Inside the 1825 building filled with carpets, sculptures and paintings by Icelandic artists, Ulfarsdottir has her Russian lessons two or three times a week and arranges the ubiquitous luncheons and dinners.
But Ulfarsdottir wants to broaden her horizons.
"You have a social life, but it's always the same circle," the 47-year-old former print and television journalist said. "The social duties can get to be too much. I want to be out there more."
So, on Sept. 1, Ulfarsdottir assumed the elected office of president of Moscow's International Women's Club. With 1,600 members, it is the largest organization of its kind in the city. The duties as president consume at least three hours a day, mostly on the telephone, Ulfarsdottir said.
"Most of the women are corporate wives or diplomatic wives," said Ulfarsdottir. "The international community here has grown so immensely and you can see it with the problems they're having with schools. There are not enough schools for the children of diplomats."
Sitting in her comfortable solarium, Ulfarsdottir, relaxed and welcoming, talked about adjusting to Moscow life. Atop a grand piano, photos of her daughters Ellen, 28, and Halla, 21, are perched beside a picture of her husband, Ambassador Gunnar Gunnarsson, standing next to President Boris Yeltsin.
Born and raised in Reykjavik, educated at the Free University in West Berlin, Ulfarsdottir came to Moscow with Gunnarsson in March 1994. The typical posting for an ambassador from Iceland is between four and five years, so she is planning on living here until 1999. Moscow is only the second place she and her husband have been posted -- the first was Vienna. But she said she is not sorry to leave the orderly city with its great coffee.
"I was thrilled [when I learned we'd be moving to Moscow] because I had been working as a journalist through all the historical changes that are still taking place. I covered the falling of the Berlin Wall, elections, the reunion of Germany -- it's amazing to be here." Ulfarsdottir worked as a print journalist for Iceland's Free Media company and later as a reporter for RUV Channel 1, the state-run television station.
She said Moscow is better for her husband as well. "To him the job in Vienna was not as active -- there was not as much happening."
Under the direction of her husband, the embassy's staff of seven work mostly on business issues -- redefining trade agreements for the large amount of fish Iceland sells to Russia. There are not many Icelanders living in Moscow -- the entire country only has a population of 250,000.
"It's like living in a small town. Living standards are very high there and it's all based on fish," Ulfarsdottir said. She misses the fresh air, good water -- and probably most of all, her work.
"I always thought, 'If I go abroad, I can work.' It turned out to be a conflict of interest -- as an ambassador's wife I couldn't be a political correspondent. Russia is very political. I mean, I could write about the Bolshoi or something."
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