Moscow was an enormous city, but there was nowhere to go in it.
– Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
I don’t agree with the preceding quote. Even if they have never seen Moscow in person, visitors will be captivated by its breathtaking mix of canals, palaces, alleyways, and one of the world’s oldest metro systems. Furthermore, the city’s squares (ploschad) are numerous, with some claiming that a whole trip to Moscow may take a month. With its rich past, the city experienced a difficult period in its history under Nazi rule during World War II. The city is both emotionally and spiritually significant to Russians due to its position in Medieval Russia and the history of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its proximity to different Russian cities such as Tula and Smolensk, roads connecting to the European nations of Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Belarus, and Ukraine, and its status as the western endpoint of the world-famous Trans-Siberian trains make it a major commercial and tourism hub.
All of the preceding information may appear to be irrelevant to the travelogue, but my thoughts were echoed by Marjorie M Liu’s Shadow Touch, in which she describes Moscow as the most beautiful mistress a man could ever want, but never cross her: like any good woman, she may simply cut off your balls for the hell of it. Anyway, back to our time in Moscow.
Our original goal was to begin in Moscow and end in St. Petersburg, but because the return trip to and from Moscow was less expensive than taking a one-way flight to Domodedovo and from Pulkovo, we changed the itinerary to this:
- May 8th – 13th: Moscow
- May 14th – 18th: St. Petersburg (Part IV)
- May 19th – 20th: Moscow (Part V)
May 9th, 2023: Victory Day! The Allies commemorated this day as a victory over fascism. The iconic photograph of the Soviet Union’s hammer and sickle flag being raised above the Reichstag in Berlin was a happy moment for the Russians. This day is commemorated in Moscow by a parade in Red Square, which is attended by the Russian President, government leaders, and World War veterans. (Civilians are not permitted, but they may see the rolling tanks and missile launchers just outside the Kremlin). Other activities to commemorate the victory are also held.
The apartment where we stayed is located at the Dokuchaev Pereulok, near to Komsomolskaya/Sukharevskaya Metro Station, is listed on the Ostrovok.ru. This apartment can serve your purpose of staying in Moscow, although it’s a bit distant from the Krasnny Ploschad (Red Square). The landlady speaks Russian and is co-operative and helpful. Link to the apartment on Ostrovok. This is their home page (apartmsk.ru).
We started our day, hoping it would be better than yesterday’s events.
Breakfast was prepared by us and included two eggs, oatmeal porridge, and a fruit salad with mangoes, watermelon, blueberries, and grapes. This was the everyday menu until the end of our trip. I was drafting the itinerary for that day on the back of a cash note just before leaving, since you would have guessed by now that I am terrible at planning.
It was written as follows:
- First: Go to Cathedral Of Christ the Saviour
- Second: See the Victory Day Parade from a nearby street, close to the Kremlin.
- Third: Go to the Tretyakov Gallery.
- Fourth: Visit the sprawling GUM (ГУМ) supermarket.
And, as you’ll see, we strictly adhered to the day’s agenda. We left for the Cathedral at 08:50 in a YandexGo taxi. A quick and tranquil trip around the streets of Moscow. As the taxi pulled up to our location, I was taken aback by the Cathedral’s massive structure. After taking a few photos, we went to the church. Photography inside was prohibited. After some dimly lit passageways (souvenir shops), we turned right and spotted the church’s pulpit. Beautiful and wonderful. I recall seeing the church’s walls, which depicted Biblical events, as well as a golden altar where the priests were leading a prayer service. As the priest delivered the songs, the lay audience stood respectfully, bowed their heads, and made the Sign of the Cross several times. Everyone was dressed decently, and the women covered their heads. As it is Victory Day, I assume the prayers are for Mother Russia, its military action in Ukraine, and the victory over fascists in World War II. The ritual concluded as a line formed to kiss the cross. I joined it. The priest, like the rest of the crowd, was taken aback as I approached to kiss the cross. I kissed it, and the priest smiled.
Mum, meanwhile, departed the prayer service. I strolled through the Cathedral’s small hallways, noticing numerous old icons and pictures. I kneeled and prayed in front of an image of Judgement Day for my trip’s safety and ease.
As I exited the Cathedral, Mum called out to me to hydrate and walk to a nearby bridge where we could have a good look at the Victory Day parade. I took out the water bottles to quench my thirst, and they were carbonated. (The phrase “gazirovannaya” remained with me. I shouldn’t buy carbonated water for health concerns. I bought each of them for 50 rubles. I had to get rid of them since I felt horrible about buying. Mum clearly berated me.
Wow, this was easy. We went to drink coffee at a restaurant near the Cathedral, and guess what? The expresso cost 200 rubles! Both of us later fought on the importance of saving money and asking and negotiating in the future. I decided not to waste our hard-earned money. The notion of getting those SIM cards yesterday increased my wrath. We wandered around the Cathedral’s pavilion before crossing a bridge that overlooks the canal.
Trying to get a view of the Victory Day Parade!
Part of the bridge was being renovated. Many people were following the Victory Day celebrations on their mobile phones, which were taking place in Krassny Ploschad (Red Square) to coincide with the activities near the bridge. Of course, there was a significant police presence. Some of them were flying Russian and Victory flags. Some of them had St. George’s Ribbon and hammer and sickle insignia on their outfits. A few reporters from local television stations were live-streaming from the bridge. People were ecstatic, and the atmosphere was festive. There was a large throng at the barricades along the major road, on both sides of the canal. We decided to watch the festivities from the other side of the canal. We walked to our planned destination. Some folks ran to see the missile launchers and vehicles pass by. I ran as well. When I got there, a line of tanks and missile launchers passed by. It lasted for almost 5 minutes. After it was ended, I think, I joined my mother and decided to head for the next stop on our agenda, the “State Tretyakov Gallery”.
Pavel Tretyakov is an art collector who established the museum in 1892. He acquired several artworks and sculptures. Indeed, they were priceless. We strolled from the bridge to the gallery, guided by Yandex Maps. It was a larger detour. (I later realized that we were supposed to turn left after the T-shaped junction rather than right, as we did). We got at the gallery but were stumped because the entry was closed. A South American traveler who wished to see the gallery asked if it was closed, to which we said yes. A Russian man approached us from behind and told us to proceed to the opposite entrance, which is the ingress. Mum wasn’t as interested in history and art as I was, so she decided to wait outside and told me to come in two hours. I entered the gallery around 13:00. As far as I know, there are two official routes for which you have purchased a ticket. Some halls are reserved exclusively for routes.
The gallery was wheelchair accessible, with souvenir shops. The choice for audio-guides (in several languages; obviously, I chose the English audio-guide after depositing my passport and paying an additional 250 rubles) and guided tours (which were solely in Russian). Storage facilities, a feeding place for mothers, and a cloakroom were available. As we moved through the halls, we saw little and large paintings by Russian artists, generally oil on canvas, spanning centuries (from the 18th to the early twentieth century). Many of them include Russian tsars and tsarinas, as well as still life and biblical scenes. Some of them were influenced by the Romantic period (some of the artists studied art in Italy).
Personally, I enjoyed the picture “The Appearance of Christ Before the People” (by Alexander Ivanov), which depicts two sketches in Room 10 before the majestic painting that adorns the room. The painting is almost life-like and depicts Christ (the Messiah) appearing before the people, confirming the Saviour’s ascension. One hall did have sketches created with black chalk, many of which were Biblical. Another one portrayed Central Asian art (Turkestan series), particularly Vasily Vereschagin’s horrific painting “Apotheosis of War” depicting the ‘Siege of Samarkand’. Another picture I liked was “We are Playgrounds” by Alexei Savrasov. Many bronze statues and models of structures were on display; I particularly enjoyed Mikhail Mikeshin’s “Millenium of Russia,” which portrays the monument erected in Novgorod. The Tretyakov Gallery’s treasure, located in Hall 55, contains a variety of objects made of precious metals and stones, as seen in iconoclasms, literature, and embroideries. Rooms 56-62 (the gallery’s final rooms) feature stunning examples of old Russian art. They were classified as pre-Mongol period, Rostov-Suzdal school, arts of Pskov and Novgorod, Dionysius, and Ushakov. When I exited, it was 16:20. For those visiting Moscow, I recommend spending some time (about 4-5 hours) exploring the State Tretyakov Gallery and viewing the artworks.
Mum chastised me for coming out so late. We needed to have lunch. As we looked for restaurants, I was impressed by the beauty of the canal and the mini-fountain that crossed the street. We noticed some cruise boats but did not attempt them. Yandex Maps selected a restaurant near the eye facility and directed us to take the bus. We had no notion how buses in Russia operated. Leaving our concerns behind, we boarded the M2 bus and…
There were no conductors on the bus. How do we pay for our tickets? There were near-free access terminals where you could swipe your debit card (Mir, Mastercard from a Russian bank), a Troika card, or an NFC-enabled smartphone or smartwatch. As the bus was leaving, I asked the driver in my terrible Russian if I could pay in cash. He bluntly answered that there was no way to pay in cash and instructed us to have a passenger deduct for us. I asked a Russian woman about the matter and informed her that we would pay in cash. She stated that the card can only be swiped once. (Cannot do it twice because the terminal commences a blocking duration of around 20 minutes) and displayed it to me. Oh, boy! We didn’t want to scam the system, so as we were about to get off the bus, a bicycle told us in English, “Don’t be clueless, get a Troika card.”
We walked approximately 500 metres to the restaurant. It was 17:00 hours back then.
As we exited the restaurant, we resolved to head to the Shabolovskaya metro station and get our Troika cards. Our first visit to the Moscow Metro. There was a luggage inspection portion, where we had to load our bags onto the belt. I headed to the kiosk. It was an electronic touchscreen. Everything was in Russian, and I honestly had no idea how to get a Troika card. I was staring into the Cyrillic texts, hoping to change the language, but in vain. Mum asked a Metro employee, who agreed to help us. Using our ‘Translate’ app, he informed us that I would have to pay 100 rubles for the card and an extra ruble for the top-up. We can top up in the kiosks or at the desks. Sure enough, we received our Troika card. The cost of the ride is per user, not by distance. (The same idea applies to trams, trolleybuses, and buses in Russia.)
We arrived at the escalator after swiping our Troika card at the gates (I had to let Mum go first because she was nervous about doing so, and to be honest, I had no idea). Wow! It’s a deep one (around the height of a 7-story structure) that moves quicker than the escalators at Indian retail malls and metro stations. And I had a problem—I was afraid of escalators.
The Moscow Metro
As we were walking downstairs, a man on his Yandex Scooter ran into my shoe, and I was about to FALL! Luckily, Mum stopped me from falling. The man yelled at me, “Bespechny!” which means “careless”. Later, I learned that escalators at metro stations are informally divided into two lanes, one for commuters rushing to catch the metro and the other for “non-hurriers.” Some couples faced each other as they walked upstairs or downstairs, kissing or hugging. As we approached the fathom-deep platform, a woman quickly fetched her dog, which was poised to bite my calf. Oh, my God. We must endure such hardships. In any case, this emblem can be found on metro stations across Moscow.
LINK for the Moscow Metro detailed map. Isn’t it very detailed? Too many lines and places you may not have seen before? If I did anything to prepare, I tried to learn about Moscow’s neighborhoods and their proximity to adjacent tourist attractions. If you are visiting Moscow for the first time, please familiarize yourself with ALL stations inside the brown area shown on the map. That corresponds to all of the metro stations on Moscow’s Garden Ring Road. Let me repeat: all of the stations inside the brown circle are important to know because they allowed us to travel quickly to the sightseeing locations. Some of the stations are connected by subways, and there are direction boards to help you find your way around. If you want to simplify things further, get to know these stations.
- Arbatskaya — Access to the Novy Arbat and the old Arbat Streets.
- Komsomolskaya — This was closest to our apartment (although there was another station closer to our apartment — Sukharevskaya). This is the heart of train transport of Moscow. There are three railway stations located quite close to each other — “Yaroslavlsky Vokzal”, “Leningradskiy Vokzal” and “Kazansky Vokzal”.
- Teatralnaya — Access to the famed Teatralnaya Ploschad and the Bolshoi Theatre.
- Alexandrovsky Sad — Access to the Alexandrovsky Sad gardens, the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, Krassny Ploschad (Red Square) and the Kremlin Complex.
- Lubyanka — Home to a former KGB headquarters.
- Belorusskaya — Access to the Belorussky Vokzal, the hub of train travel towards Europe.
- Park Kultury — Access to Park Pobedy.
- VDNH — Access to the Soviet-era VDNH exposition.
Our next stop on the schedule was the GUM supermarket. Guess which station we have to go to?
It stands for “Glavnyy Universalnyy Magazin,” which translates to “Main Universal Store.” Built in 1894, the structure has a rich history to talk of. With over 1,200 stores, it is your go-to shopping destination. With the Shukhov’s roof looming over us, the GUM supermarket is a must-see. There is another one called ‘TSUM’. This is a high-end fashion supermarket. Because of the penalties, some Western businesses with storefronts within, such as DIOR, Dolce Gabbana, and Rolex, were forced to leave.
GUM supermarket, in different angles and views!
On Victory Day, the exit to Red Square was closed. So we exited and walked to the nearby metro station, from which we got the Komsomolskaya line. It was an exhausting day. We had to purchase a rail ticket for the following day’s journey to Sergiev Posad in the Yaroslavlskiy Vokzal. Mum and I decided to get train tickets to St. Petersburg as well, which required us to travel to the Leningradskiy Vokzal. The RZD application on my phone displayed the rates and duration of our trip. Obviously, we wanted to take the 4-hour train ride through Sapsan. After some debate, we purchased train tickets from a red kiosk. The RZD staffer, a woman who did not speak English, was friendly. She assisted us in booking the tickets. I had no idea what my next mistake would be. (You will read this in Part 5.)
With the Sapsan tickets as trophies, our cramped limbs led us to the EUROSPAR near our apartment. I’ll tell you about the EUROSPAR another day. After acquiring our dinner goods, we returned to our home, said “Privyet” to the receptionist, and retired early to bed. Not awful at all. Let’s see what May 10th has to offer us.
May 10th, 2023: The same wake-up times and breakfasts apply, now it is time to relocate to Sergiev Posad, a town outside of Moscow. This town, named for one of the Russian Orthodox saints, St. Sergius of Radonezh, is home to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, a monastery-church complex designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This town is part of the Golden Ring, which represents Russia’s medieval past and can be understood by visiting the towns. Initially, my mother and I planned traveling to Yaroslavl, Rostov, and then stopping in Sergiev Posad, but we realized that we would get at our apartment at 01:00 the next day. So take the train to Sergiev Posad.
We walked to Yaroslavlsky Vokzal. There were two direction boards: one for suburbia and one for long-distance. We proceeded to the long distance area by mistake because we knew nothing about Russian trains, until an employee informed us to go to the suburban section. After scanning our tickets from yesterday, the gates opened and we entered the platform. So, what’s the dilemma? Where can I find the train to Sergiev Posad? Meanwhile, I relied on another Yandex program, Yandex Transport. Several trains to Yaroslavl depart at 5-minute intervals, and the time was roughly 09:30. With my hawk-eye on the Cyrillic script, I recognized ‘С. ПОСAД’ on a passenger train and ran. If I recall well, it was on platform 3, which verified my concerns about the train, as it was also displayed on the electronic board. When I handed the tickets to a staffer, she said we had the wrong ones. Meaning? She was in a hurry and didn’t say anything. We were stranded. Mum told me to look for the train right away. So I went to question another staff about our train. He took my arm right away and led me to another train that looked much better, albeit a passenger one. The destination was ‘Alexandrovsky’. Mum followed me. First impressions as we boarded the train. The sliding doors to each coach had to be forced open. The interiors appeared immaculate, with an LED board displaying the time. We weren’t sure where to sit. Someone once told me that unless your ticket specifies seat numbers, you can sit wherever you choose as long as it matches the class of the train. Okay, so we sat and looked out the window, which saw passengers rushing to get into those trains. Indeed, a chaotic one.
Passengers began entering the train, and hawkers soon followed. They were promoting things such as brooms, toothpaste, and soap. Passengers on our coach showed little interest in the hawkers while he continued marketing. After that, he shrugged and walked on. Another hawker arrived, hawking newspapers. The pilot sounded the whistle, signaling that the train was ready to move. An elderly man with a beard sat in front of us. A mother and child were next to him. The toddler was fidgety and pretended to drive a race car. To be honest, those seats were only occupied after the rest of the carriage had been filled. Mum was listening to music.
Graffiti and rural Russia. The view of the suburban train and the passengers.
The train began going. There was nothing special about it except that it picked up pace after leaving Moscow’s suburbs. Looking out the window, one could see industries and buildings, followed by a road bridge that crossed the railway line, with some anti-noise walls painted with graffiti or road-rail checkpoints. An intriguing observation I made is that at those checkpoints, before the barrier itself, there are two metallic barriers that spring up from the road whenever the barrier closes. I feel this should be applied in our country. Graffities. There are plenty of them on the house walls and anti-noise barriers. Some graffiti meant nothing, but others criticized the conflict, one of which was actually a Ukrainian flag. To imagine that being drawn near Moscow can have implications because it is forbidden to show them in a positive way. The railway stations we first saw were similar to the platforms in Moscow railway stations, but after a while, they became rustic and dilapidated. Surrounded by beautiful foliage, rural Russia looks fantastic. At the Abramtsevo station, for example, there is only a platform and no buildings. The village road abutted the platform. The conductor checking tickets was nearby. We gave her our tickets, which she swiftly scanned with her portable scanner and returned to us. Apparently, a passenger did not have the correct ticket, and he and the train conductor had a verbal argument about it. She instructed him to get off at the next train station. When we arrived, the man exited and entered the coach behind us to avoid her.
As I continued checking my phone for our whereabouts, the train passed through some unremarkable villages. We arrived in Sergiev Posad around 11:20 a.m. We left the train. The train station was relatively small. We had to cross two railway tracks to get to the platform, which connected to the city center. To be honest, I didn’t understand why Sergiev Posad was famous. A simple search on WikiTravel revealed that Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is the main reason this village in Moscow Oblast is important. Both from a political and spiritual perspective. Some electric buses traveled to and from the rail station. We chose to walk some distance due to Yandex Maps’ incorrect GPS calibration. We went about 1 kilometer to a traffic signal, when my mother compelled me to check the app and give her the actual distance to the monastery complex. The road we walked along had a large pathway. After I discovered that the true trip was substantially longer, we flagged down a’marshrutka’ for the first time. This one will head in the direction of our destination. I told the driver our destination, and after paying 200 rubles, the vehicle began moving. It was Chinese-made and rode smoothly. We had to go another 750 metres. The marshrutka was crowded. Some passengers were friendly to us. When we got to our location, they told me to get down. You needed to shout “STOP” so the driver would know when to halt his van. After getting down, we walked a little further, crossed the main road, and entered the complex.
Sergiev Posad
The main monastery-church complex may be seen in the photographs, as well as an old-looking, red-colored office across from the courtyard. The courtyard was littered with pigeons, just like anywhere else in Europe. The ticket cost 1,000 rubles. Mum wasn’t much interested in history or art, so I started buying tickets for myself. It’s a shame she has to wait outside for me. You will undoubtedly say, “I am selfish.” And you are correct. I felt guilty numerous times, but who am I to coerce her?
I entered the complex after showing the ticket to the ticket-checker, who questioned me, “Where is your missus?” The monastery complex was large and walled. Many information signs were in three languages: Russian, English, and Chinese, and you may find this trilingual style in many tourist attractions in Russia. As you enter through the Saint Gate, you will notice that it is painted with Biblical themes, each in archaic Cyrillic. The complex included five churches in the center and a monastery to the right. There is a graveyard right in front of you. The Trinity Cathedral was undergoing renovation work, but the door remained accessible. The dome was vital to each of them, and they were all unique. The patterns varied; for example, one had a blue dome with golden stars, while another had a striped pattern of dark blue, light blue, and golden stripes.
We proceeded to Trinity Cathedral, where we witnessed hordes of people arriving to see St. Sergius’ grave. The hall outside the tomb housed various iconoclasms and a souvenir booth. I took two candles, donated 20 rubles, and entered the sanctuary. It was gloomy, and the walls were painted with incidents from St. Sergius. At one corner, a women’s choir was singing loudly. They were clothed in traditional Russian costume. I entered the queue to visit the mausoleum. As I entered the altar, I ignited one candle and set it. I observed what they were doing there. They kissed the grave. So I did the same thing: I knelt before the tomb. I wandered throughout the church, marveling at its beauty. I walked back to Cathedral Square and into the Assumption Church.
Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.
This church was larger, with iconoclasms and Biblical paintings on its walls. You can snap photos without flashes; nevertheless, because it is a holy site, I avoided taking them inside. I hopped to the next church, the Church of the Holy Spirit, but it was closed. The cathedral square also included a chapel over a spring and another (red-colored) where old people collected water for drinking and religious use. Please avoid drinking unfiltered, raw water for your own safety.
There is now a large yellow building close to Trinity Cathedral. When I entered this building, it was just a souvenir shop. I turned towards the monastery and entered without thinking about whether the lay public was allowed to enter. Once inside, citizens can access the souvenir shop on the ground floor and a chapel-turned-museum on the first story. Only authorities and monks have access beyond the glass doors, and I entered briefly before being gently requested to leave. Just beyond the stairway, there was an area where you could write the names of the saints on a small piece of paper and place it in the collection box with the money, depending on how long you want the priests to pray for your prayers. I scribbled “Sergiya, Dimitriya, Alexandra, Valentina, Nikolaya” in Russian without knowing what it meant and placed it with 20 rubles.
The chapel on the first floor was the sole picture in the Trinity Lavra. This image will mimic structures from other churches.
I went to the refectory, which was next to a Dutch-style dome. The hall was massive, featuring Biblical and St. Sergius paintings. The tour inside the complex took about three hours. I joined my mother, who was sitting in a restaurant inside the office building. Where did she wait? Apparently, she was waiting outside in the courtyard when a Russian police officer approached her and verified her passport and visa. Then he advised her to go elsewhere and not sit around. So, it appears she headed to the restaurant. Mum had ordered food for me. Caesar salad, vegetarian soup, and fragrant rice. It wasn’t enough, but it gave me some energy to keep going. Why is there such a limited repertoire? Because I am on a renal diet and cannot consume non-vegetarian products. The food cost approximately 2,000 rubles. Fortunately for me, the menu items were written in Russian, so I was able to read and understand them. I was also able to order the food in Russian without having to use a translator. Guess the ‘Russian 10 minutes a day’ worked. The funniest part of the meal was the rice, which was supposedly the most expensive of all — 1,000 rubles!
We walked back to the train station, and it was 16:45. We took a detour and investigated Sergiev Posad. It was getting chilly. We strolled across a small bridge and towards the train station, passing by several houses, a boarding school, and numerous restaurants. As we traveled, we noticed a defiant Russian child who refused to listen to her irate mother, an elderly man sitting on his seat who waved at us, and two Russian boys who greeted us with “Namaskar!” (which means welcome). Outside the vokzal, there were some food stores, an ice cream stand, and a coffee shop. After purchasing our tickets to Moscow, we headed to Platform 2, where we found our passenger train! We knew we were on the proper train because it was plainly marked ‘Moskva’. This looked slightly more modern than the train we took. The LED board above, however, displayed the incorrect timing. (Until we reached Yaroslavlskiy Vokzal, the timing was the same!)
Some more shots of Sergiev Posad, the suburban train to Moscow.
It was no huge thing to make a return, so I listened to my Amazon Music playlist. (I did not listen to any Russian songs while I was in Russia. I think I heard one of them, from the IOWA band. The singer’s harsh scream gave me a headache. I listened to the ATC band as the train approached Moscow. The next step on our plan was to go through the famous Arbat Street and Kitay-Gorod. We turned towards Arbat Street after arriving at Arbatskaya station on the Moscow Metro. Remember, the neighborhood is known as Arbatskoye, and there are two streets entitled “Novy Arbat Street” and “Arbat Street.”
The latter is well-known among tourists, while Novy Arbat Street is gaining popularity. There are scooters and bicycles available for rent on the street. After some trekking, we arrived at Arbat Street. Its entryway had a medium-sized gray clock tower. The street appeared to be similar to the experience of going along a Rotterdam street, although with a smaller crowd. Many eateries line the roadway (particularly those serving Turkish food). High-rise skyscrapers dominate the former Arbat Street. I can describe the street in more detail, but nothing compares to taking a walk down it yourself. Continue walking and you will come across a gallery of Russian heroes and veterans from World War II, whose lives are explained on billboards. Mum was hungry and ordered a Turkish shawarma. This street was approximately 2.5 kilometers long, and exploring it would take about an hour at a slow walking pace. Indeed, a must-see! Then we turned towards Kitay-Gorod. We returned to the Arbatskaya metro station and proceeded to the eponymous station.
Arbatskaya Metro Station and the Arbat Street.
Kitay-gorod is a historical part of Moscow that today consists primarily of demolished defenses as a result of Stalin’s Moscow reconstruction. The walls and stronghold towers were demolished. Currently, this space divides Krasny Ploschad (Red Square) from the Kremlin. Some notable buildings, such as the Trinity Church in Nikitniki, were rebuilt. As we went around, we noticed old, decaying buildings, which contrasted sharply with Moscow’s typical cityscape. There was a synagogue called the Choral Synagogue. However, the watchman stated that the first floor was exclusively accessible to non-Jews. Due of this restriction, I was unable to fully tour the synagogue. The first floor, which fronted the main altar, was made up of chairs and a mini-library with Jewish sacred writings and philosophical sayings. If I remember well, there was a chamber labeled “Meeting and Exposition of the Caucasian Jews”. That was a gathering area for the Jews in the neighborhood. There were a few of them in a conference, and as I entered, they grew silent. A Jew walked me out of the room, telling me it was off-limits for me. Otherwise, the synagogue appeared formidable. The ground level featured the seating arrangement and the altar table, which held the Torah scroll. Several Jews were praying at the time.
When I returned to the apartment and found old images of Kitay-gorod on the internet, I was shocked to see such devastation, especially so close to the Kremlin.
Kitay-gorod and the Choral Synagogue!
It was 22:00 p.m., and it was becoming late. When we returned to the apartment, we continued with our usual routine. The same food. We went to bed about 00:30. Indeed, it was exhausting. Let us see what May 11th has to offer.
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