May 18th, 2023: Our final day in Saint Petersburg. We chose to visit the city’s biggest attraction, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, walk down Nevskiy Prospect, enter Kazan Cathedral, and take a look at the Cathedral of Resurrection of Christ of Spilled Blood. Our Sapsan train back to Moscow is scheduled to depart at 15:00 hours and arrive at 19:30 hours, according to the RZD itinerary.

I was pleased with my stay at Statskij Sovetnik Apartments. I didn’t want to repeat the incident with our landlady, Daria, from the Moscow flat, so we left three hours before check-out time. We entered our accommodation for the final time at 09:00 a.m. and went to their office at Kustarny Lane 2B, where I had first picked up the keys. Yevgeny and Maria were the staff members present, and they were courteous. They supplied a room for storing bags at no cost, and we went to the church.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral is now a museum. Auguste de Montferrand is the architect in charge of the design. The cathedral, which draws inspiration from the Byzantine and Greek civilizations, is impressive. The gilded dome stands 330 feet tall. It is erected on a cast-iron scaffold, making it one of the few churches in the world with a dome built in this fashion. The columns, pillars, and floors are made of marble and granite. This cathedral’s iconostasis is built of rare stones, including malachite and lazurite. Because it’s a museum, audio tours are provided, and visitors are directed from No. 1 (south gate) to No. 13. (The Russian language guide is free. Other languages are available for a price of 250 rubles. Luckily, the lady behind the counter gave it to me as a free ‘present’. It simply demonstrates how much Russia relies on tourism to support its economy. Bryullov’s paintings decorate several of the cathedral’s facets and walls. Some of the stations (I believe Nos. 2 and 3) feature replicas of the cathedral and its dome. The audio guide recounts how the dome was made. Near the replica, there is an LED TV that explains how it was made in Russian.

The painstaking construction of this cathedral spawned a new Finnish expression, rakentaa kuin Iisakkin kirkkoa (meaning to build like St. Isaac’s Cathedral), which denotes something that takes an abnormal amount of time, resources, and money to finish. (Why Finnish? The resources for building this cathedral were primarily imported to St. Petersburg from quarries in Finland.

Under the cathedral’s dome is a sculpture of the Holy Spirit, personified as a dove. The tour inside took about 30 minutes. When you arrive at the cathedral, you will need to pay individually for the church-museum and the colonnade. It costs 400 rubles each. I went to the colonnade, which had approximately 300 steps and provided a clear perspective of the city in all of its vibrant and wonderful beauty. Unfortunately, the staircase is covered in graffiti.

Mum was waiting for me, as usual. She took a stroll around the grounds, while I proceeded along Nevskiy Prospect to Kazan Cathedral. A Russian Orthodox cathedral dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan. The cathedral was designed by architect A.N. Voronikhin. He designed it to resemble St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Outside the cathedral, there is a statue dedicated to Barclay de Tolly. Currently, it serves as a memorial to Russia’s triumph in the Napoleonic Wars. It currently serves as the principal church for civilians in St. Petersburg, while St. Isaac’s is a museum. As you approach the cathedral, you will find a large hall filled with frescoes, mosaics, and paintings by the country’s top painters. There was a long line at the iconostasis, ostensibly for believers to kiss it.

After praying at the cathedral, I emerged, crossed the avenue, and proceeded down Naberezhnaya Kanala Griboyedova to the Cathedral of Christ’s Resurrection over Spilled Blood. However, my debit card did not have enough money because I had failed to replenish it, and hence I was unable to enter the church. However, I walked around the cathedral, admiring its architecture. I stood at the canal for a time, admiring the canal and the life that surrounds it, and reflecting on the city’s beauty and future.

Nevsky Prospect was named after Prince Alexander Nevsky. He is regarded as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church, having served as the grand prince of Vladimir and the prince of Novgorod. The vista connects the Admiralty building to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (monastery). Peter the Great envisioned the road as the beginning of the trip to Moscow. And it had a rich past. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the prospect includes various sightseeing attractions to see while in St. Petersburg. The city’s two most famous department shops, the Passage and the Gostiny Dvor, are both located here. This area is home to the Elieevskiy Magazin, another retail complex. The perspective is steeped with history, dating back to the siege of Leningrad during WWII.

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It was 13:30 p.m., and after a walk down this road and rejoining Mum, it was time to grab our bags from the office, which we had deposited, and proceed to Moskovskiy Vokzal, the rail station where trains leave St. Petersburg for Moscow. After going through the train station’s harsh, fast-swinging doors and having our luggage inspected, we sat in the main hall. This rail station is usually busy at all times when compared to other train stations in the city.

The hall is spic and span as normal, with ergonomic benches supplied with plug points and bottle holders, and is interspersed with shops (typically restaurants, bistros, grocery stores, and souvenirs), advertisements (mobile phones, Russian Army recruitment drive, and so on). The restrooms are located in the basement and can be accessible by the elevator or staircase.

Our train (the Sapsan) departs at 15:10 hours and arrives in Moscow at 19:00. We skipped lunch since we assumed we’d receive the same bistro class when we got back to Moscow. That was our foolishness, since we later discovered our tickets were for economy class. It arrived at platform 4, and we proceeded to the wagon position where our seats are. The train arrived quickly and without incident. After handing the conductor our tickets and passports, we boarded the train, and after passing the in-house restaurant… I was surprised to see the cabin. It’s economics! I should have thought of this… I thought that we might not receive the meal allocation, as we did in the restaurant. It was confirmed when our fellow travelers arrived with their own meals. And, to our readers, it was my lack of knowledge about the Sapsan that caused this tragedy. Of course, it’s not like a meteor struck here, so I went to our seats. The wagon’s front seats have slightly more legroom than the rest of the seats.

The only difference here is the existence of two screens on its roof (during the trip, it broadcast a Soviet-era documentary set in the 1980s as well as ads). The buttons above the seats were similar to those in the restaurant. Each seat is outfitted with publications (Sapsan Shop, RZD Travel Magazine, and the Sapsan information mini-book). The train started to leave. It was time to say goodbye to Saint Petersburg!

Sapsans have in-train Wi-Fi, but you must pay for it (300 rubles to access Sapsan Media). I don’t have to describe the scenery outdoors because we were returning over the same road we took initially. This Sapsan made two stops: in Tver and in Chudovo. Mum was upset with me for booking the economy class. We were famished, so we had to purchase meals from the in-house restaurant. Here’s the menu (in Russian). The lunch was 4,200 rubles for both of us. Mum fell asleep after that, while I listened to music. The mobile network was available in big centers but not in rural areas.

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We arrived at the Leningradskiy Vokzal about 19:00 hours. Welcome back to Moscow. We only had approximately a day here to make the most of it before leaving Russia.

We booked a room in a hotel (People’s Red Square Hotel) on the Sofiyskaya Embankment, opposite the Kremlin, rather than the same apartment where we had previously slept. It was around 4 kilometers from the station to our destination. When we arrived at the hotel at 20:30, there was no one at the front desk!

I texted the person (Sofia) whose name was scribbled on a small piece of paper at reception. After 5 minutes, she arrived. Her demeanor was pleasant, and she only spoke Russian. As soon as I grabbed the keys, something rudely surprised us! There was no elevator here. Mum and I had to haul our stuff up the stairs to the first level on our own. There are no porters or assisting hands here. And don’t expect things to go smoothly. When you are in this country, you must accomplish things on your own. We had to squeeze around in the small room because we had so much luggage.

This hotel has a Japanese restaurant (the Sakura) next to it. We considered having supper there, but when we contacted room service, it did not pick up. I went downstairs (one level below reception), but it was locked. We had to eat outdoors. Mum wanted to sample Indian food, so she directed me to Yandex Maps. It suggested we go to the “Tajj Mahal” restaurant on Arbat Avenue, which is 2 kilometers away. We proceeded along the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge, past the Vladimir Statue, and arrived at the metro station closest to this hotel (Biblioteka Imeni Lenin). After another 600 metres, we arrived at the “Tajj Mahal” restaurant.

The menu did not have many alternatives for Indian cuisine. The majority of them were Turkish, Uzbek, and some Arabic. A businessman seated across from us was smoking ‘hookah’ here. I requested Uzbek cuisine because Indian options were not available at the time. After spending almost 2,000 rubles, we walked back to the hotel. To be honest, the food did not taste nice. We went to bed at 00:00 and had one more day in Russia.

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May 19th, 2023: One more day to spend in Moscow. This day, I concentrated on covering the Kremlin. The only difference from previous days is that we cannot prepare our own meals. We awoke at 08:00, refreshed ourselves, and arrived at the embankment by 08:30. I checked the kreml.ru website (the Kremlin’s website for tickets, and none were available that day), and a gloomy expression appeared on my face. My long-standing ambition to ride an e-scooter in Moscow has finally come true. There were a few yellow and violet scooters. The yellow one belongs to Yandex. I used the YandexGo app on my phone to scan the QR code and start the e-scooter. It began to drizzle, so I put on my plastic raincoat and began riding along the riverside to the Kremlin complex.

I left Mum behind! Mum recorded a video of me, which you can watch… (On the Sofiyskaya Embankment). She insisted on keeping up with the e-scooter at her walking pace, which was slow. I sped off, crossed the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge, took a couple of footpaths to the subway near Biblioteka Imeni Lenina, and followed the signs to the Kremlin. I had to be careful when taking the e-scooter down because its own weight threatened to throw off my balance. After 10 minutes, I arrived at the Kremlin. However, there was an issue.

I needed to buy the tickets, and Mum had the cards and cash. For the next 20 minutes, I had to wait for her to arrive at Kremlin on her own, while I guided her directions. I even provided my live location with her on WhatsApp, but she appeared oblivious. She eventually arrived and chastised me for being reckless. Yes, dear readers, I was reckless! Many of you will undoubtedly berate me for what I did. It’s time to park the e-scooter. But there were no close parking spots, and I didn’t want to restart the scooter. I spent 500 rubles on this excursion, and it was expensive. I had to maneuver the scooter by myself, while it was in gear, to the proper location (I didn’t want to park it randomly). The location was 800 meters from the Kremlin!).

Mum and I were quite hungry, so we had to go to the same EUROSPAR supermarket near Alexandrovskiy Sad and eat our customary fare. On my way there, I noticed a Russian Army band marching by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A general presented medals to the cadets. A modest crowd gathered there.

Mum waited for me as I purchased tickets for the Armory Chamber and Cathedrals Complex. These two are the key attractions for any Kremlin sightseeing. Unfortunately, the palace was closed to tourists. During my early web inquiry, I discovered a tour group that offered trips within the Kremlin palace, but it was halted after the war began. Following a series of inspections, we entered the complex via the Troitskaya Tower. Tourists are supposed to walk on the footpath within the complex rather than on the road. Police officers will direct tourists to walk only in authorized areas. As I walked, two motorcades passed by on the road. The Kremlin was nicely manicured.

I wanted to go to the Armory Chamber first, but the guidebook I was given (in Russian) was confusing. After numerous unnecessary detours, I arrived at the Chamber, which was located near the Borovitskaya Tower. The name suggests that it was Russia’s royal arsenal. It contained both the tsar’s personal belongings and the Russian Diamond Fund. The ground floor housed the Tsar’s vestments and carriages. The first floor featured the Tsar’s personal treasures, iconoclasms, presents from various European nations, swords and armors (many of which were influenced by Iranian and Turkish swords), and, of course, Faberge Easter eggs! When I approached the Armory Chamber, there was a warning board instructing tourists not to shoot inside (without a flashlight!). Regardless, I took two insignificant photographs inside the chamber. I obtained the audio-guide in English and spent approximately 10 minutes inside each hall, learning about the significance of each item placed there (the most important, of course). The first floor hallways contain goods manufactured by goldsmiths (not to mention the superbly wrought Grand Zion), silver items, various dishes, samovars, altar gospels (the No. 28 altar gospel in the second hall of the first level), tapestries, armors, swords, and panagias. The ground-floor hallways house the costumes of Tsar and Russian Orthodox priests, as well as regal carriages, thrones, and saddles. Even though it is not as magnificent as the Hermitage, visiting this museum is worthwhile.

It took me two hours to view everything in this museum. While on my way back, a Russian student requested for a selfie with me, which she took. The Cathedral Square is the next sight to view. It contains the following:

• Assumption Cathedral (Dormition Cathedral)
• Annunciation Cathedral
• Archangel Cathedral
• Church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Holy Virgin
• Patriarch’s Palace and Church of the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles

Each of the cathedrals are covered by a single ticket for the Cathedral Square. To give an idea about each of the cathedrals:

1. Assumption Cathedral (Dormition Cathedral): The main cathedral of the Kremlin, it was where tsars were crowned here, prayers were held in honour of the saints and before military campaigns. This is also the place where patriarchs and metropolitans (Peter, Philip II, Jonas) of the Russian Orthodox Church were buried. The architecture of this church has Italian influences, dating from the Renaissance times.
2. Annunciation Cathedral: This is meant for the familial ceremonies of tsars. Right now, it hosts an exposition of icons mainly hosting that of the Virgin Mary and the Nativity. The iconostasis of this cathedral hosts about a hundred icons (hence a multi-tier iconostasis; the usher told me it’s one of the oldest ones in Russia). The architecture of this church combines Muscovite and Pskovian art.
3. Archangel Cathedral: This cathedral is meant for burial of metropolitans, and early Romanov tsars. As the name suggests, it’s dedicated to Archangel Michael (one of the three archangels of Christianity), who is also the Patron of the Russian Army. Graves of the tsars — Ivan IV (known as Ivan the Terrible), Fyodor I, Basil IV, Fyodor III, Mikhail Fyodorovich, Peter II. Apart from these, there are icons to be noted, especially the Archangel Michael with the Deeds of Angels, painted around 1400s.
4. Church of the Deposition of the Robe of Holy Virgin: This is the private church of the metropolitans and patriarchs. Here, you can witness the wood-carved artifacts of Biblical events and Russian Orthodox saints. These are unique. Some of the icons are made by the wood-carvers from the northern regions of Russia.
5. Patriarch’s Palace and Church of the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles: Currently it hosts an exposition of the personal belongings of the Patriarches. If you go to the cross chamber, you will see an extensive exposition such as Russian tableware, liturgical clothes, everyday items, watches and jewellery.

As previously stated, it is preferable if you are familiar with the Russian Orthodox Church and have knowledge of the important Patriarchs, Metropolitans, and the genealogy of the Tsars and the Romanov dynasty, as well as the main Gospel events, before visiting. Concentrate on the important aspects and recognize its significance in Russian history. Otherwise, it will become another historical artifact on Earth and a location for taking photographs or selfies.

All the cathedrals on the square are easily accessible. I spent about 15-20 minutes at each cathedral and ended my tour at 15:30 hours.

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I took a stroll through the Grand Kremlin Public Garden, which is opposite Ivan the Great Bell Tower, and exited through the same tower that I entered. At 16:30, I rejoined my mother and had a late lunch at the same store. She wasn’t feeling well (had a common cold) and wanted to return to the hotel. But I have not yet purchased the souvenirs. There was an overpriced souvenir shop near Teatralnaya Square. Mum was unable to continue after a short walk down Petrovka Street. I told her to arrange a cab to the hotel and that I would join her later. She refused. She urged me to get the souvenirs as soon as possible, and she would wait beside the tavern. I walked approximately 600 metres to the shop. The staff greeted me and showed me around the shop. It housed souvenirs such as the well-known Matryoshka dolls, clothing, badges (many of which were Communist), headwear, and toys. The employee, Vadim, spoke some bad English and pushed me to purchase more stuff. I spent some time deciding what was worth getting here, and I ended up buying two Matryoshkas, two T-shirts (Russian produced — one is vintage Soviet propaganda, the other features an image of the MIG aircraft), one badge, and two ‘Moscow’ postcards. While returning, I stopped by the TSUM retail shop and purchased a 2,000 ruble belt after some haggling (the salesman luckily spoke English).

I eventually rejoined Mum at the tavern. At 18:00. She bought the ingredients for dinner from a neighboring grocery. We reserved a taxi back to the hotel. Her habit of waiting for me has ended. We appear to have visited the major attractions in Moscow (albeit we did not visit the Izmailovo Kremlin, Tsaritsyn Park, Kolomenskoye, or Moscow State University; fact, we did not even take the Moscow Canal Cruise). Mum felt tired and fell asleep without eating dinner. Meanwhile, I had some unfinished personal business. The sunset that day was at 18:45. I went to bed at 21:00, knowing that this was our last day in Russia.

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