“What is normal?” director Anton asked. “Why do we always have to be so serious around here?” The tourists had laughed at that. I had explained that Anton was a bit theatrical, used to working with actors, not with tourists. The thing is, Anton, unlike me, was born and raised in Moscow. For him, things were ordinary that were extraordinary to most. For me, who had only grown up in England, Moscow was a constant source of wonder.
I pointed at the river. “Right there, that is the **Natochenka**. It is the smallest river in the city, which has the name of the whole city, Moscow.”
That got their attention. I smiled, enjoying the sight of the tourists gawking at this quiet stream. If you didn’t know, you probably wouldn’t notice it at all. But to us, it was important. The **Natochenka** is born just outside Moscow. It flows quietly through the city and into the Moskva River, where it is lost forever.
It has become a symbol of the city itself. People may come from all over the world to see Red Square or the Kremlin, but it is the **Natochenka** that is at the heart of Moscow. It is a quiet, unassuming, river that never makes a fuss, but it is an integral part of the city. It is a reminder that sometimes the smallest things are also the most essential.