Moscow - Day 1

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We arrived in Moscow after lunch and got a quick city tour on the bus. In both St. Petersburg and Moscow, our ship was docked about 30 minutes outside town so it took a while just to get into the city. We drove by the first McDonald's opened in Russia then stopped in a park to take pictures of a convent built by Ivan the Terrible and where Boris Yeltzin is buried. Like a few other religious buildings, this convent survived the "military atheist revolution" as our guide called it, by becoming a museum and went back to being a convent and also a museum in the 90's. In that park we saw the duck statues Barbara Bush gave the city (based on a children's book).

Then we hit THE Kremlin. There were several rules for going in to the Kremlin. We could only walk in certain areas, couldn't take pictures of the men in uniforms or suits, couldn't take in large professional camera lenses, we couldn't get to close to roped off areas and about 6 other rules I don't remember. If you walked outside the lines, the guard blew a whistle, if you did it again, there were 2 whistles and he was walking toward you, 3rd time you were escorted away(and never seen again).

We saw the official residence of the President, although he wasn't there since it was Sunday. We saw where Lenin's grave was but it's only open for a couple of hours 2 days a week. The we walked around to the cathedral square. I never thought of churches in the Kremlin, especially not 5 of them on the same square. But if you realize that kremlin means wooden fortress and every town in Russia had one, it's not as strange. It's just because Moscow was Soviet capital that this one is so well known.

In cathedral square is the church where all the Czars were coronated since 13th century. On the other side is the cathedral where all the Czars are buried.

Also on the Kremlin grounds was the Armory which is a museum today housing the crown jewels and the 10 out of the 50 known original Fabrege eggs. This was amazing.

After seeing all that, we then headed over to the original Moscow circus, where Ernest and I had our picture made with a tiger! Cool day.

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Photos

New Maiden Convent
built by Ivan the Terrible; where Boris Yeltzin is buried

Double-headed Eagle
sign of Russia

Kremlin - President's Official Residence
triangle building in background

Kremlin - one of churches on cathedral square
church where Czars were coronated

Kremlin - one of churches on cathedral square
private church of Czars

Kremlin - one of churches on cathedral square
where Czars are buried

Moscow circus
petting a tiger

Comments

[JQ]

Tiger… Tiger…
Nice pics guys, looks like a fun trip and a real tiger. JQ

[LaWanda]

Are you going shopping for a tiger now? Enjoy both of you.

[R J Dendor]

A Russian Orthodox property revealed digitally
The bueaty of Fall captured with a serene river flow manifesting a well maintained historic structure. Good Work