# Moscow, Vologda, and St. Petersburg



## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

Very awesome mate, lookin in for more!


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Next we get to a really big cannon:


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


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Note that the Eastern Orthodox crosses are different than the crosses in Western Christianity. It was explained to me though I can't recall the explanation.


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As you can see from the people, this bell was pretty massive too.


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Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


In the haze you can see one of the Stalinist "Seven Sisters" by 600West218, on Flickr


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

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It was definitely full spring mode in Moscow. Not only was it quite hot but there were flowers everywhere.


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ok, now I get to indulge my fetish for emergency vehicles a bit. This appears to be an ambulance, though not a particularly attractive one. Certainly no bright colors to make it highly visible.


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At this point I have left the Kremlin and am taking pictures of it from the outside.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Next I started making my way along the walls of the Kremlin towards the State History Museum and Red Square.


This is outside the Kremlin along the wall where they have monuments to different battles. by 600West218, on Flickr

There is a significant WWII memorial. This lists major battles of that war.


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Smolensk


Stalingrad in case you don't read Cryllic. by 600West218, on Flickr

Stalingrad


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The guards of the eternal flame. Later I got to see the changing of the guard which was quite nice.


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Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The State History Museum


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They do have some signs in English, but very few. Definitely you need to learn to read the Cyrillic alphabet before coming to Moscow as an independent traveller.


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Looking towards Red Square. Note that it is a uphill slope going to the square.


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From the same spot but looking in the opposite direction.


Looking up towards the entrance of Red Square. by 600West218, on Flickr

Gates to Red Square. I am told these gates were removed during Soviet times to facilitate the big parades in Red Square but were put back after the fall of the Soviet Union.


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Here is a police car. Not spectacular but definitely better than the ambulance.

As it was lunch time I wandered away from the Kremlin and into the regular city looking for a place to eat.


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This sculpture was interesting. It looks like stuff from the Afghan war.


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Looking back in the direction of Red Square and the State History Museum.


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More Stalinist housing blocks.


Typical Stalin era housing. by 600West218, on Flickr

Definitely you can't accuse the Stalinist stuff of being drab.


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Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This is a Niva which is a Soviet era SUV. It is actually made by the same company that makes the Lada I believe. Definitely nothing fancy but it does have good ground clearance and could probably handle off road conditions easily.


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

Niva looks dated but I actually still like it, and you wont believe it but it's one of the best offload vehicles actually, very nimble on dirt and other offload surfaces. Other soviet cars are crap mostly 

I like your diary man, I love traveling myself, and when I'm too busy with the work I love to look such photo diaries through, keep up the good work!

Cheers


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks.

Actually, there were some other Soviet cars I liked. Some old ones that were restored looked quite nice - classic cars if you will. And there was one brand that was probably comparable to western cars in its time. I'll have plenty of pictures of all of them. As the report progresses they'll be more and more pictures focusing on daily life.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Moscow feels quite austere -and a little scary! But underneath, you get the sense of a rather grand aesthetic, elegant and imperial -with much religiosity?

Very intriguing!


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

This Volga was quite nice for it's time, some people say it was even more advanced than most of the western cars of the time.

Here's an awesome remake:


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> Moscow feels quite austere -and a little scary! But underneath, you get the sense of a rather grand aesthetic, elegant and imperial -with much religiosity?
> 
> Very intriguing!


Yes, it is a bit austere. Relatively little of the grand old buildings that pre-date the 1917 revolution. When it comes to the old but grand buildings even Liverpool has more than Moscow (I've spent I good amount of time wandering about both those cities so I am confident in that statement). But it really does exude power. I've never seen anything remotely comparable to the Kremlin or Red Square before. Maybe the Zocalo in Mexico City for large plaza's but that had nothing of the power of Red Square. And the avenues are so large - they make the avenues of New York look child like.

Definitely religiosity is on the upswing. You see not just many churches but many new churches and churches under construction. Also, the monasteries aren't museums, they are functioning monasteries.

As to being scary, it really isn't scary at all. Never had any problem with the police or anyone else (well, one person who I'll mention shortly). The only mildly troubling time was being around some obviously drunk people. Also, tourists on their own are quite rare in Moscow, and definitely in Russia as a whole. When people hear English being spoken in definitely gets their attention. Normally that is fine but there can be unwanted attention.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

irmscher9 said:


> This Volga was quite nice for it's time, some people say it was even more advanced than most of the western cars of the time.
> 
> Here's an awesome remake:


I'm going to do you up with some even better pictures than those :banana: ^^ :cheers:


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

After getting some lunch I headed back towards Red Square.

A better look at the police car:


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Again, looking up through a gate towards Red Square. Note St. Basils Cathederal which is actually on the opposite end of Red Square. by 600West218, on Flickr

Looking up towards Red Square. Note St. Basils through the gate.


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This is supposed to be the "zero" geographic spot against which all distances and locations in Russia are measured. I guess it is their equivalent of the Greenwhich Meridian. One thing it helps show is how centralized Russia is around Moscow. What London is to England and Paris is to France Moscow is to Russia and maybe more. All distances are measured relative to Moscow and all times are always Moscow times.

For example, if you buy a train ticket from Novosibirsk to Vladivostock, both of which are far from Moscow and differ in time by many hours the departure and arrival times on the tickets won't be in local times but in Moscow time. Seems bizarre but it is true.


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Red Square with the large GUM store on the left, St. Basils straight ahead, and the Kremlin on the right. by 600West218, on Flickr

Red Square again, which is bound by the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathederal, the GUM store and the State History Museum.


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The GUM store, which is actually now a shopping mall with many stores. It is an arcade, similar to the arcades you'll see in Leeds, England or Milan, Italy.


The State History museum which is directly behind where I took the previous picture from. So Red Square is bordered by the Kremlin, St. Basils Cathederal, the GUM, and the State History Museum. by 600West218, on Flickr

The State History Museum


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Getting your picture taken in Red Square seems to be a popular thing to do.


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I think all the street type markings on the pavement are so the vehicles in the parades no where they should be.


The tombs of top Soviet officials in the Kremlin wall. The one of the left looks to be Stalin. by 600West218, on Flickr

Some of the tombs in the Kremlin wall. I believe the one on the left is Stalin.


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Lenin's tomb. One of the most interesting parts of travelling is comparing the reality of things to how you had always imagined that they were. Some things are much bigger and grander than you imagined. But other things smaller.

Lenins tomb was definitely much smaller and less imposing than I had imagined. When I would see video of the Soviet leaders standing atop it to review a parade it seemed so large and imposing. But in person it was a small structure about 3 stories tall at most.

I think I know why my image of it was so distorted. I think the camera angles when the video of the leaders was taken was from street level looking up. So you could never see exactly how high it was and it looked like it was much higher than it actually is.


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Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Gradually I made my way to the far end of Red Square and St. Basil's Cathederal.


St. Basils Cathederal by 600West218, on Flickr


BTW, note that the cross of the Eastern Orthodox Church is different from the western Christian Church. It has three crosses instead of one. Someone explained what they mean but I can't recall the explanation right now. by 600West218, on Flickr


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One of the Seven Sisters visible from Red Square. I never did figure out which one this is or what it housed.


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A slightly more colorful ambulance in the middle. Note the ubiquitous water spraying trucks in the upper left.


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Inside St. Basils you could look up the onion domes.


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BTW, in Eastern Orthodox paintings the circle around ones head signifies saintliness.


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Leaving St. Basils to the right we have GUM:


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And to the left the Kremlin:


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## ovnours (Mar 2, 2012)

Very nice pics and interesting narration actually. It's always interesting to hear foreigners' impressions about stuff you never notice in your own city. 

About water spraying. You know, Moscow is pretty dusty. I mean reeeeeally dusty. With construction sights on every corner and millions of cars (many travelling from the countryside) a right lane of any street becomes covered in dust within several hours. So water spraying is a way to prevent this. They do the same with the sidewalks as well.


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

ovnours said:


> Very nice pics and interesting narration actually. It's always interesting to hear foreigners' impressions about stuff you never notice in your own city.
> 
> About water spraying. You know, Moscow is pretty dusty. I mean reeeeeally dusty. With construction sights on every corner and millions of cars (many travelling from the countryside) a right lane of any street becomes covered in dust within several hours. So water spraying is a way to prevent this. They do the same with the sidewalks as well.


Mmm, interesting, I was wondering about this as well since we don't have anything like that in Riga, that's why this dust keeps gathering near the side of the road, and when a big truck passes around your eyes and mouth can get full of sand and dust. And that sucks - so these water spraying machines do the right job!

I think our Soviet ancestors didn't bother to keep industrial zones out of the cities (or modern cities have been growing too fast that overlapped those industrial outskirts) - that's the reason there are more dust in post-Soviet countries than in Western.

PS. Moscow in 1999 and now is a completely different place in the best meaning of it.


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## levaniX (May 16, 2009)

600West218 said:


> Yes, it is a bit austere. Relatively little of the grand old buildings that pre-date the 1917 revolution.


Well, If I have had more time, I'd show you lots of pre-1917 buildings in different "pereuloks"(side streets) behind grand soviet buildings where spirit of old Moscow still lives on.. I'd have showed you Kuznetsky Most, Maroseika etc


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

ovnours said:


> Very nice pics and interesting narration actually. It's always interesting to hear foreigners' impressions about stuff you never notice in your own city.
> 
> About water spraying. You know, Moscow is pretty dusty. I mean reeeeeally dusty. With construction sights on every corner and millions of cars (many travelling from the countryside) a right lane of any street becomes covered in dust within several hours. So water spraying is a way to prevent this. They do the same with the sidewalks as well.


Hi:

Thanks for the feedback.

I understand Moscow is dusty but I'm not quite sure why. Indeed, it does have a lot of construction but I think other places in the world do too and not all of them are so dusty.

I was wondering if the soil around Moscow is different from other places. Maybe it is finer and more sand like than other places and that is why it becomes so dusty and blows around.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

levaniX said:


> Well, If I have had more time, I'd show you lots of pre-1917 buildings in different "pereuloks"(side streets) behind grand soviet buildings where spirit of old Moscow still lives on.. I'd have showed you Kuznetsky Most, Maroseika etc


I did see other pedestrian areas, like the very fancy one not far from Lubyanka.

Still, I think it is safe to say Moscow has many fewer older buildings that other European cities and in particular fewer than St. Petersburg.

Much remains for me to see in Moscow - I'll be back :cheers:

But much also remains to be shown in this thread.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

St Basil's is a real treat.

I look forward to the rest of your tour.


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## petersgriff (Jun 2, 2011)

600West218 said:


> The tombs of top Soviet officials in the Kremlin wall. The one of the left looks to be Stalin. by 600West218, on Flickr


No, right Andrei Zhdanov, left Mikhail Frunze.
Stalin grave - wikimapia.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

ok. Thanks for the correction


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Wapper said:


> Great, every year around June I know that I will enjoy great pictures and the story of your trips. Keep the pics coming! :cheers:


Actually, I travel in the Fall too but last time I was too lazy to make a big thread on it. :lol:


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> I'm a boot obsessive - so I particularly liked this set. :tongue2: :lol:
> 
> Russia seems to a have a fondness for grandeur and luxury.
> 
> Good job!


I actually have a good video of the changing of the guard that if I figure out how to upload and post I will. It really is impressive to see.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

After crossing the bridge I was actually on a small island that is between the Moscow river and a artificial canal:


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I didn't really understand the purpose of this canal. It only goes a short distance and it is at the same level as the river with no locks. Maybe it is just to give more space for boats to dock.

Then I crossed over to the south side of the canal and started walking west towards Gorki park which I was told is very nice.


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No idea what these buildings were but it sure looks like Manchester England again.


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Now it all seemed renovated into offices.


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These old industrial buildings were on the island so even though they looked interesting I didn't get to check them out. I continued west.


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A huge statue I had seen in many pictures of Moscow. It is to Peter the Great. It does nothing for me. It looks out of place in my opinion.


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Next I came to a park which wasn't Gorki park but was before Gorki park.


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This park seemed to mainly have statues.


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Including LOTS of old Soviet statues.


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Looks interesting but I don't know what it says.


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They even made statues to Brezhnev. Who'd have guessed?


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I think this artwork is a monument to those who went to the Siberian prison camps.


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I think this statue was the first head of the Soviet secret police and used to be in front of Lubyanka. Can't write the guys name though.


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Continueing on they had some nice furniture in the park.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

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To cross the huge streets you had to go in big underpasses that generally had small markets in them. This one had artwork for sale.


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The entrance to Gorki Park.


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Before going in the park I made a detour up the big avenue in search of food.


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There was a plaza with Lenin and some huge Soviet era buildings.


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Back to Gorki Park.


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Gorki Park isn't big on wooded areas or landscaping, though it does have some of that. It is mainly about activities of which it has a lot. From beach volley ball, to roller blading to dancing it has a bit of everything.


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This isn't the real space shuttle of course but I am told it was a copy made for testing.


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This huge building was across the river. I was later told it is the Russian (formerly Soviet) ministry of defense.


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There was a bunch of swing dancing and also some Salsa lessons by the water.


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To the Metro to head back to Arbat.


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Revolutionary metro artwork.


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I swear the guy in that one looks like Trosky but obviously that is not possible.


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Walking over the bridget towards Arbat.


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More and more I started to like this Stalinist beat.

And with that day two ends.


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## petersgriff (Jun 2, 2011)

600West218 said:


> I swear the guy in that one looks like Trosky but obviously that is not possible


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Kalinin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigory_Ordzhonikidze


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## Whiteeclipse (Mar 31, 2005)

Great photos!

How did you get around Moscow, did you have a personal tour guide, used your iphone or tour guide book?


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## Koshmar (Jan 23, 2012)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> Looks interesting but I don't know what it says.


It says, "We'll come to victory of communist labor!"



600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Caption: "The USSR bulwark of peace"



600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> I think this statue was the first head of the Soviet secret police and used to be in front of Lubyanka. Can't write the guys name though.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Dzerzhinsky


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Whiteeclipse said:


> Great photos!
> 
> How did you get around Moscow, did you have a personal tour guide, used your iphone or tour guide book?


I had some people who helped show me around a couple of times, including a SSC member, but for the most part I just wandered around on my own. A good share of the stuff I came to I just stumbled across, I wasn't even really looking for it.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

petersgriff said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Kalinin
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigory_Ordzhonikidze


ahh, thanks. Looks like Mikhail Kalinin.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Koshmar said:


> It says, "We'll come to victory of communist labor!"
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. I really like that first statue. Nicely done.


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## petersgriff (Jun 2, 2011)

600West218 said:


> Thanks. I really like that first statue. Nicely done.


It was may 1991:






And it Moscow 1984, from Kremlin to Lubyanka. It is cult soviet TV-serial "TASS is Authorized to Declare". (0:09:31 - 0:11:33):


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## levaniX (May 16, 2009)

Well, for example, I was a guide.. And Dan, these Manchester-like buildigs are old industrial buidlings. Red-bricked Red October Factory(aka Einem) was one of the most prosperous factories(it was a chocolate factory) in Russia. 

Now it's an art cluster, place which is beloved by local hipsters/ 

There are lots of former factories like Red October around Moscow which were turned into office spaces and art galleries.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

The main even of the third day was to be a trip to Monino Air Force Museum which is about 60 kilometers to the east of Moscow. I actually had a tour company arrange things for me as there was no easy way to get there and from the internet I couldn't figure out how easy it was to get there. A taxi was to pick me up at 1 pm which gave me the morning to do something. I decided to make a quick trip to the polytechnic museum, which I showed photographs of from the previous day.

So I got on the Metro to go to it.

Now, the Moscow Metro has trains come VERY frequently and has some amazing artwork. But it also has some big downsides. Two of the biggest are extremely long escalator rides to get in and out of the stations and HUGE crowds and lines for those escalators. I am not kidding when I say sometimes it took longer to get out of the station than it took to travel between stations.

Frankly, the crowds were a bit scary.


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Note the woman in the booth at the bottom of the escalators. They are present in all stations and they do crowd control on the escalators as well as control which ones are in operation. It tells you something that these jobs are necessary.


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Can you see the end of that escalator? Neither can you when you are actually riding it.


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Again, these signs showing all lines you can transfer to and what their stations are were helpful.


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These quasi English looking buildings were by the Polytechnic Museum.


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Unfortunately, when I got to the Polytechnic Museum I was told it was closed and would not be opening. I was really disappointed but what could I do. I later found out it is closed for a long time for renovations. After sitting in a plaza despairing for a while I finally came up with the idea of going to Moscow City and checking out all the big new skyscrapers under construction there. That is something that could be done in a couple of hours.

After another ride in the Metro I resurfaced to this sight:


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I have to say the designs of these skyscrapers seem more innovative than the designs we have in New York. I particularly like the one that seems like blocks unevenly stacked on each other.


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It didn't really look like any were completed and occupied yet but I was told that some of them were.


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Right across the street from the towering glass skyscrapers were these apartment buildings which I think are some examples of the infamous "Khruschev slums". They didn't look that bad to me but everyone I heard complained about them. I never did get inside these buildings.


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Quite a contrast, no?


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They remind me of tenement buildings in New York City.


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A cool looking job, whatever it is.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

I didn't see any easy way into the actual Moscow City site so I decided to wander around the residential part of the area and see what it was like.


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Note how some of the balconies are enclosed and some not. I guess they are built as regular balconies and some people decide to enclose them.


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Just as you can in the U.S., in Russia you can more or less tell when something was built just by looking at its style. The tall apartment buildings like the one above where generally built in the Brezhnev era of the 1960s and 1970s while the smaller 5 story ones are generally from the Khruchev era of the 1950s.


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I had no idea what there were when I first saw them. I thought they might be some sort of storage unit, which was half right. As it turns out, they are actually garages where people store their cars.


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And while the buildings may not be so nice note the cars - Mercedes and Audis. People do have their priorities.


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Note how they don't use a consistent brick size and different rows have different size bricks.


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A very humble entrance way. ALL post revolution buildings seemed to have very humble entrance ways. I was in some really nice recently built apartment buildings and while they were very nice the entrance ways were shocking plain and ugly.


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This seemed like some sort of add on to the building but at first I couldn't figure out what it was.


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A Soviet jeep 


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Some 1970 era buildings.


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I couldn't figure out what this was though it looked like a school or some sort of medical facility. Also, it looked like it was new cladding on a not so new building.


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Ok, finally I figured out what these glass shafts were even if you can't really see it from the picture. They were elevators added on to the building next to the stairwells. I guess at some point people got tired of hoofing it up to the fifth floor so they had these added.


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Again, note the contrast between the cars and the residences.


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A Lada 4 by 4 and a Lada sedan.


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Going back to the Metro I went through the extremely luxerious shopping center next to Moscow City.


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The Metro Station was new and had an art exhibition dedicated to Siberia.


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There were different kinds of cars on the Moscow metro ranging from pretty modern ones with lots of electronic signs to pretty old ones which almost no signs at all. The next couple pictures are poor in quality but give you a sense of the older, I assume Soviet era, metro cars.


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As you can see, pretty bare bones but not bad.

Arriving back at Arbat I decided to take some daylight pictures of the Ministry of Foriegn Affairs, which as you may recall is one of the Stalinist Seven Sisters.


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Note all the wires protruding from the tower. Could those all be antennas?


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I like the way the stone has aged. It gives the building more gravitus.


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Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr



Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Looking at this building was like looking at a cathedral. The more you looked at it the more details jumped out at you.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

And with that I was back at Arbat street to await my taxi ride to Monino Air Force Museum.


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## domtoren (Jan 20, 2009)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> Just to continue on the upscale cars theme for a minute about the only American cars I saw in Russia were Cadillac Escalades and Hummers.
> 
> ...


Hello, you only had this kind of problem once? 
Here in Holland I had several times problems with police or security people when taking photos in metro and rail stations, actually there is no law which forbids that but it seems as if they are afraid of terrorists planning an attack or so, here they became paranoid with that kind of thing, nice that in Russia that is not seen as a big problem, I read that in CCCP times that was different. '


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

domtoren said:


> Hello, you only had this kind of problem once?
> Here in Holland I had several times problems with police or security people when taking photos in metro and rail stations, actually there is no law which forbids that but it seems as if they are afraid of terrorists planning an attack or so, here they became paranoid with that kind of thing, nice that in Russia that is not seen as a big problem, I read that in CCCP times that was different. '


Yes, only once. I often took pictures of train stations and metro stations right in front of the police and they didn't care.

On the whole I found Russians quite permissive on this. More so than even American officials.

Further, all the statements you hear on the internet about how you can't take pictures in Russia, you need to resister with the police everywhere you go, and you can't visit the museums at Monino and Kubinka are totally false. I found Russia to be very open and simply never had a problem.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

I was picked up by the guide and driver who were taking me to Monino which is a huge museum of the Soviet/Russian Air Force. Although the drive out of the city was quite interesting I didn't take any pictures. I only started taking pictures once I arrived at the museum.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The entrance to the museum was in a small building that itself was interesting and in fact had some exhibits which I never did get to walk through. Not sure why.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The flag on the right is the flag of the Russian Air Force and you sometimes see it on the tails of their planes.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I was accompanied by an english speaking guide who was a former Soviet pilot. He was very good, informative, and entertaining. First who took me to a hanger which was set up like a traditional museum.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I nice view for a bombardier in a dive bomber.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This plane isn't a Soviet made plane at all. It is a P-39 which was an American plane made in Buffalo, New York and given to England and the Soviet Union in huge quantities during the Second World War. It wasn't a very good plane from what I understand but both those countries needed everything they could get.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Interesting plane. Sadly I can't recall if this was a rocket or a jet.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A WWI vintage plane with a radial engine. They always had signs that ware in both Russian and English but I didn't always take pictures of them.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This almost looks like a Curtis Jenny. I wouldn't be surprised if it was copied from a Jenny.

But it has a fascinating feature. Note the radiator beneath the fuselage. It can be retracted and deployed as needed. I've never seen that before.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This is certainly a very sharp looking airplane with a great paint scheme. But I don't know how practical it is. Look how tiny the canopy is. How is the pilot supposed to see anything?


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Apparently it was one of the first MIGs.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

YAK - another famous Soviet design bureau that continued right up to the end of Soviet times and apparently got its start with WWII


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A very strong looking attack airplane. Note the large cannon on display beneath it. I'm sure it ruined a lot of German tank commanders days when these things showed up.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I'll leave it up to you to figure out which was the Soviet pilot and which the American tourist.

After we finished with that hanger we walked down a road. After a little while this is what I saw:


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

When I saw that I knew immediately what I was looking at and knew that I was in for an amazing treat and that every last Ruble spent on getting to this museum would be worth it.


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Wow, that looks like a phantastic museum. I'm planning to visit Russia in the next couple of years and I will need to remember to see this museum.

One remark: Not every large building in red brick is copied from England  Those kind of Buildings can be found everywhere in Europe, especially in (former) industrial regions in NW- and NE-Europe. Actually, I think you must also have them in NE-America. In my opinion, these buildings above look really different from English architecture.


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

600West218 said:


> Yes, only once. I often took pictures of train stations and metro stations right in front of the police and they didn't care.
> 
> On the whole I found Russians quite permissive on this. More so than even American officials.
> 
> Further, all the statements you hear on the internet about how you can't take pictures in Russia, you need to resister with the police everywhere you go, and you can't visit the museums at Monino and Kubinka are totally false. I found Russia to be very open and simply never had a problem.


Yes, it's because western media tend to brainwash people against Russia... Most of the people I met in the west thought that there's a dictatorship regime is still present in Russia, and it I saw it was pointless to try prove them wrong. What I've noticed is that in Russia you have freedom to think, freedom inside your head, in the West media develops a dogmatic thinking in you right off your childhood and it sucks to be honest.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Wapper said:


> Wow, that looks like a phantastic museum. I'm planning to visit Russia in the next couple of years and I will need to remember to see this museum.
> 
> One remark: Not every large building in red brick is copied from England  Those kind of Buildings can be found everywhere in Europe, especially in (former) industrial regions in NW- and NE-Europe. Actually, I think you must also have them in NE-America. In my opinion, these buildings above look really different from English architecture.


If you are at all into military museums there is just nothing, and I mean nothing, that compares to Moscow and St. Petersburg. You will see so many that after a couple weeks you will be like "If I see one more tank I am going to throw up..." :nuts: Both the Monino air force museum and the Kubinka tank museum are absolute musts.

As for the buildings, yes, I realize that. But in my mind I associate them with Britian because I associate them so much with the early industrial revolution. Plus, northern England was the first place I made a big trip in Europe to so I think of them starting there because that is where I first saw so many. But of course, there were lots in Northern France and Belgium too.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

irmscher9 said:


> Yes, it's because western media tend to brainwash people against Russia... Most of the people I met in the west thought that there's a dictatorship regime is still present in Russia, and it I saw it was pointless to try prove them wrong. What I've noticed is that in Russia you have freedom to think, freedom inside your head, in the West media develops a dogmatic thinking in you right off your childhood and it sucks to be honest.


Indeed, Russia seemed very free. At times too free, and lacking in discipline. But without a doubt there seems to be a lot of false impressions about Russia in the West.

Go on the Wilkipedia site about "Kubinka Tank Museum" and they make it sound like a high security place that foreigners can't go to or need special persmission for. Total non-sense. You just show up and buy your ticket just like any place in the west. And you can take all the pictures you like. 

I really dont' know how all these false rumors start. Maybe it was that way in the past.


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

600West218 said:


> Indeed, Russia seemed very free. At times too free, and lacking in discipline. But without a doubt there seems to be a lot of false impressions about Russia in the West.
> 
> Go on the Wilkipedia site about "Kubinka Tank Museum" and they make it sound like a high security place that foreigners can't go to or need special persmission for. Total non-sense. You just show up and buy your ticket just like any place in the west. And you can take all the pictures you like.
> 
> I really dont' know how all these false rumors start. Maybe it was that way in the past.


Well, these false rumors are being started on purpose mostly, that's some sort of informational media war against Russia, I've noticed that log ago. I don't want to dive into politics too deeply, but yeah, US+UK foreign policies are mostly good with any dirty tactics that yields results, that's the fact. Most of US major news channels misinterpret the world events if needed, under a beneficial angle (pardon my french)

About those luxury cars near not so luxury buildings. Well, those building may look crap but they are located very close to city center, so the price for square meter may start anywhere from $5000 and above 


PS. Yeah, discipline is Russian weak point.


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## dars-dm (Oct 13, 2007)

600West218 said:


> This very interesting building is the Polytechnic Museum which is supposed to be a first rate science and technology museum which was high on my list of things to see in Moscow. To my chagrin it was closed for renovation. I have no idea what the building was prior to being a museum.


The fact can be funny but it was built for the museum and the plot had been empty before.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

irmscher9 said:


> About those luxury cars near not so luxury buildings. Well, those building may look crap but they are located very close to city center, so the price for square meter may start anywhere from $5000 and above


Indeed, that is likely true. Though I would think those would be replaced at some point. 

As I'll show later, there is a big difference between external appearance and internal appearence of these buildings.


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

600West218 said:


> Indeed, that is likely true. Though I would think those would be replaced at some point.
> 
> As I'll show later, there is a big difference between external appearance and internal appearence of these buildings.


Yeah, they just demolish this kind of old buildings in Moscow, the plot is just expensive enough to cover the costs of demolishing and resettlement.


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## Whiteeclipse (Mar 31, 2005)

600West218 said:


> Indeed, that is likely true. Though I would think those would be replaced at some point.
> 
> As I'll show later, there is a big difference between external appearance and internal appearence of these buildings.


Yes it will be replaced, the Moscow government building inspectors are ruling that many old apartment buildings in center of Moscow are unsafe to live in, when that happens Moscow offers the residents a new condo (apartment) in Moscow region which is away from Moscow center.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

After getting my appetite wetted by the view over the fence we continued along, walked through the gate to the open air part of the museum and saw this:


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I'm not quite sure how many times I said "wow", but it was a lot. I had seen these on TV, seen it in magazines and books, seen it on the internet but never dreamed I would see it in real life. And let me assure you - it is a million times more impressive in real life than in any of those mediums or in this photo journal. It is simply stunning and awe inspiring.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Ok, not to say what it is - this is the largest helicopter ever built. Almost all helicopter records in terms of payload lifted, size, etc, are still owned by this helicopter even though it was built in the late 1960s.

It was built to carry nuclear missiles to very remote parts of the Soviet Union where there were no roads.


Now THAT is a helicopter. It was stunningly large. They used it to carry nuclear missiles to parts of Siberia where there were no roads. by 600West218, on Flickr

Its hard to convert the size and scale of this but here is my best shot.

The way they built this is quite interesting. What they did is they took two sets of engineers and rotors of the exact same type that are used on the huge Mi8 helicopter and married them to the fuselage of a large congenital transport plane. In other words, nothing in what you are looking at is really new. Rather, they created a Frankenstien like monster by assembling parts from other helicopters and aircraft.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Quite frankly, it is hard for me to understand how it is even air worthy but apparently it was.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Note how it seems to even have two cockpits.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Interesting fact about this bad boy. Note how it has two engines under each set of rotors. If one engine fails they still have power for that rotor so it can fly ok. But here comes something mind blowing. BOTH engines under a rotor can fail and that rotor will still have power. The reason is there is a drive shaft through the wings that connects the two rotors. So if both engines on the left fail the engines on the right can still give enough power to BOTH rotors for the helicopter to fly. Absolutely amazing.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I think I stayed staring at this thing for 20 minutes. But there was a whole gigantic field of planes to explore so it was time to move on.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Across from the helicopter was this… B-29 American bomber. No idea how it wound up there but there it was. I'll tell you one thing. The B-29 is a big plane that normally looks big. But next to that helicopter it was downright puny.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Next came lots and lots of bombers. Too many to keep track of.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Now, this is a really cool plane that I had not seen before. Note how the nose bends down like the Anglo-French Concorde did.

But further note where the windows of the cockpit are!!


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Note that when the nose goes up to its inflight supersonic speed position the windows will be blocked. This plane is then flown completely by instruments!


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I wonder why they didn't do this with the Concorde? Probably because the idea of the pilots not being able to see where they are going would freak out the passengers.


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## russianpride (Dec 22, 2008)

> Right across the street from the towering glass skyscrapers were these apartment buildings which I think are some examples of the infamous "Khruschev slums". They didn't look that bad to me but everyone I heard complained about them. I never did get inside these buildings.


The name of this area is Kamushki. Till the end of 2015 Kamuski will be demolished.



> And while the buildings may not be so nice note the cars - Mercedes and Audis. People do have their priorities.
> 
> Again, note the contrast between the cars and the residences.


Actually these cars belong to people who work in Moscow-City and don't want to pay for parking, that's why they park their cars in Kamushki for free.


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## Russellss (Feb 12, 2012)

Cool stuff, thanks for the report. I've been in Moscow many times but never seen this museum.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

russianpride said:


> The name of this area is Kamushki. Till the end of 2015 Kamuski will be demolished.
> 
> 
> 
> Actually these cars belong to people who work in Moscow-City and don't want to pay for parking, that's why they park their cars in Kamushki for free.


Thanks much for the information.

Still even if it is office workers it is curious that they park on the street like that. If they can afford such expensive cars why not spend money to park them in a garage. I would think they must get damaged on the street. Also, couldn't they be stolen? Is there much car theft in Moscow?

I really didn't see what buildings in Moscow City were open. It looked like one big construction site to me.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Next it was time to head into another hanger with displays:


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

These make look like space capsules but actually I think they were used for tests with high altitude balloons.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A very old four engine bomber.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This small model of Buran actually was used in the development of the Buran space shuttle. It was carried to high altitudes by Soviet jets which then dropped it to test its aerodynamic performance.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Note the contraption in the background. It looks exactly like the rocket vehicle that was used in the US space program to train the astronauts for moon landings (and that Neil Armstrong famously almost was killed in).


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Gotta love this. In the Everglades swamps of Florida they have airboats for going over shallow water. Well, here they have a air car clearly made for going over snow. Different climate but same concept.  I'd love to see this in action!


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Info for those of you who can read Russian.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Sort of looks like the bomber we saw earlier.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Those who read Russian can probably tell exactly what they were doing with these things.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Hah, talk about a flying wing!!


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Obviously, the lack of English on the signs was a downside for me.

After finishing up in that hangar it was back to the outside exhibit area where there were LOTS and LOTS of planes and helicopters to see. More on that tomorrow.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

BTW, some like the changing of the guard pictures so I uploaded a video I took of it to Flickr. Lets see if this works:


[flash=http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=109786]width="400" height="225" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=c0de42b81a&photo_id=9000974787" bgcolor="#000000" allowFullScreen="true"[/flash]

I guess that didn't work. Here is a link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/600west218/9000974787/


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## Koshmar (Jan 23, 2012)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> ...


It is written that it is: Stratospheric balloon gondola "Volga"
November 1, 1962, stratospheric balloon "Volga" climbed to a height of 25,600 meters. Crew: colonel Dolgov and major Andreev, conducted research, test new aircraft and space equipment. After that made ​​a jump, by putting new at the time a world record.




600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> Obviously, the lack of English on the signs was a downside for me.
> .


It is written that it is: Diskoplan - an experimental glider with a round wing.


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

That MI-12 is absolutely stunning. I am stupified that it isn't more famous. It's such an exceptional vehicle. Sadly, only 2 of them appear to have been built.

Now I certainly want to visit that museum!


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## russianpride (Dec 22, 2008)

600West218 said:


> Still even if it is office workers it is curious that they park on the street like that. If they can afford such expensive cars why not spend money to park them in a garage.


Exactly. Everything depends on mentality. In Soviet Union people used to live when everything was free or almost free and many still mentally live in such condition, especially in small towns. In Moscow and other big cities the situation has already changed, but people who come from other regions behave in other way. For example that black Mercedes CLS is from Karachay-Cherkessia. The code is 09. Moscow codes are 77, 97, 99, 177, 197, 199. 



600West218 said:


> I would think they must get damaged on the street. Also, couldn't they be stolen?


Owners of such cars often think like "I don't care, I have insurance"...



600West218 said:


> Is there much car theft in Moscow?


Not too much, but it happens. Expensive cars usually have very good satellite security systems, so hijackers prefer cheaper cars like Lada, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and they sell these cars as spare parts.



600West218 said:


> I really didn't see what buildings in Moscow City were open. It looked like one big construction site to me.


It's a pity that you didn't go to the Moscow-City. There is a huge fire station in the Northern tower which has a very nice collection of fire ladders including the tallest in Europe (101 meters).


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## Whiteeclipse (Mar 31, 2005)

600West218 said:


> Thanks much for the information.
> 
> Still even if it is office workers it is curious that they park on the street like that. If they can afford such expensive cars why not spend money to park them in a garage. I would think they must get damaged on the street. Also, couldn't they be stolen? Is there much car theft in Moscow?
> 
> I really didn't see what buildings in Moscow City were open. It looked like one big construction site to me.


Most car theft happens at night, if they don't have a garage at their condo tower then they park in a lot with security to watch the cars for a fee.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks again for the information. It is very good. All this stuff gets missed by tourists like me without the input of commenters


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Now it was back to the huge open air part. The first section we visited had lots of helicopters.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The very famous MI 24 from the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I believe this is an Mi 8 which makes the engine/rotor combo on top what is used for the huge helicopter we saw earlier.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A heavy lift helicopter in the back.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

These seem to have camaflouge schemes that look like they would have been used in Afghanistan.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This is the back of the bomber we saw earlier that needed to be flown by instruments.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This is a VERY famous Soviet bomber even though I can't recall if it is a Bear or Bison. This aircraft was famous for flying up and down the coasts of the United States to test our radar systems and also flying very close to U.S. aircraft carriers. There is many a picture of one of these being "escorted" by a US fighter plane.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The planes most distinctive feature - the counter-rotating props on the same shaft.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I really wish they had one of these cut open so we could see how all the gears and drive shaft worked. 


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A Vertical/Short Take off plane for the Soviet Navy which served on the Soviet mini carriers like the Kiev.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The flag shows this was part of the Soviet Navy. The Russian Air Force is nice, they allow Navy airplanes in their museum. In the US Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio there are NO US Navy planes at all. They are banned 


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A Mig 25??


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A Mig 23 I believe.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A ground attack aircraft though I can't recall what it is called.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Oops, there we go. A Mig 27


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Isn't this the thing the Six Million Dollar Man crashed in? Sorry, guess I'm dating myself with that one.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This was a design style popular both in the US and the Soviet Union in the late 50s, early 60s. Basically it is a big flying engine with some wings stuck on it and a cockpit on top. But mainly, its just an engine.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

At first I thought this was a cruise missile but apparently it is a drone.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This is a great plane to see in person. The TU-144 which is the Soviet equivalent of the Anglo-French Concorde.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A YAK 40 which is a famous Soviet short hall commercial plane. Not sure if any are still in operation.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Also, a well known Soviet commercial plane with the distinctive double engine mountings on each side. I believe Soviet presidents flew around in these.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A commercial variant of the military plane we saw before?


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I'm guessing this is a trainer.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Note what this has for landing gear.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Well, when much of your country is covered by snow most of the year this is what you do.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Hah, another American airplane.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Note how the landing gear can be either a wheel or a sled.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Note the solid mud guard behind the front wheel to prevent mud and rocks from being thrown up and damaging the plane.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Continueing on…


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Back to the big boy…


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


With the pilot in front of his car. by 600West218, on Flickr

The guide was a really tremendous person and I felt like I bonded with him in even a short time. Of course, it probably helped that I was practically drooling over all the airplanes I was seeing.

The Lada behind him is the car he got about 30 years ago as a Soviet pilot. Still in great shape and he drove me back to the main part of the museum in it.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I had only been in Russia a few days but I had been seeing this ribbon everywhere and was wondering what it was. He explained it is to commemorate the victory over the Nazis in WWII and show solidarity with the veterans of the Great Patriotic War.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Say what you want about Soviet cars but they don't appear to rust like some American cars famously did.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This is driving out of the air base back to the main road. Note how the bottoms of the trees are painted white. I've only ever seen this in some South American countries and this was one of the ways that Russia actually felt like South America, believe it or not.

Also, no one has ever given me a coherent and convincing explanation of why someone goes to the trouble to paint tree.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This is the main road back to Moscow. I believe it is the road that connects Moscow to Nizny Novgirad (the city that used to be Gorky).


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Quite heavy traffic and notice the traffic jam heading out from Moscow.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I think that sign marks the limit of Moscow but we passed it rapidly and I can't remember for sure.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I had to get to the Metro to head to the south of Moscow to meet someone so I was getting dropped off by an area with some trams.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I'm not really used to trams so can someone tell me what the horizontal metal bar is between the wheels just above the rail is? Is it some sort of breaking mechanism?


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I thought that New York City drivers were the most insanely aggressive ones. But it turns out they have competition from Moscow. Notice how this car is driving, completely illegally I am told, on the tram tracks.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

And as you can see it is blocking a tram.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Back in the Metro seeing some artwork again.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Sorry for the poor quality images but I think you get the idea.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Here is a very interesting feature of the Moscow Metro. The clock on the left gives regular time - it was 6:01 pm. But the clock on the right gives the time since the last train departed the station. So it has been 1 minute and 1 second since the last train left. Generally this clock didn't get to more than about 1:30 seconds. Sometimes within 40 seconds another train was entering the station. I dare the people who run the New York City Subway to put up this type of clocks.


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## Whiteeclipse (Mar 31, 2005)

The reason the trees are painted white on the bottom is to keep the bugs from eating or destroying the tree.


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## ST_dasa (Mar 31, 2010)

Whiteeclipse said:


> The reason the trees are painted white on the bottom is to keep the bugs from eating or destroying the tree.


exactly. white painted trees are common in my country (croatia). you can find white bottoms especially on the trees in orchards. however, i noticed that white painted trees on that moscow pic were only those right by the road. perhaps they serve as a some kind of signalization, like night-poles or something? 

and by the way 600West218, you have an amazing amazing thread here. I really enjoy your insightful and detailed observations about... well...everything! and thanks for breaking some bad stereotypes


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## Drive. (Aug 5, 2012)

Whiteeclipse said:


> The reason the trees are painted white on the bottom is to keep the bugs from eating or destroying the tree.


usually apply lime ,rather than paint . Lime protects not only from the beetles but from rodents ,especially in winter when there is little food . I have a few years ago in the garden during the winter hares damaged five young fruit trees of the ten-two of them died later .Now I every autumn treat lime all the trees . Trees on the edges of the road as a rule weakened due to the impact of transport-they are unlikely to be exposed to attacks of the rodents, but insects can destroy their fast-protection will not prevent . On narrow country roads this painting still has an extra feature to road safety . I have seen this in Germany ,Austria ,the Czech Republic . Earlier it was widely distributed . But fewer (including in Russia ) . Is manual work and are expensive . I think in the U.S. a similar technique as there is in the gardens in but can instead of lime applied some more modern structure for processing, and he colourless


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

thanks for the great photos @600West218. :cheers:


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## petersgriff (Jun 2, 2011)

600West218 said:


> I'm not really used to trams so can someone tell me what the horizontal metal bar is between the wheels just above the rail is? Is it some sort of breaking mechanism?


It is "track brakes":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_brake









http://transphoto.ru/photo/380795/

New czech tramcar to Washington:








http://transphoto.ru/photo/302693/


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

What country is this?


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

irmscher9 said:


> What country is this?


That must be the US - SEPTA is South East Pennsylvannia Transit Authority - otherwise known as the Philadelphia area.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

petersgriff said:


> It is "track brakes":
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_brake


Thanks for the info. I guess that is better than a traditional wheel brake?


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## petersgriff (Jun 2, 2011)

irmscher9 said:


> http://tf1.mosfont.ru/photo/03/80/79/380795.jpg
> 
> What country is this?


Там есть прямая ссылка под фото: http://transphoto.ru/photo/380795/
Philadelphia.



600West218 said:


> Thanks for the info. I guess that is better than a traditional wheel brake?


I don't know, I am not an engineer ("Trust me, i'm an engineer!")... I think that there to be present two of these systems, independently from each other, for reliability.


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## Pablo323 (Mar 25, 2008)

I absolutely love this thread, i've read it all and i need more!

Moscow is such a fascinating city, many of the things you've wrote here i've thought them too, everything about Moscow seems massive and over the top, any aspect of it.

Can't wait to see and read more!


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## Russellss (Feb 12, 2012)

600West218 said:


> I've only ever seen this in some South American countries and this was one of the ways that Russia actually felt like South America, believe it or not.


A very good observation. I was in Argentina and lived in Europe for a large amount of time, and I can say that Russia in general feels more like Argentina.
Especially in summer. It is about a general "feel" which you usually get from every country. I mean, in comparison with rainy and empty streets of Germany (on which I spent three years), Russia feels much more alive, more chaotic and more "breathing". When I'm returning back from Europe to Russia I always feel a lot of energy in the air. Maybe I only get this feel because Russia is my home though. But damn, there are a lot of little things which make me feel much more free in Russia than in Europe. For example once I boarded a tram and forgot to buy a ticket, but ticket controller just forgave me and said "It's ok, continue to ride" instead of fining me. Such thing is absolutely unimaginable in Germany. You may call it "corruption" or "disorder". I call it home.


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## Wezza (Jan 22, 2004)

Love your photos! I visited Monino with my girlfriend last year, what a place!! 

The "B-29" you spoke of is actually a Tupolev Tu-4, a reverse engineered B-29. Also, the turboprop bomber is the Tu-95 Bear. Still in service today! The Bison is an early jet bomber. kay:

Also, yes that highway (M7) you were on does go to Nizhny Novgorod then onto Kazan. I drove my girlfriends car from Moscow to Kazan. Interesting experience!


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Wezza said:


> Love your photos! I visited Monino with my girlfriend last year, what a place!!
> 
> The "B-29" you spoke of is actually a Tupolev Tu-4, a reverse engineered B-29. Also, the turboprop bomber is the Tu-95 Bear. Still in service today! The Bison is an early jet bomber. kay:
> 
> Also, yes that highway (M7) you were on does go to Nizhny Novgorod then onto Kazan. I drove my girlfriends car from Moscow to Kazan. Interesting experience!


Thanks for the information/clarification. 

They need to see about making that M-7 highway wider.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Russellss said:


> A very good observation. I was in Argentina and lived in Europe for a large amount of time, and I can say that Russia in general feels more like Argentina.
> Especially in summer. It is about a general "feel" which you usually get from every country. I mean, in comparison with rainy and empty streets of Germany (on which I spent three years), Russia feels much more alive, more chaotic and more "breathing". When I'm returning back from Europe to Russia I always feel a lot of energy in the air. Maybe I only get this feel because Russia is my home though. But damn, there are a lot of little things which make me feel much more free in Russia than in Europe. For example once I boarded a tram and forgot to buy a ticket, but ticket controller just forgave me and said "It's ok, continue to ride" instead of fining me. Such thing is absolutely unimaginable in Germany. You may call it "corruption" or "disorder". I call it home.


Totally agree.

Probably your sensation of freedom in Russia also comes from very large size of the country and wide open spaces. That creates a huge sensation of freedom. That is why I, and I think most people, feel much freer in the Western part of the US than the Eastern part. Wide open spaces and unpoken for land do that. And Russia has wide open spaces and unspoken for land in abundance whereas most of the rest of Europe doesn't.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Drive. said:


> usually apply lime ,rather than paint . Lime protects not only from the beetles but from rodents ,especially in winter when there is little food . I have a few years ago in the garden during the winter hares damaged five young fruit trees of the ten-two of them died later .Now I every autumn treat lime all the trees . Trees on the edges of the road as a rule weakened due to the impact of transport-they are unlikely to be exposed to attacks of the rodents, but insects can destroy their fast-protection will not prevent . On narrow country roads this painting still has an extra feature to road safety . I have seen this in Germany ,Austria ,the Czech Republic . Earlier it was widely distributed . But fewer (including in Russia ) . Is manual work and are expensive . I think in the U.S. a similar technique as there is in the gardens in but can instead of lime applied some more modern structure for processing, and he colourless



Interesting. Thanks for the feedback. I suspect it is a combination of all threet things - protecting the trees, safety from better ulimination, and decoration.

Still, I find it very curious that it is done in many countries but that it is not done in other countries at all. I've just never seen it that I can recall in either the US or Canada.


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

They should paint it with colourless painting since white one looks soo ridiculous on a tree.


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## Wezza (Jan 22, 2004)

600West218 said:


> Thanks for the information/clarification.
> 
> They need to see about making that M-7 highway wider.


It does get pretty choked up as you're coming into Moscow, that's for sure. 

Looking forward to your photos from Saint Petersburg, such a beautiful city!


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## 970467 (May 25, 2012)

Nice thread.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Once in the Metro I continued to the southern part of the city where I would meet a friend.

I got out of the station in what looked like a neighborhood from the 70s.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

One thing I noted about old Soviet areas was there would be a metro station and then tram lines emanating from that station to take people to housing blocks some distance from the station. I think for their commutes most people must use both a tram and the Metro.

Also, note the small boys in military type uniforms.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Again, note the kids in uniforms. 


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Walking to the park we saw this guy offering pictures with an alligator.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The entrance to the park was quite beautiful with lots of flowers.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Lots of wide open green spaces. One thing that can definitely be said for Moscow is that it has LOTS of parks.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A very pregnant woman doing I'm not sure what…


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

These were little restaurants along the way.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Finally we came to where you could see the Moscow river (the same river that goes through the center and by the Kremlin). Note all the huge housing estates in the distance.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Like a lot of churches this looked pretty new.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Here we sat and ate. This is some typical Russian food - meet inside a bread roll. It was pretty good, and yet one more similarity between Russia and Latin America where this type of food is common.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Continueing along the river:


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

There were many small cruise boats.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Some hills of unknown origin.

We climbed up the hills.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

From the top you could see some interesting things like small ports in the distance.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Not sure what this is - a sewage treatment plant maybe?


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Although I saw this mini port I never saw any working boats or barges on the river.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Canzone said:


> It's a pity for me to read this. It's a mistaken view. Moscow of couse consists of big avenues, BUT there is rather quiet city center with small, narrow streets, lanes with old pre-revolutionary buildings, mansions and palaces in Moscow. To see that you just need to turn to the right or to the left from a large central avenue. There are lots of photos, threads in this forum showing our real city. You can easily see them if there's a wish. Streets and lanes such as Sretenka, Boulevard ring, Precistenka, Varvarka, Kitai-gorod, Solyanka and many many others show it. Pedestrian zones are being created. For the beginning you can see a thread of Moscow of pre-revolutionary houses, palases, estates and mensions. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=840128



This is true but I think the difference is that the big boulevards define Moscow whereas the smaller streets and avenues define Peter.

New York City has plenty of quiet streets with nice, historical buildings on them but no one thinks of that when they think of NYC. They think of big avenues and skyscrapers.

Further, the water gives Peter a different feel. When you are in the center of Moscow you feel like the city goes on forever (even though they do have lots of parks) but in Peter you have the Neva to break things up and make the city feel more on a human scale.

Its just perception of course but it is what I felt.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Wapper said:


> Yes, it's weird but it's just the same outside Russia. In the mind of most Europeans outside the Russia, Russia feels like something different. Ukraine and Belarus (although that last one is not very well known and often forgotten) still feel to belong to the continent, but Russia is just so big, far away and on its own that we often omit it. But in other ways, we feel like it does belong to our continent. It's hard to explain.
> 
> Maybe it's kind of comparable to the situation of the UK. On the one hand, the UK feels to belong to that other, Anglo-Saxon part of the world. The UK has always been separated physically and mentally from the continent. It's not just what we feel, the British claim themselves that they are quite different. Still, they remain firmly rooted in the European history, culture and economy. I don't think the differences with the UK are that big as those with Russia, because the Uk isn't that far away. But maybe people from E-Europe feel just the other way.


Very well put.


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## russianpride (Dec 22, 2008)

600West218 said:


> That is such a small annual output. The Soviets really should have invested more in this.


Volga was rather prestigious and expensive car. Even now Gaz-21 Volga in excellent and original condition costs around $40.000-$50.000. Price for some rare models like Gaz-21 1st generation of Gaz-23 can be double or even more.

If we rank soviet cars from most prestigious and expensive to inexpensive cars. 

1) ZIS/ZIL 
2) GAZ-Chaika
3) Gaz-Volga
4) Lada
5) Moskvitch 
6) ZAZ



600West218 said:


> Ok, I'm getting a bit confused on the cars. The one pictured above with the tan color is a Volga, no? Doesn't that mean it is Gaz? And it has the charging antelope on the hood, doesn't that mean Gaz?


Yes, it is GAZ.



600West218 said:


> Or is it UAZ which is something completely different? UAZ is by Moscow, correct?


Those green vans are UAZ.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks for the clarification. Its a pity they didn't produce these things in greater number. The Soviet people would have been a lot happier.

I looked up the Chaika on Wikipedia. Only 3,000 made?!?!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1405s.JPG

This very much does look like an American car of the 1970s. In fact there are still cars around (taxis in my area) that use cars that look like that. One thing it shows is they didn't care about the price of gasoline and also they had big roads and parking wasn't a problem.

BTW, is there any museum that is really good at showing the history of Soviet cars?

EDIT:

Wow, this is almost the exact car I saw:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GAZ-21_(1st_generation)_"Volga"_in_Moscow_(left_front_view).jpg


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## russianpride (Dec 22, 2008)

> I looked up the Chaika on Wikipedia. Only 3,000 made?!?!


Don't forget about GAZ-14. 



> BTW, is there any museum that is really good at showing the history of Soviet cars?


That's a good article about Moscow car museums. Unfortunately it is in russian, but you can use translator.

http://www.drive.ru/kunst/5074b084b721421a7f000077.html



> Wow, this is almost the exact car I saw


Yes, but your Volga is 2nd generation.


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Canzone said:


> It's a pity for me to read this. It's a mistaken view. Moscow of couse consists of big avenues, BUT there is rather quiet city center with small, narrow streets, lanes with old pre-revolutionary buildings, mansions and palaces in Moscow. To see that you just need to turn to the right or to the left from a large central avenue. There are lots of photos, threads in this forum showing our real city. You can easily see them if there's a wish. Streets and lanes such as Sretenka, Boulevard ring, Precistenka, Varvarka, Kitai-gorod, Solyanka and many many others show it. Pedestrian zones are being created. For the beginning you can see a thread of Moscow of pre-revolutionary houses, palases, estates and mensions. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=840128


Yes, I know. I've actually seen that whole enormous Moscow thread in the forum. But still, I've never been there myself which makes it hard to judge. I know i shouldn't judge in that case, but the pictures just give me that feeling. The chaos and the enormity i see on pictures of Moscow and on street view are just very striking. Petersburg, on the other hand, feels immediatelly very familiar, though I haven't been there either.
It's good that you correct me anyway. I hope to visit Russia in one year and then I will be able to draw conclusions.


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

600West218 said:


> This is true but I think the difference is that the big boulevards define Moscow whereas the smaller streets and avenues define Peter.
> 
> New York City has plenty of quiet streets with nice, historical buildings on them but no one thinks of that when they think of NYC. They think of big avenues and skyscrapers.
> 
> ...


I think it's wrong to compare Moscow and NY (although I haven't seen none of them in real life). NY is unlike any place in Europe, because of it's unique open grid that has been designed specifically from the beginning for commercial purposes. Moscow has large, bussy boulevards, but that doesn't automatically mean it's similar to NY (I think).


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## petersgriff (Jun 2, 2011)

600West218 said:


> The old "Sentate" building again? I just noticed that Neptune is one of the figures on the top.


No, Admiralty.
Within the XVIII century it was important fortress (and with Peter&Paul fortress) and shipyard:



















600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr[/IMG]


Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences (1789, left), Kunstkamera (1734, green building with tower).



600West218 said:


> A lighthouse that I would visit later.


Rostral columns (1810)











600West218 said:


> A statue to Peter the Great - the founder of St. Petersburg.


This monument was constructed by empress Catherine II. From two parties the signature in Russian and Latin - "To Peter I (from) Catherine II, year 1782" and "Petro Primo Catharina Secunda MDCCLXXXII"



600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Mikhail Glinka, russian classical composer (he is very known for his operas - "A Life for the Tsar" and "Ruslan and Lyudmila")



600West218 said:


> This was the general headquarters of the Russian army (remember, St. Petersburg was the capital until the Bolsheviks moved it). I once asked why it was so big. It was explained - "Because we are a big country".


Well, when this building was erected (first third of XIX century) that Russia was at the peak of glory.
Actually here was not only one General Staff(general headquarters), here was Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign and the Ministry of Finance



600West218 said:


> The double headed eagle, which is the symbol of Russia. I'm not sure why. Maybe the idea is it can keep watch over everything.


It is an ancient symbol, it from old Russia.
It is connected with the Byzantia, it is coat of arms of imperial family of Palaiologos. Sophia Palaiolog was Grand Duchess of Moscow, spouse of Ivan III (grandmother and grandfather of Ivan IV the Terrible ).
Finally, Moscow - it's third Rome.



600West218 said:


> Can't pass this up.


Here it's military van
Today General Staff(general headquarters) is headquarter of Western Military District.



600West218 said:


> BTW, another thing that was funny was how Russians kept talking about going to "Europe", or compared Russia to "Europe", seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were actually standing in Europe as we spoke.


Oh...
Yes, it is very known question in Russian history.
I think to you it is necessary to learn little about Russian history, especially about XVII-XVIII centurys, about Peters reforms ("Window to Europe"), about "Westernizers" and "Slavophils". 
Such disputes are still going on - whether Europeans we, Asians or we are not this, we just Russian?


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

^^ The same is true for Europe. On the one hand, liberal Russians and artists were welcomed into European culture, but on the other hand many Europeans kept thinking about Russia as a barbaric land that was still living in the time of feudalism (which was not entirely untrue. I don't mean to offend you.). "Barbaric" or not, Russia was very big and thus a quickly perceived as a threat to "European civlization" (which in reality meant to European political and commercial interests in Eastern Europe, the black Sea area and even Asia). Stereotypes that are created in such a context can start to lead their own life and are very persistent. Just think how some people still think about Germans so many years after the war.


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> Note the big snake Peter is trampling. I think it represents treason.


The snake symbolizes hostile forces.



600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> The double headed eagle, which is the symbol of Russia. I'm not sure why. Maybe the idea is it can keep watch over everything.


This symbol is/was used not only in Russia, but also in some other European states.

The double-headed eagle is a common symbol in heraldry and vexillology. It is most commonly associated with the Byzantine Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Russian Empire and their successor states. In Byzantine heraldry, the heads represent the Emperor having authority over both secular and religious matters, Byzantine emperors were regarded as Christ's vicegerent on Earth. It also signified the dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and West. In the Holy Roman Empire's heraldry, it represented the church and the state. Several Eastern European nations adopted it from the Byzantines and continue to use it as their national symbol to this day.

The two-headed eagle appears, often as a supporter, on the current and historical arms and flags of many countries and territories, including Albania, Armenia, Austria (1934–1938), Austria-Hungary, Byzantine Empire, German Confederation, Holy Roman Empire, Kingdom of Mercia (527–918), Montenegro, Kingdom of Mysore, Russian Empire, Russian Federation, Seljuk Empire, Serbia, Serbian Empire, Kingdom of Serbia, Spanish Empire (during the Habsburg dynasty), and Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It also appears on other coats of arms and flags, including the flag of the Greek Orthodox Church, the arms and flag of the Hellenic Army General Staff and the Hellenic Army XVI Infantry Division, a number of cities in Germany, Netherlands and Serbia, the arms and flag of the city of Toledo, Spain, and the arms of the town of Velletri, Italy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-headed_eagle



600West218 said:


> BTW, another thing that was funny was how Russians kept talking about going to "Europe", or compared Russia to "Europe", seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were actually standing in Europe as we spoke.


By the way, the modern interpretation of this symbol (two-headed eagle) in that Russia is oriented both on European countries and on growing Asian states (as bridge between Europe and Asia).


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

AlekseyVT said:


> By the way, the modern interpretation of this symbol (two-headed eagle) in that Russia is oriented both on European countries and on growing Asian states (as bridge between Europe and Asia).


Thanks. This is very imformative and makes a great deal of sense.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

petersgriff said:


> No, Admiralty.


Thanks for correcting that.



petersgriff said:


> Well, when this building was erected (first third of XIX century) that Russia was at the peak of glory.
> Actually here was not only one General Staff(general headquarters), here was Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign and the Ministry of Finance


Ok, so that is much bigger than just the military. Thanks



petersgriff said:


> Oh...
> Yes, it is very known question in Russian history.
> I think to you it is necessary to learn little about Russian history, especially about XVII-XVIII centurys, about Peters reforms ("Window to Europe"), about "Westernizers" and "Slavophils".
> Such disputes are still going on - whether Europeans we, Asians or we are not this, we just Russian?


Ok, well Russian psychology is one thing but geography is another. Russians can think they are neither European nor Asian but if you born, raised, and live in St. Petersburg or Moscow, and your ancestors too, then you are definitely European. You might not like it, but that is what they are.

For a long time Argentinians used to think they were European given their relative prosperity and the largely European ancestry of the population. But in fact, they were always in South America.

Now, what is curious is that there isn't agreement on exactly where Europe ends and Asia begins. I always thought it was decided by the Ural mountains but it appears it is sometimes defined differently, by various rivers.

When I visit Chelybinsk then I'll have to jump into that controversy 

BTW, I just want to thank everyone for all the great and hugely informative comments. They really add to the thread and make it all worth while. Pictures aren't all that helpful unless you know what you are actually looking at and that is where all of you come in and make the thread special. Thanks!!!!!! :banana: :banana: ^^  :cheers:


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

Wapper said:


> I think it's wrong to compare Moscow and NY (although I haven't seen none of them in real life). NY is unlike any place in Europe, because of it's unique open grid that has been designed specifically from the beginning for commercial purposes. Moscow has large, bussy boulevards, but that doesn't automatically mean it's similar to NY (I think).


For long time, many famous Russian people considered Moscow as "Asian-looking city" rather than European ones. There was never comparison between Moscow and North American cities.

Here are words from well-known verse by the great Russian poet Sergey Yesenin (1922):
_....I admire this city of elm-trees
With decrepit buildings and homes.
Golden somnolent Asian entities
Are reposing on temple domes..._



600West218 said:


> Ok, well Russian psychology is one thing but geography is another. Russians can think they are neither European nor Asian but if you born, raised, and live in St. Petersburg or Moscow, and your ancestors too, then you are definitely European. You might not like it, but that is what they are.


Well, I'm sure that in cultural sense, Russian people from Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Vladivostok or somewhere else are much closer to Europe rather than Asia. That's why European art always was much closer and understandable for Russian people than art of the Middle or Eastern Asia.


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## petersgriff (Jun 2, 2011)

BTW. In this building in 1809-1811 lived John Quincy Adams - United States Minister to Russia and President of US. 



http://www.saint-petersburg.com/american/john-quincy-adams/


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## Whiteeclipse (Mar 31, 2005)

600West218 said:


> Russia seems to be going through a baby boom. You see babys in strollers and little kids like these everywhere. Good for Russia.


It may appear this way but many Russians have one child per family, the birthrate is not at replacement levels like many other European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland and so on. The Russian population is at 142 million, by 2050 it will be between 110 million to 120 million. The Russian government started a program about 6 years ago to offer $10k USD for either education, housing or healthcare if a family has a third child but it's not making a difference. The only population growth happening in Russia now is within ethic minorities populations just like USA, UK, France.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Continueing on I wound up on Nevsky Prospekt


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I don't know, I can't make up my mind about all those overhead cables. In one way, they add character. But in another they do get in the way of seeing some really beautiful architecture. Has it ever been discussed eliminating them on key roads like Nevsky?


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I don't know how many canals there are in Peter (btw, most Russians call St. Petersburg simply "Peter" so I guess I'll start doing the same - it is easier) but there definitely are some nice ones. 


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

One of the nicer police cars I saw.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I did have a really good guide book with me. But to stop and read it all the time I never would have gotten anywhere. So I decided to just walk along and soak in the beauty, not worrying about what the buildings actually were. Sometimes it is best to do that.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Peter has such a wealth of things to see that in five days of almost non stop sight seeing
I never did go in this building. In most cities it would probably be the main attraction. Not here.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I have to say I am surprised this ornate stuff survived Soviet times. I would have thought they would have taken it down or at least not repaired it if damaged in the war. It is very bourgeoise. 


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Spilled Blood along side a canal.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I like the reflection. 


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I really love the colors. Russia is a very northern country but I was surprised that they often used colors I thought of as being more Mediterranean. 


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Nevsky was definitely a bustling street.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


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Nice bay windows.


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ok, here the trolley cables are truly out of control  One thing about them is I've never understood how they work - they look quite complex and I've never quite understood how the busses make and keep contact with them.

Next I walked back to a canal where I was to take a small boat cruise around Peter


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Here are the equivalent of tug boats for Peter. Note how low to the water they have to stay.


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Pulling a barge that seemed to be for bulk items.


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And this is what it all seemed to be for - this machine was a dredge to keep the canals from filling in with silt. There were many, many barges that they were filling up with dirt and hauling it away.


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You can see some of the barges in the background.


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## AnOldBlackMarble (Aug 23, 2010)

Wow, great coverage. I just spent two hours going over this thread. :nuts: Thanks for your hard work.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Next I began the boat tour:


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The cruise started at 7 or 7:30 pm so already the light was a bit dim


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Kinda neat how the balconies are similar even on different buildings.


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The construction of this bridge very much reminds me of the really old bridge in Leeds.


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The Spilled Blood Cathedral which I would visit another day.


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Tram and trolly lines everywhere.


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Heading out under a bunch of bridges to the Neva river.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Heading towards the Neva:


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I think these bridges and buildings are part of the old Winter Palace but I'm not 100% sure.


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Finally out into the Neva. That is Peter and Paul Fortress across the river.


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Where we just emerged from. You can see why the boats have to be low to the water.


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The green building absolutely is part of the Winter Palace/Hermitage.


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The Admiralty with St. Isaacs Cathedral behind it.


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Note the masts in the background - they almost fade into the wiring on the bridge.


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There you can see the ship they are from.


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A river cargo ship.


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Note the grey steel smoke stacks. They are from a ship famous in Soviet/Russian history.


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Heading back in to the city.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

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I love the way they have beautiful greenery in the middle of the city.


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I never had to interact with any of these folks. That is probably a good thing.


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That almost looks like a ship with the bay window the bow.


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Then it was back on shore.


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A nice looking black Lada. Lada's look nice in black IMO


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Note the yellow sticker with an exclamation point. I didn't know what it meant until I saw lots of them and asked my hosts. Turns out it signifies that someone has some sort of problem driving. Either they are a new driver or they have had some driving infractions previously like accidents, speeding, going through lights, etc. Some cars have two or even three of these. Not sure what other drivers should do when they see them. Stay back?


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Wow, a private ambulance. And part of it is written in English! What is that about? Who do they cater to? Tourists?


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It was pretty late and it was time to head to the home of my hosts which would involve a Metro ride and a hour long walk. First I had to get to the Nevsky Metro station.


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But I couldn't resist taking in the sights along the way.


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Finally I made it back to the home area. Actually, I had a really hard time getting my bearings out of the Ladashkaya station. It was really confusing and scary. But eventually I got on the right path and made the fiver kilometer walk as quickly as I could.


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The ground floors of all these Soviet era buildings are all full of stores and restaurants. This begs the question. What were they during the Soviet times? How was that space used?


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I wonder how much time it took to put up a prefab building like this? I wonder how much time and labor being prefab saved them?

With this I made it back to my temporary home. Even though I didn't get to St Petersburg until that morning and didn't leave my hosts home to explore until 1 pm I felt I had done a lot and had a least a taste of what the city was like. Further, I was loving the area where I stayed. Much, much more was to come.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Petergriff: Thanks for the information on Brodsky. I looked him up on Wilkipedia - pretty interesting.

Just wondering, do you think most of these nice old buildings were communal flats in Soviet times. Brodsky was supposed to be not well off - yet that looks like quite a nice building. I wonder how he wound up living there.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Another wedding. Getting married seemed to be a popular activity now:


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Continueing on back in the direction of Nevsky Prospect now.


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Looks like an old "Victory" car.


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The American consulate I believe. This is the second place in Russia I got yelled at about taking pictures - the American consulate of all places!!


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It just occurred to me that what differentiates St. Petersburg from cities like Paris and Barcelona, which are also known for their beauty, is that there isn't one dominate style of building in St. Petersburg. Each building is distinctive, and very nice.


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Lenin was here??


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Eventually I made my way back to Nevsky Prospect where I took the Metro back to my hosts home. One last LONG ride of the escalators.


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My hosts then drove me to a train station close to the center. Actually it was close to the end of Nevsky Prospect.


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It looked like a very nice area - but one that I hadn't seen at all. I makes me wonder about how many beautiful areas in St. Petersburg I hadn't seen at all. Well, that is what future trips are for...


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An interesting map - I guess of the rail network.


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A long distance train. Note the red star.


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These are the women who take care of everything on the train. They collect tickets, prepare hot water for tea, give you linen and towels, etc. But whatever you do, don't lose anything they give you like a towel or sheet. You'll never get off the train until they find it.


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The view from my little piece of the train. This time I was on the bottom bunk on the side that was right next to a window. It felt stranger as you were right next to the aisle and felt like you had less privacy. 

But it was an overnight train that left around 11 pm. By midnight the whole train was asleep. I would awaken the next morning already on the outskirts of Moscow.

I didn't see all of St. Petersburg but I did see a lot. More than I expected to see. And I loved it. Although I'm sure winters are harsh there it seems like a great city to call home.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

I awaken to find the train rolling through the outskirts of Moscow.


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In the city I take the metro back towards my hotel in the Arbat area.


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A very quiet city at that early hour of the morning.


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Let me see, Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volvo. Yup, I'm definitely back in Moscow.

After dumping my stuff at the hotel I head out to explore around a bit and first check out a pedestrian bridge over the Moscow river.


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It did have some nice views:


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Then it was back to the Kievskaya station where I would get on the Metro. First I would check out some Metro stations and later head to the Political History Museum and also the TV tower observation deck.

There is no particular order to the Metro station pictures and I don't even remember which are from which station but they were certainly all nice:


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Very interesting lighting. And although the fixtures look old I can't tell if the lights themselves are old or new.


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You do have to admit this is a one of a kind Metro system. Probably no other system in the world will ever again be built in such a lavish way.


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A pretty fancy vent cover.


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I like the way they have economic themes in their artwork.


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Even agriculture!!


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The 1905 uprising.


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And the 1917 uprising.


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Not sure who they are, they look like partisans.


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## human187 (Aug 30, 2012)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> An interesting map - I guess of the rail network.


Yes, a nice long-distance trains map.



600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> These are the women who take care of everything on the train. They collect tickets, prepare hot water for tea, give you linen and towels, etc. But whatever you do, don't lose anything they give you like a towel or sheet. You'll never get off the train until they find it.


Stop scaring future tourists, please :lol: Most of such women are somewhat unfriendly and rough, but they can't actually stop you from leaving the train. The task of collecting those things is part of their job, actually, just most of them don't like to work much. Even if you lose something, or tear in parts - you don't have to pay in any way. Also, in many other situations in future - feel free to do what you want, like taking pictures and other things. Law is always by your side, as most people are, and the only thing you should worry about are fraudsters and bad-mannered idiots. Just ignore them.

Great job and nice photos.


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Nice. I feared that it would be over now, but here we are back in Moscow again!


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> You do have to admit this is a one of a kind Metro system. Probably no other system in the world will ever again be built in such a lavish way.


This Metro station (Komsomolskaya) is located near the three large Rail Terminals (you posted photos of these terminals at this thread). That's why its passenger traffic is very high, and it has larger space in order to avoid overcrowding.



600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> Not sure who they are, they look like partisans.


Yes, they are Belarusian partisans (in the passageway between "Belorusskaya" stations of the Line 2 and Ring Line). The guerilla war at the occupied territory of Belarus during WWII (in 1941-1944) was largest guerilla war in the human history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_partisans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_Belarus_by_Nazi_Germany


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

human187 said:


> Stop scaring future tourists, please :lol: Most of such women are somewhat unfriendly and rough, but they can't actually stop you from leaving the train. The task of collecting those things is part of their job, actually, just most of them don't like to work much. Even if you lose something, or tear in parts - you don't have to pay in any way. Also, in many other situations in future - feel free to do what you want, like taking pictures and other things. Law is always by your side, as most people are, and the only thing you should worry about are fraudsters and bad-mannered idiots. Just ignore them.


Thanks. Yes I was just being a bit sarcastic about the women on the train. Actually, they seem to work very hard, so I have sympathy for them. But they did seem annoyed when I was missing things but part of it was they may have been annoyed that I just didn't understand them. I need to work on my Russian.

Outside of the person who was annoyed that I was taking pictures outside of Lubyanka I really had no problems with anyone and I never felt like I was in a bad situation. Personal security seemed very good at all times. Compared to a lot of other places I've been Russia seemed very safe.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

AlekseyVT said:


> This Metro station (Komsomolskaya) is located near the three large Rail Terminals (you posted photos of these terminals at this thread). That's why its passenger traffic is very high, and it has larger space in order to avoid overcrowding.


Ah, I think I mixed up the order of my pictures a bit then. I actually arrived at one of those train terminals and only after that travelled to the Arbat area.

BTW, don't know if I mentioned this before but one tricky thing about the Moscow Metro is there can be different terminals with the exact same name. For example, I think there were two Smolenskaya stations that were on different lines and that were several blocks from each other. I wound up at the wrong one more than once.


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

600West218 said:


> BTW, don't know if I mentioned this before but one tricky thing about the Moscow Metro is there can be different terminals with the exact same name. For example, I think there were two Smolenskaya stations that were on different lines and that were several blocks from each other. I wound up at the wrong one more than once.


Yes, it was interesting story. If you will look at Metro Map, the central part of the present-day Line 4 was opened in 1935-1937 (Aleksandrovsky Sad - Arbatskaya - Smolenskaya - Metro bridge - Kievskaya). It was shallow section. During WWII, there were placed artillery guns in order to protect Metro bridge from air raids. The bridge wasn't damaged, but in 1941 one German bomb damaged Metro tunnel between Arbatskaya and Smolenskaya (few people were either killed or wounded).

http://russos.livejournal.com/549635.html

That's why after WWII, it was decided to built deep-level section of the Line 3 (Arbatskaya - Smolenskaya - Kievskaya) in order to replace old one. It was opened in 1953, and shallow stations were closed. However, in 1958 were opened ground-level stations (Studencheskaya and Kutuzovskaya), and it was much easier to connect it with closed shallow section than with deep-level section of the Line 3. As a result, closed Metro stations were reopened again as part of the new Line 4.

That's why there are two Arbatskaya and two Smolenskaya stations (without transfer to Metro station of same name). There were unofficial proposals to rename it in order to avoid confusion, but I think that it's interesting part of the history of Moscow Metro and these names should be preserved.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Absolutely fascinating information Aleksey. Thank you so much for the history behind that.


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## petersgriff (Jun 2, 2011)

600West218 said:


> It just occurred to me that what differentiates St. Petersburg from cities like Paris and Barcelona, which are also known for their beauty, is that there isn't one dominate style of building in St. Petersburg. Each building is distinctive, and very nice.


Yes, on this photo House of N. N. Zaytseva (1876), Neo-Russian style with elements of Florentine Renaissance.
Petersburg really has no one style, but it's fine. There is a baroque, classicism, eclecticism, modernist ("art-nouveau", including Northern-modernist style), neorenaissance, neogothic, Russian and Byzantine styles, etc. It isn't necessary to compare Petersburg to Paris or Barcelona (in general the cities don't need to be compared), but Vienna, Berlin (old), Budapest etc. and other continental European architecture is closer to Petersburg.
But in Petersburg there is a style distinguishing it from other cities - Russian classicism (Admiralty, General Staff Building, Assignation Bank building, Stock Exchange, House of Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky, New Holland, Building of Senate and Synod, House of Rumyantsev, Alexandrinsky Theatre and ensemble of street, Palace of Razumovsky, Anichkov Palace, Kamennoostrovsky Palace, Old building of Ministry of Foreign, Usupov palace, Tauride Palace, Bezborodko palace, Elagin palace, Vorontsova-Dashkova palace, Marble Palace, Building of Post department, Academy of Arts, building of Academy of Sciences, Barracks of Life-Guard Izmailovsky regiment, Barracks of Life-Guard Pavlovsky regiment, Barracks of Kavalergardsky regiment, Mariinsky hospital, Smolny institute, Military-medical college, Mining institute and more-more-more):











600West218 said:


> Lenin was here??


Yes.



600West218 said:


> My hosts then drove me to a train station close to the center. Actually it was close to the end of Nevsky Prospect.


It only middle of Nevsky Prospect.



600West218 said:


> An interesting map - I guess of the rail network.


Yes, to Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Warsaw, Kiev, Odessa, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, etc.



600West218 said:


>


Station with plentiful communist symbolics and Jesus Christ!:lol:


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

petersgriff said:


> Yes, on this photo House of N. N. Zaytseva (1876), Neo-Russian style with elements of Florentine Renaissance.
> Petersburg really has no one style, but it's fine. There is a baroque, classicism, eclecticism, modernist ("art-nouveau", including Northern-modernist style), neorenaissance, neogothic, Russian and Byzantine styles, etc. It isn't necessary to compare Petersburg to Paris or Barcelona (in general the cities don't need to be compared), but Vienna, Berlin (old), Budapest etc. and other continental European architecture is closer to Petersburg.
> But in Petersburg there is a style distinguishing it from other cities - Russian classicism (Admiralty, General Staff Building, Assignation Bank building, Stock Exchange, House of Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky, New Holland, Building of Senate and Synod, House of Rumyantsev, Alexandrinsky Theatre and ensemble of street, Palace of Razumovsky, Anichkov Palace, Kamennoostrovsky Palace, Old building of Ministry of Foreign, Usupov palace, Tauride Palace, Bezborodko palace, Elagin palace, Vorontsova-Dashkova palace, Marble Palace, Building of Post department, Academy of Arts, building of Academy of Sciences, Barracks of Life-Guard Izmailovsky regiment, Barracks of Life-Guard Pavlovsky regiment, Barracks of Kavalergardsky regiment, Mariinsky hospital, Smolny institute, Military-medical college, Mining institute and more-more-more):


Well, now that you mention it this does seem to be the style. I should have picked up on it. But it's not completely dominant like the Hausman buildings are in Paris.






petersgriff said:


> Station with plentiful communist symbolics and Jesus Christ!:lol:


I don't know that that is Jesus. Who is it? And why is it there? I'm thinking it is some Russian warlord from the middle ages. But why would the Soviets put it in the Metro?


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## petersgriff (Jun 2, 2011)

It's realy Jesus:








"The Saviour Not Made by Hands", a Novgorodian icon from ca. 1100.

Medieval russian standards have Jesus on it.

Alexander Nevsky (with standard):









Dmitry Donskoy (with standard):


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Next I was heading down to the Museum of Political History - a museum like the one I saw in St. Petersburg.


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First I want across this car getting pulled over by the police. I watched the whole incident but didn't want to openly photograph it. One police officer actually had a machine gun out but nothing seemed to happen. I think they just checked the persons papers and then sent him on his way.


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The entrance to the museum.


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The first couple of rooms were actually about pre-Soviet times and had these traditional Russian clothes, though I don't really know much about them.


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Russian oil fields. Looks very much like Pennsylvannia in the late 1800s.


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This flag may be an old Czarist flag of some sort (?) but I believe currently Russian nationalists use flags with these colors.


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Most of the Museum was devoted to the Soviet period.


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I believe this is a replica of the first tractor built in the Soviet Union.


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I always found the exhibits on Soviet industrialization interesting though they never seemed that extensive.


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A good gift for the person who has everything - a hammer and sycle telephone.


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This is interesting - really old rollerblades. Maybe even the first ever.


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Butter, milk and meat production (I know a few words in Russian). Interesting that they generally seem to benchmark themselves against the US.


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I just kind of wondered about this now - why do they always have the wheat surrounding the emblem? What is the significance of the wheat.


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Sort of looks like a fake painting. That is a painting of an idealized event, not something that actually happened.


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They had an exhibit on some peace exchange between the Soviets and people from Minnesota in the 1980s. This tapestry was from Minnesota and was part of it. Take the time to read all of it - it is really funny, and really does match the perception of a lot of Americans.

Next on my list of places to go was the Ostankino TV tower which used to be the tallest structure in the world and was still possibly the tallest in Russia. It was on the other side of the city by the All Russia Exhibition.


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I got off the Metro by the space museum and then walked. I didn't know the way so I didn't take a tram but you could always see the tower so I knew which way to walk. I had to walk along probably 2 kilometers of residential streets.


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As you can see, the weather looked really threatening. When I got to the tower I was told all tours up it were sold out. That was very disappointing but probably for the best as about half way back to the All Russia Exhibit it started to rain very hard.


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The tower seemed very thin. I wondered how they got a firm enough foundation to hold it up as it looks like a lot of weight making contact with a small amount of ground.

Next I met some friends and after wandering around a busy park we went to an upscale pedestrian area in the center of Moscow.


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Horses in the center of Moscow.


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The area was quite affluent and very upscale. Lots of flashy people trying to show off. Definitely different than Arbat and not my cup of tea.

It turns out though that it was quite close to the Kremlin and within walking distance of Arbat so when I decided to head home I walked. 


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GUM at night.


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If I had to pick one building as the most beautiful of all those I saw I'm not sure it would be this one but it would definitely be in the running.


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This scene, looking up a slight hill towards Red Square and with the top of St. Basils popping out impressed me as much this night as it did my first night in Russia. Simply a stunning scene which you have to see with your own eyes - a camera can't really capture it.


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## No1 (Nov 24, 2006)

600West218 said:


> I don't know that that is Jesus. Who is it? And why is it there? I'm thinking it is some Russian warlord from the middle ages. But why would the Soviets put it in the Metro?





> Komsomolskaya was designed as an illustration of a historical speech given by Joseph Stalin November 7, 1941. In this speech, Stalin evoked the memories of Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy and other military leaders of the past, and all these historical figures eventually appeared on the mosaics of Komsomolskaya.


People on he West don't know very best this things. Before 2WW and during 2WW, Stalin open churches and back religion in public life. He let Sergei Eisenstein to create legendary movie-Alexandar Nevsky(wars against german Teutonic Knights in 13. century and win over them. In Russia that time is know like "Time of silence". Mongol attack russian lands from south and Germans try from north but lose. Many refugees go from mongols south to Novgorod north, many die. Movie was propaganda preparation for war, and Eisenstein was Jew, symbolic)-saint in Christian Orthodoxy(and legandary music from Prokofiev) with churches and bells.






Dmitry Donskoy is russian legend who united russian lands and expel Mongols(Battle of Kulikovo-1380). He also put Moscow in domination over other russian regions and citys like Novgorod(which was not be under Mongols). If you be in Russia next time you go in historic russians citys like Novgorod, or visit Golden ring around Moscow(are you be there? That is really value of Russia and most tourist don't see that if the come in Mosocw).










Suzdal, that was capital of region where is Moscow. Moscow was village.
The Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (1168–1389 AD)










And this is anthem of Soviet Union from 1944, and today Russia, with other words off course.


> An unbreakable union of free republics,
> *The Great Rus' has welded forever to stand.*
> Long live the creation of the will of the people,
> The united, mighty Soviet Union!


Like you see, they glorified ancient Russians. Soviet also very love Slavic mithodology. Lada, name for cars and submarines, is slavic goddess.



> Lada or Lado is the names of a putative Slavic pagan deity of harmony, merriment, youth, love and beauty .


I don't want go in slavic mythology it's only note and it's not all like was see in television.

Great stuff is this thread. Keep good work


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Very interesting information about the Slavophile policies that some of the Soviets followed. It does make some sense. After it was clear there wouldn't be socialist revolutions in other countries and they started "socialism in one country" that had to justify it and spur nationalist feelings - hence the Slavophile turn by the Soviet government.

I never had any idea the name "Lada" was the name for goddess. I also learned the Soviet space shuttle name, "Buran", means snow storm. Good to pick up some more vocabulary.


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## Canzone (Jul 27, 2011)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> The area was quite affluent and very upscale. Lots of flashy people trying to show off. Definitely different than Arbat and not my cup of tea.
> 
> It turns out though that it was quite close to the Kremlin and within walking distance of Arbat so when I decided to head home I walked.


 Street Kuznetsky Most









In Russian, but with more pictures



600West218 said:


> Next I was heading down to the Museum of Political History - a museum like the one I saw in St. Petersburg.
> 
> 
> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> ...


Building of the former English Gentlemen's club 1831-1917, before that the Palace of the counts Razumovsky, one of which was a favorite of Catherine II.








ru.wikipedia.org









Ostankino Tower
http://www.tvtower.ru/2_Razdel_TotalInfo/eng/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostankino_Tower


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## Canzone (Jul 27, 2011)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> GUM at night.


Built 1890-1893. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUM_(department_store)









fotki.yandex.ru
Inside the store in 1893: elongated shop galleries are bridged with innovative metal-and-glass vaults, designed by Vladimir Shukhov.



600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> If I had to pick one building as the most beautiful of all those I saw I'm not sure it would be this one but it would definitely be in the running.


State Historical Museum 1872


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## Canzone (Jul 27, 2011)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> Horses in the center of Moscow.


Lubyanka_Square









zyalt.livejournal.com









zyalt.livejournal.com









toptigki.livejournal.com

and other photos of Lubyanka Square before Stalin and his henchmen decided to rebuild it. It's a real crime.


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## Canzone (Jul 27, 2011)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Epiphany_Monastery, founded by Daniel, the first prince of Moscow, around 1296.








deryabino.ru









deryabino.ru

A 1882 photograph of the monastery.








vladregion.info


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## levaniX (May 16, 2009)

AlekseyVT said:


> This is so-called Shuvalov Corps (1st Corps) at the new territory of MSU. It was built in 2005-2007 and became second building at the new terrirory (after above-mentioned intellectual center). In general, there are plans to build four such corps (including this one) around building of the intellectual centre.



In fact, there's The History Department(or School of History Studies, as the british would say) (not sure about other departments, i guess they're related with other humanities) in this building of the MSU *Campus*. I've been visiting it for many times for various reasons.


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## levaniX (May 16, 2009)

Anyway, Alexey, It would be more relevant to call the whole MSU complex *campus*
Please, see the definition of the word
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campus


> A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls, student centers or dining halls, and park-like settings. The definition currently describes a collection of buildings that belong to a given institution, either academic or non-academic.


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

^^^^^^
Many thanks for necessary clarifications!


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## russianpride (Dec 22, 2008)

> First I want across this car getting pulled over by the police. I watched the whole incident but didn't want to openly photograph it. One police officer actually had a machine gun out but nothing seemed to happen. I think they just checked the persons papers and then sent him on his way.


These cars look very suspicious. Drivers are usually immigrants who don't have all necessary documents like insurance or registration.



> A type of Lada which looks amazingly like a Ford Escort station wagon that I owned, and liked, for many years.


Lada-2111 (1998-2008)



> Ok, now I do have a question about these vans. I assume lots of them must have civilian uses, such as this one. If so, why is painted olive green like a military vehicle?


Many customers choose green colour because it is a special military paint which protect of rust, scratches and even small damages. 



> I would think they would be in a variety of colors.


Yes, many colors. 



> Totally cool headlight covers. I'd like to see the lights on with these headlight covers down to see if you really do still have enough light to drive.


Looks like a written-off military car.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

I just bought and started to read a book on Soviet car production.

I never really realized until now how close I was to the Zil factory and missed. it. Annoying.

Does anyone on this forum know can you just walk around the factory area? Are there tours of the factory? Is there much to see there or is it all walled off and inaccesable to the public?


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Directly in front of the MSU tower was a nice view point for getting a panoramic view of Moscow.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

A big stadium. Is this the stadium from the 1980 Olympics?


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Moscow City.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The TV tower almost blends in with the smokestacks.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The "Golden Brain" again. From this vantage point it doesn't look quite so spectacular. I think that is partly due to the sun not shining on it and partly due to the distance.

After going through some woods and trying to get down an embankment that almost killed me I walked along the river back towards Gorki Park.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

As you can see the water level was high.

Then it was off to the center of Moscow for dinner at a cafeteria in GUM which goes back to Soviet times. No pictures of that but they did have another water vending machine in GUM:


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

And they have some "USSR" product, I think this is ice cream?


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This looks like a Stalin "New Empire" building.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

The old Soviet news agency, TASS, was here.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Then I made my way back to Novi Arbat street where there was a book store I wanted to visit. The buildings on the right it has previously been pointed out were apartment buildings. They must have been coveted and gone to important people as the location is certainly quite nice.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

At night they have some nice illumination.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


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## No1 (Nov 24, 2006)

AlekseyVT said:


> Yes, I also can. But do you sure that it was so-called "political order" rather than personal desire of movie director?


But i never say-"political order". I only say, there was not problem with slavic mythology, on contrary. Movies about fairy tales from slavic mythology was made ordinary and with love about stories. And not only movies.
And i stop here. I don't want to burden with this story this great thread. We will talk about that another time.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

The next morning, Monday, my time in Russia finally concluded. It was time to head to the airport. I did that using the Metro and then the train to the airport. Let me just say, taking luggage on the Moscow Metro at rush hour, especially the circle line, is probably not a good idea. But I survived.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Interesting cladding.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Those look very much like Soviet era blocks, and they don't have the nice cladding that most newer housing does. Yet they look amazingly neat and in good repair for Soviet era housing.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This train, like most other Russian trains I rode, didn't travel particularly fast. If I had to guess I would say the average speed was around 50 MPH but there were significant amounts of time when it was traveling slower.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

This appears to be a panel for one of the apartment blocks under construction.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Another housing panel maybe?


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

After about 30 or 40 minutes the train arrived at the airport.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

I don't believe I've ever seen an Uzbekistan airplane even at Kennedy airport.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr

Maybe a Russian regional carrier? I know people there complained about airplane tickets being too expensive, possibly due to not enough competition.


Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

To summarize: It was a fantastic trip. Russia was a country I had wanted to visit for many, many years and I wish I had done it sooner. The trip exceeded my expectations in all respects. And all negative things that I had been warned about turned out to be complete non-issues: crime, corrupt police, registering in each city. I never had a problem with any of that.

I would say that Monino Airforce Museum, Kubinka Tank museum and the Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg were the most interesting sites that I visited, though there were many others too. Commuting each morning through the former Soviet neighborhood in St. Petersburg was also a real highlight of the trip. Though for the best single moment of the trip I don't think anything tops seeing Red Square for the very first time when I first arrived. Red Square at night does not disappoint. And of course, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the great experience that traveling on Russian trains was.

Truthfully, the only downer on the entire trip was my not speaking much of any Russian. But that of course is my own failing - nothing to do with the country. If I at some point learn Russian I'm sure that will make the experience much, much better.

I've a lot left to see. Fortunately, I'll be returning in May of 2014 with the intention of travelling to Chelybinsk and Magnitogorsk.

As I will almost certainly arrive in Moscow that will give me a chance to see some things that I definitely missed this time: The Armed Forces Museum (I could have seen it this time but after all the military museums I saw I really couldn't see another), the ZIL factory and industrial area, STAR City and maybe some rocket factories if they give tours.

This trip was very heavy on seeing military things. The next trip should focus more on something I like even more than that - industrial areas. Now that you know my tastes for these things any recommendations on such sites to see in Moscow, Chelybinsk or Magnitogorsk will be very welcome.

Last, but by no means least, thank you all so very much for the invaluable feedback on this report. I think I"ve learned more reading your comments than I learned when I was actually in Russia. A number of you would make excellent guides and in fact if when I am there next year you are interested in sharing your knowledge in person walking around Moscow that would be great.

All the best and thanks again.


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> A big stadium. Is this the stadium from the 1980 Olympics?


This is stadium from 1956 (it was main stadium during 1980 Olympics). Next month there will be held World Championships in Athletics (I already ordered ticket on this event :cheers. After this, it will be closed on reconstruction for 2018 FIFA World Cup (world's major sport events, although it's not quite popular in North America).



600West218 said:


> Untitled by 600West218, on Flickr
> 
> And they have some "USSR" product, I think this is ice cream?


Yes, it is. Many people sure that food products were much better and tastier in the Soviet times than nowadays (I can agree with them - I still remember taste of bread in late 1980s).


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks for this great trip report 600West218, I enjoyed it very much and learned many new things. I wonder, how many days did you stay in Russia? Anyway, I assume it was not enough to see everything 

I'm looking forward to your next thread. I have read all three of them so far and they never disappointed me :cheers:


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks Wapper.

I was there 16 days. It wasn't enough for everything but it was probably as much as I could endure. Each day was so busy and tiring that eventually I ran out of energy. That is why, for example, I didn't go to the Armed Forces museum when I got back to Moscow. Simply not enough energy.

I'll be back in Russia next year.

But next up is Germany. Berlin to Hamburg to the Ruhr Valley.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

AlekseyVT said:


> Yes, it is. Many people sure that food products were much better and tastier in the Soviet times than nowadays (I can agree with them - I still remember taste of bread in late 1980s).


Wow, that is Soviet style ice-cream? If I had known that I'd have bought it and tried it out.:bash:


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Another great travelogue - even though I'm not nearly so interested in things militaristic or industrial as yourself.

Hamburg should be a real treat! And my son has just been in Berlin and absolutely loved it - as do most people! I look forward to your next report.

And when next in Liverpool - give me a call!


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

600West218 said:


> Wow, that is Soviet style ice-cream? If I had known that I'd have bought it and tried it out.:bash:


No, I guess it's no more than name of brand that based on nostalgic feelings for the Soviet products.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> Another great travelogue - even though I'm not nearly so interested in things militaristic or industrial as yourself.
> 
> Hamburg should be a real treat! And my son has just been in Berlin and absolutely loved it - as do most people! I look forward to your next report.
> 
> And when next in Liverpool - give me a call!


Thanks Jane.

I'm due for another trip to England. It will mainly be the "Midlands" area, Birmingham and the like, but I will definitely be visiting Liverpool as well. I definitely miss it there and want to hike along the floor of the ocean at low tide :cheers:


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Will you ever go back to Belgium? You definitelly want to see Antwerp and Liège for their historical and industrial sights. Furthermore, I can also recommend the NE province of Limburg if you like old mines. There are mines elsewhere (you can even go in the tunnels in a mine near Liège) but the Limburg mines are simply enormous and therefore definitelly worth a visit.
I assume you can also visit old mines in England and in the Ruhr area, but I don't know the details about that. I visited a very interesting mine in South-Wales, but it will probably be a bit too far from Birmingham.


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Yes, I need to get back to Belgium. Antwerp is definitely on the must see list as is Liege. I know people in the big steel town right out side of Liege. And who knows, maybe I'll even go to the tourist place, Bruge  (though I'm sure Ghent is better).

But this is the problem: Europe is too big and has too many interesting places to see. Imagine, I also know people who live in Krakow Poland. As you can imagine, I want to go there too.

I feel sorry for people who live in Europe: too much to see. I don't know how they live with all the distractions. 

Anyways, I'll get there hopefully, I just can't promise that it will be soon.


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Yes, life is very hard indeed. We suffer.:fiddle:

But you can't really complain if you live in New York. I'm sure there's enough to do and see in the area to keep you occupied when you are not travelling abroad


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## irmscher9 (Apr 21, 2013)

Wapper said:


> Will you ever go back to Belgium? You definitelly want to see Antwerp and Liège for their historical and industrial sights. Furthermore, I can also recommend the NE province of Limburg if you like old mines. There are mines elsewhere (you can even go in the tunnels in a mine near Liège) but the Limburg mines are simply enormous and therefore definitelly worth a visit.
> I assume you can also visit old mines in England and in the Ruhr area, but I don't know the details about that. I visited a very interesting mine in South-Wales, but it will probably be a bit too far from Birmingham.


Yeah, Antwer is awesome, been there a couple of times, and even tough I'm highly-fed with exquisite architecture of Riga, I loved it. Very charming city with great industrial areas as well!


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## Sergey17 (Jun 15, 2013)

You have to come to the International Aviation and Space salon MAKS 2013 (2015)


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## Ysh (Nov 22, 2005)

600West218, man, you did a great job.
I have been reading your story and watching photos for a whole week-end.
Very interesting.
Welcome to Russia anytime!!:cheers:


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## 600West218 (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks. Glad you liked it. I loved Russia.

I am going back next year in May and will start in Moscow but this time go to Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk. I plan to go in early May so I can see a May 9th victory parade. And I still have lots to see in Moscow that I missed this time.


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## Piltup Man (May 21, 2010)

I really enjoyed reading this. It took me 3 days to go through! Thanks for yet another interesting detailed travelogue, and to those who contributed with additional details.


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

Another fantastic thread that I spend far too long over the last three days looking at. Thank you, I really think I learnt a lot from this thread.

Back to my essays I go!


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## zZero (Sep 6, 2016)

:applause:


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