Russia 2015: A Walk in the Park

Last day in Moscow. Time to do a lot of walking in very large parks. I met up with my friends Vlas and Galina at Poklonaya Gora (Victory Park) for a walk through wars past and beautiful Russian forests. Galina's daughter, Alina, was there for her roller blade lessons. In fact, the park was full of skates, skateboards, and scooters. Several memorials and churches from various confessions are specked in quiet corners of the park. It was really impressive.

After a quick dinner back at Galina's I met with my friend from my Kostroma days, Olga. She just flew in from a trip to France and so we managed to catch up for a few hours that afternoon in Solokniki Park near her apartment. We ducked into one of the sidewalk cafes before the rain started. The mojito was perfect for the humid, cloudy afternoon (I didnt even miss the alcohol.)

I had been to this park many years ago during my Neways days, and it looked nothing like the park of today - ropes courses, mini trains giving tours around the park and girls selling flowers from baskets on their bikes. We made it to the Rose Garden during a break in the rain and then had a salad assortment back at her apartment. 

Back at my hotel, just around 11pm, fireworks! Not just a couple wimpy blasts, but at 10 minute barrage for the bride and groom celebrating in the hall downstairs. What a way to leave Russia in style!

Russia 2015: Moscow's New Old Arbat and All Things Russian

It wouldn't be a trip to Moscow without a stroll down Arbat Street. In years past, this street was crammed full with souvenir stands of fur hats, nesting dolls and military memorabilia. The souvenirs have since moved to shops in the buildings and all that remains are a few portrait artist and workers in teddy bear and Tigger suits passing out flyers. I spent most of the morning going up and down the street looking for the perfect gifts to bring home. I was able to charm a group of girls in the Matryoshka Russian Souvenir Shop on Arbat #32 (with my unexpected Russian language skills) into giving me quite a discount. Starbucks has free wi-fi, so I indulged in an overpriced raspberry-red current frozen drink while I checked emails and uploaded photos to Instagram.

Just around the corner from Arbat #32 is the Cathedral of Savior Transfiguration on the Sands. A reproduction of Polenov's famous painting "Moscow Courtyard" in our office, so I recognized it immediately.

I finished up my shopping and then decided to head out to Gorky Park. Several people told me I should visit the redesigned park so I made my way out there (I was there 20+ years ago when it had a huge rickety Farris Wheel that cost 1 ruble a ride.) I got off at the Park Kultury metro stop and followed the crowds across the Moscow River to the entrance of the park. I could see they were setting up for a big 2015 Moscow Graduation celebration, but people seemed to still be walking into the park. I was wrong. There was a small sign on the gate saying the park was closed for two days, Sure would have been nice to know this before trekking across the bridge in the rain.

Finally time for dinner. The mall near my hotel has a pretty good food court on the 3rd floor so I ordered a bit of everything from ravioli-like pelmeni and the green tarragon drink - Tarhun, to meat filled blini and a dessert shaped like a potato called "kartoshka". It was perfect. 

When I made it back to my hotel, I noticed a wedding party in the grounds just in front of the monastery. I stole a peak and found a little girl posing by the pond. It looked like a scene from a Russian painting.

Russia 2015: From Red Square to Russia's NASA

 

I caught 'Stalin' sneaking in to the Ohotniy Ryad Metro Station with two cappuccinos this morning - like Mickey Mouse and Tinkerbell at Disneyland, everyone wants a photo with him and 'Lenin'. I had some time before my presentation and decided to make my "must see" stop at Red Square. Tourists and locals alike still line up to see the real "Lenin under glass" in the mausoleum near the Kremlin walls. They now, however have to go through metal detectors near one of the Kremlin Towers first. I stood in line my first trip to Russia and that was enough for me.There was a lot of construction next to the GUM (the State Department Sore) side of the square, but not much else has changed.

I was picked up by Ekaterina, one of the TsAGI press attaches, in a very shiny Audi SUV. It took 45 minutes to get across town to the TsAGI Moscow offices. Since I had a PowerPoint from a couple of UVU classes I taught earlier on, I was able to modify it for this presentation.

The ladies from TsAGI came into Moscow just for this meeting - about two hours away. They all seemed to enjoy learning about my Olympic and Dignitary hosting experiences...I have enough stories to fill an hour, but held back the urge. They were not surprised when I told them that Russia was the most "demanding" of all the countries I managed.

Anna walked me to the Metro station and then offered to show me around Moscow for awhile. We decided to see the Christ the Savior Cathedral. It closed at 6pm and we just missed it, so all that was left to do was wander the gardens and the bridge over the Moscow River. Tired legs carried to the metro. I picked up a few piroski - cabbage, potato, and cheremuha berries - for dinner and settled back into "monastery life" at the hotel.

Russia 2015: Just outside Moscow...in Search of Gingerbread

After a long, restless White night on the train from Saint-Petersburg, I arrived in Moscow at 8:30am. Friends from the Moscow-Utah Youth Games days arranged to pick me up at the station. One of them, Vlas, had the morning free to get me settled into my hotel - Danlovskaya part of the Moscow Patriarchy Monastery, and to take a ride to some of the villages outside of Moscow.



We were looking for a special gingerbread at the Museum of Russian Desserts in Zvenigorod, but they were sold out. We did, however, stop by the 1300 century church currently being restored. Vlas took me on a short excursion around the ancient walls near the church and then we were on our way again.

Our next destination was the Savvino-Starozhevsky Monastery. Another place devoid of foreign tourists, the monastery is an active site for locals and pilgrims. Rich in history and miracles, it is also the site of a wonderful bakery. We finally found some gingerbread to take back as souvenirs.

Our last stop before heading back to Moscow was to get water at a source of holy water and to see the cave of the hermit-monk who founded the monastery. Perfect sky, perfect breeze and a perfect chance to see a new part of Russia.

The view from my window over the monastery - clouds are rolling in. I am getting ready for my presentation tomorrow to the Press and Protocol section of TsAGI - time to talk International Event Planning, Protocol and the Olympics...in Russian!

Russia 2015: A trip back in time to Oranienbaum and Palace Square

Oranienbaum is a UNESCO Heritage Site just west of St. Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland. The town of Lomonosov has groun up around it. Natasha and I decide take the train from Baltiskiy Station and spent a couple of hours enjoying the park. Only four rooms in the main Menshikov Palace were open so we decided to leave that for another visit. A few train stops from the more famous Petrodvorets, Oranienbaum was almost devoid of tourists. The wind was wicked, but we were just happy it wasn't raining like yesterday. With every turn of the lane, there was another perfect Russian picture - fields filled with tall grass and bright yellow buttercup flowers, tall thin pines and swaying birch trees, and grand pastel buildings.

We made our way back into the city as the clouds blew in and the temperature dropped. After a 15 minute walk we were on the banks of the Neva River. We peaked through the imposing iron gates of the Summer Gardens (it was closed on Tuesdays) to see a completely different park. The gardens were turned back to their original layout complete with high hedges and fountains. The stone figures of Flora and Fauna were replaced by replications and now there were quiet areas to talk around the newly restored fountains. It looked nothing like the garden I remember, or the Akhmatova poem I memorized during my study abroad at Leningrad University.

Анна Ахматова
Летний сад
Я к розам хочу, в тот единственный сад,
Где лучшая в мире стоит из оград,
Где статуи помнят меня молодой,
А я их под невскою помню водой.
В душистой тиши между царственных лип
Мне мачт корабельных мерещится скрип.
И лебедь, как прежде, плывет сквозь века,
Любуясь красой своего двойника.
И замертво спят сотни тысяч шагов
Врагов и друзей, друзей и врагов.
А шествию теней не видно конца
От вазы гранитной до двери дворца.
Там шепчутся белые ночи мои
О чьей-то высокой и тайной любви.
И все перламутром и яшмой горит,
Но света источник таинственно скрыт.
1959









After a day of walking, we had just enough strength to go past the lilac bushes in Mars Field and the larger than life Atlas figures as the domes of The Savior on Split Blood Cathedral were lit by sun breaking through the cloudy sky. It was just after 9pm and White Nights were upon us. The familiar blue-green hue of the Winter Palace was my last image of St. Petersburg, at least for a while.

Russia 2015: New Holland and Old Russia in Saint-Petersburg

A matryoshka painted on a cement truck and an "Everything you need for 37 Rubles" shop were just some of the sights of the city I came across as I walked along Nevskiy Prospect this morning.

I usually wander a city, map in hand, prepared with an umbrella, snacks, and what ever else might befall a lone traveler. However, I was in St. Petersburg. A city I had been to many times before and I was with a local...who needs maps? It turns out, we did. Natasha had heard about a place called New Holland and we were on our way to discover it. The number 5 bus took us to Workers Square, but we had no real idea where we were going after that. We of course, asked many people along the way if they new where it was. Most only shrugged or directed us the wrong way. It would have been a great chance to walk around an unfamiliar part of the city had it not been for the intermittent downpour of Russian rain. There was a beautiful restored Music Hall we utilized for a bathroom stop and plenty of picturesque buildings along the way.

Finally, we found New Holland and yes, it was closed. Turns out it was a man made Navel island from the 1700s in the middle of the Moika River. I will have to return in a few years to see if it actually become the amazing space it is supposed to be.

After our excursion to nowhere, we ducked into Linfors - a delightful cafe full of Russian pies near the Marininskiy Theater. My favorite is always the one with cabbage!



















The last stop for the day was the Russian Museum. Many years ago, I fell in love with Aivazovskiy, Vrubel, Repin, Shiskin and Levitan gazing at the beauties and wonders of Russia condensed onto a canvas.Unfortunately, it is difficult to capture the paintings on a camera, but a couple of my favorites of the poet Akhmataova and a famous Russian village scene turned out OK.

With sight seeing complete we went once again to visit Natasha's son in the hospital. It was his 18 birthday, and although he was up and looking amazingly well, he was only on day 4 of his week long stay in the hospital. I doubt a person would stay that long in the states for an appendicitis. At least the ward was nice and clean (compared to my hospital visits of the past) and they had a big TV in the hallway to share with the other kids. I am sure the tablet Sergei got for his birthday will help speed the recovery.