I had so much fun on my whistle-stop trip to Moscow. I was with work colleagues and we only had two full days there, but wow did we cram a lot in! Lucky for us the contact we were going to meet with was happy to help us get around so we did have a guide for some of the time. She even took us to the Cafe Pushkin for a traditional Russian dinner complete with vodka. We were also lucky enough to be staying in the opulent Ritz Carlton hotel which was an experience in itself. I'm not really a fan of reproduction antiques and gilt, but when I have a shower like that in my house I'll know I've made it. I am cursed to be eternally disappointed with every bathroom I'll ever use now.
The architecture is fantastic, although you do find it interrupted by giant lit-up logos at night. On the whole though it's a very beautiful city.
Of course St Basil's Cathedral is amazing, so difficult to capture in the picture just how beautiful and colourful it is - it shines, even on the grey day we went. The walls are covered in orange and blue patterns and the domes are just so joyous. The story goes that once it was finished, Ivan the Terrible blinded the architect so that he could never design anything better for anyone else.
A quick run around the Kremlin and a visit to the beautiful armoury where we saw a whole host of royal dresses, thrones and carriages (including Catherine the Great's 16" waist - eek) and Peter the Great's throne. He was crowned jointly with an older brother to share the throne, as the older brother was 'feeble minded'. But Peter was only a child at this point, so there was a special compartment in the back where the older sister would sit, and whisper to Peter what he should say.
The bell was a replacement bell for the big tower in the Kremlin, and was still cooling in it's cast when there was a city fire - the cold fireman's water got poured all over it and it cracked.
We went to see the ballet in the Bolshoi's secondary, smaller theatre, because the main one is being refurbished. Nevertheless it's still a beautiful building and well worth seeing - even if you're not really a ballet fan (like me!) it's not difficult to appreciate it once you're there.
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was another highlight, and one that really stuck in my mind. The building you see is what was rebuilt in the 90's, after the original was demolished to make way for a giant socialist monument, only for the site to be turned into a giant outdoor swimming pool when that project was halted.
And of course, you can't go to Moscow without buying a fantastic souvenir...
or perhaps a slightly less fantastic one (unless you still love The Scorpions)
Lots more photos on Flickr.
