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Published: October 14th 2008
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08.10.08
This is the day of the worldwide famous Moscow. We planned to spend it between the Kremlin and the Red Square. We opted for an early morning to make sure we can visit all the places we want. To balance the effort of waking up early, or I should say earlier than usual, we take the tube to go down to the Kremlin. At the Kutafya Tower we buy the tickets for the Kremlin, but we decide to go first to see Lenin's Tomb that is only open for half day. At least today is not raining and it's a lot more pleasant to walk around. Following the Kremlin perimeter towards north we get to the Manezhnaya sq. The main access to the Krasnaya pl (Red Square) is from here. Looking at the big red building that houses the State History Museum you can enter the square passing on the left through the Resurrection Gate. On the other side there's only access to Lenin's Tomb. The whole area is covered by cops at every access and every corner, as the rest of the city anyway, only here they look even scarier!
We first go to have a look at
the square passing through the Resurrection Gate and in front of the Kazan Cathedral, both brand new, rebuilt on the basis of the former ones. If I have to be honest I expected the Red Square to be much bigger and more fascinating. I haven't been touched, let's say. I imagined it to be a more powerful place. That's it. Nevertheless you have to go and see it. To go and see Lenin you have to go out of the square and come back from the other side. The bells of Kazan Cathedral started ringing. But it wasn't just the ringing of a bell, it was an incredible music, and in fact the bell man was playing with a number of pedals and handles like a drummer! But where were we going? Ah, to see Lenin. In fact. We leave all our stuff at the checkroom and passing through metal detectors we start our walk to the Mausoleum. It's clearly a place where to be respectful and a guard every two meters along the way will make sure you will be. Mike has obviously been caught trying to put one hand in his pocket! As you can imagine there's not
much time to spend inside, the way is quite short and the line of people moves slowly but constantly. With all respect for Lenin, he doesn't look like much more than a piece of wax that could probably find a better place at Madame Tussaud's. It would be much more respectful to bury him as he wanted.
But the true must see of the Red Square is, in its own right, St Basil's Cathedral. It's a lot more than you can expect. It's a crazy crowd of towers, onion domes and colors from the outside and a great surprise inside. When you walk in you realize immediately that is a central plan church but the effect is amazing. The chapels/rooms at the ground level are all tiny, enclosed into incredibly thick walls, and at first you don't even think that there must be something upstairs. But then when you climb up the steep stair and you come up, everything is clear, and astonishing. The main chapel in the middle with the tallest tower on top, and around all the other rooms, like petals of a flower.
We crossed back the square walking along the GUM, looking at the windows and
counting the people inside. Then it was time for the Kremlin. The entrance is through the Kutafya Tower, as usual with metal detectors after having left everything at the checkroom. From the tower you walk on a bridge that used to pass over the defensive river now underground. The first thing you find on your way once you're in, is probably the ugliest, the marble and concrete State Kremlin Palace. Behind it is hidden the core of the Kremlin, the Patriarch's Palace, the Assumption Cathedral, the Archangel Cathedral, the Bell Tower and much more! We spent the rest of our time discovering the fortress but we skipped the Armoury for lack of interest. To head back here to the hostel we walked all the way along Ulitsa Petrovka from the Red Square. By the time we got here my neck was terribly soar from looking at the windows of all the most expensive shops in Moscow. But at least a pleasure for my eyes!
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