Moscow

Four days in Moscow – what can I say about it. Firstly it's a city of financial extremes and excesses. I was told it is now rated as one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. Walking around the centre it is obvious to see this is where Russia's new money is concentrated – there is more flashy money on general display than I've seen any where else in the world. As I walk down the street heading heading to Red Square and the Kremlin what is the first thing I see - three Bentleys parked outside a restaurant; and that was the tip of the iceberg; in my time in Moscow I saw a greater collection of exotic cars than I've ever experienced any where else – starting at the conservative end were several Rolls Royce's, a Maybach, countless Bentleys (it looked like they were the car of choice for many of the extremely wealthy), moving into the sportier brands there were top end Mercedes models the likes I have never seen in Australia, often sporting the 6.3Litre and AMG badges, V10 Audi's, M Series BMW's, by the dozen and then slightly, but not much, less commonly Porches, Ferrari's, Maserati's and Lamborghini's. Obviously the first thing you do in Moscow with your first million is buy a flash car – usually in gloss black or if you want the sinister look in matt black.

 

[caption id="attachment_555" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Obviously if the big boys have flash cars the police need them too - one Audi (black) and one BMW (white) with blue lights"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_556" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Police having a discussion with one Audi owner about his driving style - I suspect Russian licences have fines and no points system as  the wealthy  bad drivers do not seem to be constrained by the very large number of traffic police."][/caption]

Along with the cars come the shops – all the top end brands are jammed right in your face as though buying Prada or Arami is the most natural thing in the world. The slightly unreal part of this is that many of these stores are inside the shell of an old shopping centre known as GUM. GUM was a soviet invention and was the state shopping centre – how the wheel has turned full circle.

[caption id="attachment_557" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="The post-capitalism inside of GUM..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_558" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="...where some pretty girls will sell you a Porshe."][/caption]

Going back to cars for a bit Moscows driving style takes some getting used to. Ninety five percent of the traffic is reasonably well behaved by Russian standards and follows the “assertive” driving style I've got used to in other Russian cities. Someone said to me the style is like driving with blinkers on – you only worry about what you can see directly in front of you and not whats alongside or behind. Thats a reasonable first pass at describing it but there are two other rules that come into play; firstly as soon as you are even the tiniest bit in front of the car alongside you all responsibility passes to them to keep out the way and secondly on all accounts you should try and pass the car in front as soon as possible (note this rule applies equally to semi-trailers following motorcycles in traffic where even the most thick headed should realise it will not make a blind bit of difference to your progress).  As I said 95% follow these rules and we all get used to them – the problem is the other 5% driving the previously mentioned flash cars plus a smattering of wanna-be's in 1600cc Lada's – who believe all the above includes driving at double the speed limit in heavy traffic and using the hard shoulder (and I suspect pavement on occasion) as an extension of the road. Rain is not considered a reason to modify these rules - and my trip into Moscow was in the rain.

The opposite side of the wealth shown by the cars and the shops, are the old people begging in the street. Whilst some of these look like (and I feel callous writing this) the traditional urban poor, many are dressed well in what were obviously once good clothes. I'm only guessing but they look like old school teachers, public servants and the like whose pension doesn't match their needs and they have been reduced to this to make ends meet. One wonders what horrors they must have gone through to reach this level of need.

Irrespective of the money, cars and rain though for me the highlight of being in Moscow was walking through the entrance arch onto Red Square itself and seeing the multi-coloured domes of St Basils cathederal in front of me and the Kremlin and Lenin's mausoleum to the side. Having tried to get to Russia in 1983, when I travelled through eastern europe to Australia, and at that time failing because it was only open to those on expensive organised tours which could not afford, to finally have achieved it gave a real sense of satisfaction.

[caption id="attachment_559" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Entrance arches - which I wouldn't have seen in '83 since stalin had them knocked down as they impeded the flow of workers and tanks in the marches through the square (they were rebuilt in 1992)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_560" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="The iconic image of Moscow and Red Square - St Basils Cathederal (which Stalin also thought of knocking down)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_561" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Kremlin walls (from the river side of it - since there was scaffolding in the way from the Red Square side)"][/caption]

I mentioned rain several times already and it will remain a strong memory of Moscow – a constant background to my three days there. However it didn't stop me walking around and seeing a few of the more important sights so here are a few more of those tourist photo's.

[caption id="attachment_562" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Yes - it rained.  This is the main tourist plaza adjacent to Red Square"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_563" align="aligncenter" width="346" caption="Stalin didn't just knock things down - he was strong on-building edifices; he had seven of these constructed and they don't look bad."][/caption]

One of the things I did want to see was the Peter the Great statue on Moscow river.  This is the way it is described in Wikipedia:

"The Peter the Great Statue in Moscow was designed by the Georgian designer Zurab Tsereteli to commemorate 300 years of the Russian Navy, which was started by Peter I of Russia. At 94 metres, is the eighth tallest statue in the world.

In November 2008, it was voted the tenth ugliest building in the world by Virtual Tourist.

In October 2010, Moscow authorities offered relocate the statue to Saint Petersburg, but this offer was refused."

 

[caption id="attachment_569" align="aligncenter" width="308" caption="Decide for yourselves.  I actually thought it looked better in real life than when photoed - you need to walk around it and see it from changing perspectives.  It was still not pretty though."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_564" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Because of the rain I spent a half day in the State History Museum which has  as an exhibit this very famous globe of 1796. Australia was remarkably well represented; and for trivia buffs I noticed Canada was then called "New North Wales" "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_565" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Not a traditional tourist site - but something I wanted to see because I had read about it many times - Lubyanka prison - the home of the KGB (and its predecessors and successors) and the centre of much of the terror of the Soviet regime during the 20's to the early 90's."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_570" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="And the Gulag Museum - which was small and hidden down a side alley. Russia is still working out how to deal with this part of its history. "][/caption]

One of the things you are told to see when in Moscow is the metro system.  Each of the major stations is a work of art in some form or another - and they truly are a wonder to behold and, at the moment, all are lovingly maintained andvirtually free of litter, graffiti or advertising.

[caption id="attachment_566" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="The brushed chrome look."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_567" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Mosaics"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_568" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Or chandeliers and mosaics."][/caption]

From Moscow next stop was St Petersburg 700km north, where I currently am as I write this– but you'll need to wait for a couple of days until I have a chance to write that up. The trouble is my Russian visa runs out in a days time and so my focus is now on getting myself to the border with Estonia and getting myself out of the country before I overstay. And to think when I started this trip I thought my 90 day visa gave me a huge safety margin and I would be out weeks before it ran out.  To finish here are a couple of shots from the ride north.

[caption id="attachment_571" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="The highway Moscow to St Petersburg is like the Sydney- Melbourne road in the early '80's. Largely 2 lane and passing through every small village. It takes two days to do the 700 km."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_572" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Many of the villages on the road seem to be dying.  Lots of slowley collapsing houses and not much sign of activity - like everywhere people seem to be drawn to the big cities."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_573" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Russia is full of monuments to WWII - but some on this road are especially poignant as they represent the battle front."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_574" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Look how bare the trees now are compared to the pictures I posted 3 weeks ago. Winter is fast approaching - and with the temperature staying below 10 all day it felt like it on the ride North. "][/caption]