Russia Day 12 (Moscow, Russia): The Last Day

Today is our last day in Russia!

This morning we headed back to the city center of Moscow and went to the Assumption Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Archangel. The Assumption Cathedral’s design is based on the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and made with heavy limestone. This cathedral has been destroyed by many fires and had to be rebuilt several times. This is also where Ivan The Terrible was coronated. The Cathedral of the Archangel is where most of the Tsars of Russia are buried until they were moved to St. Petersburg. The iconostasis in this church is unique because it’s a collection of icons from cities that Tsars have conquered.

After our tours of the cathedrals we decided to stay in the area and take a later shuttle back to the ship. We went back to the Red Square and explored the World Cup Fan Zone. There was a gift shop, vendor demo booths and an exposition game going on. It wasn’t too busy when we were there, most of the fans were probably exhausted from last night’s celebration or at work. We had a hard time filling our time before the shuttle picked us up. We went back to the GUM, another mall and some grocery stores in the malls. All of that walking around was exhausting!

When we got back we immediately started packing and went to a farewell reception. This reception was a little more intimate than other farewell receptions. Since we weren’t traveling with a large group of people and staff, we really got a chance to know everyone.

This trip has been filled with pleasant surprises! I learned a lot about Russian culture, visited some incredible museums, cathedrals and palaces, walked amongst some of the most passionate soccer fans in the world and met some pretty awesome people. 

I can’t wait for my next trip. Here’s to many more!

Russia Day 10 (Moscow, Russia): The Red Square, The GUM and A Concert... With A Suprise...

Today is our first day in Moscow!

We arrived late in the afternoon so we had a pretty lazy morning which worked out perfectly because our excursion was a walking excursion. We met up with our group when it was time and we left for the metro station.

The public transportation system here has a lot of history and it’s extremely efficient! Efficiency must come with complexity because I wouldn’t be able to navigate the metro system without a guide. Trains run every 90 seconds and also connects with Reutov, Lyubertsy and Kotellniki. We started off at off at Rechnoy Vokzal then we got off at Mayakovskaya and continued to the Teatralnaya station which is the stop for the Red Square. The Mayakovskaya station is one of the most famous metro stations in the world for it’s beautiful architecture and 34 mosaics. It was also the command center for Moscow’s anti-aircraft regiment in WWII.

The Red Square is the center of Russia’s government and the city center of Moscow. A lot happens around here. Ivan The Great believed trade should be conducted person to person so The Red Square became Moscow’s trade center. Today, it was set up for The World Cup’s Fan Fest… It was packed, hot and it rained most of the time we were there. Tourist and soccer fans filled the center of the square, the GUM and neighboring malls and stores. The GUM stands for Glávnyj Universáľnyj Magazín or Main Universal Store in English. This mall is best known for its revolutionary architecture and contains stores for some very high-end luxury brands. This is where my sister and I spent most of our time.

Because it was storming we continued our walking tour by bus. We were ushered into another nearby mall while we waited for our bus to arrive. This mall had more affordable shops and a lot of shops that were unique to Russia. This mall was also very crowded. Why couldn’t we have found this mall earlier?!

Before we went to our next scheduled stop we stopped at another cathedral, Cathedral of Christ The Savior. This cathedral is where Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture premiered, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself. The Iconostasis of this church is unlike any other, it doesn’t just separate the alter from the church but the paintings actually wrap around the whole cathedral. It's beauty has been compared to that of the Vatican.

We also attended a concert where they performed traditional, folk and popular Russian songs. The musicians were very talented, each had a formal music education and were vetted in one way or another.

After the concert we went back to the ship for a very late dinner and bed. Little did I know there was a surprise in store for me. After dinner the wait staff brought a small cake and sang happy birthday to me. They took the cake back and cut it and brought it back out to us on individual plates. The presentation was incredible! Thank you, everyone!

What a way to spend a birthday!