Yaroslavsky Station

Yaroslavsky Station in Moscow looked, from the air, like a cake decorated by an enthusiast. Green and white turrets. Pointed roofs. Gold trim. The architect, Fyodor Shekhtel, had designed it in 1902.

Jarošlavská stanica v Moskve vyzerala z výšky ako torta ozdobená nadšencom. Zelené a biele vežičky. Špicaté strechy. Zlaté ozdoby. Architekt, Fjodor Šechtel, ju navrhol v roku 1902.

Polly came in low through the city haze. Moscow in June was warm and bright. She circled the station once and landed on the iron canopy over the main entrance.

Polly priletela nízko cez mestský opar. Moskva v júni bola teplá a jasná. Obletela stanicu raz a pristála na železnej streche nad hlavným vchodom.

The Trans-Siberian Railway begins here. It runs east for 9,289 kilometres, the length of the entire Eurasian landmass, ending at Vladivostok on the Pacific. The line was completed in 1916. It is still the longest railway line in the world. The flagship train, the Rossiya, leaves Yaroslavsky Station every other day at one in the afternoon. It arrives in Vladivostok seven days and seven time zones later.

Transsibírska železnica začína tu. Vedie na východ 9 289 kilometrov, cez celú eurázijskú pevninu, končiac vo Vladivostoku na Pacifiku. Trať bola dokončená v roku 1916. Stále je to najdlhšia železničná trať na svete. Vlajkový vlak, Rossija, odchádza z Jarošlavskej stanice každý druhý deň o jednej popoludní. Do Vladivostoku dorazí o sedem dní a sedem časových pásiem neskôr.

Polly had a window berth in second class compartment 7. The conductor had taken one look at her glasses and decided, sensibly, that this was not his problem.

Polly mala miesto pri okne v druhej triede, v kupé číslo 7. Sprievodca sa pozrel na jej okuliare a rozumne sa rozhodol, že to nie je jeho problém.

Her compartment was a small wood-panelled room with two upper and two lower bunks. Two bunks were already taken. One by a quiet retired woman in a beige cardigan, reading. The other by a young man with a beard typing on a laptop, who saw Polly, said "OK," and went back to typing.

Jej kupé bola malá miestnosť s drevenými panelmi s dvoma hornými a dvoma dolnými lôžkami. Dve lôžka už boli obsadené. Jedno tichou dôchodkyňou v béžovom svetri, ktorá čítala. Druhé mladým mužom s bradou, ktorý písal na laptop, pozrel na Polly, povedal „OK“ a pokračoval v písaní.

Polly hopped onto the small table and looked out the window. The platform was full of motion. A samovar in the corner of the carriage hissed.

Polly vyskočila na malý stolík a pozrela sa von oknom. Nástupište bolo plné pohybu. Samovar v rohu vozňa syčal.

At exactly one o'clock, the train moved. It did not feel like a beginning. The wheels found their rhythm in two minutes and held it. The platform slid away.

Presne o jednej sa vlak pohol. Necítilo sa to ako začiatok. Kolesá našli svoj rytmus za dve minúty a držali ho. Nástupište sa odsunulo.

Within half an hour, Moscow had thinned to suburbs. Within an hour, suburbs to dachas, small Russian summer houses. Within two hours, dachas to forest. Polly tilted her glasses straight against her beak.

Do pol hodiny sa Moskva zmenila na predmestia. Do hodiny predmestia na dače, malé ruské letné domy. Do dvoch hodín dače na les. Polly si narovnala okuliare na zobáku.

The quiet woman looked up. "First time?" she said in careful English. Polly tilted her red head. "It is a long way. Settle in."

Tichá žena zdvihla pohľad. „Prvýkrát?“ povedala opatrnou angličtinou. Polly naklonila svoju červenú hlavu. „Je to dlhá cesta. Uvoľnite sa.“