Our journey begins: We took off from Buffalo, then Boston, on June 28. Arriving at Heathrow at 5:30 a.m. on June 29, Les finds a Formula One racing car. We sat down and watched men come by and drool over it as if it were a woman....
Side view...
June 29, 6 p.m.: We arrive in St. Petersburg. this is the view out our window. We stayed in the Ambassador Hotel, and it was in the Sennaya Ploshad (Hay Market Square) area of St. Petersburg. In the distance, you can see the dome of St. Isaac's cathedral.
From the Breakfast Room on the top (9th) floor of the hotel, views of other parts of the city were possible. The large buildings off in the distance are some of the housing buildings which went up in the Khrushchev era -- much bigger than any ”housing projects“ in U.S. cities.
This is a view of the spire of the Admiralty, originally a shipyard when St. Petersburg was founded in 1703. It is now a Naval Engineering School.
Another view of the St. Petersburg skyline, showing the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul's spire.
Our group assembling outside the hotel before our first outing. Sharon on left (in purple) with book in hand.
St. Isaac's Cathedral, which we visited on our first full day in Moscow. The mercury-based technique used for guilding this cathedral was very effective -- this is the original gold used in 1858 when the cathedral was built -- but deadly. All the artisans who were involved in the dome's creation died of mercury poisoning.
Another view of the St. Isaac's dome.
One of the reliefs outside St. Isaacs.
One of the three great doors, made of oak and with carred bronze reliefs by Ivan Vitali, inside St. Isaacs. Each door weighs 20 tons, but the architect, Auguste de Monterrand, created a method for easy opening of the doors by the priests. The cathedral became a museum in the Soviet era.
More of St. Isaas. This view shows the amazing detail and ornamentation of the building.
The doors with different lighting.
The picture at the top of the dome is 8,780 square feet, a picture of Virgin Majesty by Karl Bryullov.
One of the most famous buildings in St. Petersburg -- the Church on the Spilled Blood was built on the spot where (in 1881) Tsar Alexander II was assasinated. The building uses a combination of many techniques -- mosaics, jewellers' enamel, glazed ceramic tiles. It was recently closed for 20 years for restoration and reopened in 1998. We saw it on a perfect day.
Another view of the Church on the Spilled Blood.
Sharon's shot of the Church on the Spilled Blood.
Our group having lunch in a “grotto” restaurant. Our full group of 200 was divided up into 6 groups of 30-35 people, and each group had its own Program Director, bus, and local guide. Fran, Les and I were in the “red” group. Our Program Director, Olga, is the red haired person with her back to the camera. The blonde waitress is one of the many beautiful “Girls of Russia” Les (digitally) captured throughout our trip.
St. Petersburg street scene.
Day 4 of our trip: We visit Catherine's Palace and Park outside St. Petersburg. To the left, you can see one of the many bands that welcomed us when we arrived at public buildings (always with CDs for sale) and to the right the infamous flag for the “red group.” Catherine's Palace (also known as Tsarskoe Selo, the Tsar's Village) was originally built in 1744, but greatly enhanced later in the 19th century. The building was a summer retreat used as a headquarters by the Nazis during World War II and decimated. The careful costly renovation was done for St. Petersburg's 300th anniversary in 2003.
The courtyard outside Catherine's Palace. Catherine the First (there were only two Catherines, the First, and the Great) was the designer of this palace, but it was greatly enhanced by her daughter Elizabeth, and further by Catherine the Great. The first Catherine called it her “summer nothing,” and predicted no one would see it except herself and the animals.
Outer buildings surrounding the main palace.
We arrived before the palace and park were open to the public, so were able to see it in this quiet state.
Our group moves up in line (red flag advances). Another tour company's approach to information sharing is shown at the left -- the guide wears/speaks into a headset, and all the members of the tour wear headsets. This looked appealing at especially crowded spots, like the Hermitage.
Sharon in front of Catherine's Palace.
Two sculptures of Atlantes, framed by the lion, is one of the many decorative items on the facade to the building (which is 980 feet long).
The welcome band.
The “Welcome” Band sells commemorative CD. Prices are in Euros, US dollars and Rubles (the currency still used in Russia). $4 = 125 rubles.
In order to not scratch the recently renovated wooden floors (in this and several other historic buildings) we had to put “booties” on over our shoes, and walk on carpets when they were available.
This is the main staircase of Catherine's Palace. We were encouraged to think of ourselves as “czars” and “czarinas” when walking up it. Up until the revolution in 1917, probably few non-nobels had walked up these steps, so the suggestion wasn't too far fetched.
This “putti” (angel“ is facing east, and waking up. On the other side of the staircase is one facing west, who is going to sleep.
View of the gardens at the palace.
This is the Great Hall. 1.5 tons of gold were used for the rennovation of the building, and pictures taken early in the twentieth century were used to guide the rennocation. Only plywood was left in the building at the end of the war (although all artwork had been removed to Siberia so it is original). A combination of mirrors and windows create the sensation of light and space. This room is rented out for parties and weddings -- guests don't have to wear booties.
Les in Catherine's Palace.
Another view of the great hall. The ceiling painting is entitled “The Triumph of Russia” and dates from 1755.
Another view of the ceiling painting.
There are many effects throughout the building to make it seem as if the golden rooms go on forever. This is a glimpse into another public room.
The palace was heated with stoves that were decorated with tiles from Holland. All of the original tiles were stolen, and so this and all others were replaced with newly painted ceramic tiles. The stoves went from floor to ceiling.
Another view of another stove, along with wall/ceiling decorations.
Another view of the Great Hall.
This is the Cavaliers' Dining Room, and all of the dishes are handpainted. The paintings on the walls are original -- they were cut out of their frames and removed for safekeeping, and later brought back.
One of the ceiling paintings.
Russian suit
Vasiliy Neyelov was the architect for the parks of the palace.
Another view of the bridge, and one of our tour members with an infamous “badge” around his neck.
A view of the gardens, and the “guests quarters.” Because the czars were (correctly!) terrified of assasinations, all visitors were taken by boat to the distant buildings where they spent the night, and where they were picked up again in the mornings.
This sculpture adords thee building called “Cameron Gallery” which was used to display sculptures and other art objects. In 1792, the architect added a long stone ramp so that Catherine (who by then was 62, could more easily access her gardens.
Pretty much everywhere we went we saw soldiers. On the right you can see the main palace, on the left a full view of Cameron Gallery. By the time we left the palace, the park had been opened to the public. We were in the palace and park on a Sunday, and it was filled with local people as well as tourist groups.
A view of the formal parks of the palace.
Looking at the palace from the park-side entrance.
After we returned from Catherine's Palace, we went out to look around the neighborhood and find dinner. We wound up at a Blini (pancake) restaurant which had pictures of fillings for the Blinis. Les had one filled with caviar, Sharon one with mushrooms. We checked out the local square -- here's Sharon at Sennaya Ploshad plaza with the entrance to the subway straight ahead.
A building within the park near our hotel. It is about 9 p.m. on Sunday night -- no hint of geetting dark.
Another view of the park. Flowers were in bloom throughout the country.
We visited the local park, and saw ducks enjoying a ramp in the water near our hotel.
Another view of the ducks and the park. What you don't see are all the people on cell phones, enjoying beers (available for purchase in the parks along with sodas and ice cream) and just taking it easy.
Park scene.
Tow a way zone
Day 5: We spent this day on our own in St. Petersburg, and went to the Russian Museum. Most signs outside and inside the museum were in Russian and English.
Les outside the Russian Museum.
The Russian Museum is housed in Mikhaylovskiy Palace, built in 1819-1825 by Carlo Rossi (a famous Russian architect). It has been a museum since 1898. All of the museums in St. Petersburg were originally palaces, while buildings were built as public museums in Moscow. Looking around the palace buildings themselves is as interesting as the art contained, in many cases.
Picture Les liked at the Russian Museum.
Looking up at the Russian Museum.
Putti at the Russian Museum.
Catherine the Great with symbols of her reign in the Russian Museum.
One of the rooms in the Russian Museum is “as it was” when a palace of the Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. The opulance of furniture, decorative tables, mirrors, gives a hint of how the royalty lived.
You can see Les and Sharon in the mirror.
Sharon and Catherine the Great.
One of the many decorative objects in the museum.
One of the largest and most powerful pictures in the museum, showing a shipwreck.
Russian student group visiting Russian Museum. We seemed to be the only English-speaking people in the museum.
Les thought he invented covering up fragile objects with velvet on top of the glass case -- but it was here in the Russian Museum.
Bear folk art in the Russian Museum.
Bear looks at other objects in the museum.
An ivory depiction of a famous Russian cartoon showing Peter the Great as a cat being overwelmed by mice -- one of many folk art pieces in the Russian Museum.
Wooden whale in museum case, with quilt in the background.
Armenian Church built in 1780. The patron acquired the money to build the church through the sale of a single Persian diamond which Count Greigoriy Orlav puchased for Catherine the Great.
Les andd a local photographer (the inventor of some aspect of photography)
Day 6: We checked out of our hotel, and spent the day in St. Petersburg. We visited a famous section of town, containing the Rostral Columns, near the Naval Museum. The columns are decorated with depictions of the prows of the ships conquered in namal batals. The monumental figure at the base represents one of the four rivers of Russia.
Close-up of the Rostral Column.
A depiction of a different Russian river.
Fran in St. Petersburg
One of the sculptures atop a building near the Trinity Bridge area .
View of the Hermitage (the Winter Palace) from the area of the Rostral Columns.
Close-up of the Winter Palace, so you can see the statues on top.
Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul, built in 1733. The building was the tallest in St. Petersburg until a television transmitter was erected in the 1960s.
Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul -- close up view.
Inside Peter and Paul Cathedral: the tombs of the Romanov monarchs are here. The columns are marbelized, not real marble, following the custom of the day, but the gold is real gold.
Recent renovations were done in part because there were recent additions to the fortress. In 1998, the remains of Czar Nicholas and his family, killed in 1918, were searched for, and found, tested to make sure they were the correct remains, and buried here. In 2006, the mother of Czar Nicholas, who had been buried elsewhere, was reinterred here.
Another view of the cathedral.
More to see.
Digital within the cathedral.
The actual coffins are six feet below the ground of each “tomb.” The cross on the tomb shows that this is the resting place of a member of the royal family, not a czar. The czars had crowns on their tombs.
One of the tombs of one of the czars.
Les took this picture as the symbol of modern Russia -- a souvenir stand (outside Peter and Paul).
Russian tourists outside Peter and Paul, taking a break.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, on Nevskiy Prospekt (one of the main streets in St. Petersburg. It was built over a decade (1801-1811) by an architect who was a serf, Andrey Voronikhin. It was intended to emulate St. Peter's in Rome.
Interesting building on Nevskiy Prospekt.
Courtyard off of Nevskiy Prospekt.
Taking the hydrofoil from St. Petersburg to Peterhoff on Day 6, we meet our tour's photographer. Les took his picture often.
Peterhof Park and Palace is one amazing place! Originally, the Palace was built to celebrate Peter the Great's triumph over the Swedes, and to be his Versailles. The creation employed 5,000 people between 1714 and 1723. We did not visit the palace, just spent time in the Park. The gardens were very unusual.
Another view of the gardens.
At Peterhoff, there were 150 fountains created by gravity alone -- no pumps. This is one of the “trick” fountains which douses people who walk through them. It was a hot day, and the kids were eager to test out the fountains.
Here are the fountains before they spring into action.
This fountain appears to be emerging from a tree.
One of the more traditional fountains. The two-tiered marble fountains throughout the park were inspired by St. Peters.
The Mezheumnyy Fountain. The figures in the park were originally lead, but they weathered badly, and were recast in brone, and guilded in 1799.
Looking up behind the fountain, you can see the palace.
Here you can see a portion of the fountains going up the Grand Cascade. Thinking that this is all based on gravity makes it all the more amazing!
A full view of the Grand Cascade. Shubin and Martos were among the sculptors who worked on this project.
Here we are at the Grand Cascade Fountain. A very hot day.
Another view of the fountains.
Another view of the Grand Cascade.
Top of the Grand Cascade.
What a view!
This shows the long view out to the Gulf of Finland.
Perfect symetry of the outlying buildings.
Sculpted gardens and outlying buildings.
This is our ship, the Russia. It was originally built in 1979, and refurbished completely last year. It re-entered the water in 2006, with a capacity of 220 passengers (we had 204) and 100 crew members.
We got aboard our ship on July 3, Day 6 of our trip, just in time to celebrate the Fourth of July the next morning. Here is the raising of the flag.
View from the front of the ship.
Day 7: Our first stop was a small town named Svir Stroi. We saw the simplicity of life in the Russian countryside. Most of the buildings were made of wood, making use of the nearby forests.
One of the municipal buildings in Svir Stroi.
As part of Grand Circle Tour's boat trips, we are invited into the homes of local people. Here you can see Olga, with the red flag, making sure that our hostess is ready for us.
Here we are, going into the house on the left. Our group split up into groups of 15, and 6 different homes hosted two groups each. Unlike other towns we'd visited on previous tours, where the hostess had made the food for our visit by herself, all six hostesses pooled their labors and centralized the cooking. Socialism at work!
Here's our hearty feast! The items that look like buns are called pirosky -- different from the ones we've seen -- that either had meat inside or sweets. The woman on the right, Gertrude, was the most traveled of our group -- she had been on 13 Grand Circle Trips. and just turned 83. She was traveling with her adult daughter, Jackie.
At the back of the picture you can see our hostess (standing on the left) and her daughter (standing on the right). They live together with another daughter (who is still working). As retired ”pensioners“ each receives monthly money from the government, which is enough for them to live on all together in one house in Sri Stroi, but would not be enough in St. Petersburg or Moscow.
Day 8: Kizhi Island, in the middle of Lake Onega. This Church of Transfiguration has 22 domes. It was originally built for the residents of this island (built back in the 18th century). Other buildings (such as the bell tower) were moved here, to create an outdoor museum of wooden buildings.
Closer view of the Church of Transfiguration, and the chapel next to it which we were able to go inside. The large Church is too fragile for people to enter. All the wooden buildings were built with wooden dowels (no nails!) except for the shingles.
One of the few gray days we had on our trip -- actually, rather appropriate for the setting.
View of the island from our ship.
Sharon and Fran walking along in the rain on Kizhi Island's boardwalk.
Quite a place!
Hard to imagine envisioning something like this.
This shows the primitive conditions of the setting.
A view of another one of the buildings.
Another viewpoint.
This was the local church we entered and viewed.
Another perspective on the main church.
No one knows why 22 domes were used for the church. Traditionally, there are 7 or 11.
Another view.
Hand-made nails used in the out-lying buildings on the island.
This was our local guide -- she got to hold the red flag while she brought us around the island.
Dome close-up.
Dome close-up 2.
Dome close-up 3.
View from inside, looking out, from the chapel we visited on the island.
Outside view of the church we were able to go inside of on the island.
Inside the small church on Khizi Island. One of the icons (religious picture painted on a piece of wood, which is supposed to have religious properties related to the saint it depicts) inside the church on Khizi Island. This church was used for the periodic visits the priest made to the island (no priest lived here full time). Further away, we saw a small chapel (we didn't go inside) where people prayed on their own.
More icons in the entry-way to the church. In Russian Orthodox Churches there was always a highly decorated entry way, prior to the main part of the church. There are no seats in Russian Orthodox Churches, and services typically lasted 5-6 hours. No sleeping!
These are the two photographers who were on our trip with us. They also doubled as musicians -- both are classically trained, and the woman is finishing graduate school, preparing to be a conductor. She played the balilyka, and he is a classical pianist. As summer jobs, they do pictures and music aboard cruise ships -- creative match-up!
This is one of the homes which is part of the museum. It is from the 19th century, and housed a large family. During the winter, all slept in one room, several on top of a large stove which had a flat top. Animals lived in the bottom part. Winters required digging snow paths. In spite of the harsh conditions, energy was invested in making the details of the outside beautiful.
A side view of the home we visited, with the decorated porches clearly visible.
One of the docents in the home showed the weaving craft. The object to the left is a baby cradle holder which can be moved around the room (it is suspended on a long arm) so that the baby can be wherever the mother is.
Close-up of the weaving.
This was the home of a wealthy family. The objects on the high shelf, and the open cupboard are typical of the time. A samovar for coffee is straight ahead. To the left, you can see the high part of the stove -- the flat portion is not shown.
The ramp on the right was used to bring the animals in and out of the barn portion of the house. It was separated from the living quarters, but in the winter it meant that the animals could be cared for without going out into the snow.
A building brought to the island -- a fishing shack.
This is the small chapel used for private praying.
This windmill was brought to the island from elsewhere. In the distance you can see the bell tower and another building.
We were fascinated with this windmill, because it was on a base that rotated. It took 2 horses, or 6 men, to turn the windmill so that it was facing the wind correctly.
You can see the person in the bell tower -- he played a beautiful concert for us.
Another reciprocal picture of the photographer, Dimitri! On Khizi Island, there was an opportunity to go fishing with the captain and crew. Les decided that the fish being caught were too small, but he stopped by the dock to check it out.
View of other ships. We saw different kinds of boats on the waterway -- barges, pleasure boats, and a military ship as well.
View from boat to shore, illustrating our beautiful weather.
Looking ahead from the bow of the ship.
We saw some towns as we traveled. Many of the buildings we saw were summer homes, or “dachas.” Some were old, very run down, and others were new and very opulent.
Electricity along the shore as we cruise along.
Lifeloats on board. A total of 14 boats, each of which could hold 25 people, so we felt safe.
The waterway inncluded a number of different lakes and rivers, as well as a man-made canal.
Violetta was the oldest of the tour directors (she is 53, she told us, and the youngest was 23). She took us on our visit to the Captain's Bridge, where we saw how the ship's navigation takes place. The captain is the man to her left.
The navigation is a combination of high tech GPS systems and old fashioned charts. The crew of 6 involved in piloting the ship have 8 hour shifts throughout the trip, which lasted 7 days.
One of the enjoyable moments on board was when we passed our “sister ship” while sailing. This is a view of our fellow travelers, who were doing our trip in reverse. One couple standing near me recognized friends of theirs on the other ship, but we didn't get to go aboard and say hello.
This sighting happened on July 5th, so they brought out the balloons and American flags they had used to celebrate the 4th. On our ship, on the 4th, we had a piano/balilyka concert, followed by champagne and fireworks. Although the concert was primarily Russian classical music, the last piece was a wonderful arrangement of songs from Porgy and Bess.
Another view of our sister ship as it pulled away from us.
Music greeted us in advance of the Blini demonstration and snack. Our photographer is playing the balilyka -- tamborine and accordian accompany her. The headpiece worn by the woman in the middle has information -- the number of dangling bead strings show how many children she has.
The chef showed us how to make blini batter (flour, milk, eggs -- like pancakes, crepes, etc.).
Explaining about the blini try-outs. Here you can see that this woman (according to her head-dress) has three children.
I was only brave enough to try bllini-making after there was no longer any audience.
My blini is cooking...
I'm trying to flip over my blini, but it isn't working...
At last! It flips!!
One of the pleasure boats we saw going by us.
One of the “sunken churches” we saw in the canal created by Stalin. Ever since Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg in 1703, there had been interest in water connection between it and Moscow. However, there was a huge land barrier. Stalin laborers to dig out the canal basin, and only informed the people who lived nearby shortly before opening nearby dams to flood the basin. Because churches were built on the tops of hills, some of them stuck up out of the water. The towns were completely lost.
Another view of the sunken church.
A church undergoing renovation. Since 1985, under Gorbachev, the shift away from complete communism began. In 1991, under Yeltsin, religion began to be part of life in Russia again.
Another view of the church we passed on our ship.
Bathhouses - saunas
Dachas we saw from our ship.
A small town by the river.
Recreation area by the river.
Downtown Yaroslavl, another town we visited.
Another view of the building in Yaroslavl.
View from the ship.
Industry on the shore.
Fast-moving water near our ship.
Church on the shore.
A sign Les found on the shore.
A summer hotel on the river.
No idea where this is, but it is interesting-looking!
Another view of the same interesting place...
More of the unknown building.
Three of our 6 tour directors -- Dmitri (the 23 year old), Alexi and Violetta. This was a drink with the Captain. You can see Dmitri the piano player on the left.
This shot includes the captain, the on-board director, and the other two guides on the far right. Unknown arm.
Another building...
We're definitely not in Kansas when you look out and see these buildings.
Figured it out -- we are in Uglich!
This is the city square in Yaroslavl.
No worries about gas mileage.
Love in Yaroslavl.
Government building in the plaza in Yaroslavl.
Close-up.
Outside the church in Yaroslavl. The Church was scheduled to be torn down during the Stalin era. Pleading on the part of the town's officials led to the structure being left alone. During the Stalin era, it was used to store boots. In recent times, it has come back into use as a church. While we were there, a service was being conducted.
Entry-way to the church in Yaroslavl.
Another view of the entryway.
Building decoration in Yaroslavl.
Taking it easy in Yaroslavl.
Inside the church. The lights were added during the renovation. The drawings inside the church depict the events from the Old and New Testaments, and are ideal for a non-reading population to learn the Bible.
A recruitment poster from World War II, or the Great Patriotic War. An estimated 22--27 million Russians died during the 1941-1945 period, and 17 million of them were civilians (who either died of starvation or from the bombings).
Church of Transfiguration
Another view of the Church of Transfiguration.
Garden in Yaroslavl.
Building in Yaroslavl.
Souvenir shopping in Yaroslavol.
Fran thinking about what to buy.
Another duel between Les and our ship's photographer/balalyka player, while a local boy looks on.
One of the sights in Yaroslavl. I think it turned from a church into a kiosk for asking questions.
Building decoration.
Our waitresses had many different costumes on board ship. On this night, Ukranian night, they looked great. Being young and beautiful helped, too.
Last night on the ship -- a beautiful sunset.
Sunset again
Progressing sunset.
Sharon, Ship, Sunset
“Let me take your picture,” says a fellow passenger. By now, the sunset it no longer spectacular. by the way, since it is the “White Nights” in Russia, it is about 11 p.m. at this point.
What we saw by the shore.
Day 10: We stopped in Uglich and appreciated the beauty of the small town. It has the claim to fame of being the town where Boris Godunov killed the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible in 1598, and then took the throne as Czar.
One of the recently renovated churches in Uglich.
Another view of it.
Interesting building in Uglich.
Another interesting building...
Sunday morning in Uglich.
Monument to the Great Patriotic War, in the center of town.
Barn??
Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood, where young (5 or 7, depending on who is telling the tale) Prince Dmitry was killed.
Close-up of the church.
Objects within the church (now a museum of church objects). People of the town took them home for safe-keeping when Stalin abolished religion, and brought them back when the museum opened.
Our program directors dressed up in costumes of the era of Ivan the Terrible. Olga, our Program Diector, explains that wealthy ladies had very long sleeves, to illustrate that they did not work. Fran looks on with interest!
Church detail.
local building in Uglich.
Some of the 300 licensed vendors in Uglich.
We had a contest to paint Matroushka dolls. Here are some of the entries. Very creative!
This doll had the skyline of St. Petersburg on its skirt's hem.
How many different ways to interpret the same basic design!
Camping on shore.
More camping.
Entering Moscow, and seeing the bigger cruise ships.
Moscow skyline.
Moscow skyline close-up.
Cafe near where we docked in Moscow, near a huge park.
In the Moscow Harbor, symbol atop the hotel at the harbor.
Moscow window.
Novodevichiy Convent in Moscow, founded in 1524
Convent from another angle. This shows St. Nicholas' Tower.
This shows Shoemaker's tower (foreground) and the Gate Church of the Intercession (second half of the 17th century).
This is the tower of the Moscow University building, viewed from Sparrow Hill. Stalin liked the design so much it was used again in 6 other buildings in Moscow. They are referred to as the “sky scrapers” and the “wedding cakes.”
Moscow State University: all 37,000 students live, eat and learn in the single building that is the university, which was completed in 1953. Beautiful grounds nearby.
View from Sparrow Hills, the highest observation point in the city. Some of the buildings built for the 1980 Olyumpics are visible (near left, and swimming pool ahead to the right.
Metro tour! One of the accomplishments of the Soviet era was to create palatial stops at each of the metro stations (construction is still on-going). Lighting, marble walls and floors, and art await those ready to go down the steep, fast escalators. Our red tour group took a trip together and viewed three different stations. This is the first one.
Here we are on the metro. This is the youngest couple in our group -- she has a very strange laugh. They are from Orange, CA.
Here was our second stop. The mosaics embedded in the walls were all of workers' activities -- in the fields and the factories. Sharon is trying to capture the scene.
Third metro stop -- at this one, the sculptures of workers were more than life sizedd.
As we approached Red Square (Red, we learned, means “beautiful” and has nothing to do with communism as the name of the square) a group of cadets was headed past us.
This is Resurrection Gate, the entrance to Red Square. It is one of the many parts of the square that were rebuilt in 1995 -- the original structure was built in 1680, and demolished in 1931. Whenever the Czar came to Moscow, he would visit this site and the Chapel of the Iverian Virgin inside.
This is the historical museum within Red Square, built in 1896.
Sharon on Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral in the distance, the Kremlin to the right. We learned that Kremlin means “fortress” and that the Kremlin is a walled complex, within which are many separate buildings with different functions. The building on the far right, with the flag, is the seat of government (which we usually see referred to as “The Kremlin”), the building on the right in the rear is the bell tower of the Kremlin. The red brick wall goes all around the Kremlin. To the left is the GUM department store, which was offices at one time.
Lenin's tomb. It is only open from 10-1 Mondays--Thursdays, and we couldn't enter it. We were told it is a very solemn place, visited by all Russians at some time in their lives.
St. Basil's Cathedral, probably the most well-known building in Russia. It was built in 1552, andd Stalin's plans to tear it down were twarted. It now contains a museum about the history of the building. The painting of the domes only took place since 1670.
Starting to rain. The bronze statue in front of the cathedral depicts volunteers who drove the Poles out of the Kremlin in 1612; the statue was erected in 1818, and moved to its present location in the twentieth century.
Sharon and Les in front of St. Basil's.
Just Sharon in front of St. Basil's.
Tower outside the Kremlin Palace.
Detailed look at the tower.
One of the very few signs we saw in English.
Inside the Kremlin, looking at one of the corner Arsenal Towers, with the (rebuilt) Cathedral of the Assumption in the distance. While we were in the Kremlin, we went to the Armoury, which contains magnificant art, jewelry, gifts received by the czars, and armour. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed.
A view of the Cathedral of the Archangel, within the Kremlin. At Cathedral Square, within the Kremlin, there are four churches/cathedrals.
The Great Kremlin Palace, where ceremonial events take place.
Another tower within the Kremlin (there are a total of 19 towers).
This is the south portal of the Cathedral of the Assumption. It was decorated with 17th century frescoes. The door was brought to Moscow in 1401.
Another view of the Cathedral of the Assumption.
Patriarch's Palace. The Patriarch (pope of the Roman Orthodox Church) who was most involved in building this palace, Nikon, was cast out of favor before he was able to live in the bulding, built in 1652.
Another view of the Patriarch's Palace.
Bell tower in the Patriarch's Palace.
View of the Kremlin walls from outside, in a plaza used for recreation by the Soviets.
Cold day outside the Kremlin. Four horse fountain behind Sharon.
Another view of the fountain of the horses.
Crossing guard outside the Kremlin.
Next to the fountain with horses was a series of fountains and sculptures, based on Russian fairy tales.
Close up of fox negotiating with stork.
This is a restaurant called Taras Bulba, where we had lunch. It was “typical Ukranian” food.
This is where we went. Les likes to call it the Museum of the Great Patriotic War.
The Kremlin Military Orchestra welcomed us to the Central Museum of Armed Forces on our next-to-last day in Moscow.
In the museum, we learned a lot about the Great Patriotic War (which is how the Russians refer to World War II).
Tank outside the museum.
Missle in the display outside the museum.
Part of the outdoor display at the Armed Forces museum.
Some of the planes and helicopters were used for training purposes.
Olga with the red flag -- time to get back together.
In addition to planes, there were many tanks on display also.
Entryway to the museum.
One of the paintings depicting the carnage of the war. Olga shared with us the losses her family suffered during the war, and said that all families lost at least one member. Of her 6 uncles, brothers of her father, only her father remained alive after the war.
These were the medals which Hitler had created for distribution to the German soldiers who conquered Moscow. They were found after the war, outside Moscow, in crates, because the Germans never penetrated Moscow.
Dogs assisted during the war by finding wounded soldiers and carrying medical supplies. This is one of the displays honoring dogs within the museum.
Memorial within the museum.
Another example of the destruction of the war.
Museum display.
Museum display showing the end of the war, march in Red Square.
Display highlighting the atomic bomb and associated scientists.
One of the highlights of the trip was hearing from these veterans of the Great Patriotic War. All had enlisted at ages 16 or 17. Their responses to our questions told us that the war changed their lives forever.
Sculpture of sailor outside the museum.
Puskin and his wife. Pushkin died after a duel at age 38.
Street life on Arbat Streeet
Interesting sculpture.
Arbat Street sculpture.
Is it good luck to stand on this spot on Arbat Street?
Interesting building on Arbat Street.
Our last daw in Moscow -- we went back to Red Square. and saw the Resurrection Gate in the sunshine.
Close-up of the Russian Revival facade of the Historical Museum. What you can't see are all the souvenir stalls nearby.
Another view of the Historical Museum.
One of the Kremlin Towers at Red Square.
The government building (yellow, with flag) within the fortress of the Kremlin. Lenin's tomb is ahead, toward the left. For some reason which we never learned, the square was closed off for the morning.
Better look at Lenin's tomb.
St. Basil's on a sunny day.
Display of Napoleon's invasion via toy soldiers, within the GUM shopping area.
Les makes a friend within the GUM department store.
Yes, it really is Sharon in front of St. Basil's.
We found this in our wanderings -- formerly an abbey, now a restaurant.
We visited the Pushkin Museum and the Museum of Private Collections.
One of the paintings within the Pushkin Museum
Painting within the Pushkin.
Back at Heathrow, new Formula One car, we are on our way home.
