, something was happening; and we were wrapped up in it," she said.
Enyart said her group was told that when the smoke-blackened parliament building is repaired, it will be green and become known as The Green House.
Political troubles did not prevent Enyart from accomplishing her mission - buying Russian artifacts to sell in her two antique-and-craft shops - Antique Alley in Salem and Lee's Emporium in Moneta.
She acquired a collection of Russian crafts - handwoven lace, amber jewelry of every type, small trays and small hand-painted boxes.
Also, pins with miniature pictures and various other types of artwork, including colorful postage stamps.
Included is a Matryoshkas nesting doll with pictures of several of the country's leaders from Lenin to Yeltsin.
The items will be on display Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. at Olde Salem Framing & Gallery on Main Street in Salem's downtown.
Pru Lucas, a Hollins College graduate and gallery director for Olde Salem Framing, will produce the show, which will be open to the public.
During January, many of the craft items will be on display at the Roanoke County main public library on Virginia 419.
Enyart said that while she obtained many interesting items, it all is relatively new.
"They won't let anything prior to 1945 get out of the country," she said.
Enyart was impressed by the people in Russia.
"The people are very nice," she said. "They are just like us, basically hard-working family people."
And they are catching on to capitalism, an economic system new to virtually everybody in the country.
Enyart said that when her tour group arrived in St. Petersburg, a band played "The Star-Spangled Banner" as a welcome.
And, in good old Western fashion, she said, the band members brought out a container for donations.
Enyart saw several boys with a car-washing operation on a street along the Neva River. When a customer stopped, the boys hauled buckets of water from the river to wash the car.
And many of the people are forced into another capitalistic venture - begging.
Enyart saw a boy about 10 or 11 years old essentially begging. But he would not take money unless he could give something in exchange. On this particular day, she said, the only items he had were some tattered post cards. Everyone who gave him money got a post card.
Enyart's group visited St. Petersburg and Moscow, and she was surprised by the differences in the two cities.
"It was almost like being in two different countries," she said.
In St. Petersburg - Leningrad under the Soviets - the people were bustling and busy, and there was a large selection of tasty food.
But in Moscow, the people were more shy and casual. And there was not as large a selection of food, and the food was not as tasty. Enyart said meals were heavy on meat, potatoes and cabbage.
Enyart also learned that throughout the country it apparently is a violation to take pictures of priests or monks. She took a picture of a monk who got terribly upset - Enyart thought he was going to confiscate her camera and send her to the gulag.
Tourists can take pictures outdoors with no restrictions, but they must pay a fee to take pictures inside buildings. However, the fee in rubles amounted to only 80 cents to take an unlimited number in each building.
Reasons for these eccentricities were never explained.
Enyart said St. Petersburg is a pretty city, and most of the buildings are in good condition. But in Moscow, many of the buildings were more cheaply built, often dirty and in need of repair.
This was the first time Enyart had been to a foreign country to get items for her shops. But the Russian trip was such a success, she is thinking of trying it in other countries.
"It is a great way to travel and invest in items for sale," she said.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***