4 Days in Moscow

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My Moscow trip was just a stopover on my way from the U.S. to Thailand. It should be noted first that most travelers visit Moscow in tandem with St. Petersburg, the latter of which is (from everyone I've talked to) unanimously the preferred city to visit. Moscow is sprawling, with no central area of affordable restaurants and pubs, and its sheer size can make it difficult to navigate. The imperial capital / the old Leningrad (St. Petersburg) is an 8-hour slow night train or 4-hour fast train and apparently, you should spend more time there than in Moscow.

Also, before booking any tickets, be sure to look up visa requirements for Russia. If you're American, it's an extremely expensive and cumbersome process. I recommend using travelvisapro.com.

I arrived at the airport at 7:30 AM, and after customs and aeroexpress train nonsense, I got to my hostel just before 11, only to find that check-in time isn't till 2. I decided to make the 20-minute walk to the Kremlin.

Before I left the states, I had read one blog that described Moscow as "the city of zombies." It is true that in the metro thousands of Muscovites walk silently through networks of kiosks and doorways, devoid of conversation or facial expression - the only sounds are footsteps and squeaking shoes. So, in my sleep-deprived state, I joined them.

The first things I noticed, aside from the expressionless, if not inwardly angry, faces, were the plethora of 6' supermodel-ish women, all well dressed and in high heels (apparently in St. Petersburg the ratio of these women to men is 5:1), the 15-lane roads, and in general, the excessive wealth of many in the city. In certain areas, a line of Porches, Bentleys, and Ferraris are commonplace, and anyone with lesser makes like Mercedes or BMWs have top models. Some cars speed through traffic in excess of 100 miles an hour, so jaywalking isn't recommended -- cars appear out of nowhere. When I first arrived, I followed a young couple across an empty 10-lane, one-way street, unaware that any such road has a tunnel nearby to take you underneath (look for the blue signs of staircases). We ran across the street safely, but they were quickly stopped by police and given a ticket, despite their arguing. Somehow the officer didn't notice me or didn't want to deal with my paperwork, so I just kept running. If there isn't a blinking walk sign - some of which count down from 170! seconds till it's safe to walk - don't cross.

The subway system is vast but easy to use. Like the rest of the city, it's well-labeled and efficient. It's only 28 roubles (under a dollar) for a single trip, which is any point A to any point B, regardless of the number of stops/transfers.

There was a small communist protest at the Marx statue near Red Square, complete with Soviet flags waving and bearded men taking turns yelling through a megaphone. I watched for a few minutes but then noticed that vans filled with state police began to arrive and assemble around the perimeter and thought it best to leave.

RED SQUARE

While certainly impressive, I never should have looked at the ground view on Google Earth a month or so ago. I'll add my initial reaction to the square to a list of experiences made mundane by technology. Like the Vatican Basilica, it's packed with tourists - in this case mostly Russians and Asians - which as always diminishes the experience. It's still fabulous, nonetheless.

It's free to enter the square, but there is a charge to enter the Kremlin, which is just the walled area that plays host to a number of historical buildings and cathedrals. On the other side of the square from the Kremlin is a shopping mall that was even present during the days of Communism.

LENIN MAUSOLEUM

In front of the Kremlin wall is Lenin's Mausoleum. Various other leaders (minus Kruschev) are buried around the perimeter, and the entire area is blocked off by ropes. Unfortunately, the mausoleum was closed when I was there; I suppose Lenin was having his makeup touched up. According to the grumpy man near the entrance, it's due to reopen on July 9, 2012. A simple sign in front would solve the problem that he has to answer the question "Lenin?" hundreds of times a day, but who am I to judge?

Regardless, others told of their experiences: It's free to enter, but you have to pay to check a bag. Cameras aren't allowed at all, and you can't stop to look. Everyone is rushed through by the guards. I don't think I missed much, but it was still disappointing to be there, for likely the only time in my life, and not see him.

ST. BASIL'S CATHEDRAL (AKA POVROVSKY CATHEDREAL; AKA THE CATHEDRAL OF MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS ON THE MOAT; AKA CATHEDRAL OF ST. VASILY THE BLESSED)

I was first introduced to St. Basil's Cathedral in the late '80s, after first scoring 30,000+ points in Tetris. It was difficult not to smile idiotically as I approached, as I heard the old Nintendo song in my head.

It's 250 roubles (around 8 dollars) for adults to enter (only 50 roubles for students) and it's pretty well worth it if you haven't seen other Orthodox cathedrals. I was the first one through the door when it opened at 10 AM. The first floor isn't an open area; rather, it's a maze of small rooms/shrines. Apparently, visitors have to pay extra to take photos, but I snuck a few anyway. Climbing the narrow staircase to the second floor brings you to an open, domed area and an altar. There was an all-male quartet chanting orthodox hymns - this made it well worth the visit.

FREE TOUR

On my third day, I finally got around to taking a proper tour of the city. It began at 10:45 AM at the statue of city founders near Slavyanskaya Plaza and meandered throughout the central city, visiting sites that relate to the Russian Orthodox Church, the city founders, the Romanov dynasty, the Revolution and countless other wars, the presidents and secretaries, etc. It lasted about 2 1/2 hours and ended at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Masha, the guide, was knowledgeable and told many interesting anecdotes/legends about the city. It's well worth the 0 roubles, though a tip is expected if you enjoy the tour. Go to www.moscowfreetour.com to register.

RUSSIAN CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM (AKA MUSEUM OF THE REVOLUTION)

Located right next to the Tverskaya metro stop, the Museum of the Revolution is a must-visit. Unlike the State Museum in Red Square, the expansive galleries here concentrate on history from the last century. It includes rooms devoted to the Russo-Japanese War, the fall of the Romanovs, the Civil War, the Russian Revolution, WWI and WII, Russian space exploration (complete with a stuffed dog inside a canine cosmonaut suit), and of course obligatory exhibits devoted to the current regime. Artwork and propaganda posters are laced throughout the galleries. I took plenty of photos before getting yelled at. Apparently that requires a different ticket.

Upon entry, a tour guide tried to convince me to take a tour for a ridiculous 2000 roubles, and the woman at the ticket desk gave me a choice to buy a regular entry ticket for 250 roubles or one that included a chocolate exhibit for 450. The basic entry lets you into well over a hundred rooms -- probably more to handle in just a day's visit.

GODZILLA'S HOSTEL

I reserved three nights here through hostelworld.com. It's rather expensive (32 USD/night), but that's pretty reasonable by Moscow standards. It's very clean and comfortable, with free Internet/wireless and secure storage. The only complaint I have is that the building itself isn't at all designed for its purpose. The common room is small and awkward, and some of the showers/toilets are located in odd places, like right next to reception or off of the third-floor kitchen. The staff is helpful and friendly, and it's about a 15-minute walk to Red Square.

There is a communist-style (basically college-style) cafeteria nearby here that has reasonably priced food. It all looks really good, but every meal, whether it was from this cafeteria or another place, was pretty disappointing. I bought snacks several times that really looked like potato pancakes but turned out to be just slabs of pork or some other meat disguised with a fried egg or something on top. I've heard Italian is the way to go.

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Photos

St. Basil's Cathedral
Ivan the Terrible wasn't so terrible after all... except that he apparently blinded the architect afterwards so he could never build something more beautiful. That's as good an answer as any to the question, "What happened to your eyes?"

State Museum
This museum is apparently excellent if you're interested in early Russian history. It stops around 1900, so it doesn't have any of the good stuff most are looking for.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior
This cathedral was rebuilt just 10 years ago. It was razed by Stalin and made into a giant swimming pool by Kruschev.

Lenin
Vladmir is inside. Stalin used to be, but after Kruschev exposed his crimes, they moved him outside in the rain.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Apparently Russia has one of these as well, except the flames symbolize a hell of a lot more souls.

Former KGB Building
Many churches, like this one, that was used by the KGB , were rebuilt after the fall. Bones were found in the basement.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This is one of the Seven Sisters -- skyscrapers that were designed by Stalin. There was supposed to be an 8th, to celebrate 800 years of Moscow, at the site of the Church of Christ the Savior, but WWII interrupted its completion.

Armored Car
This is from the revolution / WWI and sits outside the Museum of the Revolution / Contemporary History.

Port-a-Potty Office
This could be the worst office in the world.

Tubes
Apparently the Moscow Metro is one of the deepest in the world, and serves more people than NY and London combined. It's fast, efficient, and cheap.

Kremlin Complex
...with the Moskva river.

Comments

[mike galietta]

...and colleagues complain
love this photo...everyone at our place of employment should put in a cork in it if/when complaining about our facilities!