Moscow, Moscow....
Trip Start
Jun 29, 2008
1
19
58
Trip End
Nov 27, 2008
Moscow,
Central Russia,
Russian Federation
Saturday, August 30, 2008
While planning our time in Russia, I decided I wanted to go to Moscow and visit the Kremlin and Red Square. St Basil's Cathedral appealed to me, and they display some of the Faberge eggs, previously in St Petersburg, in the Armoury of the Kremlin. I'd also watched War and Peace, and it is a place of such history, so.... I arranged for us to go to Moscow via overnight train from St Petersburg.
The train trip itself is an experience. We travelled on the Red Arrow, leaving St Petersburg at 11.55pm and arriving in Moscow at 7.55am. Departure and arrival of the train are accompanied by triumphant music. Breakfast was interesting - we had fried pork and fries (mmm...), and the 5 drink options were vodka, beer, mineral water, juice and cognac. No prizes for guessing what I went for. As it was, perhaps the vodka might have been a good option as it might have fortified me better for the day ahead!
The purchasing of tickets for the various components of the Kremlin is a confusing, time-consuming process. Years of practice during the cold war has meant that the Russians have truly mastered the art of the queue. Ben and I however, having never stood in line for ration tickets or at soup kitchens, were unprepared for the rigours involved in obtaining a ticket to the Armoury. It took us multiple attempts, as they sell them in batches before each viewing time. Very few are actually sold to individuals - the vast majority go to large tour groups. One lady who managed to get a ticket to the session before ours came out waving her ticket in the air like she had just won the National lottery! We finally did get tickets. Were they worth it? Hard to say, really, as I was so exhausted by then, I don't think I could fully appreciate what was there.
The visit to the rest of the Kremlin was entertaining. There are guards stationed everywhere, blowing their whistles with vigour if anyone goes one step out of place. The only problem is that there are no signs telling you where you are or are not allowed to go!! One guy stepped off the curb to take a photo, and the guard blew his whistle and then waved his baton and had a menacing look on his face. This was all wasted on the tourist who was facing the other way taking his photo. It was really quite comical in a way.
Luckily, out in Red Square, we didn't feel the need to see an embalmed Lenin, as the queue to visit his mausoleum went forever. We did, however, visit St Basil's Cathedral - it is quite different from any other cathedral that I have ever visited, as it is actually 8 small chapels which are separate, around a central church. It was a little like being inside a maze.
The trip to the airport took way longer than advertised. We took the metro to its furthest point and then got the bus from there. The bus was meant to take 20-40min, but actually ended up taking about 80mins. Then, as if the day had not been long enough, we crossed some time zones on our way to Poland and the day was lengthened by another 2 hours!! Don't you just hate that? Finally at 10.55pm Polish time, we arrived in Krakow, and very sensibly got a taxi to our hotel for a long recovery sleep.
Comments
Faberge Eggs on Display!
Your pictures are amazing and your trip looks like so much fun! You're so lucky to have had the opportunity to see all of this! Do you have friends and/or family who haven't been able to tour Russia? I work for a site called Positively Cleveland, and right now we're getting the word out about an upcoming at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It's called 'Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique', and will feature exquisite examples of each artist's work. If you get a chance the exhibit is well worth a trip to see these beautiful treasures in person (it's closer than Russia anyway). You can find more information at http://www.clevelandblings.com. Additionally, Cleveland has many other destinations including the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame: http://www.positivelycleveland.com/visiting/things_to_do/cleveland_rocks/rock_hall. There's something for everyone and lots to explore!
I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds by leaving this comment. I'm just trying to get the word out about this amazing exhibit so as many people as possible can have the experience of seeing this art with their own eyes. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to E-Mail me. I'd love to hear from you :)
Cary A. Andrews
Positively Cleveland
cary.a.andrews@gmail.com