Mullets and Pomegranates
Trip Start
May 30, 2008
1
3
16
Trip End
Jun 22, 2008
Moscow,
Central Russia,
Russian Federation
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Our first night began with a sumptuous Georgian Meal including so-so wine and cheese bread (khatchapuri). We were a tad caught off-guard by the price (even though Moscow is the most expensive city in the world, which we knew already.) Georgian food is revered in Moscow, and Muscovites often choose Georgian food over local food, which consists more of plain meat and potatoes. According to Scott's old colleague Rob, the price of normally cheaper Georgian food has gone up because the Georgians anticipate that they may soon be "persona non grata" because of the current political and miliatry tension between Georgia and Russia. Our walk home that night revealed a fair number of Reese Witherspoon Avon ads (those US celebrities that pretend to despise advertising but dive head-first into it in other countries) and several ads for energy efficient lightbulbs (picture to come), an interesting sight in a country with sooo much oil and a commentary perhaps on the direction of energy consumption across the world
Questionable breakfast (Photo: Zoe Chafe)
.Scott and I went go-karting the next day with Rob and his friend Corinna at an old warehouse called Silver Rain. Zoe met up with us a few hours later and we walked around the city. The highlight of the afternoon was stumbling upon the sculpture garden, which houses many of the old Soviet Statues of Lenin, Stalin, Brezhnev, and Marx. It appeared as though these once grand and omnipresent forms had literally been plopped in a unkempt field left to wither under the elements. It left a somewhat eerie feeling and the history buff in me was in heaven (pictures to come).
The next day consisted of a tour of the Kremlin and its magnificent golden domed cathedrals inside the walls. Zoe was almost left at the door as the girth of her camera appeared to be greater than allowed according to the security guard manual (apparently 70mm is ok, but 72 is out of the question). She was allowed in and we wandered around the cathedrals in awe of the iconography and frescoes and the proximity to the one-time seat of Soviet power. Apparently, Stalin held a somewhat secret church service during World War II in the Cathedral of the Assumption as the Germans fired upon the outskirts of Moscow (a brief break in the many years of suppression of Russian Orthodox Religion during the Soviet Era)
Tickets for Kremlin (Photo: Zoe Chafe)
. We remarked over and over again how each second our deeply ingrained impressions (from US cold war media) of a dark and foreboding Kremlin and Russia were changing to take into account the beauty and color of this place. Scott attempted to enter one of the many buildings in the huge complex and was denied per the reasoning that the president was working inside. We realized perhaps this was not the entrance to the armory which houses all the old imperial carriages and thrones and jewels. Zoe patiently waited through the armory museum rooms as Scott and I salivated over the guide's story of the Tsar's throne which was a gift esconced in diamonds and gold given by Armenian Merchants in exchange for free trading rights.
At this point our feet ached and we trekked back to the apartment to await Josh. Each traverse across the city was assisted by the Moscow Metro, which Stalin commenced building in 1935. The trains run every 2 minutes (no kidding, there are count-up clocks on the wall showing time elapsed since the last train departed, simply to fuel one's impatience) and the stations are loaded with beauty and a 1930s art deco feel. The trains look as you would imagine, as if from communist Russian films. When they leave the station, it sounds like an air raid is about to take place
Presidential offices (Photo: Zoe Chafe)
. Our favorite pastime in the Metro has been to spot all of the young people with mullets, apparently imitating pop star Bilan, an '80's-style pop bard who recently won the "Eurovision" song contest.Upon meeting up with Josh, we enjoyed another Georgian meal, the highlight of which were pomengranates with red beans and eggplants with greek nuts. With our tummies full, we walked to Red Square and watched in awe as the colors of the 10 pm summer sky cloaked St. Basil's Cathedral (the famous onion domed cathedral). I took a moment to lie down in the square and think about all that had taken place on this ground, like Soviet Military Parades and Peter the Great's Massacre of court officials. As we walked back to the apartment at 11 (the sky just getting dark), Scott took us by Lubyanka Squre, which is the site of the old KGB headquarters and the famous site of the removal of Feliks Dzerzhinsky's statue at the end of the 1991 coup. Scott was definitely bright eyed and relaying all his knowledge of the square, about which he wrote his history thesis.
My only disappointment was not seeing Lenin's Mausoleum, as the hours to view are short and it was closed most of the time we were there. So now we are down to just the viewing of one previous communist leader, Mao. I actually never saw Mao while living in China ten years ago, as his ear was being worked on...(Well dad, you may just have to go back with me to Moscow to get the Lenin viewing.)
The sites and sounds were beyond my expectation and we even began to learn the Cyrllic Alphabet. Scott was the hero of the three days, translating into Russian for us at every corner.
An interesting place to start on a trek across central and eastern asia....
Kate
