Inside the Kremlin, Part 1? Huh! Does that mean there'll be a Part 2? Maybe. OK, well yes it does mean there will be a Part 2, otherwise why would I label this Part 1? (well, it could be because of bad vodka, or too much beer, or too much sun, or way too much of all of those things, but that's not the truth, the truth is there will be a Part 2, you just have to take my word for it).
The fact of the matter is that I took so many pictures I needed to split them up somewhat, and using Part 1 and Part 2 seemed like as good approach as any. In fact, as soon as I get Part 1 uploaded, I'll start working on Part 2.
When entering (or I should say, when paying to enter) the Kremlin, expect to queue up for tickets (I guess that part never changed between the bad old soviet days, and the new federation days). When you queue up for tickets, you need to know what tickets you want, because (you died in the wool bureaucrats will love this) you need to go to different ticket windows depending on whether (1) you just want to enter the grounds, (2) you want to go to the Armoury, (3) you want to go to the Armoury & the Diamond Fund Exposition, or (4) you want to enter either 1, 2 or 3 AND you want the audio headset to go with your chosen venue. Don't, I repeat don't get into line 4 because it is shorter and you think you can tell the ticket lady that you just want to get in and go to the Armoury, but don't really want the audio headset. She toss you out of line in a heartbeat, then you have to start the queuing process all over again.
The ticket windows are clearly labeled in both Russian and English, so determine which line you need to be in and just bite the bullet and go to the end of that queue. Did I mention that you should have the correct amount for the ticket or tickets that you want? Well you should because that little piece of information will make your day. After standing in the queue for what seemed like half the day (really only 20 minutes), I finally get to the door where there is a crowd of people standing in the wings leaving you a minuscule gap to get to the ticket window.
I plop down 1000 Rubles, and very slowly and very clearly say 2 tickets to view the grounds and churches only. She says 600 Rubles, I push the 1000 Ruble note towards her only to have my hand come to a screeching halt because it had met an equal and opposite force (the ticket agents hand), and she says again 600 Rubles. This dance would have gone on at least one more time, but a kind hearted Russian lady interceded and told me in broken English that the ticket lady didn't have any change so I needed to step aside and wait with everyone else (inside this now ever expanding tiny office) until enough paying customers with the correct amount paid their entrance fees, then the ticket lady could start making change for those of us not smart enough to have the correct amount. Why oh why doesn't Lonely Planet put this kind of tip in their guides? Note to LP, I did remember the bankroll scam, so its reasonable to assume I would remember the correct change part.
Anyway, after another 10 minutes, the ticket lady said some to the translator lady, and the translator lady gently shoved me to the ticket window where ticket lady handed me a single ticket and four 100 Ruble notes. I said to her two tickets while raising two fingers. She didn't even look at me, she just pointed to the ticket where it was neatly printed "2 x 300 = 600" I thanked her and the translator lady and went to find Ho-Ki, so we could join the "show your ticket and pass through security" queue. I was really starting to get the hang of this queuing process.
What I didn't figure out then, and remains a mystery to me even now, is how did I manage to be only the 2nd person, out of the crowd of 20 that were packed in the wings, to actually get tickets AND CHANGE, before all of the other 20 that had been waiting there before I ever entered the little office, including the translator lady? Damned if I'll ever know.
Ho-Ki and I made it through security (which is located in the Kutafiya Tower) and up the
ramp we walked through the Trinity Tower. We were actually inside the Kremlin. It was like a wonderland from a dream world with the color yellow in prominent display. The only red I saw were the red bricks of the Kremlin's wall (another misconception shot down).
As always, the guidebooks can do a far better job of describing things than I can (other than the correct change bit, oh and the Scriabin museum omission), but one thing I did want to point out was that the Tsar's Cannon, that 89mm behemoth, was pointing directly at the Supreme Soviet building. Was this a statement of some sorts? I don't even have an opinion about that.
It was obvious that this was the seat of both temporal and at one time spiritual power for all of Russia, and it was impressive.
Well, on to Part 2...
More thumbnails ...
15 votes 
