On the morning of our last full day in Moscow the boys (Col France, Mike, and Sky) and I got up early to take a morning tour of the Moscow Metro. I pretty much only did this for Anson’s sake but I did actually wind up enjoying it. There is a line on the Metro that goes in a ring around the centre of the city, sort of like the Circle Line on the Tube. So we rode from our nearest stop to that line and then went around the circle, getting off at each stop and waiting for one or two cars before heading to the next stop.
Some of the metro stops were hugely extravagant and lavishly decorated. Two different stations each had a series of ceiling mosaics with the history of the city of Moscow from Napoleonic times through Stalin. Another had frescos celebrating the workers and agricultural laborers of Russia. Another station had a bunch of stained glass windows with floral designs and examples of Russian arts (music particularly) highlighted. Another station had ceiling decorations celebrating some of the other regions in Russia (with traditional dress and random athletic achievements) whereas the final station on the circle had scenes from the 1905 and 1917 Russian Revolutions, all of which featured very seemingly angry individuals and groups of people.
The metro was surprisingly crowded for early on a Saturday morning and the highlight of the trip may have been the amazing slow motion chase scene we witnessed at one of the stops that featured two laughing teenage girls and a very annoyed and disgruntled (and slightly overweight) woman working as the train attendant who seemed more annoyed that she actually had to stand up and exert some effort than she was about the fact that they girls were attempting to get on the train without a ticket.
We got back to the hotel in time for the breakfast, a much more American hotel breakfast buffet that in addition to the usual Russian pancakes, sandwich meats, and cereal also had bacon and eggs. We then walked down to Red Square to stand in line for the Lenin Mausoleum only to discover the entire square was closed for the graduation ceremony of the Russian equivalent of West Point. Disappointed that our plans were scuppered we decided to wander around Moscow, see some churches, and hope to see Red Square before our scheduled afternoon Kremlin and Armoury tour. We did just thatm walking for at least a good 4 or 5 miles, but I can’t remember everything we saw and this post is already gonna be endless so I’m just gonna skip that little walking tour.
After a long half day of walking we met up with our guide for the Kremlin. Since Red Square was again open we did a quickie tour of the square before entering the Kremlin. In Russian, red has the same derivative as the word for “beautiful” and was therefore meaningful to the Russians before it was adopted by the communists as their colour. In the 15th century Ivan the Great built the Kremlin (which, if you remember from Suzdal is essentially just a fort) to establish his seat of power in Moscow. Leading right up to the Kremlin was a forest of trees (and the Kremlin itself was made of wood) and therefore fires constantly threatened the Kremlin so he ordered the area directly outside the Kremlin walls cleared, creating a large square. Originally called Fire Square it was renamed Red Square years later.
On one side of the square is the State Historical Museum. This building was built at the end of the 19th century and the architect had the unique challenge of trying to combine the architecture of St Basil’s Cathedral on the other end (very ornate and whimsical) with the bland and austere Kremlin design. There are four towers on the building with two different sets of tower toppers. One set had a Double Headed Eagle, the symbol of Russia, whereas the other two had the Unicorn and Lion, the symbol of the Romanov family. It was interesting to see yet another connection between the UK and Russia (last time St George, this time the Unicorn and Lion).
The centerpiece of Red Square is Lenin’s Mausoleum. Lenin died in 1924 and because so many people came to bid farewell the government decided to use him as a symbol and gathering point. His family didn't like it because in Russian tradition it is not an honour but a curse to remain unburied. The current building in which he is housed was built in 1930. Lenin wasn't always alone, however; Stalin was added in 1953. But, after Khrushchev’s speech condemning cult of personality, he was taken out and buried by the Kremlin wall. During the Russian Civil War, Bolsheviks who stormed the Kremlin and killed were buried in mass graves outside the walls, thus beginning the tradition of graves here. It is an honour to be buried there and those are interned outside the walls include Gagarin and Komarov, the astronaut who died in the Soyuz I accident, and all secretary generals except Gorbachev (who is still alive) and Khrushchev (who was dismissed so he didn't die a general secretary). There is a large balcony on the mausoleum where leaders stand for parades. The two most famous parades that passed the mausoleum were in 1941 when a parade of replacement soldiers of Siberian army marched before shipping out and in 1945 when Soviet soldiers brought over 600 Nazi banners and threw them in celebration at the feet of Lenin (while Stalin watched from the platform).
On the left end of the Kremlin walls is the Saviour’s Tower, so named for the icon of Jesus above the gate. This tower was so venerated that even rulers would take their hats off going through gate. Only once has someone tried to go through the gate with their hat on and it didn’t end well: Napoleon tried to go through the gate without removing his hat and legend says a sudden gust of wind blew it off his head. The war soon turned against him and he had to retreat from Moscow. The clock in the tower appeared in 17th century and the chimes have changed several times throughout history (from “God Save the Czar” to “International” to plain bells).
Finally, on the far left end of Red Square, is the most iconic landmark of Russia: St Basil’s Cathedral. Actually called the Cathedral of Intercession, it was built in the 16th century. Ivan the Terrible started his victorious war against the Poles on Intercession Day and therefore commissioned a cathedral in its name after the war. There is an interesting story about the architects of the cathedral. Ivan asked all the Russian architects who could build a building unrivaled in the world. 2 men volunteered and created St Basil’s. Ivan was extremely happy with it and so he asked them again if they could create a building that would be even better than this one. Hoping for another commission, they again agreed. However Ivan had them blinded so they could never build a better building for any other ruler in the world. During the time of Ivan the Terrible there was a guy who lived near the cathedral whose name was Basil. Basil was a "blasheny" (mixture between saint, madman, nutcase, prophet, etc) who was very well respected and honoured. Many miracles were attributed to him and when died he was immediately canonized and buried near the cathedral. Since then the cathedral is known as St Basil’s.
The presence of St Basil’s on Red Square has been threatened several times in history. Napoleon wanted to take St Basil (the cathedral, not the dead dude) home with him to France but was forced out of Moscow before he could remove it. During Stalin’s time he wanted to get rid of it as well but the Soviet chief architect said "no" and threatened to kill himself at the threshold. He fought so hard that eventually he got an audience with Stalin and Stalin agreed to let it stand. For his hard work and bravery, the architect was rewarded with 5 yrs in jail, but St Basil’s survived.
Out in front of the cathedral is a circular stone platform with stairs leading up to it. The misconception is that it was for executions but it was actually a place for reading the ruler's decrees to the illiterate population. Additionally it was used for demonstrating the heir to the throne to the public. While they were growing up they were kept away from the public but at age of 14 the heir would be taken out of the Kremlin and shown to the crowd so they wouldn't let an imposter rule.
Opposite the Kremlin is the Gum, a massive shopping mall. It was originally built as the "upper trading arcade" in 1893 as fashionable mall. The building combines Russian eclectic with European engineering (like glass roofs). It was renamed Gum in Soviet times and was used as a place of trade in the Soviet era as well. After perestroika it again became fashionable (and expensive). It reminded me of Harrods in London (except you didn’t get judged by the staff when you walk in).
Finishing off Red Square, on the other end of the Gum next to the Historical Museum, is the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God. Pajarsky commissioned church to commemorate victory in the war over the Poles but it was destroyed during Stalin’s time. Baronovsky, the architect who saved St Basil’s Cathedral, came to the rescue of this church as well. When he got out of jail he was told to live 101km from Moscow but when he found out the church was going to be torn down he snuck into Moscow to copy it and get the original blueprints. After Stalin died, Baronovsky gave the smuggled blueprints and sketches to his student so it was easy to rebuild after perestroika.
Right outside the gates of Red Square is the kilometre zero (ground zero) of all Russian roads; all roads in Russia are counted from here. It is tradition to stand in the middle, throw a coin over your shoulder, and make a wish.
In front of the State Historical Museum is a large statue of Marshall Zhukov on a horse. Zhukov was in charge of the defense of Moscow in 1941 when the Germans were less than 20 miles from city and it was almost inevitable that the city would fall. Zhukov and his troops held, marking the first successful battle against Nazis. Zhukov was then put in charge of Stalingrad and after his successes there he was put in charge of all the Russian troops (although Stalin retained the title of generalissimo). Following the war Zhukov was as popular in Russia as Stalin, making Stalin feel threatened, and so he was “promoted” and sent on a special assignment to Siberia.
Leaving the Red Square and walking towards the entrance to the Kremlin you walk through a park that holds the Tomb of Unknown Soldier. 26,600,000 Russian soldiers died in WWII (more than the population of Australia).This staggering number amounted to more than half of the male population; there were many Russian villages where no men returned at all. With that much death and destruction it is obviously impossible to account for all the bodies and so the monument was created to honour the fallen soldiers and was dedicated 25 years after the war. They took the remains of one soldier (trying to make sure it was not an officer, not from the prisoner brigades, and certainly not an enemy) and interred them in the tomb. On the tomb is an inscription: "your name is unknown, your deed is immortal" and the flame has burned continuously since 1970.
Also in the park were small memorials to each of the cities in which a major battle or resistance occurred. These cities are granted the title of "hero of the war" and are thus honoured for their immense sacrifices. For example, Leningrad lost more than 30% of its population after a 900 day siege. Another example was the Battle of Stalingrad which was a major turning point in the war. Hitler was running low on oil, and consequently fuel, and so he was trying to get to Stalingrad which provided easy access to the North Sea oil. To rally the troops, Stalin said to fight as if there is no land behind Stalingrad and likened losing Stalingrad to losing the entirety of Russia. Therefore the soldiers fought for every house, every floor. In this battle alone the Soviet army lost 1 million men but was able to capture an entire German army and from that moment they began pushing back, eventually reaching Berlin.
Next up was the Kremlin, the massive fortress of Moscow that became synonymous with the Soviet government of the Cold War. The tour was sort of unorganized because of the random layout of the Kremlin so I’ll just try and organize my notes as much as I can and hopefully you can follow.
First, a bit of history about Moscow and the Kremlin. The first mention of the city of Moscow was in 1147 and at the end of 13th century it became a principality with its first prince, Daniel. Prince Yaroslave the Wise made the unwise decision to attempt to divide his land between his sons, causing strife and fighting. In the midst of this fighting the Golden Horde (of Mongols, who we were to learn about when in Mongolia) invaded Russia. They took over the region but decided to let the Russian princes rule if they had a license, paid taxes, and provided military support when needed. At the start of the 14th century Ivan the First built the Kremlin and his grandson continued the tradition of construction, building the first Kremlin in stone rather than wood. Ivan the Great fought the first successful battle against Mongols in the 15th century and eventually decided to stop paying taxes stating the "hen laying the golden eggs has died." Ivan the Great wanted a place worthy of a serious ruler so he built the Kremlin as it is now with 20 towers.
Just inside the Kremlin gates is Trinity Square, named after Trinity Tower. On one side of the square is a large yellow building, the Arsenal. Peter the Great ordered its construction but midway through he took all the resources back to St Petersburg and his niece Empress Anne finally finished it years later. Also on Trinity Square was a little yellow apartment building. Stalin lived in this apartment whenever he was in Moscow. Stalin lived very modest life and died with virtually no possessions. Its interesting because most people who have such total and complete power often abuse that power to accumulate personal wealth; it seems that Stalin really believed in the idea of collective wealth rather than personal wealth.
The Senate building was built at the end of 18th century. Catherine the Great commissioned the building as a place for her to stay and do business when she was in Moscow. She didn't like the building very much and claimed that the large dome wasn't safe so the architect jumped up and down on it to prove its strength. Now President Medvedev stays there when in Moscow.
Also up in the Kremlin is the Patriarchs Palace which was built in the mid 17th century. The Russian Orthodox church didn't originally have patriarchs because they were under the auspices of the church in Constantinople. However, after the fall of Constantinople the Orthodox church lost importance and the Russian church declared independence. The Patriarchs Palace was built by patriarch Nikon in mid 17th century. Nikon was very vain and loved luxury after having climbed from a childhood of poverty to head of the church. He built the palace for himself on ground higher than that of the ruler, an obviously foolish choice. Alexei Romanov therefore defrocked him, sent him to exile, and this took Nikon’s building as his own palace.
Outside the Patriarch’s Palace is the Czar’s cannon, a massive cannon on a huge cart. After Ivan the Terrible died, he left two sons. The older son was mentally challenged and unable to rule by himself, and the younger son was only 11 (and was eventually killed, setting off a power struggle, war with the Poles, and lots of mess until the Romanovs came in and fixed it all). For a time, the eldest son Theodore officially ruled and while he was unable to make any decision regarding state business and had people pulling the strings behind the scenes, he knew what the wanted and what he wanted was the world’s biggest cannon. While cannons are usually not stamped until they are shot, this one is stamped even though it was never shot. The original intention was to put it on the Kremlin wall but the recoil (if it were ever shot) would have sent it off the wall and instead it was put in front of the Saviour’s Gate before it was moved to its current location. It was designed to shoot shrapnel so the massive cannonballs laid out in front of it are just for show.
Another main area of the Kremlin is Cathedral Square with holds 3 major cathedrals and 2 churches.
Assumption Cathedral is the Westminster Abbey of Russia; it is where the burial of clergy happens, and is the coronation place of tsars and emperors. It was built at the end of the 15th century by Italian builders who observed Russian cathedrals and tried to keep a similar aesthetic. As the name obviously states, it is dedicated to feast of Assumption (or the removal of the Virgin Mary to heaven). In this cathedral we learned about the typical layout of a Russian cathedral:
-the north/south walls are dedicated to saint of cathedral
-the east wall is the icon stand
-the west wall is the final judgment
-the eastern wall between the actual church and altar divides profane from profound
-congregants are only allowed behind the wall at the altar once, when they get married
-the icon wall is organized in tiers:
-1st is most important icons;
-Holy Gate to the altar is always adorned with the four evangelists and the annunciation
-To the right of the gate is Jesus, to the left the Virgin Mary
-To the right of Jesus is the icon of the cathedral name
-2nd tier is God's tier with Jesus in middle, the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist on either side.
-Also has archangels who are begging Jesus to be more forgiving of mankind
-3rd tier is the festival tier celebrating the feast for which the cathedral is named or dedicated
-Top two tiers have the prophets and forefathers (ending with Moses)
-the columns always decorated with saints of the Russian Orthodox Church
In this particular cathedral the icons were gathered in 19th century, the frescos and icon stand in the 17th century. The small pictures that are featured around the icons are called seals and the priests used these seals as a visual aid for the mostly illiterate public. The oldest icons was one of St George from 11th century, the origin of which is unknown.
People in the congregation would stand but royalty could sit and so there were several seats, including the Tsarina’s pew which was front and center. Ivan the Terrible had his own seat because not only did he have a bad temper but he also had bad feet.
This cathedral also serves as the burial place for the top clergy. One such clergyman interned here is the patriarch Germagin who was killed during the Polish invasion. He raised an army to counter the Poles and he was tortured and killed by the Poles. After his invasion Napoleon cleared the cathedral of its riches and used it to stable his horses. When they triumphed over his army the Russian troops managed to recapture a few chandeliers and returned them to the Cathedral. The Cathedral was closed during Soviet time and instead used it as a museum of Russian architecture. This used to be the official seat of the patriarch until construction of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
Outside of the Assumption Cathedral is the Church of Saint Ioann Lestvichnik with a large belfry, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. Usually a Russian cathedral will have its own belfry but rather than have one on each of the churches of Cathedral square they made just one for the whole square. Russian rulers believed that the bigger the bell, the lower the tone and the more likely to help you get to heaven. The first grand bell was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible weighed 160tons but fell down and broke into pieces during the time of Peter the Great. He was a bit busy winning wars and building a navy so he couldn’t be bothered to care about the bell. Instead his niece Empress Anne rebuilt the bell, this time weighing 200 tons. During the casting of the bell there was a massive fire and the bell cracked. Because even a single small crack can kill the sound of a bell they just left it in the casting pit and forgot about it. It was finally taken out in the 19th century and because of the cracks in casting, a piece fell off which weighs 11tons. The clapper alone is 6 tons. This bell is now displayed outside the Saint Ioann church.
Yet another of the cathedrals on the square is the Archangel cathedral, so named for the Archangel Michael. Michael was the warlord of the angels who led the heavenly hosts against Lucifer. He is known as a warrior and on his icon he is depicted with sword and armor and is floating above ground. Because of the warrior nature of Michael it was here that princes and tsars would come to pray before military campaigns and where some of them are buried. Altogether there are 48 tombstones and 52 burials. Peter II is the only emperor buried here because he died suspiciously in Moscow and since they didn't know what disease killed him they didn't want to risk bringing his body back to St Petersburg. The earliest graves date to 14th century and include Ivan I, Ivan III, and Ivan IV (the Terrible). The Ivan dynasty ended with death of Ivan the Terrible's sons (the one who made the cannon and the younger one who was killed as a child) and eventually Michael Romanov was elected ruler (at age 16). Michael was the first Romanov, starting the dynasty that lasted until the Russian Revolution in 1917. The first few Romanov’s (Michael and Alexei) were buried here but the next, Peter the Great, and all successive ones (until Nicholas II) are buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St Petersburg because Peter the Great moved the capital there.
Also on Cathedral Square is the Annunciation Cathedral which is where daily services (including confessions) of tsars and princes took place. When Ivan the Terrible was married for the 4th time (a big no-no in the Russian church, 3 is ok, 4 is not) he was banned from services. So they built him a balcony and he had to listen to the services through a window. This church featured icons of the women from both the old and new testaments to show they could play a role in the church life. It was believed that the floor had healing powers and so people from Ivan the Terrible (remember his bad feet) to today would walk barefoot on the floor to heal their feet.
After the Kremlin we went to tour the Armoury, the museum of royal treasures. Peter the Great introduced the concept of treasures belonging to the crown and not to the royal family personally, starting this massive collection. The Armoury has 15 halls of regalia. The earliest items are 12th century and many came from a trove found in 19th century that were hidden during the various invasions of Russia. In the Soviet era the collection was left in tact but it was presented as an example of how the monarchy lived in excess at the expense of the public, furthering the Soviet cause.
There were SOOOOOO many items in the armoury and our guide was kind enough to give us some highlights. Here they are and if you want you can read about them, otherwise just skip to the bottom to hear about the rest of our day in Moscow.
State Treasures:
-a cradle given by weapon manufacturers to celebrate the birth of Alexander I on which the metal is cut so it sparkles and looks like it is adorned with diamonds
-a “measuring icon”; when a royal baby was born an icon was made to the size of the baby; the leader would then keep that icon the rest of their life
-table-settings of Michael Romanov's reign; Vodka hadn’t been introduced to Russia at that time and so mead was drank; There was a communal glass to symbolize fellowship and insure nobody poisoned their neighbors
-Icon belonging to Nikon; As previously discussed, he didn't think poverty was a virtue and his icon has two 100 carat emeralds
-a gospel cover given by Catherine the Great to the Alexander monastery; Catherine liked giving extravagant gifts (often to her one of her many lovers) and this one was no exception; the gospel cover was adorned with 3500 precious stones;
-Faberge eggs; Carl Faberge created a brand of craftsmanship and the best Russian jewelers worked under his brand; Nicholas II gave them as gifts and there were several displayed
-golden egg dedicated to 300 yrs of Romanov reign
-Kremlin egg which was also music box adorned with the interior of Kremlin palace
-Tran-Siberian railroad egg; map and model of train carriage; carriage was gold, the engine platinum; you could wind it up and it would run
Weaponry and War:
-Vast halls of weaponry which showed the difference between Russian and European armour; Russians fought in chainmail versus plate armor
-Chainmail of ruler had inscription on every ring: "if God is with us who can be against us?"
-military medals; Peter the Great started the system of state awards with the Medal of St Andrew
-Weapons made in Istanbul including the hunting set of Michael Romanov;
Gifts from Other Nations:
-Large British collection of silver that decorated the hall of Elizabeth I. When Charles I got into money trouble he sold it to Alexei. After Cromwell took over he melted the rest of the collection so make coins and so the part in the Armoury is the only remaining part
-ambassadorial gifts of Sweden including a food fountain (where water was poured over fruit to keep it fresh) and goblets in the form of globes (celestial and terrestrial)
-goblets from Nuremburg, the city of silversmiths, including one in shape of boat. You could fill it up and roll it across the table to your neighbor, a sophisticated drinking game
-At one point glass was as precious of gold bc it was a novelty
-There were even goblets made out of coconuts!
-Olympic Service; In 1907, Russia signed a peace treaty with Napoleon and got two china sets dedicated to Olympic gods and heroes. Every plate is unique. As it seems to happen in Russian history involving peace treaties, Napoleon invaded 5 yrs later, but Russia won and got to keep the service
Church clothing:
-Sakas (robes worn by clergymen); the sides are not sewn together so that it forms a cross. This was priests literally wore the cross on their shoulders
-amazing embroidery made simple materials look ornate
-fabrics from Persia, Spain, Italy, integrated all thread; Nikon stood with 60lbs of decorations on his robe including 150,000 pearls on a single robe
Thrones and Furniture:
-ivory throne of Ivan the terrible; decorated with plaques depicting the life of King Solomon;
-golden throne of Michael Romanov
-diamond throne of Alexei (given by Armenians so as to not have to pay taxes when trading) that 800 major diamonds
-Double throne for Peter (the great) and Ivan. Ivan was the older son and therefore rightful heir but he very sick and pretty much blind whereas Peter was very young. The people who pull the strings decided that both would be coronated. The throne had a hole in the back of it where advisors would sit behind a curtain to talk to them and tell them what to say to visitors and government officials.
Crowns:
--cap of Monama: the Russian coronation crown sent by Constantine to Vladimir; this crown was worn only for coronation and never again
--every ruler got their own crown
--crown of Ivan the terrible (very oriental)
--Michael Romanov’s crown, orb, and scepter
--Alexei's orb and scepter
--when they decided on the double coronation they needed to make a new "coronation crown" for peter which they did
-- diamond crown of Ivan and Peter (Peters was very small because he was just a kid)
-Peter designed a crown and then crowned his wife (the first time a woman was crowned in Russian history); the gems were eventually removed to decorate Anne's
Carriages:
-carriage gift from James I (England) had to be lifted and turned manually
-Peter the Great's carriage
-Empress Anne's carriage
-children’s carriages (servants would be harnessed to pull them around)
-Elizabeth (daughter of Peter) came by sleigh to Moscow to be coronated
-Elizabeth had several thousand dresses and many many carriages
-Frederick 2nd gave a carriage to Elizabeth who used it for her coronation; added crown and double headed eagle
-Extravagant carriage commissioned by the brother of Elizabeth’s lover (who was the governor of Ukraine) that was 75 ft long with horses;
-Catherine the Great carriages were lighter and had shock absorbers
-open carriage made in London as a summer romantic carriage which was meant to resemble a gondola;
Secular dress:
-fur would be underneath not on outside because it was not seen as a status symbol but merely as a necessity to keep you warm
-Russia was very oriental until Peter so Russian males would wear caftans; sleeves would have slits to hide hands;
-shoes were universal, no right or left foot
-dresses of Peter the Great with silver embroidery; he was 6'6" (very tall for the time); the buttons/buckles would often cost more than clothing itself
While we’re talking about his clothing, here’s a little story about Peter the Great. In his youth he travelled to the Netherlands as a commoner and lived in a commoners house. He worked on the docks and studied 15 different crafts. In this time he gained a great appreciation for Europe and its customs which is why he started the process of Europeanizing Russia. Peter married when he was very young because his minders wanted him to produce the first heir (before Ivan did). They chose for his a girl with a good pedigree, good connections, good social standing. In short, she was pretty much everything he hated and the marriage was miserable. The Russians allowed for divorce (you just had to send your wife away to a convent) and so Peter divorced his first wife and eventually married Marta Svatorska who was originally taken as a trophy mistress by a Russian nobleman; Peter crowned her as the first empress. They had 12 kids together but none of the boys lived long.
After that long and frenetic day around Moscow we were all exhausted. We had dinner in the Gum at a restaurant that served food in a canteen style and then did a bit of souvenir shopping at the market outside of Red Square. We trudged back to the hotel on weary legs and packed up our stuff for the train journey the next day. However our night wasn’t over and we decided to head back to Red Square to see it at night. We agreed to do so on the assurance that we would be taking taxis which proved to be more difficult than imagined. We couldn’t find any cabs around our hotel and we walked out to the main street to find one. We finally found a cab waiting on the shoulder with a guy standing outside the cab. We started negotiating a price with him and as soon as we agreed on a price for the cab, the marked taxi drove away and the guy we were talking to walked over to his (unmarked) vehicle and motioned us in. We were a bit nervous about the prospect but we were told by Masha that “any Russian car is a taxi” so we decided that strength in numbers would prevail and the 4 of us (all fit Air Force people) could overpower the slightly older guy and we got in. Our worrying was for nothing (well maybe not nothing, Russian drivers are insane) and we made it to Red Square in one piece. We arrived at twilight (not dark enough) and took some pictures of the Gum all lit up. We then wandered to a coffee shop to get some sugar and caffeine (and dessert of course) in our systems so that we could stay awake until it was actually dark. We did so and walked back to Red Square just before midnight, seeing the whole square lit up. We were on Red Square as the Saviour’s Gate bells chimed midnight and we there were tons of people (including large crowds of drunk recent Russian Army graduates who had clearly been celebrating since the end of their ceremony that morning) roaming around. It was a great way to end our time in Moscow and we had definitely built up sufficient sleep deprivation to help us get through our four day train journey.
After lunch we continued walking along the coast to what we referred to as the “Crazy Man Museum.” A local artist collects scrap metal, run down cars, and old motorbikes and uses those to make sculptures which he displays in his yard. It was a fun little eclectic collection that featured tons of sculptures including a Knight on a horse, a team of firefighters, a massive spider, and a little boy, girl, and their dog.
