"We are sinking in the snow!", "One can no longer take to the streets!", "In our driveway are several meters high snow mountains!" - These and similar cries for help reached us in the course of December 2010 more times - mostly with anguish, accusing often with a certain undertone. Is it okay that even in Germany for several winter days when snow is not even weeks? Obviously the many warm and snow-less winter have meant that people in Germany feel snow already an unfair burden, which inevitably causes a state of emergency. 
given an experience of a Russian friend who lived several years in Hamburg added: stood in one of those winter mornings at the bus stop, in the firm conviction that the bus would be reliable and punctual. German buses, they had found a short time in the country, go to schedule. But he did not come. A passer-by, they spoke then answered her: "It's snowing!". Yes, she thought, of course. I see yes. And they pushed the inappropriate response to false understanding her question. But after a further pedestrian pointed specifically to the 5 cm thick layer of snow, you were slow to doubt its actually very good knowledge of German. Only with the third party slowly dawned on her that well between her surprise given the lack of bus and the fact that the winter had been felt with snow, there is a causal link had.
of the upcoming event we are therefore invited to our German home in terms of "life in the snow" something to help get started. Of course, this leads spontaneous snowfall, especially at the beginning of winter, to more congestion on already heavily congested streets of Novosibirsk. But no one would doubt that a bus, a tram or a taxi is able to travel even in heavy snow its range. Since there are no timetables eh, you just simply wait at the bus stop arrives to the next means of transportation. That one takes for example, in the suburb of scientists Akademgorodok then not 40 minutes, but 3 hours is surely self-evident. Delays caused by heavy snowfall, are therefore not covered by such former starting out, but in case of delay (to work, to school, to a private meeting) can then be prima cite the inherent "probki" (congestion). That looks good everyone.
A city that is sinking from November to April under a solid blanket of snow has, of course, certain routines in dealing with this condition develops. It seem - to the delight of Julius - Coinciding with the onset of winter in the entire city a number of vehicles, ranging from small hand-held snow blowers to remove the parking bays raised by the piles of snow, a mini excavator, flit via walkways and driveways in order to solve the trampled snow and raise to pile on larger tractors, free push the central squares of the city, to dredging, which accumulate the dissolved snow several meters high mountains and it eventually - vorzuweigse night (!) - loaded on trucks carrying the snow out of the city - while actually We could not figure out yet.
But not only engine power is required, but even mere manual labor is almost around the clock used. With thick steel blades are bundled up, men - like with an Asian appearance - in rows on the sidewalks, which came to be snow that is often extremely smooth, loszupickeln painstaking work. The resulting mini-ice (which, moreover, are great as a football) are in turn mounted on the roadside, made up the next night of the evacuation. Several hours of work required by a few meters sidewalk in this manner totally rid of the snow. With the result that the pedestrian routes to commit to some different street levels. course, calls all this an enormous commitment of manpower, so that sometimes gives the impression that almost half the male population of Siberia is busy in the winter months with snow. raises the question: What do they do in summer?
other hand: Is not that for now, for the second time by unexpected snow hit Germany an interesting variation on the Elimination of seasonal unemployment?
also another typical Siberian possible use of the generous snowfall I would like to recommend for imitation: This free, but very malleable and in local Wide and durable raw material transformed the city into a huge sand box, the child can work with all types of blades - after several generations had been simple plastic buckets with the intense hacking on the frozen snow quite fast break, we have for Julius finally to a specialized supplier for hunting and outdoor an extremely stable iron shovel with wooden handle earned: He can provide not only the snow effective support workers, but also regularly earns the admiration of his peers.
But not only children, even serious artists are inspired by the solidified precipitation and accomplish amazing every year to New Plants. In several parks in the city center will be the end of December mysterious, situated several meters high wooden blocks, in which, - it is just snow. However, extremely bonded and smoothed. On a specified day, the blocks freed from the wood and the competition starts (we are finally in Russia!): A few days groups of artists from all over Russia have time to form from the blank, her sculpture. In timbered stairs to climb "their" Schneekotz edit it with saws, drills, hammers and chisels. Of course (we are in Russia!) This splendor day and night guarded by police officers - in a car with the engine running continuously. Who would ultimately not already been secretly steal a ton more snow block? 
A combination of art and banal children's fun is the "Eisstädtchen" is that every year on the banks of the Ob River is built: modeled from Eisquadern, internally illuminated sculptures (this year along the lines of "Shrek and his world" can), visitors charmed by its fragile stability, in an ice labyrinths, if one is there some effort to lose the focus, and ice towers in breathtaking slopes down run, ice cast slides load slopes in such a high speed, at the slide entrance specifically monitor the safe end skid monitor (again a great job creation scheme!). 
seem With so many possible uses of the white splendor us the typical (?) German complaints but very one-sided and we regret personally right now, can only enjoy a few months Siberian winter. 
