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Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow January 24th 2021

21st January We started our tour at The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the most important cathedral in Moscow, even before the Cathedral of St. Basil, with a unique and bizarre history that dates back to the nineteenth century and still continues to this day. In addition, it is the highest orthodox temple in the world. Tsar Alexander I wanted a temple to be erected in Moscow, with the name of Christ the Saviour, in honor of those who fought and died in the Patriotic War of 1812. However, after some historical ups and downs and circumstances in the designs, it was not until 1839, already in the time of Tsar Nicholas I, when the first stone was laid. It was built for almost 44 years, between 1839 and 1883, when it was completed and opened ... read more

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow January 20th 2021

4th December 2020 Another visit to Moscow With Anna as our guide again we walked through one of the oldest quarters of Moscow, the Kitay Gorod neighborhood strolling the ancient Nikolskaya Street. With all the overhead lights it looked so pretty and I have already booked a return visit at night at the end of the month to fully appreciate the illuminations, We saw the infamous KGB building originally built for the insurance company Rossiya which became better known for housing the headquarters of the KGB. We also ventured into the hidden & very quiet courtyard of the monastery contrasting with the hustle & bustle of the street. Nikolskaya Street houses the first Printing House in Moscow and many other interesting buildings including the Zaikonospasskiy Monastery... read more
Nikolskaya Street

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow January 20th 2021

28th December 2020 I visited Nikolskaya Street with Anna a couple of weeks back and this afternoon I was pleased to revisit to see all the beautiful illuminations which were introduced during the FIFA world club and are now a permanent feature. It was good to hear again all about the historic buildings, the Old Mint, the First printer & publishers, the Greek Monastery of St. Nicholas and the famous Ferrein pharmacy. The Ferrein pharmacy was the largest in Europe back in 1862 . Its large rooms were decorated with gilded vases, carved oak cabinets, chandeliers and statues. Marble staircase with wrought iron railings lead from one floor to another. Stuffed bears met the visitors of the main hall. Christmas in Russia is most widely celebrated on January 7. This is because the Russian Orthodox Church ... read more

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow November 15th 2020

Did you know the Japanese provided safe passage through Japan for Jews escaping from Europe to escape extermination by the Nazis in the Second World War? Hitler sent emissaries to get Japan to cease and they refused. About 24,000 Jews were saved before a Japanese leadership change resulted in incarceration in Shanghai instead. In 1919 the Japanese while fighting alongside the White Russians against the Bolshevik communists, were introduced to an anti-Semitic Russian publication advocating that the Jews were planning economic World domination. The Japanese having their own desires for World domination saw potential and formulated a plan to have Jews from Europe settle in Manchuria and help Japan financially become an economic power. A plan so audacious they called it the Fugu Plan...like the seafood delicacy...if not prepared carefully its poison could kill the consumer. ... read more
The Whites counted on anti-Semitism
Jewish family 1903
The 1905 Revolution

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow October 8th 2020

I was not born a Cossack...nor a Tatar of the Golden Horde...a horseman of the outback nor the Snowy River. I learnt to ride when I was four...but born to the saddle I was not. We lived in Castle Hill...in those days a rural outer suburb of Sydney...our father the local doctor. Led to the stalls with my big sister for our first riding lesson...stable door swinging open...a massive glossy-brown muscled beast on its hind legs rearing out...neighing nay braying...its hooves right there in front of us...bigger than big. Just time to draw breath. And in a flash I was out of there!!! Pretty tiny...blonde and fast...really fast...as fast as my little greyhound legs would take me. Out the farm gate...down the dirt road to Old Northern Road...the main road the circus used to march with ... read more

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow August 29th 2020

Like a concerto the Russian rivers carried us in three movements...two fast outer movements and a slow lyrical middle movement. I do not know if t'was its classical or purely Russian form but it was punctuated with cadenzas...brilliant dramatic solo passages where soloists play and the orchestra pauses and remains silent. Soloists standing or sitting in front of the orchestra contrasting their skills verses the many other musicians of the orchestra that gives the concerto its unique sound. There were so many highlights from idyllic sunrises to dramatic sunsets...so many cadenzas. But the most magnificent of all...some call it a crescendo.I call it Moscow. There are cities and there are cities...then there is Moscow...blows my breath away! On first arrival I was underwhelmed...docking on the Moska River from which Moscow draws its ... read more
Red Squares
Outside Red Square
Spasskaya Tower 1491

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow June 8th 2020

Like many of you, I have been impressed by the metro transit systems of cities around the world. Some of my favorites are London, Moscow, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. According to Travel Trivia, the best are: London, Seoul, Hong Kong NYC, and Tokyo (best). Moscow is missing? Here is an excerpt of what they said about Tokyo: The Tokyo Metro system is another that is widely regarded as best in class. Perhaps it is best known for its nearly inconceivable punctuality. In 2018, the service felt it had to release url=https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/05/the-amazing-psychology-of-japanese-train-stations/560822/an apology for a timing error. The issue? One of the trains had left the station an unforgivable 25 seconds early. This kind of precision is laughable to people who are used to other, less smoothly coordinated public ... read more
Red Square 103
Red Square 101

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow May 23rd 2020

The USSR was the first to send a satellite into orbit around the Earth on 4 October, 1957 with Sputnik 1 followed by Sputnik 2 on 3 November 1957 with Laika the dog onboard. So marked the start of the Space Age and the USA-USSR Space Race. The Americans were upstaged...their Vanguard satellite still in development...yikes...does that mean the Russians could carry a ballistic payload? On 31 January, 1958, the United States entered the Space Race when they launched their satellite Explorer I which discovered the magnetic radiation belts around the Earth. In July 1958, Congress passed the Space Act and on 1 October 1958 NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was born . The USSR was first to send a man into space in 1961...pipped the U.S.A by about 3 weeks..."So close, yet so far" ... read more
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin's 1961 Spacepod

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow August 10th 2019

Days 13 to 16 of 80 Lenin - murderer, dictator, despot, and Rolls Royce owner Today we had an early start to queue for Lenin's Tomb, that is we were there around 8.10 for a 10 am open. We had seen the queues in previous days and decided we would rather spend our two hours of queuing at the front of the queue safe in the knowledge that we would be through and done by around 10.30, rather than join later with an indeterminate exit time. TripAdvisor reviews had shown that there is no mercy in just closing entry at 1 pm on the dot - the tomb is only open on 5 days a week, for 3 hours - whether or not there are people still in the queue who may have been there for ... read more
Ashes in the Kremlin wall
Stalin's memorial
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow August 8th 2019

Days 10 to 12 of 80 As we said in the last blog the Sapsan high speed train into Moscow arrived on time (1 minute early to be precise), but just to clarify ... on the journey Pip didn't see a bear, but lots and lots of trees, with isolated, wooden-hutted villages that went by so quickly that she failed to get a picture of a single one. Maybe she'll get the timing right sometime during our first three days on the Trans-Mongolian Express. In the meantime we came across a bronze bear statue in the city centre to satisfy Pip's ursine yearnings. See photo. Do bears s*** in the woods? We have lucked out on our hotel again, finding that it is barely 10 minutes walk from the Kremlin, Red Square and barely 10 to ... read more
Tomb of Unknown Soldier
GUM department store
Street off Red Square




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