We have a metro pass that effectively gets us around this huge city, but let me just tell you that I am a skilled walker now. I can walk forever. As long as I sit down every few minutes... Anyways, come with me on a tour through Moscow, through the eyes of me, on my feet, walking.
Our first stop is the Kremlin and Red Square; a must see for any traveler. It is really a beautiful area. Red Square is just a massive place with a cool, historic feel. The cobblestone streets, dark red walls of the Kremlin, and the eccentrically colored onion dome cathedral call St. Basil's give a uniquely Russian feel that requires time to just soak it all in. The Kremlin has, of course, been around for centuries. It has been a fortress for Moscow as well as a residence for the tsars since 2nd century BC. Despite the rich history of the Kremlin, it still stands in most people's minds as a symbol of communism. Russia, being the first country to adopt a truly Marxist state, definitely holds the symbol of communism deeply in its walls and among its people. Lenin and Stalin both took up residence in the walls of the Kremlin. Up until 1955, during Khrushchev's Thaw, the Kremlin was completely blocked off for foreigners. Now, only segments are blocked off - I learned this first hand when I tried crossing a street. I made it, nonchalantly of course, across the street and into the grass area about 10 steps before 2 guards from both sides came running and screaming at me. Haha. I immediately started walking back and I pretended I did not speak Russian; they definitely wanted to see my documents, and that would have been bad. It looked like a cool area to go...
I find the contrasts of Soviet Russia's atheism and the rich Eastern Orthodoxy traditions to be fascinating. Standing on Red Square, you can feel the symbolism of the deep red of the Kremlin that screams communism, atheism (just as the propaganda of that era prescribed - see my previous post), and pure Soviet ideology. It screams the importance of the state and government as this massive edifice provokes inspiration and faith in the government. It says: trust us and we will protect you, the nation. Turning 180 degrees around and your eyes are fixated on an architectural triumph not of this world. St. Basil's Cathedral invokes awe and wonder in a power more personal than any government institution.
.jpg)
The uniquely Russian feel I mentioned earlier has grounds of truth. It does just... feel Russian. How so? It may be the Russian, communist red coloring of the Kremlin, it may be the gorgeous and richly traditional feel of the cathedral, or, maybe, it is the fact that Lenin's body is kickin it in a bulletproof sarcaphagus right on Red Square. Who knows....
Our next stop is more brief and less historic. It is Tsaristyno Park. I was supposed to go play Frisbee with some friends from the mission. We thought we were just headed to some random park. But then we walk into this park and we were blown away. It was gorgeous.
Well, this ends walking tour number #1. There will definitely be more of these. Enjoy!
Our first stop is the Kremlin and Red Square; a must see for any traveler. It is really a beautiful area. Red Square is just a massive place with a cool, historic feel. The cobblestone streets, dark red walls of the Kremlin, and the eccentrically colored onion dome cathedral call St. Basil's give a uniquely Russian feel that requires time to just soak it all in. The Kremlin has, of course, been around for centuries. It has been a fortress for Moscow as well as a residence for the tsars since 2nd century BC. Despite the rich history of the Kremlin, it still stands in most people's minds as a symbol of communism. Russia, being the first country to adopt a truly Marxist state, definitely holds the symbol of communism deeply in its walls and among its people. Lenin and Stalin both took up residence in the walls of the Kremlin. Up until 1955, during Khrushchev's Thaw, the Kremlin was completely blocked off for foreigners. Now, only segments are blocked off - I learned this first hand when I tried crossing a street. I made it, nonchalantly of course, across the street and into the grass area about 10 steps before 2 guards from both sides came running and screaming at me. Haha. I immediately started walking back and I pretended I did not speak Russian; they definitely wanted to see my documents, and that would have been bad. It looked like a cool area to go...
I find the contrasts of Soviet Russia's atheism and the rich Eastern Orthodoxy traditions to be fascinating. Standing on Red Square, you can feel the symbolism of the deep red of the Kremlin that screams communism, atheism (just as the propaganda of that era prescribed - see my previous post), and pure Soviet ideology. It screams the importance of the state and government as this massive edifice provokes inspiration and faith in the government. It says: trust us and we will protect you, the nation. Turning 180 degrees around and your eyes are fixated on an architectural triumph not of this world. St. Basil's Cathedral invokes awe and wonder in a power more personal than any government institution..jpg)
The uniquely Russian feel I mentioned earlier has grounds of truth. It does just... feel Russian. How so? It may be the Russian, communist red coloring of the Kremlin, it may be the gorgeous and richly traditional feel of the cathedral, or, maybe, it is the fact that Lenin's body is kickin it in a bulletproof sarcaphagus right on Red Square. Who knows....
Our next stop is more brief and less historic. It is Tsaristyno Park. I was supposed to go play Frisbee with some friends from the mission. We thought we were just headed to some random park. But then we walk into this park and we were blown away. It was gorgeous.
 |
| We were also very surprised by the inordinate amount of people that were there. Apparently there was some festival going on or something - there were lots of hippies too. :) |
 |
| Valya is one of my good friends from the mission. She was a member i served with in the city of Novokuznyetsk when I was a branch president. Then John is a BYU student with me and we are in the program together. We have become really good friends and we joke around how it feels like we are companions cause we are generally always together and he served his mission in this area as well. |
No comments:
Post a Comment