Russia - Moscow

After a quick short flight from my second home in Latvia, Danik (that's me) and Ollie Tong arrived in Moscow, the capital of the Russia Federation. This trip took me around eight years to plan and step foot in the former Soviet Union. Now I have done it. Since I was a little child my dream was to step into Russia, one of the countries on my travel list I wanted to do and tick it off. When I was a child growing up in the countryside of Hertfordshire, UK I used to look at my world atlas, and words, U.S.S.R always played with my mind. What went on behind the Iron Curtain? Why was the country so secretive? Why did they hate the Americans so much? I was a little child when these questions played on my mind, and I was nine years old when the Soviet Union collapsed, and the Russia Federation was formed.

Now after doing my research on the country, culture, cold war, people and studying the language, it was time to do my first trip to Russia. I had a friend in Moscow called Anna who came over to London back in the year 2000, and so, for the last eight years, after losing contact for half of it, I said I would come to Russia. And now with Ollie in tow, I have reached my destination, finally! I kind of knew what to expect from Moscow, which to me, is a bigger version of Riga in Latvia. Just with a metro system, a slight more expensive, and with Cyrillic letters everywhere instead of Roman letters.

So after landing at Sheremetevo terminal two just outside northern Moscow late on a Saturday evening and both of us forgetting to feel in the landing cards at passports (how stupid I felt!) and then having to ask for a pen from a police woman (so mean she was, but what can you do?) we eventually met our party who was waiting for us at arrivals. Anna was supposed to of been there, but no sign. She was not there. Also there was no contact for at least three weeks before that, so I was not sure what was going on. I thought, after eight years, and not turning up, felling a bit down. The plus side was, her friend Svetlana met us and she brought along Elena. First impressions of the airport, is that it is very old and needs a much need of a refurbishment. There was no direct links to get passengers (and ourselves for that matter) to the centre of Moscow. If it wasn't for Svetlana, I think me and Ollie would have been stranded at the airport or would have paid a £30 taxi fare (1,500 Russian Roubles).

There was a bus which took us from the airport to a place called Rechnoy Vokzal where the start of line 2 – Zamoskvoretskaya metro line begins. So after 30 minutes on the old green bus, and another 30 minutes on the metro, we eventually landed up in Smolenskaya where our hostel is based. The home from home hostel was ok, the owner telling us that we didn't have a private room with two twin beds in it. We had to make do with a room which had four bunk beds, but at least we had it to ourselves (or so we thought…read on later). After much confusion, Svetlana having a little go at the owner and me watching a really old television with a debate going on in Russian (really great prime time television!) it was time to chuck our bags in the room and head for the nightlife or at least, a quiet beer.

The area we were staying in wasn't that bad. The centre of Moscow with all the attractions, cathedrals and government buildings was only a twenty minute walk away and around the corner on Arbat Street, was going to be our place of call to find a beer.

Svetlana couldn't find the way at first and took us through some sort of Police car park which was fun but we eventually found the street with all the flashing lights and music blurring out down the street. An Irish bar suddenly appeared and the girls took us inside. Great, I thought, another country and another Irish bar visited, but at least this one was quiet, good enough for a quiet drink and chat after our long journey from Riga. So we talked, and got to know each other even better and drink the night away.

(P.S A litre of beer nearly cost me £8, something tells me a second mortgage is needed out here for cover for cost of food and drinks!)

 

Sunday 6^th April

A day looking around before a quiet drink!

 

 The day started out great, the sun was out, nice and warm in Russia's capital.

Waking up from the hostel, we had no shower in are building. To have a shower we would off had to go to the other building further down the courtyard to have a shower. With time pushing on, I thought I just wash my hair and do the essentials in the sink we had in our room which had no hot water. Bloody cold! But it did the job.

 

We met Svetlana outside our hostel and after having a breakfast at McDonalds (well, cheeseburgers and a chicken meal) we walked down the souvenir shopping street we were staying in and arrived at the Kremlin in good time. After paying around £5 each to get in and passing through the security checks, we walked over the red brick bridge and through the Kutafiya tower; we were inside the Kremlin grounds. At first it just looked like government buildings with wide boulevards inside, with police patrolling the area, making sure the tourists don't walk out onto the road and staying on the pavements.

 

After walking pass the Arsenal and the State Kremlin Palace, we were in the centre of the Kremlin grounds where all the cathedrals were based.

From the outside we saw The Patriarch's Palace, the Twelve Apostles Church with its One Pillar Chamber, the Assumption Cathedral, The Church of Laying Our Lady's Holy Robe, The Archangels Cathedral and The Faceted Chamber. So many cathedrals, all with its bright white walls reflecting the direct sun to give it a Mediterranean feel and the gold dome roofs to give it a middle eastern feel. Svetlana showed us inside on other cathedral in this square, which also contained the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, The Assumption Belfry and the Filaret Annex. Inside this orthodox cathedral were bright gold colours everywhere, but a bit duller than other orthodox cathedrals I have been in, as this one contained a few coffins of previous saints from centuries ago.

 

Overlooking the river Moscow from the Kremlin walls gave me this feel that I was really far from home and this would not of been possible around seventeen years ago, and it felt great.

Thoughts of the police stopping westerners and checking documents son faded away and knowing that the police were there on every corner (not only in the Kremlin, but around Moscow and also outside the metro systems) were giving me the safest of feelings, and to be honest, like Minsk, this is a very safe city to walk away and not to worry. (Too true, I and Oliver had no problems throughout the trip, no drunks, no anything. We did see the police stop darker skin people from the southern states like Kazakhstan and Grozny regions due to illegal immigration and terrorism!)

Walking back towards the centre of the Kremlin we came across the Tsar Bell, which has a huge chunk broken off. Weighing over 200 tons and over 6 meters in height, it was pretty impressive. Next to the bell was the Tsar Canon, built in 1586 and is over 5 meters long and weighs over 40 tons, another impressive gift from the Tsars.

 

The Kremlin for us was done now, as we couldn't get all the way inside the grounds due to closed off sections, so we walked outside and headed northwards along the Kremlin walls and pass the Middle Arsenal Tower and the Corner Arsenal Tower where we came across the Alexander Gardens where people were basking in the early spring sunshine and ice cream sellers all over the place. A fire was blowing out off an soviet style star on the ground as a memorial to the unknown solider with Russian guards standing still next to it, while all tourists and locals just stood there, watching the glowing yellow blow out the flames from the grounds.

Walking pass the Saint Nicolas Tower and the State History museum, we walked into the Red Square.

Today it was closed off. No one walking on the square apart from officials. With the GUM shopping centre to the left and the Kremlin Walls to the right with St Basil's Cathedral at the other end, it was a bit of an disappointed, but we would come back here later in the trip.

GUM shopping centre, to me, Russia's version of Harrods. Shops with expensive goods everywhere, not many people buying, a lot of people just looking at the impressive window displays. The centre has three levels, beautifully decorated out of light brownish bricks, with a clear window style roof at the top to let in the daylight. A supermarket was found near to one exit, but I still needed a second mortgage to afford goods in this place.

 

Walking along Nikolskaya street away from the crowds around Red Square, we came across the FSB building (former KGB headquarters) where it was still operational.

Ollie asked if we could go in and have a look around towards Svetlana, but you could image her response. Further down the street we came to a theatre which was in a middle of a refurbishment. It isn't the famous one which got on the news a few years ago where the theatre was under attacked from terrorists. So we just sat on a bench in the sunshine and resting our feet as by this time, we have done a good fair share of walking

A drink was needed, so Svetlana took us down the road to another Irish Bar! A sports bar I might add. A man in his late 40's runs the bar, and needed to wash his mouth with soap as every other word was a swear word. We drank Baltica beer and sat a table until the sports channel came on and Manchester United was playing some team, can't remember. So we sat there, watching the game, and a few other friends of Svetlana came along to the bar, Elena, Mark from Exeter and some Russian guy. So a great atmosphere.

We spent all afternoon in this bar getting drunk and having some bar snacks like onion rings and then we headed off to a restaurant which was also showing football on a large television screen, some team called Spartak Moscow and a team from the Urals I think. Anyway, we also met a guy called Loi from the USA here who was working for a very important company in Russia (can't say) and so, we drank a few more beers (well, I was starting to sober up, so stayed on the coke) and some American food. I will try Russian food eventually. Quite expensive in here, and spent all my days allowance. Oh well. So anyway, after a good night, and a long metro journey back to the hostel, we said our goodbyes, after singing Britney Spears songs and making sure Svetlana didn't fall flat on her face!

 

Monday 7^th April

A day's sightseeing

 

No Svetlana or friends today.

Red Square

They all have gone to work. So it was just me and Oliver. After managing a shower and a hostel breakfast in the other building where I managed to upset the Grandma (sorry, hostel manager and cleaner) by dropping some of my cereal on the floor, it was time to do some sightseeing. See Moscow by ourselves. Leaving Arbat Street we made our way to Moscow Zoo. It was closed. It was that European Monday feeling here as well, where places of interest and museums were closed. After catching a metro journey and learning how the system works all by ourselves (what an achievement) we made our way to Victory Park.

Victory Park is a huge memorial complex celebrating the Great Patriotic War.

Red Square/St Basils Cathedral

The park includes loads of fountains and monuments, a memorial synagogue at Polklonnaya Hill, and church of Saint George. In the centre of the park is an outstanding monument, the 142 meter high obelisk, where every 10cm represents a day of the war. Also there is a museum to the Great Patriotic War, which was also closed today, with also the outside museums and displays of aircraft, war ships and tanks.

After the park we headed back to the metro (Park Pobedy) but there was the Triumphal Arch to see in the middle of the highway. The arch celebrates Napoleon's eventual defeat on his attack on Moscow and Russia. (He also had trouble on the way back home in Vilnius – Lithuania, see my blog back in November 2007)

Back in the metro, and seeing all its amazing art galleries down there, we landed back at Red Square.

Red Square/St Basils Cathedral

It was open today after the disappointment of yesterday. Guess what, Lenin's tomb was closed today as well. For those who don't know Lenin, or what he did, here is a brief summary –

Vladimir Llych Lenin was great man in the soviet times, and people of the USSR looked up to him to show the way forward for the soviets. Anyway, after leading the country and setting up Stalin to take over the country, he suffered a massive stroke and died on 22 January 1924 aged 53. A long line of mourners gathered in the depths of winter for weeks to glimpse the body as it lay in state. Inspired by the spectacle, Stalin proposed that the father of the Soviet communism should continue to serve the cause as a holy relic. So the decision was made to preserve Lenin's corpse for perpetuity, against the protests of his widow, as well as Lenin's own expressed desire to be buried next to his mother in Saint Petersburg.

Inside St Basils Cathedral

So anyway, scientists found a way of keeping his body fresh as it lies in state and is still here to this very day (or so we believe – I personally reckon it is a wax work and his body is in the ground in Saint Petersburg, but that is my view).

 

Walking around the Red Square seeing the beautiful buildings of GUM and the Kremlin Walls, we came to the south end, where with its ice cream cones standing out on top in different colours is the church of the intercession, otherwise known as St Basil's Cathedral, with in one colour is the alarm bell tower. Very beautiful, small and well made, this cathedral was built between 1555 and 1561 to celebrate Ivan the Terrible's capture of the Tatar stronghold, Kazan (which lies around 12 hours driving east of Moscow).

Inside the cathedral was like a maze and I didn't really see a pray room.

Inside St Basils Cathedral

Just a building with mazes and beautifully painted religious figures on its walls and inside the dome. Also there were too many gift shops inside, but nice ones mind you.

 

After the cathedral and trying to photographs of myself trying to lick the ice cream domes on top, me and Oliver walked down towards the Kremlin Embankment and River Moscow, walking pass The Saint Constantine and Helen Tower and the Moskvoretskaya (Moscow River) Tower on the Kremlin Walls. From here impressive photos were taken from a bridge overlooking the river and the Kremlin. It was so hot walking this day, especially next to busy roads, where a lot of dust was being blown into our eyes. I had trouble opening my eyes up for photos as the strong powerful sun was shining into my eyes. I didn't like it one bit.

 

Carrying on further walking down the embankment we came across another splendid Cathedral with gold domes and painted in all white.

Inside St Basils Cathedral

Christ the Saviour cathedral. Svetlana want to take us here the day before, but somehow we got caught up in a bar, and then kept going on at us to go and see it, and we have now. But we didn't go inside. Further down the River Moscow we came across a tall dark monument known as Peter the Great monument. As always being a Monday, it was closed, so we didn't really get closed to it, and by this point in the late afternoon, it was time for us to head back to the hostel to meet Svetlana for a evening meal in an Russian restaurant.

 

The 50cm sausage. What the hell did me and Oliver ordered this for. At first it sounded like fun, then a laugh, then a challenge, and then after 40cm worth each, a stupid idea. On top of that, to drink it down with strong beer (and also a shot of vodka for Oliver) and a side order of American fries and some really odd strange coloured cabbage, a great meal. The Russian food is very bland, but cooked well and tasted great. Anyway, as you can see in the photos and videos, the sausage was great fun, to Elena and Svetlana amusement.

St Basils Cathedral

Back at the hostel we noticed that all the beds were full. Earlier that day we did have a warning from the hostel manager we might have two people also sharing the room which also meant getting an extra discount as we didn't have a private room and also the shower was broken, but now we have got six people plus us in this small cramped wall. Oh well. Night.

 

Tuesday 8^th April

Last day in Moscow

 

We woke up earlier thanks a man with dreadlocks who doesn't speak much and looks like he is high on drugs all the time.

St Basils Cathedral

After making so much noise he left the room. A student from Serbia was on another bed, snoring really loud, and doesn't speak English. He spoke French which he learnt from school, but never spoke to a French person. Well, he didn't understand my French, so he has along way to go. A young Norwegian couple was on the other bunk bed, I am so jealous. There were going to travel on the train from Moscow to Mongolia that evening. They were pretty cool people. The other couple from America, a bit stuck up I thought which I found was true when I was checking out later that morning as the girl was a bit of a know it all, and demand this and demand that. Also her Russian which she learnt at school was awful. The grammar was the wrong way round. Even my Russian sucks but at least mine is understandable in Moscow (shame it isn't in Latvia!)

 

I wanted the toilet! The only toilet in the building! Someone is in there! For thirty minutes! Was it dreadlock boy in there so high that he is now sleeping on the can? So after thirty minutes, I banged on the door and shouted out "OI! Mate, come on! I got a 50cm sausage which needs to come out!" and at the same time, Ollie laughing his head off in the dorm!

After the shower (which now finally works in the laundry room) it was time to check out which somehow took two hours, which of course included breakfast in which I didn't upset grandma by spilling my breakfast everywhere!  

 

While I was waiting to check out, I told Ollie to go to the cash machine and post his postcards at the post office to kill time.

St Basils Cathedral

After forty minutes, Ollie came back (while I am still waiting to check out) and said the queue was too long, try again later. Fair enough.

We left our luggage at the hostel and walked back the same way we did the day before to the zoo. A nice zoo built in the middle of the city. Both of us kind of went to sleep in the elephant house, until the dam thing made a noise which woke us up. After seeing racoons, mental polar bears and fish it was time to make tracks and head for a pizza meal at Il Patio around the corner.

It was a case of killing time today, as we have seen most things. We came across the same post office again, with a queue. I just went to a counter where the girl was selling pens, books etc and ask for international stamps, got it done and left the office two minutes later. If only Ollie thought of that earlier! J

 

After meeting Svetlana at the tube station we went on the bus to join Moscow's favourite pastime for the last few years.

St Basils Cathedral

It's called; everyone buys a car and gets stuck in a traffic jam for so long. So that's what we did, but we were on a public bus. But we eventually made it in good time, had a snack at TGI Fridays and said our goodbyes to Svetlana.

 

So, Russia, well, Moscow, fantastic city, and I will be back. One day I hope. And still no word from Anna. Well, I like to thank everyone who me and Oliver meet on our trip, for there advice, friendship and kindness. Thank you.