Wed, Sep 12 I took the ultra modern high speed train from St Petersburg to Moscow . It was a classy trip, with soft music and announcements in both Russian and English. Once outside the Spb metro area, the country side was rural, and very flat, with only a few scattered towns , which looked run down and unlike the huge, prosperous appearing Spb and Moscow metro areas. Arriving in Moscow at 6 pm , the peak of the rush hour was intimidating for sure. I don't know how I would have managed the metro from the main rail station 4 stops to the city center without my Russian friend , Sergey. Arriving near the Kremlin, we then walked about 6 blocks to my hotel where Sergey left me . He lots of work to do while in Moscow and his family lived there.
Thursday I took a walking tour of the nearby city center, Red Square and all the incredible buildings and sights. The city was very clean everywhere I went. I was amazed at the beautiful grounds surrounding the Kremlin , and the huge, 4 story ultra modern high end shopping center that was built underground below the main park plaza. It seemed that there were people everywhere, day and night. That afternoon, Sergey joined me for another walking tour the length of the famous pedestrian Arbat Ulitsa. We stopped for a couple beers and snacks at a sidewalk cafe in the warm 75 F sunshine. Then on past the towering old Soviet Foreign Ministry to the Moscow River. There we saw Moscow's biggest church, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, crossed to Russia's largest old chocolate factory, and had cold pear cider at a charming cafe overlooking the river , again in the sunshine. That evening I got to attend the Tchaikovsky opera, Eugene Onegin in the world famous Tchaikovsky Hall with the Russian National Symphony Orchestra and guest soloists. It was an unforgettable experience.
Friday, I was on my own in the morning and then walked the nearby city again, watching the "Changing the guard " at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier just outside the Kremlin. That night I took a metro ride to the Kievskaya station and a visit to the huge, ultra modern shopping center mall. It was jammed with Russians of all ages, even after 10 pm. The grocery center downstairs was as large and well filled as any in the US.
The rest of the week flew by, with a half day inside the Kremlin walls on a walking tour, shopping for a few items to take home from the many little kiosks outside the Kremlin, a wonderful 2 hour boat trip down the Moscow River, a half day inside the huge Russian State Historical Museum on Red Square, a couple hours in the famous Pushkin State Art Museum, and a half day wandering the huge, people friendly and well known Gorky Park. I often used the wonderful Russian Metro system, which has many beautiful stations, 13 interconnected lines, and serves 5 million riders a day in Moscow at a ticket cost of only about $0.75 cents. Then Wed mid day, I took a taxi to the airport express station to catch the red line train out to the now modern Sheremetyevo airport. I then caught my afternoon flight to Paris and a last overnight after my wonderful and unforgettable 2 weeks in Russia.
I will group the Moscow pictures as to subject and caption. Please scroll below for pictures.
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| Russian Rail bullet high speed train from St Petersburg to Moscow |
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| Entrance to Red Square, Resurrection Gate |
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| Kazan Cathedral just inside Resurrection Gate in Red Square |
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| incredible St Basils Cathedral at end of Red Square |
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| a view inside landmark GUM Department store |
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| Beautiful park and plaza above underground huge 4 story modern shopping mall |
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| View to north along Moscow River to Kremlin in center |
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| Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Moscow River, Moscow's largest |
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| Russian friend , Sergey waiting for our hard cold pear cider & enjoying the sunny Moscow afternoon |
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| Art enjoying the cold cider at end of busy afternoon walking tour. |
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| One of many beautiful fountains on park like plaza near Kremlin walls |
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| Street scene just outside Red Square gate, with statue of Marshall Zhukov on Horseback |
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| About to enter Red Square through Resurrection Gate |
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| Another view of St Basils from within Red Square |
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| view out window of St Basils looking length of Red Square with Kremlin to the left |
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| scene within St Basil Cathedral |
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| Looking up inside one of St Basils towers |
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| St Basils from far or Moscow River side |
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| World famous Bolshoy Theatre on theatre square near Red Square |
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| surreal scene of Red Square at night and the GUM Department store |
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| Another view of GUM Dept store lights on Red Square at night |
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| view of stunning St Basils at night |
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| looking across Red Square with Kremlin on left and State Historical Museum in far center |
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| Resurrection Gate into Red Square at night |
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| view of Red Square size with Kremlin walls on right |
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| Historic landmark of State Historical Museum at one end of Red Square |
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| 10 pm scene on Red Square with GUM Dept store on left and Kremlin on right |
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| Lenin's tomb at base of Kremlin walls near mid point of Red Square |
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| On Red Square, the famous Savior's or clock tower, one of the many Kremlin wall towers |
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| view in front of St Basils after 10 pm |
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| beautiful grounds and flowers surrounding Kremlin walls |
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| about to enter Kremlin at the Trinity entry gate. |
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| Cathedral of the Assumption within Kremlin |
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| Church of the 12 Apostles inside Kremlin |
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| Famous immense Tsar's cannon |
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| Cathedral of the Assumption within Kremlin grounds |
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| Ivan the Great Bell Tower |
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| view of Moscow River from within Kremlin grounds |
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| view towards exit gate with Kremlin State Armoury to right |
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| Russia's largest chocolate factory on Moscow River south of Kremlin |
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| towering monument to Peter the Great on Moscow River |
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| View south along Moscow River and Gorky Park |
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| another view further south on Moscow River showing one of the many super high new skyscraper towers. |
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| Even more modern towers including 1st and 2nd tallest towers in Europe |
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| more new tall tower buildings |
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| one of the elegant old covered pedestrian bridges over Moscow River at Kievskaya center |
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| elaborate landscaping on Moscow River bank at Kievskaya |
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| crowded area between Kievskaya Metro station exit and giant, modern, multistory shopping mall |
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| Graceful, attractive entrance to the Pushkin Art Museum |
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| Egyptian Hall within the Pushkin Museum |
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| one of the countless , impressive statue exhibits within the Pushkin Museum |
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| one of the many impressive, elegant statue display halls inside the Pushkin |
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| The giant statue of "David" |
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| about to cross river and walk far bank past Peter the Great monument for an afternoon in Gorky Park |
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| Main entrance monument into historic Gorky Park |
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| one of several areas of giant inflated cushions for the people to relax on in Gorky Park |
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| lst class out door ping pong area with many people playing at midday. |
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| one of many lovely pond and fountain areas in Gorky Park |
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| another different type of cushion relaxation area for Gorky Park patrons |
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| a full sized mock up of the Russian Space shuttle that never flew in Gorky Park |
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| a big multi court beach volley ball area, and good bye to wonderful old Gorky Park and my last afternoon walk back to hotel. |
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