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Published: September 23rd 2006
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Kremlin from the banks
Frank and I take in the sites. Moscow, St Petersburg (Aug 31-Sept 15)
Russia started a bit rough but I think I can finally look back and laugh (well, maybe not). I was held in Moscow airport for 6 hours and then deported to Prague for 5 days awaiting my Russian Visa from the consulate there. Don’t ask- they wouldn’t do it in Moscow airport.. oh well, I still got there. As Churchill said, Russia is an enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in an enigma- an experience to have for me but not an easy one and certainly not always pleasant. I’m still scratching my head trying to figure it out.
It’s not easy navigating Moscow and Russia as there is little English; you have to negotiate everything while many people sit behind glass counters and shrug at your befuddled face. The first days were spent figuring things out- from the ‘migration card’ that must be carried everywhere to the huge subway system (in Cyrillic letters) to the gypsy cabs that I kinda started to like by the end. I have to admit, with the rain, traffic, rough looks I received and lengthy time it took me to figure things out, I was asking myself
Lenin
The man who started it all. Can't say I am a big fan; quite the opposite. why I had come. I am sure it was a funny site to the locals- they don’t see many backpackers- and to see some gringo trying to get around asking in English is quite a laugh.
Then I found a place downtown and got my first view of the Kremlin and it started to sync in: this was one of the great superpowers that opposed the US but 20 years ago and ‘Red Square’ represents the heart of that great empire. The huge facades, ornate churches and shroud of mystery that used to surround the Kremlin make it attraction number 1 in Moscow and worth the visit. I have to say, I was puzzled at all the weddings I saw there until I discovered that in both Moscow and St Petersburg there is a mandatory routine of where to go during that special day. On a side note, I was constantly worried about these beautiful brides all dressed up getting muddy and wet in the dirty Moscow grounds.. but they persevered! I found myself constantly intrigued and baffled at the Russians themselves, seemingly wrapped in their own world, brusque and kept to themselves with a harsh look to their
Moscow Day
The streets were filled and parades abounded.. complete with military presence. faces that must be the result of the past century’s struggles. While it was interesting to note, at times it was at odds with my own outlook on life.
I was lucky enough to be in Moscow for ‘Moscow Day’, the celebration of the city and I stayed right in the heart of it. The streets were blocked off, there was a lot of music played, military parades, lots of drinking and general debauchery in the downtown area. It was pretty interesting in the place I stayed- great location but it must have been an old converted Soviet apartment building- very bland and stuffy inside (some odd Soviet architecture). And I am still trying to figure out if the Russians just don’t like Americans, bald guys, dumb tourists or if they’re just pretty harsh to everyone. Probably the bald/ dumb tourist thing- I guess other countries just deal with it. During my time in Moscow, I got to also see VDNK (where they displayed a ton of Soviet statues along with what was supposed to be the success of their economic system), some of the ‘7 sisters’ Stalin had erected, the Armoury, their ‘White House’ and a number of
Soviet architecture
Big, brash.. pretty ugly if you ask me. key political buildings and large Soviet statues and parks.
St. Petersburg, Russia is a distinctly different Russian city as was planned by Peter the Great in the early 18th century to modernize Russia. He had the city built in European fashion and moved the capital there so the architecture is quite different and more aesthetically appealing, there are fantastic museums and there is an overall more elegant feel to the city. On the tour I did there, I saw where Dostoevsky wrote Crime and Punishment, the hall in which Rasputin died, St. Isaac’s cathedral, the Hermitage Museum and many other sites of the city. I was also able to join a tour of the ‘Siege of Leningrad’ which reviewed the brutal time of WWII when the Germans surrounded the city and cut off everything, starving and practically completely destroying the city and its people. By the time my friend finally arrived, things were looking up and I was excited Frank could sit and listen to some of the pent up blather from the past few weeks. It also gave my spirits a lift and we had some fun nights out to close out the Russia experience, including an ‘expat’
Soviet propoganda
Fascinating to me having grown up in fear of the Russian invasion; of course, they were frightened of us as well. night to watch NFL at a sports bar (God I miss that!). Our guide Barry was invaluable to help navigate the city and understand the nuances.
The nights in Russia can be pretty crazy but I can’t say I saw a whole lot of it. The cuisine- well, Russian food is said to not be very good but Georgian food is good and there are a number of other chains there to sustain any gringo. It was interesting to get a first hand view on the other side of a country and people we once feared so greatly. I am glad I went.. and glad our system of freedoms won out as well.
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deliboy
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Airport detention
So Rick, you didn't lose any of your manhood during the airport interrogation i hope??? To quote Chevy Chase in Fletch, "Hey Doc, you got your whole fist in there??" Seriously tho, that would be intimidating especially with the language barrier and the whole attitude towards us Yanks.