Moscow far more than what was expected
By Alan Hoskins
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Photo Idents
(Photos by Alan Hoskins)
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Destroyed by the Nazis during World War II, the magnificent Peterhof gardens at the Summer Palace in St. Petersburg are some of the most spectacular in the world and a “must-see” on any trip to Russia.
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The largest wooden church in Russia, the spectacular Church of the Resurrection on Kizah Island was built completely without nails and a highlight of a Russian cruise between Moscow and St. Petersburg.
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Although no longer in use, St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square in Moscow is one of the most photographed churches in the world.
MOSCOW – I must admit my first trip to Russia’s capital came with a certain amount of apprehension.
There’s something menacing about Red Square and the Kremlin with the fear of cloak and dagger KGB agents lurking on every corner. I had been to East Berlin many years ago and found the streets desolate, as if people were afraid to go out into the streets, which I fully expected on a Kansas City Kansas Community College trip to Moscow in the fall of 2004.
Boy, was I wrong! Moscow is as bustling and vibrant as any city in the U.S. Once overrun with tanks and Russian soldiers, Red Square is jammed with citizens and tourists and there’s lengthy lines waiting to enter the once-menacing Kremlin.
At one end of Red Square sits the symbol of Moscow, the colorful cupola topped St. Basil’s Cathedral which is no longer in use but one of the world’s most photographed structures. Lenin’s tomb and the Kremlin run the length of one side of Red Square, which is not red; the other has GUM, the world’s largest department store with a mile and a half of aisles. Once government owned, GUM now is packed with shops not unlike some you might find in the plaza.
The trip to Moscow was the fourth for the late Dr. Henry Louis, KCKCC Dean of Social Science, who in 1990 spent six weeks studying at Moscow University at a time when living conditions were as bleak as possible under the Communist régime. He, even more than I, was shocked by the changes.
“I can remember going to one grocery store and all the shelves were blank; there was nothing but a few onions and potatoes and they had black spots on them and you would not have wanted to eat them,” said Louis. “You would go into market places and there were absolutely no commodities in the stores.”
Today, grocery, department and specialty stores are filled with merchandise. “You can buy anything in Moscow or St. Petersburg that you can purchase in Kansas City, Chicago or New York,” said Louis. “People certainly are better fed and from all appearances have better clothes. There are far more automobiles on the road with many western and luxury cars such as Mercedes and BMWs.
“I’m truly overwhelmed by all the changes in a short decade. I would not have thought it possible for so much change to occur. That’s not to say they don’t have a long way to go but overall I am very impressed the way the Russians have advanced the possibility of a more prosperous life. They seem a lot more contented. ”
A trip to Moscow is not complete without a stop at picturesque Swan Lake; gazing in awe at the world’s largest cannon (each cannon ball weighed one ton) and the 210-ton Emperor Bell; and a ride on the city’s fantastic Metro subway. Buried so far underground that it takes more than two minutes on an escalator to get up or down, the terminals are magnificently adorned with marble columns, elaborate chandeliers, beautiful murals and other works of art.
The most popular way to see Russia today is by boat. Countless ships make their way up and down the Volga River between Moscow and St. Petersburg with daily stops at Russian villages along the way – plus 16 locks that either raised or lowered the ship a good 40 feet in less than 10 minutes. Here’s a few things you can expect to see:.
UGLACH – One of old Russia’s most beloved towns, the Cathedral of Resurrection and St. John’s Church are the major attractions but in reality, it’s the shopping – the best values of any stop on the trip.
YAROSLAVL – Known as the “Florence of Russia” and the oldest city on the Volga dating back to the 11th Century, Yaroslavl is also renown for the finest examples of frescoes in Russia and the green-domed Church of Elijah. Closed during the Communist era and used as a warehouse, a stop at the church was highlighted by a concert of sacred music by four monks.
GORITSY – The one stop where you actually get to see and feel life in rural Russia. Strolling through the village of brightly painted homes, we were given flowers and invited into a home of an elderly woman who could not speak English but was so proud of the small home despite its lack of any modern conveniences. Her smile was a heart stopper.
KIZHI ISLAND – The most unique stop on the voyage, the fairy tale island’s stunning Church of the Transfiguration boasts more than 70 onion shaped cupolas. The largest wooden church in Russia built in 1714, it was constructed without the use of nails or iron and has earned designation as a UNESCO cultural site.
MONDRAGA – A “built for tourists” village, everything was new and of no historic interest. However, it does boast a vodka museum with more than 2,600 varieties of Russia’s national beverage and a delicious outdoor shashlik barbecue lunch.
ST. PETERSBURG – The “Venice of Russia” with its numerous canals, the capital of Czarist Russia was built because of the iron will of one man – Peter the Great. Founded in 1704, its primary attraction is the Hermitage, a collection of 2.8 million items of art located in several separate museums in the Winter Palace. The collection was started by Peter the Great and continued by Catherine the Great.
The highlight of the entire trip, however, was saved to last – the magnificent Peterhof gardens at the Summer Palace on the shores of the Baltic Sea outside of St. Petersburg. Words simply can’t do the specter of more than 200 fountains justice. What makes the gardens even more unique is that the fountains are not powered by pumps. Water starting from hills 15 miles away has enough inertia to send streams of water soaring 20 feet in the air and then channeled on out into the Baltic never to return.
Unfortunately, Hitler didn’t think so much of the magnificent gardens. The Nazis destroyed them in World War II but the Russians – bless their hearts – restored them to their original look and one of true man-made wonders of the world is again open for all to see.
Copyright © 2008