European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 2, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Little old ladies who hold a people together by Eleanor Randolph the Washington Post Babushka Means grandmother or old woman and in Loo often evokes toe image of Cranky Bette busybodies with Sharp tongues and offer of tues. Bui does not Lake Long at this time in Russia to realize mat the cliche is unfair. The Babushka is Russia s secret strength a tired tool Soldier in Black Wool Coal and Thek Wool kerchief or dowdy i hat who is on Alert 24 hours a Day against hunger and cold and the tos of russian tradition at a tone when their world is rating apart the Babushka carry on they hold fam fees together. They keep food on the table they Cook and Dean and nurse and shop Whorfe the rest of the Tamuty tries to work at disappear no jobs they sweep streets and hair trash and perform other Lowry pub acc tasks Tor mate More than pocket change h sometimes seems As it the Toole engine of lie in this country is run by my icons of Fitle old latties. Thee Job is the toughest one of a to keep things Gong. To keep the next generation Active the Rva atan Haft Meta oilers an example of strength old endur wee often misunderstood by westerners a to both pity and a dismiss the poor old women Waring each morning oils Rte the met store. Many of these woman Are indeed poor and sad they Tefik of tie pts Ike pensions toe loss of Uncle. Some have of toted begging they hold out weather beaten hands and ask for a Tew rubles. A they Are always saving Money and food Tor the coming cos Aster a whatever in is Sart one russian these women Are the ones wafting Ai Day i the Tor the cheap food often so toe daughters and sons can buy the More expensive stuff unto toe a Vegs. At one Market recently a very old woman Start Lonfong at a Basket of eggs. Quot hew much Are the eggs she asked the merchant gave the regular pee. A no. Those the old woman said pointing to a smal tray of cracked eggs toe insides Stowey siting onto toe table these were spoiled obviously to be to Roan away a Kysh the merchant clucked it meant go away. Obj woman you re Nung business the woman shul fied sourly away it was a Tamer scene the eggs were not Tor her tarty they were for ret so her tasty court Alford Good ones Quot bit Meta Quot in american dictionaries Means  when a color Lul Square of doth is folded Ink a Triangle and Tiad around the Chin it is a Babushka. Such is the Power of the image of toe russian grandma in Russia Many Babushko Wear these scarves aft in toe Winter those with some Money prefer for hats and they Wear them constantly in pubic. They Wear Wool coals that Mold to the squat bodes As the Rran and Snow soften the Wool their boots Are often made of tick Gray left with a Mack robber sole that keeps out toe dampness. Bui these a left boots Quot seem to be sap Peang they Hurt feet that ache already some wearers say. The uniform must not have color or any in potty. It seems. That is Tor the Young. Thus in the Grays and Browns and Blacks the grandmother army fades into the background. To Many in cities he Moscow and St. Petersburg they become almost inv stole. Legions of shutting serfs who fetch and carry Tor their Tarrabe. In russian society where Young parents have always worked Long hours to Sun Jive and three generations often share Cne apartment toe grandparents have become toe parents. Fri a Chaehee. Toe old women were Ato wred to worst up even in toe hard years Whan religion was viewed As Moraty wrong a toe opiate of toe  As Marx opined. As the state triad to Brean Tois society from toe Church. 4 decided to locus on toe Young. The old women swept the Church floors and sold the canc Tes and kept toe traditions alive. The government figured that there was no Way to Reform thus ancient army of Dekevers. But the old were easy to scorn. Religion the soviets mocked a t was Only for old women. What the communists of int realize was that these old hands rocked the Cradle. For Many russian fam fees the grandmother is the keeper of toe flame the Story Defier Art tangy Nestorian when Young churchgoers Are asked How they teamed about religion they often say the cart Gartma whispered about god As they went to sleep in toe a Frages. The old women often the Only ones left As the Young move to cities a mantan the old songs and Tel toe old stones some or Wersty students Harve been taking Oral histories n these smal Crossroads where strange accents have on and stones have been retort for generations the pensioners without Tam amp is Are the poor Page 16 b the stars and stripes saturday. May 2. 1992njemnl people in this country. They have no Money end no purpose they set. Wafting in their tiny rooms until they die or move to a nursing Home Toat night be worse. Whie they a. The Yong covet toe rooms sometimes harassing them hoping to Speed the failing of a Fiji heart. Mary of the old commit suicide according to psychiatrists who gather such data. This is Especial to True of those abandoned by the fam fees at tiny farm communities where the nearest store is two modes away. For a Effage elder who suffers waiting across the room t might As Wel be two  is j of editors note the action line off not appear today because of a delay in renewing responses to a number of queries the draw Down cutbacks in staff and other factors have comb tried to produce the shortage Accortt ing to of tary officials the action line off resume As soon As answers Are received by the stars Vid stripes