Saturday 01 – Wednesday 05 October 2016
After arriving in Moscow on the Trans-Siberian, we were off on a whirlwind tour of the sights – Red Square, Gum Department Store, St Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin and so on. After dinner, Moscow by night and a look at some of Stalin’s opulently decorated Metro Stations took us till 11pm.
We liked Moscow so decided to stay on for a few more days to relax and absorb the city then take the Sapsan (Peregrine Falcon) high speed train to St. Petersburg.
St Basil’s Cathedral, like no other – built by Tzar Ivan the Terrible in 1561
GUM, known as State Department Store during the Soviet times
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, destroyed by Stalin, reconstructed 1995-2000
Looks like the Kremlin, but it’s Izmailovsky Souvenir Market
Matryoshka dolls, about $10 each set
Pity we weren’t hungry, the food at Izmailovsky Market smells great
Moscow University, one of Stalin’s Skyscrapers, has 5,000 rooms
Peter the Great (founder of Russian Navy) or Christopher Columbus?
Moscow Metro – a bit of a challenge but we cracked it and it’s full of Stalinist art
Inside the Kievskaya Metro Station
Mosaic of Lenin in the Metro
Mural in one of the stations
Russian Revolution Heroes
Ploshchad Revolyutsii “Lucky Dog” has a shiny nose – everyone rubs it as they pass
Red Square, almost deserted on a rainy day
Kazan Cathedral on Red Square, consecrated 1636
The Kremlin
Cathedral of the Annunciation inside the Kremlin
Onion domes with Orthodox crosses
Novodevichy Convent, still functions, has remained intact since the 17th Century
Sculpture Park of “Fallen Heroes” ie the disgraced
Opulent Moscow supermarket, open 24/7 too
Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier