Moscow's Red Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When many of us think of it we think of marching troops and armaments. It is certainly not like that today. Today it is a bustling tourist mecca.
I have already blogged about St. Basil's and GUM Department Store, along with the site of Lenin's mausoleum. Here are a few more views of the area, starting with my first view before entering the square.
The statue of Marshall Zhukov
The Kremlin Tower as seen from Red Square
Standing and looking toward the State Historical Museum and Resurrection Gate (right)
Top of the Resurrection Gate and Iberian Chapel
Kremlin wall on left, museum, then GUM on right as seen from front of St. Basil's
Up to now, most of what I have posted has shown the beauty of Russia. The following pictures were taken from the van as we drove from Tver to Novgorod. Yes, folks are living in these homes. Russia has basically no middle class, so this is the type of housing outside the large cities that you would see.
An apartment building in Novgorod, in much better condition than those we saw in Moscow.
Of course, if your family was in the Soviet army, as our guide's grandfather was, you might have grown up in an apartment in this building in Saint Petersburg:
Tolkien Bonus: R is for Rivendell, an Elven refuge in a valley in the Angle. To my mind, one of the greatest movie sets ever created.
The red sandstone does lend itself to creations built on a large scale. I am amazed at the cleanliness with which public buildings in Russia are maintained.
ReplyDeleteWhen I commented to the guide how clean everything looked, she said that Russians think it is dirty. I never saw trash anywhere in the cities, countryside was different.
DeleteThanks for posting photos of the real Russia, outside the tourist zone.
ReplyDeleteDriving from Moscow to Saint Petersburg was quite a revelation. I knew that Russia had no middle-class, but that drive really showed the disparity in the classes.
DeleteOne thing surprises me is that during Communism when religious worship wasn't permitted, they didn't in any way get rid of all the cathedrals and such but let them continue to exist although probably some of them were used for different purposes. There really is a contrast in the housing of the poor.
ReplyDeleteOne cathedral in Saint Petersburg was used to store food. I was told there was tremendous damage. The fact they they have restored these churches is just amazing. In Detroit, they just tear them down. After they loot them.
DeleteIt's all so...RED! I love it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the A to Z Challenge!
A to Z Co-Host S. L. Hennessy
http://pensuasion.blogspot.com/
Gives double-meaning to the phrase 'red' square.
DeleteThe statue is just so angular and straight-like the buildings. I love the cathedral-looks like a candy place actually because of its shape-squat like:) The houses outside the city need some tlc but people don't have the $. The one home-one is painted yellow and the other is just brown-I wonder if owned by 2 different people
ReplyDeleteI wondered if it had two different owners or if they only had enough money to fix up half of it.
DeleteOh and Rivendell is where I would want to live
ReplyDeleteI love seeing these pictures, especially as I will likely never go here but you have brought this to life for me.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about other folks photos of places I will likely never visit for myriad reasons.
DeleteYou're really giving us a wonderful look at Russia. I may never get to visit but I'm doing the next best thing by following your posts. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteA friend called last night and voiced the same sentiment. I feel very fortunate to have been able to go and am very happy to share my experience. Just wish I could invite everyone over for food and drink as we watch the pictures pop up on the screen.
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