Season II, Episode 6: Chasing Paper
After departing from the courthouse we went to another official office. Natalia got out of the car and went into the office; DW, Olga, Alexander, and I waited for her in the car next to a small park in what one could call the central business district of Orenburg. The sun was high and the sky clear. It was hot. I got out and bought bottles of water for everyone from a vendor near the edge of the park. Natalia returned in about 15 minutes and we departed for the City of Orenburg Vital Statistics office.
A short drive through central Orenburg and we arrived at the city vital statistics office - a tsarist era building painted the color of Baskin Robbins mint chip ice cream with white trim. Natalia told us that before the revolution this building belonged an aristocrat and it was one of the most ornately decorated in Orenburg.
We entered a large foyer and then ascended a wide staircase going around a hairpin turn of the way up. After a left at the top of the staircase we went down a corridor with a very tall ceiling that grew a little darker with each step. Then another left and through a set of high double doors into a dark and cramped waiting with a wide bench for visitors to wait on. Beyond another set of tall double doors was a narrow room with two desks and two ladies sitting behind them. This was the city office of vital statistics.
Natalia entered the office; the rest of us waited for he in the waiting area. She emerged within a couple of minutes to say that whomever we needed to produce one of the documents we'd come to get was out but would return in about an hour. She asked whether DW and I would like to see more of Orenburg or go back to the hotel.
DW and I both opted to see more of Orenburg. Before leaving, Natalia also gave us a brief tour of the building and its ornate, nearly rococo, interior. She mentioned that she was married in this building and many couples still are. Before went back down the stairs, she took us into a large room where the weddings are performed. Then we descended the stairs into the lobby and quickly went into a bridal shop that sells wedding dresses and accessories just off the lobby.
After leaving the building we drove to the park by the foot-bridge over the Ural River. We went down the long stairway to the riverbank and watched people swim in the river. Natalia told us that when she was on the volleyball team in school, her coach made her run up the stairs with a 2kg weight in each hand.
We spent about 30 minutes at the park and the riverbank, and then returned to the vital statistics office. When we arrived there was a wedding party in the lobby taking photographs. We maneuvered our way around them between shots and headed back up the vital statistics office on the second floor.
Natalia and I entered the office and instructed me to sign a form sitting on one of the desks. With the form signed Natalia picked-up Ashton Beau's new birth certificate and our adoption certificate and stowed it away in her document case.
At this point it was about 6:00 PM and the ladies in the office we just left had made an extra effort to accommodate us. Moreover, Natalia showed me the sign on the door saying that if you drop-off a request on Tuesday, your document will be ready on Thursday, or something to that effect. Because we received special expedited, after hours, service Natalia asked if we had gifts for the ladies in the office. Luckily we did. A couple of boxes of Frango mints from Marshall Field's in Chicago (with a water color of the Chicago skyline on the box) did nicely.
Earlier, I had asked Natalia to tell us before leaving the hotel how many gifts to bring with us whenever we went out. She must have forgotten. Luckily we were prepared anyway. That is thanks to toria for e-mailing me before we left and reminding that once our hearing was over and chasing certificates, apositlles, passports, etc. before leaving Orenburg, always have a few gifts in our bag just-in-case.
We were all getting hungry and Natalia suggested a place for us to eat. Alexander and his Volga had left us because he had to return to school to take an exam. Natalia asked whether we'd like to call a taxi or walk. On the drive to the vital statistics office we'd driven by a park with lots of aircraft, trains, and other Russian military equipment on display. I love that kind of stuff and wanted to see as much as I could up-close. I voted for a walk. DW, somewhat reluctantly I think, agreed.
We took a short stroll through the park and posed for some of the photos below. Since or first morning in Orenburg, I noticed that all of the tree trunks were painted white about up to three feet off the ground. As we passed a row of painted trees on our stroll I asked Natalia “why the paint?” She said that it was some sort of chemical treatment that kept worms away from the trees.
About 30 minutes after leaving the vital statistics office, we arrived at a traditional Russian restaurant in the central - old city - part of Orenburg right across the street from the local RSV (f/k/a KGB) headquarters. The restaurant was in the basement and to my surprise we were the only customers there. Business must be slow on a Tuesday evening.
We went down the stairs and through some dark wood paneled corridors into a bar and dance floor area, then into a cozy private dining room with table set for six. The four of us sat down, read the menu (with more than a little help from Natalia) and ordered. I had a cold vegetable soup like borscht, but it was not borscht and palmyeni (meat dumplings in a bowl of broth). Sorry I can't recall the name of the cold soup anymore. It was very good.
With dinner completed Natalia called a taxi and we headed back to our hotel. It was not long before both DW and I were asleep.
The next morning Natalia picked us up around 10 or 11. We were going to the Orenburg Region [Оренбург Област] Office of Vital Statistics to have the certificates we received the day before apositlled.
Alexander picked us up and we took a short drive to the regional government building, an imposing 1930's edifice that Natalia told DW had been designed by German architects. In front of the building was a small park with a large fountain.
We went in the main entrance, through a security check-point, and into the lobby. Natalia instructed us to stay in the lobby and went down a corridor. A few minutes later she came back and told us that the person we needed was out, but should return within 30 minutes. During the wait we moved to a small cafe in the building that served everything from sandwiches and pastries to tea and beer.
We then returned to the lobby, crossed it, and proceeded down corridor the corridor Natalia had gone down earlier. About 20 meters down the corridor on the left was an open door. We entered with Natalia. Natalia spoke briefly with the occupants of the office. Then she told us to return to the lobby and wait there for her.
In the lobby there was a large kiosk selling books, DVDs, and items of local interest. I used our wait to browse the kiosk and find some maps of Orenburg. I was able to find maps of both the Orenburg Region and Orenburg City for about 180 Rubles all together. I had to ask the lady operating the kiosk for the city maps and this was one place where being able to speak some Russian really helped. One day when he's older I'll be able to show Ashton Beau where Orenburg is and the location of his baby home, our hotel and other important places in Orenburg.
About 15 minutes later Natalia returned to the lobby to fetch me. We left DW in the lobby and walked down the corridor to the office we were at before. There was what looked like a log book on a desk and Natalia asked me to sign in the blank space under a column of other signatures. After I signed Natalia took some documents the ladies in the office handed her and we walked back out to the lobby. Re-united with DW we exited the building the way we came in, found Alexander, got back in his car and drove back to our hotel.
In the next episode, Gotcha Day!!! Plus, Nungesser and DW exchange travelers checks, buy baby supplies, and parenthood becomes reality.
The Orenburg City Vital Statistics Office.
A short drive through central Orenburg and we arrived at the city vital statistics office - a tsarist era building painted the color of Baskin Robbins mint chip ice cream with white trim. Natalia told us that before the revolution this building belonged an aristocrat and it was one of the most ornately decorated in Orenburg.
We entered a large foyer and then ascended a wide staircase going around a hairpin turn of the way up. After a left at the top of the staircase we went down a corridor with a very tall ceiling that grew a little darker with each step. Then another left and through a set of high double doors into a dark and cramped waiting with a wide bench for visitors to wait on. Beyond another set of tall double doors was a narrow room with two desks and two ladies sitting behind them. This was the city office of vital statistics.
Natalia entered the office; the rest of us waited for he in the waiting area. She emerged within a couple of minutes to say that whomever we needed to produce one of the documents we'd come to get was out but would return in about an hour. She asked whether DW and I would like to see more of Orenburg or go back to the hotel.
DW and I both opted to see more of Orenburg. Before leaving, Natalia also gave us a brief tour of the building and its ornate, nearly rococo, interior. She mentioned that she was married in this building and many couples still are. Before went back down the stairs, she took us into a large room where the weddings are performed. Then we descended the stairs into the lobby and quickly went into a bridal shop that sells wedding dresses and accessories just off the lobby.
After leaving the building we drove to the park by the foot-bridge over the Ural River. We went down the long stairway to the riverbank and watched people swim in the river. Natalia told us that when she was on the volleyball team in school, her coach made her run up the stairs with a 2kg weight in each hand.
We spent about 30 minutes at the park and the riverbank, and then returned to the vital statistics office. When we arrived there was a wedding party in the lobby taking photographs. We maneuvered our way around them between shots and headed back up the vital statistics office on the second floor.
Natalia and I entered the office and instructed me to sign a form sitting on one of the desks. With the form signed Natalia picked-up Ashton Beau's new birth certificate and our adoption certificate and stowed it away in her document case.
At this point it was about 6:00 PM and the ladies in the office we just left had made an extra effort to accommodate us. Moreover, Natalia showed me the sign on the door saying that if you drop-off a request on Tuesday, your document will be ready on Thursday, or something to that effect. Because we received special expedited, after hours, service Natalia asked if we had gifts for the ladies in the office. Luckily we did. A couple of boxes of Frango mints from Marshall Field's in Chicago (with a water color of the Chicago skyline on the box) did nicely.
Earlier, I had asked Natalia to tell us before leaving the hotel how many gifts to bring with us whenever we went out. She must have forgotten. Luckily we were prepared anyway. That is thanks to toria for e-mailing me before we left and reminding that once our hearing was over and chasing certificates, apositlles, passports, etc. before leaving Orenburg, always have a few gifts in our bag just-in-case.
We were all getting hungry and Natalia suggested a place for us to eat. Alexander and his Volga had left us because he had to return to school to take an exam. Natalia asked whether we'd like to call a taxi or walk. On the drive to the vital statistics office we'd driven by a park with lots of aircraft, trains, and other Russian military equipment on display. I love that kind of stuff and wanted to see as much as I could up-close. I voted for a walk. DW, somewhat reluctantly I think, agreed.
We took a short stroll through the park and posed for some of the photos below. Since or first morning in Orenburg, I noticed that all of the tree trunks were painted white about up to three feet off the ground. As we passed a row of painted trees on our stroll I asked Natalia “why the paint?” She said that it was some sort of chemical treatment that kept worms away from the trees.
About 30 minutes after leaving the vital statistics office, we arrived at a traditional Russian restaurant in the central - old city - part of Orenburg right across the street from the local RSV (f/k/a KGB) headquarters. The restaurant was in the basement and to my surprise we were the only customers there. Business must be slow on a Tuesday evening.
We went down the stairs and through some dark wood paneled corridors into a bar and dance floor area, then into a cozy private dining room with table set for six. The four of us sat down, read the menu (with more than a little help from Natalia) and ordered. I had a cold vegetable soup like borscht, but it was not borscht and palmyeni (meat dumplings in a bowl of broth). Sorry I can't recall the name of the cold soup anymore. It was very good.
With dinner completed Natalia called a taxi and we headed back to our hotel. It was not long before both DW and I were asleep.
The next morning Natalia picked us up around 10 or 11. We were going to the Orenburg Region [Оренбург Област] Office of Vital Statistics to have the certificates we received the day before apositlled.
Alexander picked us up and we took a short drive to the regional government building, an imposing 1930's edifice that Natalia told DW had been designed by German architects. In front of the building was a small park with a large fountain.
We went in the main entrance, through a security check-point, and into the lobby. Natalia instructed us to stay in the lobby and went down a corridor. A few minutes later she came back and told us that the person we needed was out, but should return within 30 minutes. During the wait we moved to a small cafe in the building that served everything from sandwiches and pastries to tea and beer.
We then returned to the lobby, crossed it, and proceeded down corridor the corridor Natalia had gone down earlier. About 20 meters down the corridor on the left was an open door. We entered with Natalia. Natalia spoke briefly with the occupants of the office. Then she told us to return to the lobby and wait there for her.
In the lobby there was a large kiosk selling books, DVDs, and items of local interest. I used our wait to browse the kiosk and find some maps of Orenburg. I was able to find maps of both the Orenburg Region and Orenburg City for about 180 Rubles all together. I had to ask the lady operating the kiosk for the city maps and this was one place where being able to speak some Russian really helped. One day when he's older I'll be able to show Ashton Beau where Orenburg is and the location of his baby home, our hotel and other important places in Orenburg.
About 15 minutes later Natalia returned to the lobby to fetch me. We left DW in the lobby and walked down the corridor to the office we were at before. There was what looked like a log book on a desk and Natalia asked me to sign in the blank space under a column of other signatures. After I signed Natalia took some documents the ladies in the office handed her and we walked back out to the lobby. Re-united with DW we exited the building the way we came in, found Alexander, got back in his car and drove back to our hotel.
In the next episode, Gotcha Day!!! Plus, Nungesser and DW exchange travelers checks, buy baby supplies, and parenthood becomes reality.
The Orenburg City Vital Statistics Office.
The vital records office where we went for Ashton Beau's new birth certificate and adoption certificate.
DW, Natalia, and Olga going around the hairpin turn on the stairs in the vital records office building.
DW and Nungesser in the wedding chapel room of the vital statitics building. This is a good view of what we each wore to the court hearing too.
The footbridge across the Ural River from Europe to Asia in the spring time.
Natalia, DW, and Olga along the riverbank.
Natalia, Nungesser, and Olga along the riverbank.
Swimmers and sunbathers on the riverbank.
About 1/3 of the stairs going up the riverbank.
Soviet MIG-15 on display at the park.
Nungesser with a Soviet YAK-3 on display at the park.
Nungesser on a WWII era Soviet steam locomotive.
Trees with anti-worm white paint.
DW in the private dining room in the basement restaurant.
Entrance to the Hotel Orenburg.
A wide view of the Hotel Orenburg building.
The Orenburg Regional Government building with the park and fountain in the foreground.
posted by Nungesser at
9:46 PM
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