Russia - Day Two

Day Two - Karen and Kath were collected from the hotel for a day of sight seeing with their own guide.

They were driven through Moscow until they reached Red Square where they were met by the towering domes of St Basil's cathedral.

The buildings around Red Square really are very special each with extra details added in remembrance of special historical events.

One of the buildings in Red Square was being renovated, carefully hidden behind this very ornate screening.

There are some beautiful buildings surrounding Red Square.  The temperature had dropped significantly, and the two visitors tried to keep their minds on the sites and not the cold!

 Preparing for the Christmas Celebrations.

Then a visit to the wonderful  GUM Department Store, an elegant turn-of-the century shopping mall, combining elements of Russian medieval ecclesiastical architecture and an elegant steel framework and glass roof.

The malls were quite empty on this Friday morning.

Kath and Karen were happy to find a coffee shop in the Shopping Centre for some extra warmth before venturing outside.

Red Square is immense.  In 1991 Red Square was added to the UNESCO list of world  heritage sites, and it really acts as the focal point of Moscow and therefore the whole of Russia. 

Karen and Kath were then taken through The Resurrection Gate which led inside the Kremlin Walls.

All the buildings were in such good order - and they needed to be as there were many visitors even at this time of the year!

The Brass circle marks the absolute centre of Moscow City - and tradition states that if you stand on the circle facing away from the Kremlin, toss a coin over your shoulder - then you will return one day.  The three ladies pictured were on everyone's photos as they performed this ritual - the tossed coin hardly had time to hit the ground before they raced to pocket it!

Marshall Zhukov's horse looks shocked and embarrassed that it's accidentally trodden on and broken someone's favourite heirloom. In fact, it's one of the Nazi eagles that were a common feature of fascist Germany, a reminder that Zhukov captured Berlin and commanded the Soviet occupation force in Germany after the war.

The tour was well timed to watch the precision of the Changing Of The Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The goose stepping can't be easy after standing on duty for an hour with no time to "warm up"!

Inside the Kremlin walls - Kath and Karen were taken to the Kremlin Museum.  This was a fascinating exhibition showing wealth beyond comprehension, behind glass and vaulted doors.  No photography allowed.

Also inside the Kremlin Walls are 5 cathedrals and a Bell Tower.

One of the very ornate Cathedrals.

A large canon - for exhibition only - each canon balls weighs far too much to be lifted or fired.

A fabulous statue outside one of the Metro Stations where Karen and Kath were taken to eat lunch.

One church building which didn't survive Stalin was the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour built from 1839 to 1883 to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon.  In 1931 Stalin had the cathedral demolished, but the Palace of the Soviets was never built and instead the location was used for the largest swimming pool in the world.

Come 1995 and Moscow's go-getting mayor Yury Luzhkov started work on a replacement Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, completing it in only two years, but at a cost of US$350 million.  Karen and Kath found it hard to believe that this Church was so recently built.

As night time approached the pair of sightseer's were then driven around more special places in Moscow.  This is the Novodevichy convent.

 It looked beautiful reflected in the Moskva river.

 Moscow by night.

 After 10 hours sightseeing, to be followed by a busy day judging the Russian Nation Competition, Karen and Kath decided to call it a day - but what a day of learning this had been.