Moscow, Central Russia, Russian Federation
October 14, 2013
Well, I finally managed to get out and about today with my last full day in Moscow and it’s been sunny and warm without a cloud in sight making for a much more pleasant day.
It’s the first time I’ve used the Moscow Metro system since I got here and I have to say it certainly lives up to its reputation of being one of the best in the world. The network covers the entire city very well and for what look like old metros they whistle along at quite a pace. Two stops and 5 minutes later I was walking out with the Kremlin stood in front of me, and I have to say it is a very impressive sight indeed. Much bigger than you think from the photos I have seen and it takes a good 20 minutes to walk round the perimeter.
The walls are very high and its hard to really see that much up close. The Kremlin is open to the public, however guess what? …It’s closed on Mondays! Monday? Who closes one of their most popular sites on a Monday? I think the Russian tourist board are definitely missing a trick as I stood there disappointed with my Roubles clenched in my fist. But I took a good walk around the outside and the further away you get whilst crossing the river the easier it is to take it all in from a distance and it is quite magnificent with its dusty tall red perimeter walls and striking golden towers dotted about inside.
Although the Kremlin is a mighty size Red Square itself is a little of a disappointment as it runs down the shorter side of the Kremlin, I was expecting something much bigger but it was hard to get the full feel of the place as they had a lot of it closed off with barriers whilst erecting a stage of some sort of upcoming event. At the far end of Red Square sits the famous Pokrovsky cathedral, better known as Saint Basil’s cathedral. It is impressive and a very colourful sight with its many twisting textured towers but again much smaller than you realise in real life.
A quick walk over the river allowed me to take in both Red Square, the Kremlin and St Basil’s all at once and as I looked back all three together do look very striking to say the least. Over the river I meandered through a park as I headed towards the Statue of Peter the Great and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. In the park there is a wonderful sculpture titled ‘children are the victims of adult vices’ It is a series of very surreal and bizarre looking adult characters surrounding two beautiful innocent children playing in the middle. Hard to describe but I stood for 10 minutes taking it all in. I then stumbled across a place called the ‘bridge of kisses’ which I had never heard of and it’s absolutely beautiful
It spans the Moskva river and Russian tradition has it that newly married couples kiss on a bridge on their wedding day. There are metal trees lining the bridge with hooks and they are covered from head to foot with hand painted heart-shaped metal padlocks. Each lock has the name of the lovers painted on and once they have kissed they fasten the lock to the trees or railings and throw the key into the river to seal their marriage, quite beautiful and remarkably romantic.
From there I started to loop back over the river and took in probably the biggest sculpture in the city, one of Peter the Great (remember him? I mentioned him in St Petersburg) It’s quite a sight, maybe a bit extravagant but impressive non the less. From there the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is easily visible over the rest of the bridge and although a more simple Cathedral than Saint Basil’s with its pure white walls, gold and dark Iron doors it is easily the tallest cathedral around and it suits this simplicity due its sheer size over the many other multi coloured cathedrals and churches I’ve seen in Russia so far
As I walked back towards where I started I tried to take in the Museum of 19th – 20th Century European and American art which is next to the Pushkin Museum, hoping to get to see some Jackson Pollock work but guess what? …..yes again it is closed on a Monday!! I was going to hang around at this point and find a little cafe to settle into before seeing what else I could find but the feet started to tell me it was time to head back and I wanted to make sure I keep them in good condition for the next part of this journey….Siberia!!
I have all my supplies in now for tonight’s train, noodles, beer….erm and a bottle of water. That should do it.
I’m getting a little excited to say the least as tonight I catch the Trans-Mongolian line train to Irkutsk next to lake Baikal for the next adventure. I will board the train just after midnight and not get back off again until Friday night.
……the wilderness of Russia now awaits!!
