I spent the second weekend in May in Beirut. As often happens, a spontaneous trip turned out to be much better than one that you have been planning for a long time. I will tell you about this fantastic city in several posts, but today I want to present to you my top list of things that surprised me in Beirut in particular and in Lebanon in general.

1. Beirut is clearly divided into districts

The difference is striking, even if you arrived for the first time and didn’t have time to really look around. Zeitouna Bay, a coastal area, and Beirut Souks, the neighborhoods around the new Beirut market, are an incredible concentration of Porsches, Bentleys and Maseratis, women with expensive bags and their elegant companions (oh, what beautiful faces the Lebanese have!), French-speaking families with children in white polo shirts, beautiful restaurant terraces and respectable beach clubs. Walk a little further and you will see a completely different life - girls in hijabs play ball, boys jump from rocks, old men fish, Arab families smoke hookahs on the rocks by the sea and grill kebabs, play cards, hiding from the gaze of Allah and passers-by with cardboard boxes. Along Armenian Street there is a whole hipster cluster called Mar-Mikael with cozy coffee shops and bars, graffiti and art galleries. Saifi Village is a cozy neighborhood with tiny squares filled with cafe tables, where only the oriental windows of the houses, pointed at the top, remind you that you are not in Rome, but in Beirut.

2. Lack of tourists

Despite the fact that Beirut is named year after year by Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, and the New York Times as the most interesting Middle Eastern destination, a city you need to see for yourself, or the liveliest spot in the Middle East, all the beauty of Beirut, its drive, its the contrasts go mainly to the locals. There are almost no tourists on the streets, nothing prevents you from watching life go by. A fantastic feeling of a city convenient enough for tourists (wonderful airport, good roads, plenty of places to walk, excellent restaurants, hotels and shops, museums) and the opportunity to be immersed in local life.

3. Shopping

As much as I didn’t like Dubai from a shopping point of view, Beirut turned out to be my city despite the fact that I didn’t buy anything! There are no malls here, but the entire center (beautifully restored, by the way) is nothing but shops. Chanel and Hermes, Celine and Christian Loubotin, Armani and Versce, Zilli and Cavalli, Saint Laurent Paris and Prada - all significant luxury brands are here. Looking for more budget-friendly shopping? Please! Zara, H&M, Zadig&Voltaire, Massimo Dutti, Marella are waiting for you. Do you want things from local designers? No problem. Niche jewelry? Please! Farm products? Yes, here they are!

4. Parking

Walking is not customary in Beirut, although there are many places for walking, unlike Dubai or Muscat. I comfortably walked around the city on foot, covering 15 km a day, but the locals, of course, prefer cars. They park them on the sides of popular streets or embankments, in two or three rows. I still couldn’t understand how they were leaving. Then I looked closer and saw guys with wooden cabinets at every establishment, from Cavalli Cafe to Starbucks. It turned out that these were parking attendants, the real local mafia. This is not valet parking, carried out by the restaurant administration (although such parking exists), these are several companies that have apparently divided their zones of influence and are sorting out the situation and the cars. It is not customary to park here yourself - sitting on the terrace of one of the Italian restaurants in downtown, I watched as a family drove up to it in an Audi Q7 and, despite the fact that there was enough free space nearby to park, the girl who got out of the car gave the keys to the valet and the family left for dinner, and he had already parked the car.

5. Klaxons

If you don't honk, you're not Lebanese! Yes, I know that in the Arab East it is customary to buzz with or without reason, but other Middle Eastern cities where I was were not particularly conducive to walking, and therefore I was surprised by this only here. Everyone is buzzing! Drivers leaving an alley and seeing a traffic jam in front of them, taxi drivers wanting to give you a ride (every taxi will honk at you, every one!), bus drivers picking up passengers.

6. Construction boom

In Lebanon, everything is in order with the economy - statistics show this, a tourist can see this with the naked eye. All of Beirut is under construction! Luxurious skyscrapers with swimming pools on the roofs, new hotels and apartment complexes, club houses and private mansions - in a couple of years nothing in the city will remind you of the war.

7. Multiculturalism

I can’t say that this was a discovery for me, but seeing with my own eyes what Wikipedia writes about is always interesting. Lebanon is a secular country. There are 40% Muslims here, 60% Christians. Mosques coexist (literally stand side by side) with Christian churches, hijabs and short skirts are equally popular here, and Arabic and French are spoken here at the same time. The Lebanese Parliament is amazing! Quoting Wikipedia: " The president of the country should be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister should be a Sunni Muslim, the speaker of parliament should be a Shiite Muslim, and there should be equal representation of Christians and Muslims in the government. "

8. Nightlife

Oh, those bars on the roofs of skyscrapers overlooking the marina and the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea! Oh, those cocktails and live music! Oh, those warm summer evenings, when the whole city seems to be sitting on the terraces and sipping wine! Oh, that hookah smell! Oh, these traffic jams from Porsche and Bentley! In general, going to bed before 2 am in Beirut on weekends is criminal.

9. The friendliness of the Lebanese people

Oh, how friendly the people are here! Even border guards, even airport security, even police on the streets near government buildings! The border guards chat nicely with you, wondering if you liked Beirut, the police politely ask you not to film what should not be filmed, and add you are welcome, on the streets people smile at you and say welcome to Beirut! One day my husband and I were even told welcome, Germany mistaking us, apparently, for Germans.

10. Language mishmash

Surprisingly, where they serve you a French menu, they may not speak French! I have come across more than one or two such places. But, of course, everyone speaks English! Locals speak in an amazing mixture of Arabic, French and English, either randomly changing languages ​​in conversation, or diluting French speech with Arabic words or vice versa.

In a word, Lebanon has become, perhaps, the main discovery of recent months!

This is how it turns out that when I always visit one country or another, I pay attention, first of all, to the standard of living of the people, their education, and culture. So speaking of Lebanon...
The social strata of the population are very clearly delineated. They can live like this

These are all apartment buildings. Different class. Pay attention to the balconies. They are not used at all for storing things))), but for relaxing in the fresh air. Look at the sea, or at the mountains. Or on the wall of a neighboring house. It depends on your luck. On the balconies there are usually tables, chairs, garden swings... The last photo is Premium class, with a sea view, of course.
Below are photos of single family homes. Next to such houses you can see signs with the inscription Takogoto Residence, for example. Sounds so cool, right?))

ABOUT! The photo above and below this inscription is my favorite house. It has 3 floors, a fitness room and a bunch of other cool things.

They can live like this.

By the way, this house is most likely inhabited by Syrian refugees. But we're not talking about them.
It’s interesting that in the country they pay a lot of attention to who you are and how you live, where you work and who you work with. By the way, working in a bank is very prestigious. The salary of an ordinary employee is about $2,000. Cars, accordingly, here range from the most dead junk to... I just don’t know which brand to choose... $200,000 is not the maximum price for a car.

Here I am next to the Ferrari. Eh, it's a pity that it's not mine. I think it suits me))))))
Many homes have au pairs. Originally from the Philippines, Nigeria and other countries. Many of them live in the houses where they work. I have met families with 3 assistants.

Girls, hold on! Now comes the most interesting part. I am describing the day of such a Lebanese mother, living in a large house/apartment and with 2 assistants (mate).

Morning... Everyone got up. The mate prepared breakfast, the other mate gathered the children. Dad went to work and dropped the kids off at school on the way. Mom goes to the salon. There they washed her hair, gave her a manicure and pedicure. On the way home, she can stop by to chat with her friends, or to the store with her mate, of course. To carry packages.

Lunch... Mom took mate! Oh, this is a must, you can’t go anywhere without her)))) I went and picked up the children. On the way, we stopped somewhere for lunch, or at home, if my mate prepared it (maybe she can cook it herself)

The children do their homework until the evening. At about 19 o'clock the kids go to bed. And the parents can go to a restaurant together in the evening. Take a break from a hard day.

It is precisely this status that distinguishes these mothers from ours. And don’t think that their life is easy and fun. There is enough of everyone. Sometimes such mates come across, God forbid. And they rob and kill. And sometimes, it’s trite, you’re lazy to work.
One of my friends was left without a mate for a month. I let her go on vacation to visit her family. So this month was simply unbearable for her. Still would! Every day her mate washed the house like this... For example, the bathroom. We need to remove everything from the shelves and wipe down each jar. Wash down the walls and floor with a hose. Dry everything and put the jars back in place. Wipe off dust, wash mirrors and windows every day. And if this madam, as they call a woman here, found dust in the far corner of the shelf in the closet, she began to become hysterical that the house was dirty!!! Poor mate. It’s not surprising that NO ONE agreed to clean up this madam’s house during her vacation.
And the mates are chatting among themselves, it turns out.
I like the assistants who come. I called - they came, cleaned up, left. And no problems. So many families here agree with me.
Still, the middle class predominates in Lebanon. And many mothers pick up their children from school themselves. But by car. You can't live here without a car. I saw public transport only in coastal cities and the capital.
I’ll tell you another time about how the Lebanese drive cars.
To be continued...

“My Planet” talked to Lebanon about love and polygamy, hijabs and freedom of choice, old traditions and new times men of both sexes.

Lebanon is a small state in the Middle East with a complicated history, beautiful nature and friendly people. Located in the heart of the Arab world, it is distinguished by a huge variety of faiths (their number reaches 18, the most common being Islam and Christianity) and traditional worldview.

Education. Do atheists, Christians and Muslims have equal rights?

Diana: In most schools, girls belonging to different faiths study together. Non-Muslim women like me simply don't pass the Quran exam. Nothing was forced on me.

There is a whole industry - getting Lebanese people married. People go to Cyprus and enter into a secular marriage according to its laws

There are no restrictions for girls at universities. If a girl wants to become an engineer, builder or electrician, the flag is in her hands. Many of my acquaintances, some of whom are Muslim, have studied engineering, and some work in their specialty.

Marriage. Who and how chooses who the girl will marry?

Diana: Getting married in Lebanon is difficult. It is easier for a woman to learn a specialty, find a job, and even engage in political activity than to choose a life partner. According to Lebanese law, you can only marry a representative of your religion. Theoretically, you can change your religion, but in practice no one does this.

There is a whole industry - getting Lebanese people married. People go to Cyprus and enter into a secular marriage according to its laws. For Christian women, everything is a little simpler, it seems to me - they meet young people at work or at university, enter into relationships, and get married. Although sex before marriage is not encouraged among Christians either.

According to my Sunni friend, preparing for a wedding is like buying a cow. The groom comes: “Yes, I saw you at a friend’s wedding, I really liked you. I work there, I can provide for you, I’m saving for an apartment. Tell about yourself"

For Muslim women and friends*, preparing for a wedding goes something like this. At other people's weddings, on the street, at university or at work, a guy meets a girl. If a guy likes a girl, he finds out who her parents are and sends his mother to them as a matchmaker. She finds out what and how, and if the girl doesn’t mind getting married, everyone comes to her together: the groom and his parents to get acquainted. (*An esoteric religion that arose on the basis of Islam, but under the strong influence of ancient Greek philosophy, Neoplatonism and Hinduism, and Diana’s father is just a friend. - Ed.).

According to my Sunni friend, it’s like buying a cow. The groom comes: “Yes, I saw you at a friend’s wedding, I really liked you. I work there, I can provide for you, I’m saving for an apartment. Tell about yourself!" And the groom’s mother tries to find out how economical you are. Since this is almost the only way to get married, girls often agree. I don't know how happy they are in their marriage.

A couple of my cousins ​​dated guys and hid it and then they staged a similar ceremony for show. It looked something like this: “Yes, we knew each other, but I realized that I like you more than just as if you were my friend or friend,” etc. In short, you can choose your life partner yourself, but carefully, terribly encrypted.

Ali Kay

When I was 16 years old, my father did not allow me to go visit a guy I liked. Like, “It’s not customary for us for a girl to go to a guy’s house alone.” I was very unpleasant - I just wanted to give him a gift from Moscow, even though I liked him. And this is not my fanatical father. Over time, he began to “guard my honor” less, as I became more independent. 16 year olds get bullied more.

There are families beyond fanaticism— one girl I know who wears a hijab was punished for shaving her legs. The motive was as follows: “Who can see your legs?!” You undress in front of someone, you sleep with someone!” This, however, is rather an anomaly, but almost every Lebanese woman has to hide in her personal life. This is a complex topic.

Hussein: Nowadays girls are more likely to show independence in choosing grooms than before. But parental opinion is decisive. If the parents are against it, there will be no wedding. Sometimes young people go against the will of their elders and run away together. But we have a bad attitude towards this in Lebanon.

Polygamy: pros and cons

Hussain: Polygamy is rare now. Personally, I have a very bad attitude towards this.

Work by unmarried women (who most often live with their parents, otherwise “Shame! Nobody knows what she’s doing there alone!”) is considered as income that can be spent entirely on themselves

Diana: It seems that polygamy is becoming a thing of the past. Among Muslim girls you can hear condemningly: “Yes, he is a bigamist!” - always with the implication that this is disrespect for the first wife.

But such marriages still occur: we had a geography teacher, a Sunni Muslim, who, in addition to his first wife, an older woman, married a young woman. The Koran says that you can take a second (third, fourth) wife only if you treat them exactly the same. Naturally, this includes a financial aspect. What is especially interesting is that after this phrase the Koran says the following: “And you will not treat them equally.” That is, the Koran seems to allow it and say: “But you will all do it wrong.” My friend claims that this can be interpreted as an actual prohibition of polygamy. (My Planet wrote in the material how similar issues are resolved in neighboring Egypt.)

Work and career

Hussein: Many people work in cities, often in shops, schools, hospitals. In villages - much less often. My mother does not work, she takes care of the children and cooks very tasty dishes.

Diana: Most young women work. Work by unmarried women (who most often live with their parents, otherwise “Shame-ah! No one knows what she’s doing there alone!”) is considered as income that can be spent entirely on themselves.

My unmarried friends most often save money and travel. Unmarried women from poor families help support the family. I have a friend who helps a widowed mother, and another who helps a divorced writer mother. Poorer married women also help support the family.

Rich women work so they don't get bored. They often have housekeepers from poor countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Ethiopia), practically powerless slaves, who do everything around the house. Thus, rich or middle-income women have enough time to work. Building a career/earning more than your husband is categorically discouraged.

Yemen, Iran, Saudi Arabia vs Lebanon: gender inequality

Hussein: Lebanon is not that conservative. Many women make careers - for example, there are female deputies in parliament. And no one is forced by law to wear a hijab; it is the choice of the parents.

There is a rule in the law: a rapist can escape punishment if he marries the victim. In this case, the victim must agree, but they are often forced by their families, because an unmarried non-virgin is a disgrace to the family

Diana: If you ask Lebanese people on the street about the role of men and the role of women, then the answers will most likely include very specific, clearly separated roles.

This is also legalized in religious rules of inheritance(women inherit less) and marriage (you can marry girls at 14, just like boys, but no one does this with the latter).

There is also a rule in the law: a rapist can avoid punishment if he marries the victim. The latter, for obvious reasons, would refuse the proposal, but in such a situation her relatives force her to marry: an unmarried non-virgin is a disgrace to the family.

Beirut women protest against violence law

Diana: A woman can build a career, but it is not encouraged. It is allowed to run a business, but male partners will look down on you. Disgusting sexism, of course, but, alas, it is still alive in many places.

Hijab is difficult to talk about. A woman will almost always say that it was her choice, but I think some people wear the hijab because of family pressure. I have a couple of Sunni friends who wear the hijab - they say they wear it by choice, and I believe them. (So, in a conversation with My Planet, an interviewee from Karachay-Cherkessia said that “hijab is more than just clothes, it’s a life position.”)

Another Shiite woman I knew was forced to she was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of a bigoted father, so I can't judge from her how symptomatic it is. We didn’t talk about this with the rest of my friends in hijabs. I'm always afraid that it will suddenly turn out that they were forced and I will only put them and myself in an awkward position.

Stop wearing hijab- is like admitting that you are not a very good Muslim, and almost no one does this.

Army: Israelis vs Lebanese

Diana: There is no compulsory military training in Lebanon In general, people join the army under a contract. Women do not serve in the army; they work at customs, in the police, at the border.

About Lebanese women in a nutshell. Is happiness possible?

Hussein: In a nutshell, good and cunning. As for happiness, it all depends on the parents: if they are not fools, we can say that Lebanese women are lucky.

Diana: It won’t work in a nutshell. There is a stereotype that Lebanese women are beautiful, well-groomed, with a good figure, love plastic surgery and do not strive to develop culturally. A kind of Barbie, only darker and with sharper facial features. This is most likely true, but full of exceptions. I know women - philosophers, talented architects and directors, writers and translators, intelligent, wonderful feminists and humanists.

A lot is changing in Lebanon right now. and women are changing a lot - issues of equality, gender, sexual orientation are largely raised by them, and more women are entering politics. This is really necessary in Lebanon; women have a lot to fight for. For example, there was no law on domestic violence - if a woman is beaten very seriously, in some cases, even if she dies from it, her husband can escape punishment. A movement formed around this problem, and in 2014 the law was passed. In general, Lebanese women are moving forward, and this is good.

Why in it? Because this is where I live now... My article was published last year in an Estonian newspaper for Russians.This is what happened...

Features and wonders of the mysterious ancient Lebanon
05.10.2007 00:01
Natalia Sutormina

“Lebanon... You probably already imagined the hot desert, oriental beauties under burqas, majestic camels, countless carpet traders. I’M HAPPY TO INFORM YOU - EVERYTHING IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING!”— writes Natalya Sutormina.

Just recently, at the end of March, I was going to start a new life in Paris, deepen my study of French and intensively search for work. But fate prepared a completely different scenario for me, and unexpectedly for myself, on May 12, I was in a little confusion at the huge Paris airport waiting to board for Beirut.

The only person who was aware of my adventure was my friend from Tallinn, who now lives in Paris. And if two years ago love brought her to the city that personifies this wonderful feeling, then she decided to send me for love to the Middle East, to Lebanon - a country completely unfamiliar and mysterious to me.

Tariffs and roads

Lebanon... You probably already imagined the hot desert, oriental beauties under burqas, majestic camels, countless sellers of carpets, souvenirs, sweets and trinkets? I am happy to inform you that everything is much more interesting!

Instead of the desert there are winding green mountains, instead of camels there are cars from the 1970s mixed with new and chic Porshe, BMW, Mercedes, Infinity, etc. And to see a woman in a burqa, you need to go to Saudi Arabia.

Not all Muslims in Lebanon are religious. For example, it’s the beginning of Ramadan, and many, of course, are fasting. But there are also those who do not observe fasting, but also do not eat in open places - expressing respect for those who observe this fast.

But after sunset, the real holiday begins: the coast is filled with tents with all sorts of goodies, drinks flow like a river, loud music sounds from all sides, and fiery Arabic dances continue until sunrise.

Each club, restaurant and cafe has its own va-let parking. This means that not only will they open the doors for you and help you out of the car, but they will also park it, and then drive it back for you and charge only two dollars, no matter how long you’ve been gone. And in which country in the world have you seen a similar service from McDonald's?

But regular parking in Beirut is difficult. But it costs very little here. Only 1.5 dollars - in any zone at any time. Public transport here replaces taxis, which also have their own specific tariffs.

Forget about meters, they don’t even suspect the existence of such a device! 3 dollars - and you will be delivered to any point within the city. Drivers here rarely speak English, so a foreign tourist will definitely be asked to pay twice as much. At first I paid whatever they asked, but then my beloved taught me a few useful words in Arabic, and now I pay taxi drivers the same as everyone else.

Now imagine roads, many roads, countless intersections and viaducts. And - no traffic rules! Only the lazy don’t drive under the influence here, and for driving while intoxicated you will not only not be stopped, but also not fined!

Speed ​​limits exist exclusively on signs—even the police here don’t know about the term “speeding.” It took me more than one day to get used to the traffic chaos here, and I remember with nostalgia the well-functioning and regulated traffic in my native Estonia.

Russian Estonian from Finland

The main topics of conversation are money, women and politics. Lebanese generally love to talk - even with a stranger on the street, even with a salesman at a local eatery, even with a waiter or a policeman.

Politics here is like a sport: people literally root for their favorite party, worry about it, support it, stand up for it and fight for it, pray for it.

The Lebanese speak three languages: Arabic, French and English (and, imagine, some even speak Russian!).

Here they like to divide everything into classes. If she’s Filipino, then she’s a housekeeper, if she’s Russian, then she’s definitely a prostitute, and if she’s a street beggar or a homeless person, then she’s almost always Palestinian. But a Frenchman, a Finn, an Italian or a Swiss is here like a king. Locals look up to Europeans and respect them very much.

For locals, I am from Finland. When you mention Estonia, the Lebanese make their eyes wide and exclaim: “Oh, Estonia!”, then there is a long pause, a stupid smile and a change of topic: not a single Lebanese will ever admit that they do not know where our country is.

The Lebanese love themselves very much and consider themselves a special people. There are three times more of them outside Lebanon than in their native land. If 3.5 million now live in the country, then all 20 live abroad!

Lebanese women are so beautiful and perfect that it doesn't seem to matter how educated and smart they are. Here a woman is a man’s real adornment! Whether it's a party or a simple trip to the store (although walking is not customary here), she is always made up and dressed for the evening. And that, unfortunately, is all she can boast about.

Every young girl dreams, first of all, of a successful marriage, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s for love or not, the main thing is that the husband comes from a rich family. And it’s good if he’s also cute.

Lebanon is the only country that provides loans for plastic surgery for breast augmentation or nose reshaping (the two most common surgeries)! And women use this service with pleasure. Here they are willing to give a lot for a small snub nose, ample breasts and, imagine, blonde hair.

They believe in their country

The Lebanese like to think of their country as a kind of "Europe" of the Middle East - modern, open and very liberal. But in reality everything is completely different. In fact, they are more than conservative, but they try hard to hide it.

How do Muslims, Christians and Druze (residents of the mountainous regions of Southern Lebanon - Ed.) get along with each other? Yes, they get along very well. They may not like each other, but they try not to show it. Religion begins to play a decisive role only in matters of marriage. Lebanese choose wives of the same religion and, if possible, from the same village or region where they come from.

Women in their youth “have a blast” abroad, mainly in Europe, and upon returning they undergo plastic surgery to restore their virginity and get married without a shadow of embarrassment, hiding a terrible secret all their lives. Because if your husband or family finds out, it will be a shame for life, and often even expulsion.

However, this custom is widespread only among Muslims. Christians and Druze are much more liberal in their views, and mixed marriages are more common among them.

The most surprising and incomprehensible thing for me is the fact that, according to Lebanese law, in the event of a divorce, children remain with their father.

A child can stay with his mother until he is 6 years old (for boys) or 9 years old (for girls). After this, the father takes the child, and the mother can see him only 4 months a year. This is one of the reasons for the rare divorces in Lebanon.

Despite all the features and wonders of this country, living here is interesting and educational. The Lebanese do not lose faith in their country, hoping that all the rough edges will smooth out over time, that there will be tens of times more tourists like me, and that soon a trip to Lebanon will be as prestigious and interesting as to Italy or Greece.

· Lebanese Republic

· State in Western Asia, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea

· Borders on the north and east with Syria, on the south with Israel

Capital: Beirut

· Official language is Arabic

· Believers - Muslims and Christians (and 16 other religions...)

Alexey Sarabiev

Estimates of the size of the modern Russian-speaking diaspora in Lebanon vary. According to some sources, approximately 10 thousand immigrants from Russia and the former USSR live in Beirut and other cities of Lebanon, according to others - about 37 thousand people.

This discrepancy can probably be explained by differences in approaches. Should, for example, a descendant of emigrants in the third or fourth generation or descendants of mixed marriages be considered a member of the Russian diaspora? Should we include in this number, say, immigrants from the Baltic states or Ukraine?

Back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Mount Lebanon region and the largest port on the Syrian coast, Beirut, attracted Russian pilgrims and travelers. It was thanks to pilgrimage that the Russian diaspora began to form there at one time. Russian orientalists A.E. lived in Lebanon for a long time and studied this country. Krymsky (in 1896-1898) and I.Yu. Krachkovsky (in 1908-1911).

Basically, the Russian diaspora in Beirut originated from Russian Orthodox pilgrims who traveled on foot to Jerusalem and passed through coastal Lebanese cities. Apparently, some of them remained both in Beirut and in other areas in modern Lebanon.

In the 20s of the twentieth century, a small part of the Russian White Guards who fled from Crimea through Constantinople ended up in Beirut with the help of the French military administration. A total of about 3 thousand White Guard officers lived in Beirut, who worked throughout Lebanon as topographers and surveyors. The Topographical Society they created was engaged in compiling geographical maps for the French army, and then for the French mandate administration. These people tried to preserve elements of Russian culture in their families, and in addition, they were in constant communication with each other. It is known that in the 30s the Russian community annually organized the so-called Russian Ball in Beirut.

Among the Russian emigrant officers who fled from the Bolsheviks was the family of Alexander Serov, the son of the famous Russian painter Valentin Serov. The Serov family still lives in the same old building that it occupied in the 40s. This is a house in the western district of Beirut, one block from the American University. Grigory Serov, grandson of Valentin Serov, teaches architecture at the University and is known as a famous watercolor painter in Beirut. Last year V.V. Putin presented Grigory Alexandrovich and his wife Florence (French by birth) with medals for their contribution to the spread of Russian culture in Lebanon. Talking about his national self-identification, G.A. Serov notes: “When I come to Moscow, I say that during the 80 years of living in Beirut, I remained one hundred percent Russian, but also became one hundred percent Lebanese.”

In 1927, a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) appeared in Beirut. Until 1960, it had its own premises, but then the building was requisitioned, and the church functioned in a private house. Soon, for many reasons, the parish was forced to close. But over time, the number of Russian Orthodox in Lebanon increased, so that with the presence of a large number of Orthodox parishes of the Antiochian Patriarchate, the need arose to establish a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church, where services would be conducted not in Arabic, but in Church Slavonic. This opportunity presented itself after a relative thaw in the religious policy of the Stalinist government of the USSR immediately after the Great Patriotic War.

The metochion of the Moscow Patriarchate in Lebanon was founded in May 1946 after the visit of Patriarch of Moscow Alexy I (Simansky) to the Middle East. This decision was made taking into account the ardent desire of the Russian residents of the Lebanese capital to have their own Orthodox church. On the canonical territory of the Antiochian Patriarchate - the Beirut Metropolis - a right chapel was allocated for the Russian Orthodox metochion in the name of St. Nicholas of the Beirut Annunciation Church. The parish became a religious, spiritual and cultural center of attraction for the Russian Orthodox community. Not only church holidays were celebrated here, but also other memorable dates for the Russian Orthodox residents of Beirut.

The fate of one of the oldest, but still active figures of the Russian diaspora in Lebanon, Irina Alekseevna Jaber, who has been acting as head of the parish of the Moscow Patriarchate metochion in Lebanon for a long time, is indicative. At the very beginning of the 30s, her family left Russia. Irina was very young then. Despite many years of living abroad, Irina Alekseevna retained her knowledge of the Russian language and love for Russia. She is the author of many publications about the fate of Russians in Lebanon, and actively participates in events of Russian compatriots, including at the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Beirut. In the fall of 2009, Irina Alekseevna Jaber celebrated her 80th birthday, on which she was congratulated, among others, by employees of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Beirut, the Rossotrudnichestvo representative office in Lebanon, and members of the Association of Russian Compatriots.

A well-known scientist at the Orthodox Balamand University in Lebanon, a world-famous historian and art critic, Professor Suad Slim, before her marriage, bore the surname Abu al-Rus. Her grandfather was from Russia. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he settled in Lebanon and married a Lebanese woman. Of course, Madam Professor herself cannot be considered a member of the Russian diaspora, but her case clearly demonstrates the mechanism of single immigrations and the long-standing close ties of Russians with Lebanon.

Another type of immigration of Russians in Lebanon, rooted in the Soviet era and actively developing at present, is the so-called immigration of “Russian wives.” A large number of undergraduate and graduate students from Arab countries, in particular from Lebanon, studied in military and civilian educational institutions of the Soviet Union (in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Rostov-on-Don, Kharkov and other cities), and are now studying in Russia. Many of them married Russian girls and note with satisfaction the kindness, beauty and reliability of their wives. It must be said that the Lebanese themselves do not focus on whether their chosen one comes from Russia or Ukraine, and consider all Russian speakers in Lebanon to be Russian. In this case, the difference in the religions of husband and wife often does not play a role. Sometimes this happens because wives accept the faith of their Lebanese husband. But there are a number of cases when the husband (for example, a native of the Shiite community) is a supporter of the communist idea and does not care about the religious unity of the family. “Russian Wives” in Lebanon are united by the Women’s Club created in Beirut, which is currently headed by Natalya Samaan.

Children of mixed marriages often have dual citizenship, and most of them speak Russian. Basically, they occasionally come to their historical homeland to visit their relatives and, in principle, are quite familiar with Russian culture. Such children, as a rule, study in Lebanese schools and colleges, and many enter universities. In this case, it is usually not the religious affiliation of the university that is taken into account (for example, the Jesuit University of St. Joseph, the Maronite University of the Holy Spirit, the Protestant American University of Beirut, etc.), but only the quality and cost of education.

Russian specialists also live in Lebanon - builders, doctors, teachers, representatives of other professions working under contract. Children from such families can attend both private schools and colleges and Russian-language educational institutions created by Russian government organizations.

In Beirut, at the Russian Center for Science and Culture, there is a Russian school for young compatriots, as well as Russian-speaking citizens of a number of CIS countries - Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, permanently residing in Lebanon. The school has several dozen students of different ages, grouped into five classes. In addition, children's groups for studying the Russian language operate at branches of the Center in the Lebanese cities of Tripoli, Nabatiya and Baalbek.

By order of the Government Commission for the Affairs of Compatriots, a set of new teaching aids “Cabinet of Russian Language and Literature” was published, as well as Russian language dictionaries, audio materials, didactic and methodological aids. They were transferred to the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Beirut. The center has been operating for about 60 years. It is both an educational and cultural institution: now the RCSC has Russian language school classes, ballet classes, as well as a leisure center for representatives of the Russian diaspora. During difficult periods of wars and outbreaks of violence in Lebanon, the basement of the building was converted and served as a bomb shelter. According to the director of the RCSC, Mansur Khasanov, to strengthen its influence in the Middle East, Russia needs to pay more attention to information media and the promotion of Russian culture and literature. Including translating the most interesting new scientific and fiction literature into Arabic, as was the case in Soviet times.

Unfortunately, in Lebanon, as in a number of other countries, there is illegal immigration of Russian-speaking “live goods”. This fact significantly undermines the image of Russia, despite the fact that O The majority of the flow of young women is from Ukraine. Nevertheless, colossal damage is caused to the image of our country in the eyes of the Lebanese, and Arabs in general, and efforts to promote Russian artistic and everyday culture in Lebanon are often nullified. This negative phenomenon has not yet reached the “point of no return,” but its scale and persistence make us look with alarm at the future of Russian-Lebanese cultural relations.

To strengthen the image of Russia and spread the Russian language and culture in foreign countries, in 2008, on the initiative of the President of Russia, the Federal Agency Rossotrudnichestvo was created, which has its own representative office in Beirut. Rossotrudnichestvo controls 72 cultural centers in many countries around the world. They work based on the Russian diaspora, taking into account the characteristics and needs of even such small centers of Russian culture as in Beirut. Cultural centers subordinate to Rossotrudnichestvo exist in both Damascus (about 500 people) and Amman.

In December 2009, for their contribution to the development of Russian culture, three cultural figures of the Russian diaspora in Lebanon were awarded certificates of honor from the Government Commission for Compatriots Abroad of the Russian Federation: Chairman of the Association of Russian Compatriots Vera Eduardovna Jurdi, Director of the choir of the parish community of the Russian Orthodox Church in Beirut Vera Nikitichna Ganem and the head of the children's dance school at the RCSC in Beirut, Natalya Viktorovna Semaan.

Through the efforts of the Russian community, a collection of articles about the origins and everyday life of the Russian diaspora in Lebanon is being prepared for publication. Members of old immigrant families of I.A. took part in the work on the book. Jaber, A.Yu. Iordanov, I.D. Malysheva, G.A. Serov, K.B. Novikova, as well as immigrants of the next - Soviet - wave: M. Sariaddin, T. Bahr, E. Mazhir and others.

During the visit of Lebanese President M. Sleiman to Russia, he met with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. Addressing the President of Lebanon, the Patriarch, in particular, said: “The Russian people living in Lebanon have contributed to the formation of the statehood of your country, to the education system and culture of Lebanon. And today a large Russian diaspora lives in Lebanon, numbering from seven to ten thousand people.” Patriarch Kirill expressed gratitude to the Beirut municipality for the decision to allocate a plot of land for the Russian cemetery. The plans include signing joint agreements on the development of pilgrimages from Russia to Lebanon.

Alexey Sarabyev, researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences

Magazine "Russian Century" No. 9 2012