Moscow!

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Geo: 55.7598, 37.6212

What an eye-opener! Moscow is a magnificent European city; right up there with London, Paris and Rome. The streets and architecture around the city centre are imposing and impressive. The traffic alternates between free-flowing on 12-lane boulevards, to severely congested around choke points. The current Mayor is undertaking a program of widening footpaths and reducing parking to enhance the ambiance of the city and encourage more walking (and the many small electric Razor scooters that look sensible and fun). The population of the greater city is about 18 million. As Napoleon advanced in 1812 it is believed that Russians fired their city, causing it to be mostly rebuilt in the 19th century. So, no ancient marble and stone buildings that become impossible to keep clean.

Today the 14 of us in our tour program did a windscreen city tour. We stopped at the city cemetery, had lunch at the posh Pushkin Cafe and then walked around Red Square in the afternoon.

Oops, forgot to change my camera time zone again. Add an hour to the pic timestamps if you take notice of these.

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Photos

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
Moscow's main church. Surprisingly, since the 1990s demolished churches are being rebuilt (including this one), and decommissioned churches brought back into service. Contrary to the West, the population is becoming more devout and large numbers attend church, including young people.

Yeltsin's grave
Boris died of heart failure in 2007 and this unusual (virtually unmarked) flag headstone marks his grave. Our guide Svetlana is a youngish grandmother who speaks excellent English and is full of interesting tales of earlier times.

Approaching Red Square
The gates under the twin green, red and white towers on the left mark an entrance to the square. In front of them a bronze marks GPO "ground zero" for distance measurements to Moscow. The red building in the middle is a museum and on the right the red tower with yellow walls is part of the Kremlin. Kremlin means fort or town and this was the original 1495 walled fort of Moscow, where the Tzars and government was (and still is, to an extent). Other Russian towns have their own fort or kremlin.

Red Square
Red Square (we were told it's a mis-translation of Beautiful Square) is bordered by the high-end GUM shopping mall on the left, the iconic St Basil's Cathedral at the end, and the Kremlin wall and Lenin's Tomb on the right (not the clock tower). In my memory it is not as big as Tienanmin Square, but it is still massive. Russia's leaders view the May Day military parade from a platform of Lenin's Tomb. Lenin's body is embalmed and on display under glass, and there is some debate whether he should be interred elsewhere.

St Basil's Cathedral
Actually 10 churches, the original Church of Intersession and its eight satellite churches were built in the mid-1500's under Ivan the Terrible. The tenth church was built in 1588 over the grave of St Vasily, and St Basil's has become the common name for the whole structure.

St Basil's again
Bathed in the evening sun. Quite stunning!

Posh CBD supermarket!
One of George's friends suggested that this market was worth a visit. He was right! This was built as a market in the late 19th century. It was discontinued in the Soviet era, but quickly rebounded in the 1990's. We visited the same store in St Petersburg. Still ornate, but it was more of a delicatessen.

Ducks
Barbara Bush gifted this sculpture to the children of Moscow in 1991. Apparently Raisa Gorbachova was impressed by the 'Make Way for Ducklings' sculpture in the Boston Gardens, prompting Bush's gesture.

Rooftop bar
After our big breakfast and lunch we resisted having dinner and went up to the rooftop bar at the nearby Ritz-Carlton hotel instead. ($75 for four glasses of wine, about what we expected) It was cold and blankets were supplied, but the view was rewarding. Svetlana told us that in the 50's Stalin wanted to modernise the city, so he put each of the seven Politburo heads in charge of building a sky scraper. These are dotted around the capital. That's one, resembling the Empire State Building, faintly visible on the left skyline. If you zoom in you'll see Lenin's Tomb, at the end of the central road leading into Red Square.

Bolshoi Theatre
I was a little disappointed after being told that Bolshoi translated to boring "Big". However, I read that Russians consider opera and ballet to be higher forms of culture than plays. Thus "Big" theatres (there's more than one Bolshoi), and the tragedies and comedies are performed in "Little" theatres. The Russians take their arts and culture very seriously - the city cemetery was filled with grand graves for renowned artists of all types. Svetlana is always asking us if we've heard of this or that famous Russian dancer or poet or singer, etc. That's Marlene with Robyn.

Comments

[Kerrie Lonn]

How does the Aussie dollars exchange to Roubles?

[robselclark]

42-something roubles to our dollar. We work on 100 roubles equals $2.50. Moscow has been ranked as the world's ninth most expensive city. Some of our group have bemoaned paying $70 for a single drink! We've eaten twice at the fun and go
od 'Ketch Up' restaurant, that costs about $75 per couple for food and drink. Svetlana said that was very inexpensive.

[Kerrie Lonn]

And the two of you are looking pretty good as well. Also fabulous weather for the Clarks again.

[robselclark]

Yes, we've been lucky. Today (Sunday) has started gloomy looking...

[Lowie]

I won't tell you where I think Lenin's body should be interred. The KGB could be listening ...they are everywhere ....Lowie

[Lowie]

Thanks for the history lesson. I am entertained and wiser ....Lowie

[Lowie]

Hmmmm .....just your basic market!!! Lowie

[Lowie]

Ah, yes, ice cream ...perennial Muscovite favourite ...regardless of weather. Lowie

[Bill]

Fascinating and informative stuff Sel n Rob. Enjoy the remainder of your trip.

[paramortravels]

Sel, great photos and what a great trip you're both having! Will be looking for your thoughts on Russia when you're back in Bne safely - and no need to bring Vladimir! Best wishesMFP & Rosie

[Shirley Rutledge]

Beautiful photo!

[Karla]

Looks like the setting of Mission Impossible 3!

[Karla]

A very small 'Empire State'.