Shuffling through the masses, two young boys nearly run me over shouting as they push a cart full of cabbages through a busy crowd. In the distance, an elderly woman sits cross legged in the dirt stitching together shoes by hand. Around me, hordes of Asiatic men and women watch over tin canopied market stalls, hawking goods, smoking cigarettes, or frantically speaking Chinese.
And this is Russia.
I am walking through a sprawling open air market in Vladivostok. This cavalcade of people selling everything from blow torches and Armani jeans to canned borscht is unofficially known by Vladivostok residents as the Chinese market. Those who make their livelihood within the bazaar do not just hail from China as the name implies. It is a peculiar mix of Russians and immigrants from various parts of Asia. This odd amalgamation of folks, cast far way from their native lands, defines this small section of the city as a meeting point, where the paths of different people's lives converge to exchange goods.
A Chinese Woman Mending Shoes,
Vladivostok, Russia
Most of what is sold here is merchandise from China made for export to the United States. Everything from stereos, pet supplies, and designer shirts can be purchased here for a fraction of the price they sell for in the developed world. For example, here you can find a Puma hat, adorned with a tag printed in English which lists its price as $18.95; in Vladivostok, it sells for less than $4.
If hundreds of years ago the most sought after commodity produced in the Orient was spices, the answer today is brand name clothes. Throughout the market, names like Adidas, Levi's, and Gap monopolize the fronts of infinite shirts, hats, and jackets. The majority are shameless imitations.
Everyday is Market Day
On one visit, I nearly laughed out loud finding a Nike shirt with a gargantuan swoosh symbol made of corduroy stitched on so poorly it was practically falling off. Later, I spotted a stand selling designer jeans where a young girl sat bent over an old sewing machine unabashedly stitching together the pants for sale in front of me.
The raw materials for most of the clothes for sale in the market are brought into Russia from China and assembled here. The imitation clothes and excess products originally meant for sale in the U.S. fill a gap in the need for consumer goods in Russia. In a country which produces little, the availability of Chinese consumer goods greatly benefits the lower class of Russia's Far East by offering them affordable commodities.
Only in Russia: The Chill of a Late Spring Snow Storm
is Not Enough to Keep Shoppers Away
The presence of immigrants in Russia is symbiotic. It is a place where a factory worker from China can become an entrepreneur, using their skills to assemble jeans in their own market stall.
For others, Russia is a place of sanctuary.
An exchange student from South Korea named Ju Jung accompanied me on my first visit to the market. At midday, we stopped for lunch at a Korean restaurant tucked within the labyrinth of merchants peddling their wares. Inside, several plastic pictures portraying scenes of American landscapes, long since faded and bleached by the sun adorned the walls. I spotted one, featuring a lobsterman hauling traps and navigating his boat through the inlets of pine tree dappled isles, and smirked to myself. The man in the boat could be modeled after one of my neighbors in Maine halfway around the world.
As our waiter hands us menus, the two Koreans begin a fervent conversation. Soon, they are both sitting down, smiling, and shaking hands.
"I have never had the opportunity to speak with someone from North Korea, so that was a very special moment for me," Ju Jung tells me in English as the waiter left. "This restaurant is managed by a North Korean family who escaped to Russia. In my country, it is against the law for us to meet anyone from North Korea."
To this day, the two countries are technically still involved in a conflict, given that the Korean War technically ended in a cease fire, not a peace treaty.
"That was very special," Ju Jung repeats, nearly moved to tears.
The Chinese Market is like a miniature diorama portraying the broad and intriguing subject of international relations. It is a place where products meant for sale in the developed world, reach the developing world, and people from all over this region of the planet pass by one another in a vibrant setting which serves as a literal crossroads within Asia.
Young Boy Stares Out of Market Window,
Vladivostok, Russia
Comments
Just read this for the first time tonight... dope piece, Levi. Such an eclectic mix of characters that, for some reason, seem to be in exactly the place they should be.
Well done, bro - this is chaos well conveyed.
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