Moscow Sunrise
After dinner and unpacking last night, I think I got about 4 hours sleep before it was time to get up for breakfast. Breakfasts were buffet–style. I always found plenty to eat: eggs, cheese, bread, pastries, some fruit, juice, and coffee. I must have been up early as I caught the beautiful Moscow sunrise.
Moscow Sunrise
Moscow Sunrise
More of the Moscow sunrise with the high rises reflected on the Moscow Canal.
Moscow Sunrise
Moscow Sunrise
Sunrise on the other side of the canal.
Moscow Sunrise
Moscow
With my zoom lens, I could see more buildings along the Moscow Canal.
Moscow
River Statue
We started out on our bus tour at 8:30 a.m. We had a choice of four buses to go on from #1 to #4. I chose #1 and Dave, Joyce, Lyn, and Stu did also. We were now to take the #1 bus on all our tours, making it easy to be part of a 120–person group.
This statue of a woman with a boat on her head symbolizes the Moscow Canal and is at the entrance to the River Station where our bus was located.
River Statue
On Our Way to Red Square
We inched our way from where our boat was moored through the streets of Moscow. The traffic in Moscow is horrendous and at all hours of the day and night. It is much worse than the traffic in Los Angeles, which is saying quite a lot. Actually, this is surprising as Moscow has a first–class subway system, buses, street cars, few large trucks, and many walkers, but it just has too many cars for its road system. It took us 45 minutes to an hour to get from the boat to Red Square. At least, we got a good view of Moscow along the way and we were going slow enough to take photos. Photo: A modern building in Moscow.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
One of the apartment buildings built by Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, 1953–1964, for the people. People my age remember Khrushchev very well––okay, so we remember most his banging of his shoe but also the Cuban Missile Crisis. The apartments were given free to the people. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the ownership of the apartments were also given free to their residents. If an adult child resides with their parents, they can inherit the apartment. Residents can also sell the apartments.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
I have been told that this building is a modern imitation of the Seven Sisters buildings built by Stalin.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
Modern Moscow building.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
Moscow has many old, impressive buildings.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
Colonel Sanders is already here.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
The huge, beautiful Moscow rail station. I don’t know when it was built.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
Another view of the Moscow rail station.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
Probably one of the Seven Sisters.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
A Moscow street.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
The Bolshoi Theatre, built in the mid–19th century. It is the largest theatre structure in Europe and is where the famous Bolshoi Ballet performs.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
An impressive gate.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
Old buildings.
On Our Way to Red Square
On Our Way to Red Square
More old buildings.
On Our Way to Red Square
At Red Square
We made it to Red Square. A photo of Dmitri, our local tour guide. Tanya was the head Gate 1 tour guide, then we had local guides and also on–board guides who went on the excursions with us and whose main job was to make sure we didn’t get lost. Our on–board guide for bus #1 was Alina, a beautiful young Russian girl. The two other on–board guides were Dasha and Sasha.
At Red Square
At Red Square
The Kremlin Wall on the left and St. Basil’s Cathedral on the right. The “red” of the Red Square does not refer to the Communist Party but means beautiful in Russian. And Red Square is definitely beautiful.
At Red Square
At Red Square
St. Basil’s Cathedral or Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed or the Cathedral of the Intercession. It was built by the order of Ivan the Terrible in 1555–61 to commemorate the victory of the Russian army over the Kazan Khanate and Russia’s liberation from the Tartar–Mongols. The Russian lands became united around Moscow as their captial.
St. Basil’s Cathedral became a State Historical Museum in 1928 under the Communists. It is actually nine chapels making up a cathedral. Basil the Blessed in buried in the cathedral.
The cathedral is Russian Orthodox as are most churches in Russia and has onion domes. If a church has a single dome, the dome indicates a single God. If a church has three domes, it signifies the Trinity. Five domes indicate Christ and his four apostles. There are always an uneven number of domes. The crosses of a Russian Orthodox church can have many various shapes.
At Red Square
At Red Square
The Kremlin Walls on one side of Red Square. These walls are from the 15th century, but walls have been here since 1147 when Moscow was founded.
At Red Square
At Red Square
Lenin’s Mausoleum in front the Kremlin Wall. Vladimir Lenin’s embalmed body has been displayed here since his death in 1924. We could not view it if we wanted to as the area was closed off in anticipation of an event at the square. The Kremlin Wall Necropolis is behind Lenin’s Mausoleum, where many heads of state have been buried: Stalin, Breshnev, Andropov, Kalinin, etc. Stalin’s body was originally buried next to Lenin’s, but when Stalin’s crimes became better known, his body was moved.
At Red Square
At Red Square
The former City Duma (City Council), built in the late 1800s and directly across from St. Basil’s Cathedral.
At Red Square
At Red Square
The Triumphal Gate next to the City Duma, rebuilt in 1680.
At Red Square
At Red Square
The Kazan Cathedral across from the Kremlin Wall. The Communists destroyed many of Russia’s churches. I heard two figures: 40% and 60%. Stalin destroyed this church which was originally built in the 17th century. It has been reconstructed.
At Red Square
At Red Square
Facing the Kremlin Wall is the Gum (pronounced Goom) Department Store, built in 1890–1893. It was commissioned by Empress Catherine II. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, it was nationalized. It is now in private hands.
We went inside the elegant Gum Department Store, mainly for people to use the ATM or the currency exchange. I asked Dmitri where I could buy caviar and vodka (I had a request to buy it). He walked me to the upscale food store and helped me buy both items.
You are only allowed to buy 100 grams of caviar in Russia at one time. I was buying more than 100 grams, so my purchase had to be split into two receipts. Even after telling my credit card company that I was traveling to Russia, my first credit card didn’t go through, so I used my second card, which was from the same company, and it did go through. I had to use the rubles I brought with me to complete the purchase. I called my credit card company from our boat and had it straightened out––one reason to carry a global cell phone when you travel. (You are only allowed to bring in 125 grams of caviar into the U.S.)
I put more photos of Red Square on a slide show on this website: Go directly to
http://www.peggysphotos.com/moscow–red–square/
or to Slide Shows, Eastern Europe, Russia, Moscow: Red Square.
At Red Square
At Red Square
Dmitri and Alina had an interesting way of counting our group to make sure we were all present. We had to walk under the #1 sign to be counted.
At Red Square
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
Sign seen on our way to a Moscow Overlook. Signs in Russia are in the Russian language using the Cyrillic alphabet with very little English seen. After seeing some words over and over, such as the ones for toilet, bank, and market, you become able to recognize them. Pictures also help.
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, seen from the bus. It is the tallest Orthodox Christian Church in the world.
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
I took this photo of the statues on the front of the Cathedral of Christ the Savious using my zoom lens. It looks like an interesting cathedral to visit. We didn’t visit it.
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
Another sign seen on the way––it’s next to the re:Store. It appears to be for a restaurant.
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
Statue of Tolstoy. Moscow has many statues and also parks with beautiful flower displays.
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
Passing a medical research institute. There was also a hospital near it. One of our tour guides told us that free medical care is provided for all Russians at assigned local clinics. However, these clinics usually don’t have specialists, so if you need a specialist or need to go to a hospital, the fees are out of your own pocket. There is no medical insurance in Russia.
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
We passed the Novodevichy Convent. I took the optional tour after lunch to visit it.
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
Seen from the bus.
On Our Way to a Moscow Overlook
At the Moscow Overlook
We made it through the Moscow traffic to the overlook. There were many souvenir stands here. I have put the photos I took from the overlook on a slide show on this website. Go directly to
http://www.peggysphotos.com/moscow–overlook/
or to Slide Shows, Eastern Europe, Russia, Moscow––Overlook.
At the Moscow Overlook
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Groan––another 45 minutes to an hour in traffic to get to our boat to have lunch. The visit to the Novodevichy Convent was an optional tour. We wished that we would eat lunch in the center of Moscow instead of having to go through so much traffic to get to our boat and then go through it once again to get to the convent. There was also another optional tour offered at the same time to Segiev Posad, an old Russian town, but it was canceled as not enough people signed up for it.
Photos: buildings along the Moscow River.
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Also seen along the Moscow River.
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
The Russian White House. It houses the Russian government.
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Decorated car. We saw several cars that were decorated––a new trend? Will it reach the U.S. or has it already?
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
A floral display in a park. There were floral displays throughout Russia. Very pretty.
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Another beautiful old building.
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Russians at a bus stop.
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
Seen Going Back to Our Boat
The old river station, no longer in use, but our boat is moored near here. We survived the Moscow traffic. Now for lunch.
