2006 Russian Trip
Day 5
I should have mentioned that last night the tour guides decided we needed a tour of Moscow by Night. This sounded great. It left us very flat. Not needed, not well done and well, let’s just say the Russian tourism industry has a long way to go to understand westerners.
We drove right by the cemetery where Nikita Kruschev is buried as well as other leaders. For baby boomers such as us, which means nearly everyone on the trip, this was an important site. We all said the same thing, why didn’t we go there? The answer was “It is not convenient” and it was closed at night. For us the former Soviet leader was as vivid as he could be, even today. The Missiles of October, the bomb shelters, the shoe pounding on the desk at the United Nations were all highlights of our lives, or low-lights. This was the Russia we knew.
The entire night was a flop and certainly wasn’t what we expected. The next day we made the same rounds in the morning and even passed by a Russian Swap Meet. All of us talked about how we would have loved to have gone there. Not on the tour. Not even thought of as being on the tour. We did stop at a convent which held a Russian Czar’s wife as prisoner once. The beautiful lake outside was calm enough to take a mirrored photo which I could not resist.
This day actually belonged to The Kremlin. We were also joined by some locals going on the tour and others who had made their stops in Moscow to join up with our tour boat.
Heading toward the Kremlin walls we passed by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guarded by goose stepping Russian soldiers. We watched the changing of the guards. The eternal flames were burning as they do in other countries, as ours does in Arlington National Cemetery. Still this is always an impressive and somber site. Especially when you remember the millions of Russians who died defending what is now St. Petersburg during the cold German invasion.
Entering Red Square it is impossible to imagine how big it is unless you are there. If you have been to St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City you will understand. It is massive. The Kremlin is on the right with its giant walls and Lenin’s Tomb anchoring the vastness which is this place.
St. Basil’s Church at the far end, a smaller church to the left and the Gum Department store on the left flank. This was the Moscow I covered as a reporter from afar off during the Cold War. This was the Moscow I came to see.
It was massive. We walked the cobblestones taking in the history we lived and my friend Milton and I discussed the days of the Kennedy Speech in 1962 when I remember asking my father if we were going to build a bomb shelter. His answer was only that many people were going to be building bomb shelters in the USA now. Thankfully none were ever needed as the Soviets pulled their missiles from Cuba.
Claudia and I decided to enter Lenin’s Tomb. Whoops! A two-hour wait for tickets. I never liked Lenin anyway. Let’s go to the Gum. A giant 100 year old department store which sheltered every little store under the sun, the Gum was once the center of Russian shopping. It is much less important today since Russians can buy Levi’s and Gucci anywhere. It was known more during the Soviet days as having a basement serving as a KGB prison. We used the restrooms down there but didn’t really go much farther. We did have a quick coffee and a bit of relaxing in one of the small indoor café’s.
Meeting up with friends outside we walked to St. Basils, took some photos and headed back toward our group. Strolling around the outside of the Kremlin we were led to the famous bell which has never rung and the Czar’s giant cannon which has never fired. A crowd was gathering and our tour guides explained we were in for a treat if we wanted to stay for awhile. The Russian horse guard was going to parade through one of the side squares and put on a precision demonstration. Of course we all said we’d love to watch. It was impressive as some 50 of Russia’s best cavalrymen marched their high stepping steeds as the band played. It was very cool.
When the parade ended the rest of the group was heading onto another tour which we didn’t care to take. Our guide said the bus could drop us off at our planned destination; Detsky Mir. One of the world’s oldest toy stores this four story complex was not to be missed. The bus driver stopped right across the street and we made our way inside stopping at the first food place we found; A young man hand crushing pomegranates into juice. For a few rubles we refreshed on the very tasty nectar and went in search of toy-land.
First up, the long standing carousel which stood two floors high. Kids and parents alike rode to the music while above swung an oversized balloon with its carriage of stuffed animals. It was definitely something to see.
Meandering around the store we noticed it was much more than a toy store these days. Clothes, handbags, restaurants. In the middle of an aisle I noticed a life sized statue of Shaquille O’Neal made of Lego’s. He was in a Lakers uniform no less. Outdated? Yes but still a neat photo. I convinced a small Russian boy to stand in front of the Shaq Daddy while I took his photo.
Hungry enough to take a break we found a small cafeteria style eatery on the third floor. My Russian was good enough or maybe bad enough to get us each a bowl of soup, a salad, fruit, some bread and veggies to go along with some ice tea. The total cost for both of us was about $5.00 US or 150 rubles. The group on our tour who took the box lunch from the boat was envious later on. Their lunch consisted of a cheese sandwich and an apple.
Claudia collects masks as well as the famous Russian dolls called Matrioshka’s and inside the store she found some Halloween style masks which looked much like the grand ball masks you find in Venice. They were inexpensive and decorative enough for what she wanted so she bought them. I liked the fact they were inexpensive!
Our goal was to meet up with our tour group at the McDonalds on Arabat Street, the famous Russian shopping avenue which is closed to vehicles. It was a short subway ride away but we weren’t sure of the direction. While in the Metro I sought out a few people to ask directions. One got us to one stop away but from there we were confused as to which train to take. I spotted a young Russian girl in her mid 20’s and began a conversation explaining we were trying to get to the McDonalds on Arabat. She understood everything I said except McDonalds. We went back and forth and she just didn’t understand. This McDonalds was so famous I was at a loss to explain why she didn’t know where it was.
Then I asked for a pencil and wrote it down. Her eyes lit up and with a very bright smile she looked at me and said — oh Mac-Donalds? — she said and then pointed to the proper platform and indicated it was the very next stop.
My wife and I looked at each other and just laughed. The pronunciation of Mickey DEE’s is the same in Russian as it is in English but for some reason WRITING IT DOWN made a difference. The girl laughed with us and it was a moment all three of us will remember as one of those little moments in time where the simplest of things became simpler by being more difficult. I guess you could say it was unreal.
We quickly found our group in front of the burger joint and after a little shopping — and a beer and a Russian snack down the street from McDonalds — we boarded the bus back to the boat. Sorry, but I try not to eat at McDonalds or Burger King or KFC when in a foreign country. I may try it once but I won’t make a habit of it. There are so many more interesting places to eat when dining abroad, why bother with fast food pseudo American style.
Back at the boat we had dinner and waved good-bye to Moscow as we set sail up the Volga River. Moscow was a place I’d like to visit again but aside from a tour group. Groups are nice and it was good to get the basic history with a local expert, but it would have been nice to explore the restaurants, the neighborhoods and places where the average people hang out. We may be back. I hope so.
For now we begin sailing up river to our next stop on our trek to St. Petersburg.
