Sunday, September 11, 2016 Moscow, Russia
We are really here!!
We left home on Friday evening and spent one night in Toronto. That enabled us
to sleep a bit longer on Saturday morning and feel quite relaxed as we headed
to the Pearson Airport for our noon flight.
Our flight plan would
take us from Toronto to New York City (4 hour layover) across the North
Atlantic to Helsinki (45 minute layover) and on to Moscow. We arrived in Moscow
about noon Sunday. We passed through immigration and customs without a single
question … really, not one! … and after a few tense minutes in the
international arrival lounge, our driver arrived with our names boldly
displayed on a sign. We were just at the point of getting concerned about not
being met when he showed up.
Jim has worked very
hard at organizing this adventure so that we can travel independently with the
resources we need to feel we are maximizing our opportunities. We are to be met
at every destination by an English-speaking guide who will take us to our hotel
and on tours of the city/area. It would have been devastating if that plan had
fallen apart at the first location. Whew!!
We hopped into the
guide’s car and off we went from the airport into the heart of Moscow. Some of
you may be aware that we first visited Russia in 1976 when it was still part of
the Soviet Union. Life was austere to say the least. So, it was fun today to note
many of the differences the past 40 years have brought to this country.
The first observation
was the variety and number of vehicles on the road – Toyota, Honda, Hyundai,
VW, Mitsubishi, Mercedes Benz, Subaru, and even Ford. Albeit, today was a special
celebration in Moscow, known as Moscow Day, but the roadways were chockablock
with cars. Traffic jams reminded us of the 401 and the ride to town took a very
long time.
The next thing we
noticed was the variety of architectural designs that had arisen over 40 years.
Our recollection from 1976 was the proliferation of stark grey cement block
buildings that served as commercial enterprises, government offices and
residential complexes. The city has expanded in size since that time and the
styles of buildings were reflected by where they were located along our path to
the middle of the city. Recent large office commercial complexes used enormous
amounts of glass as well as angled walls in their designs. New apartment blocks
integrated some special features and lots of bright accent colours. Closer to
town the styles were more modest but typically used brick as a primary building
material. Buildings were very tall and clustered together. Commercial establishments
often occupied the main floor of the newer ones. As we drew close to the centre
of the city, the large cement block buildings did appear, remaining in
exceptionally good condition. Attractive parks dotted the landscape and many
pieces of public art as well as large memorial and historical monuments were
evident along our route.
The Russian language is
based on the cyrillic alphabet so we tried to decipher words we encountered on
billboards and signs. Any signs were few and far between when we were here
previously so the entire landscape had a different look about it. We laughed at
ourselves as we tried reading and pronouncing this unfamiliar language. We were
also surprised at how much English has crept into the advertising signage,
sometimes bilingual and sometimes just English. There were also many familiar
corporations in view – McDonald’s, Subway, KFC and IKEA were among them.
At last, we arrived at
our hotel, a charming boutique hotel in the heart of Moscow. We were assigned
to room 17, provided with an electronic key, directed to a quaint but
functional elevator to reach our third floor room, and invited to ask any
questions we might have of the fully bilingual woman at the front desk.
We had three
priorities following check-in – first, lunch (it has been a long time since
breakfast over the Atlantic); second, an ATM where we could get thousands of
rubles (200 rubles equals one dollar); third, a nap and a shower.
We achieved all three
although the most memorable was lunch at a delightful café adjacent to the
hotel. The menu was very extensive but Jim and I both settled on a bowl of soup
with bread. I also ordered an appetizer of smoked salmon and potato pancakes.
We recalled how the menus in the past had also been extensive and we were frequently
informed that what we had ordered was not available (“Nyet”). Well, apparently
not everything has changed. Jim ordered borscht with lamb and soon the server
returned to our table to let Jim know that item was not available. We both had
a good laugh about that and he ordered another soup instead.
Now, a few hours
later, we are supped, refreshed and have cash to go. We have settled into our
room for the evening and are beginning to do the things we do while travelling
– writing this blog, reading information about tomorrow’s activities and, for
the next several days, learning to decipher the cyrillic alphabet and
integrating a few Russian words and phrases into our vocabulary.
We also watched a bit
of television. Only 6 channels to choose from and they were all Russian
stations. Mostly news, one music video channel and one dubbed movie from
somewhere else. There was quite a bit of coverage of the 9/11 disaster in New
York. Lots of photos and commentary. Sadly, we could not understand what was
being said so eventually we turned the tv off.
Monday, September 12, 2016 Moscow, Russia
We both slept well last night and woke up refreshed and
ready to face the day. Today was a walking tour of significant sites in Moscow.
Our hotel is well centred in the city so we did not need a taxi to reach our
first destination. Thanks to Jim, we had the company of an English speaking
guide who led us from place to place and explained what we were seeing in clear
English with several anecdotes and editorial comments to colour the commentary.
We immediately appreciated her knowledge and her company.
Along the way to our first destination, we passed a very
modern shopping centre, the Dostoyevsky National Library, a large and gilded
church, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which had originally been in Red
Square and torn down during the Soviet regime. The church was only recently
relocated outside Red Square and built anew by the post-Soviet government. We
also walked past the Moscow University, the offices of parliament and a second
large shopping mall. This mall was built three levels underground.
The streets were very wide, very clean and crowded with
traffic. There were no street level crossings. The only safe and legal way to
make your way to the other side was through tunnels under the thoroughfare.
Happily, we only needed to cross one street and the end of the tunnel emerged
into a glorious garden of greenery, flowers and fountains. We paused for a
while to catch our breath and enjoy the atmosphere of the garden. Benches were
located under the shade of some very large trees and, in the heat and humidity
of the day, it was a very pleasant place to pass some time.
Next on our agenda was the changing of the guard at the tomb
of the unknown soldier. Two uniformed guards are posted there, standing
stalk-stlll for one hour at a time. Their replacements marched the length of
the garden (goose-step style) along with a superior officer. Upon arrival at
the tomb, the two new guards positioned themselves next to the standing guards,
looked at each other and changed positions. The guards who had been relieved
from duty goose-stepped their way across the garden and out of view.
From there, we entered Red Square, home of many government
buildings, St. Basil’s Cathedral and more beautiful and beautifully manicured
gardens. Perhaps most impressive, however, was the large and ornate GUM store
which has been in continuous GUM Store, one of Moscow’s most fondly remembered
department store. When we were in Moscow in 1976, the GUM store was in
operation but it looked ever so different! Then, under Soviet rule, merchandise
was limited and heavily controlled. Sparse piles of items for sale did not
begin to fill the shelves. And customers needed a ‘chit’ to even look at an
item. Now the GUM Store has been redesigned into a vast array of small shops,
mostly high-end. One must pass through security to enter to explore the
merchandise in such stores at Armani, Sony, Samsung, DKNY, Hermes, Louis Vuitton,
Villeroy and Bosch, Dyson, Calvin Klein, Guchi and, of course, the universally
present Apple store.
While in GUM, we stopped for lunch in a very pleasant café
and then Jim headed out with Irina (our guide) to visit St. Basil’s Cathedral.
Jim’s report was that it was more beautiful on the outside than on the inside
and that it is only used now for services on special occasions and is otherwise
a museum.
We left GUM and went back out into the sunshine on Red
Square. It quite hot and humid but that had not deterred the many, many people
in the area. There were both small and large groups of people and tour guides
carrying all manner of umbrellas, flags and banners to identify themselves to
the various groups. Irina had mentioned that we would see a large number of
Chinese tourists because the Russian government is currently courting China as
a trading partner and a military ally. Indeed, we did note that by far the
majority of groups were from China, facilitated by the fact that the Chinese no
longer require visas to visit Russia.
As the Kremlin was not far away, we headed back through the
gardens and fountains to find a quiet bench again. I chose to remain on the
bench and enjoy the shade, nursing tired feet and a jet-lagged body, while Jim
and Irina pushed forward.
The Kremlin is a large walled area which used to hold the
whole of Moscow in its very early days. Over time, most of the population was
forced outside the walls as the politicians and military took over the
interior. Now it contains Vladimir Putin’s office complex, including two
helicopter landing pads. Each morning two helicopters swoop into the Kremlin
from Putin’s country home. He will be in one of them; as a security feature, it
is unknown which helicopter he will arrive in. Of course, there is heavy
security to enter the Kremlin grounds. The gardens are delightful but there is
little access to any of the buildings.
I arrived back at the hotel before Jim and attended to a few
tasks (blog, photo downloads). Jim went on the Metro with Irina to the Moscow
office of RealRussia, the tour company that has been arranging guides and
trains, to get our tickets and itineraries. I had a lovely nap while Jim was
still out on the streets on this hot and humid day. He did arrive back with
more money from an ATM (known as terminals here), our train tickets and our
itineraries for the next several days.
Soon, evening had fallen and it was time for dinner. We went
across the hotel driveway to the lovely café where we had eaten last night.
Small meat-filled pastries for me and herring and salsa served as appetizers
while lamb chops (Jim) and beef stroganoff with potato pancakes (me) were our
main course choices. But best of all was the VODKA!!! Yes, indeed, this café
serves very tasty vodka and we thoroughly enjoyed every single sip. All of this
while eating in the out of doors wrapped in shawls provided by the café. What a
wonderful way to bring this amazing day to a close!
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Moscow, Russia
Tuesday began even earlier than Monday had and proved to be
a very full day. Today our guide was Oxhana who arrived with a driver and a car
as we were going on a driving tour of central Moscow. We began by driving past
the gardens we had so enjoyed yesterday and once again viewed the walls of Red
Square and the Kremlin along with the golden domes atop of St. Basil’s
Cathedral. We passed through large areas of commerce and large areas of
residential high rises. Oxhana was proud to tell us that most people now owned
their own apartments; they are passed down from generation to generation. Multiple
generations of a family live together and aging parents and grandparents are
cared for at home.
We were surprised by the volume of traffic on the roads and
the skill of the drivers in moving from one lane to another with safety and
courtesy. Traffic signals were very well placed and both red and green lights
had countdown numbers so you knew exactly how long you had to move across an
intersection or wait for the red light to change to green. Pedestrians had
separate signals and sometimes had up to 90 seconds
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was our first formal stop on
today’s tour. It took over 40 years to build and was originally consecrated in 1883.
During the Communist era in Russia, to discourage religious activity, Stalin
destroyed the cathedral less than 50 years later (1931) with a plan to replace it
with legislative buildings. This building project was undertaken in 1937 but
after the Nazis arrived in 1941 no further construction ever occurred. During Kruschev’s leadership, he developed another
way to use the property where the church had been situated. He built the
world’s largest outdoor swimming pool which was open for use all year long,
heated during the winter months to enable enthusiasts to swim out of doors. The
swimming pool was ultimately demolished (1994) and the Cathedral of Christ the
Saviour was finally rebuilt during Yeltsin’s term of office, reconsecrated in
August 2000. Over 1,000,000 people in Moscow donated money toward the
rebuilding project. It is now the tallest orthodox Christian church in the
world and has regular services as well as on special Christian holidays. The
best view of the cathedral is from a new pedestrian bridge, known as Lover’s
Bridge, which crosses the Moscow River just behind the cathedral. The sun
shining on the gold domes is breathtakingly beautiful.
From the pedestrian bridge, we were able to have a wonderful
view of the city. Statues were evident in all directions. Moscow is very proud
of its famous and successful citizens and has erected monuments in honour of
writers, scientists, politicians, explorers, philosophers and military heroes.
One particularly interesting monument rises high above the river. It features a
sailing vessel in full sail and a historical figure at the wheel. Originally,
Christopher Columbus was the historical figure but Russia seemed to lose
interest in him so they tried to sell the monument in its entirety to the
United States. The deal did not go through, largely because the statue of the
sailing vessel would have exceeded the Statue of Liberty. Left to deal with the
monument internally, a Russian sculptor was engaged to replace the head of
Christopher Columbus with the head of Peter the Great, thus creating a statue
to the youngest ever czar of Russia. During his reign, he significantly
expanded the land holdings of the country and created an empire. He also
impacted Russian culture and thinking equally and developed several government
institutions that remain in place to this day. Peter the Great is highly
regarded as change-maker among Russian leaders.
Our tour next took us to the Novodevichy Convent and
adjacent cemetery. This is a beautiful convent, still in active use, located
along the banks of a small lake in the heart of Moscow. Golden domes rise above
the treetops and tall red brick walls with frequent turrets surround the
cemetery. Both the convent and the cemetery have been maintained in immaculate
condition and are highlights on the tourist circuit.
We visited Moscow State University which has campuses
throughout the city. We stopped at the campus devoted to scientific exploration
and noted the many, many busts of famous Russian scientists who have made
significant contributions to the world of science both in Russia and beyond.
Across the wide boulevard in front of the campus is the Sparrow Hills Lookout.
It affords an impressive panorama of the city, enabling the viewer to see
sports facilities, theatres, parkland, residential complexes as well as
churches both near and far. Both St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin were
visible 12 kilometres in the distance. What really stood out though was the
addition of skyscrapers in the Central Business District of Moscow. Several
architecturally interesting buildings rose high above all others, clearly
establishing Moscow as a centre where business was important. This collection
of tall buildings stood out in contrast to the rest of the city and made a
statement about Russia moving forward into the global market.
Next we stopped at Victory Park where the design on the park
is based on the timing of events in the Second World War. It is dedicated to
the victory of Russia over Nazi Germany which ended the war for Russia. Ten
centimetres were allocated to each day of World War II, with each year
identified by a marker along the length of the timeline. An impressive Victory
Obelisk is erected at the point of victory. Within the park is a museum of
military vehicles and equipment and a memorial church, synagogue and mosque to
recognize that people of all faiths were impacted by the events of World War II.
One thousand, four hundred eighteen fountains (one for each day of the war) and
many statues are also impressive additions to this park.
Following a drive through the embassy area and some luxury
housing complexes, we headed back to the centre of town with a quick stop at
the Tretyakovy Gallery. Mostly, Jim and Oxhana walked around outside the
gallery. There simply was not enough time to go in.
We were on our way to the Central House of Scientists of the
Russian Academy of Scientists where, according to Trip Advisor, a hearty and
inexpensive lunch is served daily in a luxury setting in a historic home. All
of that proved to be true. Lunch consisted of salad, soup, bread, main course,
dessert and tea or coffee. The cost for three of us was approximately $14.00
Cdn …. Yes, that was the price for all three meals. And it was very hearty and
good tasting as well. Now, for the setting … this home was constructed in 1910
although it was built in the neo-classic style of the mid 1700’s and served as
a family home for many years. The original features of high sculpted ceilings, plaster
mouldings over the double doorways on each room, long elegant hallways with
paintings hung in just the right places, wood burning open fireplaces and
sculptures in major rooms remain in place, preserving the original tone and
atmosphere of this home. It was indeed a grand place to have our final meal in
Moscow.
After lunch, we were driven to one of the ten train stations
in Moscow to meet Dasha, our guide for the next part of our journey. With
Dasha, we are leaving Moscow behind and heading out into the countryside (2
hours by train) to Bogdarnya, an eco-agricultural tourist establishment where
we will spend the next 24 hours. The train ride was reasonably pleasant and all
three of us managed to sleep for a while. The city of Moscow and its suburbs
gave way to open countryside, some heavily wooded and some populated with a
range of rustic weekend homes and gardens. There is great pride in Russia to be
able to grow and harvest your own fruit and vegetables. So, families who can
afford a second dwelling, often become weekend farmers and successfully plant
and harvest their own vegetables and fruit …and sometimes chickens and pigs as
well. We did notice that autumn is arriving in this land and the leaves are
slowly changing colour on deciduous trees. Along the edges of many woodlands
were familiar trees, white pine and white birch which made us wonder where we
were – home or Russia? But disembarking the train made it very clear. We
transported our luggage along the platform, up a high set of stairs, down the
stairs again and in the truck of a car driven by a man who spoke no English.
The short car trip took us along narrow country roads, some of them newly
paved. We arrived at the gates of Bogdarnya and we immediately knew we
somewhere special.
We were welcomed into an elegant building and handed a pair
of slippers. Shoes were to be left at the door. We were led to our room on the
main floor, an elegant room with a queen bed and en suite, furnished with
furniture from the early 1900’s. The room was exquisite. Other features on this
estate include large vegetable gardens, pet chinchillas, a riding stable, a
cheese making facility, a small herd of dairy cattle, a petting zoo of other
farm animals. Dinner was served in a converted barn, pork and potato pancakes
for Jim and beef sausage and grilled vegetables for me. After a leisurely meal,
we wandered back to our room where we will go to bed early and see if we can
overcome this feeling of being jet-lagged.
G’night, everyone!
Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Bogdarnya
Yes, we spent much of this day at Bogdarnya, an active farm
with 60 staff. Well … a pretty sophisticated farm. Let’s start with our breakfast,
served to us alone (we were the only overnight guests last night) in a formal
dining room using real china and silver. Blintzes and small cheese savoury cakes
with yogurt led the way to a wonderful breakfast. Farm fresh eggs and bacon
followed. Delicious!! And fresh brewed coffee that warmed our bones and
awakened our spirits. We were ready for all the day offered.
We started with a master class in cheese-making. A wonderful
young man explained the process (and Oxhana translated) for making gouda from
milk supplied by the 400 cows that the farm owns. From the arrival of the milk
to the packaging of the product, we saw every step. We even got to visit the
basement where all the cheese is soaked, dried and latexed. It takes up to four
weeks to complete the process. We also had the opportunity to taste all the
types of gouda they make – 7 in total. Our favourite was the original plain
gouda. Dill, pumpkin seed, dried peppers, garlic and more may each have
appealed to someone’s palate but we were sold on the original flavor.
Next we went on a tour of the farm. Barns, banquet halls,
horse paddocks, riding studios, grain and hay storage, goats grazing,
chinchillas napping (no fur coats, simply pets), but no cows. What? Apparently
they live at another farm owned by the same family a few kilometres away. Bogdarnya
is also equipped with a children’s playground, kayaks for the nearby river, a
fairytale witch’s house, beautifully flourishing gardens (both floral and
edible), a winter ski trail, an ice slide and snowshoes as well. A veritable
paradise for families year round.
We were taken on a horse and carriage ride through Krutovo,
a tiny village that has seen better days although many of the homes still
maintain some very intricate wooden trim around doors and windows. Bright
colours on the exteriors of the homes brighten the community as do the gardens
that supply a food source for the winter months. The carriage ride extended
into a woodlot that was well populated with red pine and white birch trees. At
times, it was a puzzle whether we were in Russia or northern Ontario. Green
moss and lichens abounded on the ground under the trees … and it is mushroom
season. Mushrooms of many varieties were visible on the forest floor. Our
guide, Oxhana, explained about picking them and how the locals know which ones
are safe and which ones are not. She pointed out some tasty treats and also one
that is deadly poisonous, the one we see in fairy tales frequently – red with
white dots. Do NOT eat this mushroom!
We also saw a large, flat mushroom which she called the platter mushroom,
apparently delicious when fried and tastes a lot like chicken. There was at
least one mushroom picker in the forest, quite an old man, bent over and
walking with a sturdy stick. He has collected a wicker basket with fresh
mushrooms, plucked by his very own hands.
After the carriage ride, we were invited to a master class
on steak preparation. It was actually an invitation to have steak for lunch and
see it prepared before our own eyes. A substantial barbeque awaited our attention
after selecting our steak of choice. The same fellow who had talked to us about
cheese was on hand to show us how to select and prepare a great steak and then
to cook it for us as we watched and drooled simply at the aroma that emanated
from the barbeque. Very quickly it was cooked to perfection and we were led
into the same room where we had had dinner last night and presented with the
steak and some delightful garden fresh vegetables. It was a very good lunch.
Soon after lunch, the time came for us to pack our bags and
take our leave from this wonderful place. Oxhana and a driver, Alexander were
driving us to our next destination, Suzdal. Suzdal was only about 70 kilometers
away but it took almost three hours to get there. Like Canada, Russia only has
two seasons – winter and construction. The traffic was backed up for miles and
the movement forward was s-l-o-w! We were not disheartened though as the slow
progress gave us ample opportunities to take more photos of interesting houses,
roadside vendors, women pulllng a wagon laden with bottles of water from the
community well (not all villages have piped in water or a source of heating
yet). We also had the opportunity to talk to Oxhana about community life, real
estate transactions, medical care, income levels, etc.
We made two stops along the way – the first was to get a
drink and/or a snack at a local roadside outlet, McDonalds!!! Walking in was déjà
vu as it was identical in design to our newest McDonalds. Even the website and
kids’ give-aways sported the English language. What drew our attention,
however, was the menu. We could not even decipher how to distinguish between
small, medium and large drink selections. It was very clearly written in
Russian! The second stop was to a specialty shop in ________ which offered all
manner of master classes related to cookery. They were partnered with
Bogdarnya, purchasing both their cheese and their meat products. We had
forgotten to purchase cheese for our train trip while at the farm and this was
the best place Oxhana could suggest where we could get some. Plain gouda …. Yes!!
Soon after, we arrived in Suzdal. Oxhana and Alexander
insisted on assisting us to get registered and settled in our room. Jim has
made another wonderful choice of hotel! We bid farewell to our companions and
enjoyed some time on our own. I watched a wonderful choir performance on
television and Jim went out exploring the very large hotel property. Once back,
we decided we were in for the evening and ordered room service for dinner – two
home-made soups (solyanka and mushroom) as well as some freshly made ravioli.
Ohh … and we tried to get a mixed drink and a beer but the hotel did not have
either in stock. So … we just had to settle for vodka to accompany our meal. Aw
shucks!!!
Tomorrow will offer some new adventures again. This long
day, some lingering jetlag and the effects of the vodka mean that bedtime is
close at hand. Until next time …
Thursday, September 15, 2016 Suzdal and Vladimir
Serge picked us up at our hotel at 8:30 this morning. Serge
is our 4th English-speaking guide in 5 days. Happily, they have all
been fluent, knowledgeable, helpful and pleasant. Serge was not exception.
Serge is a history teacher by training after only a few years in the classroom,
he recognized that he was not cut out to be a teacher and began looking around
for alternative professions that combined his historical knowledge and his
fluency in English. A tour guide is the perfect role for him.
Today we toured both Suzdal and Vladimir, two cities
situated close together with a significant historical connection. We spent time
in Suzdal first, starting with a drive along Suzdal’s perimeter roads. These
roads defined the town limits of Suzdal and, because of the gradually sloping
countryside, there were ample photographic moments to capture the scenes before
us. Mostof the original photos had church steeples as a centrepoint. It did not
take long to realize that Suzdal was filled with churches, more than 50 in
number. Such a collection given a population on 10,000. And every one of them
is Russian Orthodox, including at least two cathedrals. We noticed two specific
attributes of Russian Orthodox churches. The first is that they do not have any
seats, pews, benches or chair. Why? Because standing is a sign of respect so
when you are worshipping God, the congregation must stand throughout the
service as a show of respect. (Remind me never to go to an Easter or Christmas
service that can last as long as three or four hours.) The second notable
feature is the lack of any musical instruments. Choirs lead the music in the
services. Instruments can cause a change in attitude whereas singing is
considered pure music. Nothing should come between the worshipper and God.
But why so many churches? Well, each congregation
constructed two churches, often side to side. One was for winter usage, built
with a low roof, small doorways and small interior spaces so as to preserve the
heat inside the building during the cold weather. The second church was for
summer use with a much larger sanctuary to allow for air circulation and a very
high ceiling so the hot air could rise to the top and escape.
Needless to say, not all of these church buildings could be
sustained and several have fallen into disrepair. Two of the oldest churches
have been moved to a ‘pioneer village’ along with several other structures of
historical significance (homes, schoolhouse, barns, granary, general store) and
have been opened to the public as a museum. Although the interiors of these
buildings felt reasonably familiar, the outsides of the structures were quite
different from what we have seen before. The walls are very, very thick and the
logs used were very, very large. There was also carving above the windows and
doors as well as very ornate window frames. Each building had been carefully
dismantled at its original location and painstakingly reconstructed once it
arrived on site.
Next we visited an ancient monastery that has also been transformed
into a museum. The monastery was originally constructed about 700 years ago. It
is a large walled area with ramparts to defend itself from invaders. There is a
beautiful treed courtyard in the midst of several buildings on the grounds including
cloisters, a cathedral with amazing domes, a beautiful garden and a freestanding
belltower. The bells are still in good condition and several times a day, a
concert is performed. We were fortunate to be in the monastery for the first
concert of the day. Sadly, a part of this monastery’s history includes being
used as a prison during at least three different eras, totaling about 200
years. Difficult to believe as it was such a peaceful place to spend some time.
Still in Suzdal, we moved on to the Kremlin. I was not aware
that there are several Kremlins in Russia and that, in its simplest terms, a
kremlin is the core of a community. In the case of Suzdal, the Kremlin is a
walled area of the town and includes homes, shops, government offices and a
cathedral. At one time, the entire town was inside the Kremlin. We took some
time to stroll around the cathedral grounds which included an earthen rampart
along the bank of an adjacent river. We were not at all prepared for the beauty
of the interior of the cathedral. The walls were indeed iconic. While the
original icons have been long covered over, the walls are filled with scenes of
biblical, historical and local significance. Absolutely stunning in their
beauty. Three sets of doors also adorn this building, each created with an
artistic eye. The oldest set of doors was actually made from engraved metal
which was coated with liquid gold and charcoal. The gold flowed into the
indentations in the metal and when the charcoal was later removed a thin sheath
of gold highlighted the original images created by the artist. Stunning!!
While in the cathedral, we were surprised to be treated to a
short concert by three vocalists who performed some wonderful Gregorian chants.
The sounds of their voices filled the space; the harmony was magical; the acoustics
outstanding; and the tingles in our spines stayed with us for a long time. It
was such a personal event as we were only 3 of 10 people in the cathedral at
the time. Pinch me … did we really experience that?
We travelled to the nearby city of Vladimir which is a much
larger city than Suzdal. While Suzdal has successfully retained its historic
character, Vladimir has transformed into a commercial and industrial city and
grown in population to 350,000. Vladimir is known best for its dairy industry,
its bread factory and its manufacture of liquor, yes, including vodka. There
was a conflict between Suzdal and Vladimir when the east/west railway across
Russia was being planned. Both communities were campaigning to be on the route.
In the end the decision was made to put the train through Vladimir and the
result is quite visible in the differences between the two communities now.
The main street of the business district of Vladimir consists
of many two-storey buildings with shops on ground level and apartments above.
The concept of having people live in the core of the city has been a consistent
goal. In nearby residential areas, we saw brightly coloured houses with
decorative trim, as we had seen in Suzdal.
Many historic buildings and structures still exist in
Vladimir, notably the gates to the city that were constructed in 1163. They
have marked the entrance to the old part of town ever since.
The name of the city actually came from a man who was named
Vladimir and who actually moved the capital of Russia from Kiev to Vladimir for
a period of time. Vladimir is buried in the beautiful cathedral atop a hill
overlooking the river valley. The setting for the cathedral is almost as
beautiful as the cathedral itself. Numerous domes of gold adorn the roof. The
interior is also filled with decorative gold, outlining icons, creating barriers,
adorning tombs. Several very prominent historic figures are buried inside the
cathedral, or at least parts of people. In one case, it is documented that the
tip of one finger is buried in this place while the rest of the body, perhaps
in parts, is buried elsewhere. There are also graves that contain none of the
remains but some of the belongings from the deceased household and family. And
one coffin of a woman buried several centuries ago has a glass lid so that we
can see the mummified hand of the enclosed.
It was long past lunchtime and we were somewhat hungry. Serge
suggested a buffet style restaurant at the edge of town. What it actually was,
was a ‘hypermarket’ a bit like a Walmart where you could buy anything and it
had 70 checkout lanes. At one end there was a buffet restaurant where we found
delicious soups, salads and breads among many other things. Lunch cost us
$12.00 total and we enjoyed it thoroughly!
Serge dropped us off at our hotel about 3 pm and we took
some time to catch up on this blog, email and photo organization. Jim went for
a massage and I had a nap. We are looking forward to dinner tonight at The
Beehive, the best restaurant in Suzdal. The table we have booked is actually
inside a beehive in the large trunk of a tree that has been built into the
restaurant structure. For now, we are going to indulge in a sip of vodka. Gin
and tonics do not seem to be available so when in Russia, do as the Russians
do!
A PS just before posting this … once again dinner was unimaginably
delicious, beginning with a basket or forest picked mushrooms, a hotpot pie for
me and a bbq chicken for Jim and for dessert, the piece de resistance …. A delicious
combination of pinenuts, red currants, honey and yogurt, developed by a Russian
Olympian as a healthy finale to any meal. We absolutely agree!!
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