Moscow City of Power

I enjoy many things about Moscow but my favorites are the Kremlin, the Arbat, Gorki Park, and the nightlife. You cannot help but be impressed by Moscow. It is a city that dominates the largest country in the world. It is a city run amok with sex and money. There are of course millions of poor people and only a handful of rich--but oh how those rich like to flaunt their wealth. Try and attend a performance at the Bolshoi Theater of premier Russian ballet.

Quick Tips:

Moscow is perhaps the most Russian of all major cities in that country. Try to enjoy a walk for shopping down the fabulous Arbat. See the Cathederal of St. Basil. Go to Gorki Park in the spring, summer, and fall and revel in the flora and fauna of that massive park within the city. See the Kremlin and by all means stop by the tomb of Lenin. It is not so well-attended by the public anymore, but it should be seen. The hotels are quite good. Your budget will determine the number of stars over the door. Unless you are really rich, seek out three star hotels and be a little patient when you check in. Go to the art museums. Try to stop by the University of Moscow. By all means go to a Russian night club.

Best Way To Get Around:

The metro system is the best in the country. Try to avoid it at peak hours and always watch your wallet and documents as in any other huge city anywhere in the world. Buses are cheap but can be confusing if you are not with a local. Many Moscovites speak English and more than a few are approachable if you become lost in the city. The cheapest way to use a cab is to have a Russian call for one to pick you up. That way the price is negotiated in advance. Insist that the cab driver pickup no other passengers or stop along the way for any reason.

I think that anyone who travels to Moscow will be fascinated with a visit to the Church of the Ressurection of Jesus Christ in Moscow. This marvelous church was built in 1862 as a tribute to the Russian defenders of the Napoleonic invasion of Russia. All of the people of Russia gave as much financial support as they could to help build this church. Some could only give one kopek but everyone contributed. Some of the most famous painters in all of Russian history came to the church to contribute to the beautiful interior including V. I. Surikov and other Russian immortals. I personally understood just how important this church was to the people of Russia when I saw the list of painters. Surikov is perhaps the most famous painter of Russian epochal historical scenes and has always been one of my favorite painters.

It was a tragedy of epic proportion when this beautiful church was destroyed in the 1930s. It was dynamited by the Bolshiviks in order to make room for the proposed Palace of the Soviets. After the destruction of the church, the foundation was dug for the Palace. The Palace of Soviets was to have been larger than the Empire State Building and was to have been topped off with a 100 meter tall statue of Lenin. Imagine their surprise and disappointment when the newly dug foundation kept filling up with water. WWII interupted construction and plans were put on hold.

In the 1960s plans were made to convert the failed foundation into a huge swimming area for the people of Moscow. This area became very popular and people swam there even in the winter! By the 1980s members of the Russian intelligencia, led by Vladimir Solouhin, proposed the idea of rebuilding the church that had been destroyed so many years before. The effort was supported by Gorbachov, and soon money again poured in from all over Russia.

The church is being rebuilt from existing archives. The Academy of Fine Arts of St. Petersburg provided the masters necessary to complete the most difficult of the restoration tasks. Teachers and students from the Academy contributed their time and effort to make this dream a reality. Today this church is almost completely rebuilt. To see the church is to understand the passion of the Russian people for their history and culture. It is a must for every American who goes to Moscow to see this hallowed spot.

This superb residence of one of the most famous and richest of all Russian families, the Sheremetyevs, is a must for those interested in Russian architectural history. The estate was built in such a manner as to virtually merge landscape and architecture. The synthesis of nature and work of man is the main achievement of Kuskovo. Although the palace is not large by Russian standards, it is a joy to visit because of its surroundings. The centerpiece of the estate is the square in front of the palace that is situated on the banks of a pond. The palace is a modest structure built in the style of early classicism. The 72 yard long building is well preserved which is all the more remarkable as it is built of wood. When you get inside the palace you will be overcome with the magnificent interiors. There are paintings, antique furniture, and beautiful chandeliers, that can overcome the senses while speaking volumes about the artistic taste of the original owners. I started with the palace and will be forever grateful that I took advantage of the chance to see this jewel among jewels of Moscow.

The park surrounding the palace was built in French style and still has many sculptures and small pavilions. You will encounter the Dutch House, the hermitage, and the Italian Grotto. The Grotto was built from shells and stones imported to Russia from the Mediterranean Sea. In front of the Grotto we saw the five small pavilions built for swans and other birds. This was the site of a fabled romance involving a Sheremetyev Count and a beautiful serf actress. The Sheremetyev family was engrossed in the theater and supported actors and actresses from the serf class.

One of the most famous performers was the actress, Proskovya, known as Jemtchugova. Her voice was one of the greatest ever heard in old Russia.

The last, but far from least attraction encountered, was the outstanding porcelain collection known as the pride of Kuskovo. It is the most complete collection of porcelain in the country. Not everyone gets to Kuskovo. I hope that you will!

The Tretyakov Gallery collection is the national property of the Russian government. It also constitutes a great source of national pride. The gallery contains art from the XII Century all the way through the 20th Century.

The bulk of the art contained therein belonged to the famous patron of Russian art, Pavel Tretyakov. He began to amass his collection of art during the middle of the 19th Century. Upon his death his collection went to the city of Moscow. A fund was created to maintain the original art and to acquire additional pieces. The end result is arguably the most famous and largest collection of national art in Russia.

Tretyakov, in effect, created what was to become the first museum of art in the country. The art collection boasts a huge collection of Russian icon paintings and also the largest number of works of the famous Itinerant Painters of Russia.

The Itinerant Painters have always been my favorite group of Russian artists. Their ranks include the most brilliant Russian painters. If you visit Russia, do whatever it takes to see the works of these artists first hand. Vasily Perov, Ivan Kramskoi, Grigory Miasoyedov, Vasily Maximov, Nikolai Gay (GHE), Savrasov, Prianishnikov, Savitsky, Repin, Kuinji, Polenov, Yaroshenko, Ivanov, Serov, Vasnetsov, Stepanov, Arkhipov, Kasatkin, and Levitan are among my personal favorites. These immortals of Russian art, along with many others, constituted the courageous band of artists known as the Peredvizhniki (Wandering Artists). These artists insisted on painting realist art. This art glorified Russian life and nature as never before. It must be seen!

Moscow was first recognized in Russian history in the year 1147. This date is credited with being the true foundation of what was to become the future capital city of the world's largest country. The present Kremlin covers 68 acres of land. To see the Kremlin is to get an idea of the existing architectural complexities of Russian monuments and the peculiarities of Russian architecture. This is especially true when one addresses the subject of the aesthetic ideal and nuances of old Russian architecture. The buildings of the Moscow Kremlin dominated the town for centuries. The advent of high rise buildings has somewhat negated this effect but the citadel of the Kremlin is still a formidable sight.

Inside the walls of the citadel's watch towers were concentrated many of the most significant of Russia's oldest churches and living quarters. Over the centuries many buildings underwent changes. The churches and dwellings of the 18th and 19th Centuries are the most well preserved.

The oldest part of the Kremlin is the Cathederal Square. It is here that you will encounter the Cathederal of the Assumption which was built by the Italian architect, Aristotal Florovanty. This church served as the main Cathederal of Russia and it was here that the Tsars of Russia were crowned and where the most important political and religious ceremonies occurred.

In front of the south facade of the church of the assumption is the Cathedral of the Annunciation. This was the church of the Tsars and was built by Russian Masters in 1487-1489. There is also the Church of the Deposition of the Robe (1484-1486) which is characterized by the refined one dome construction that was built to memorize the occasion of the transfer of the Robe of the Virgin from Palestine to Konstantinopal. This church became the home church of Russian Metropolitans. Today it houses a collection of old Russian sculptures.

In 1508 the architect, Alviza Montanyana, built the Cathederal of the Archangel Michael. This church was very important until the beginning of the 18th Century because it was here that the Tsars and Dukes of Russia were buried. This changed with the death of Peter I, as he and his heirs, were buried in the Peter and paul Fortress in the new capitol city of St. Petersburg. Every church mentioned thus far are filled with collections of monumental art and some of the most venerated of all Russian icon paintings. It is important to note that the art contained in the churches was not destroyed or stolen as was often the case in occuppied parts of Russia during the first three years of WWII. Other old pieces of art and churches were destroyed the time after the Revolution of 1918.

The architecture that dominates the Cathederal Square is the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. This was built between 1505 and 1508 by Bon Fryazin. It is 81 meters high and later on a multi staged belfry was added. On this square is also found the Faceted Hall or so called Tsar's Palace. This contains the chamber where foreign ambassadors were received by the Tsar. Although the outer portion of the building has changed over the centuries, the main chamber's decorations are intact although the wall paintings were not added until 1882. The real masterpiece of the palace architecture is the Terem Palace constructed from 1635-1636 by Russian Masters. It's outer appearance and inner scenes go a long way to clearup what old Russia really looked like. Of great interest is the 17th century three floor palace for the Patriarch known as the Patriarch's chamber. Today this section is used to house the Museum of Russian Folk and Applied Art of the 12th Century. Also of great interest is the aresenal building which was built in the early 1700s. In 1851, the architect, Konstantin Ton, built an armory that is the storage site for thousands of pieces of foreign and Russian applied art, ancient weapons and armor, gold and silver plates, jewelery, precious clothes, embroidery, old Russian books, minatures, and carriages. Specifically the state regalia of the Tsar's crowns, bejeweled diamond scepters, and other wonders are to be found. The Grand Kremlin Palace contains the hall where the State Duma holds conferences in what is now Post Soviet Russia.

To walk down the oldest street in Moscow is to experience the most historical kilometer of the city. It is cleary something that everyone who goes to Moscow must experience first hand. One must also understand that 'Arbat' not only means this historic street but also a series of fascinating by-streets and small lanes around the Arbat. The unique color and climate of the Arbat pulsates with the inner spirit of old Moscow. Walking through this fascinating labyrinth of twisting small streets with old Russian names enables one to feel the uniqueness of Moscow as no other area of this huge metropolitan sprawl. If you know anything about Russian history you will recognize many of the most famous names from Russian history.

The very name 'Arbat' is not only very old but is also very unusal. The name was derived from merchants who traded with Oriental countries back in the early 14th and 15th Centuries and who designated the suburbs where they lived and carried out commercial activities the 'Arbat'. Unfortunately the old wooden structures that were of that era burned down in a series of fires. During the latter half of the 18th Century the nobility of the city forced the merchants out of the area and turned it into the most prestigious area to live. It was not until 100 years later that the richest merchants returned and turned the area back into a center of business activity. One thing is sure, you will not only be able to find anything under the sun there that can be purchased in Russia, but you will find it in the most interesting circumstances that you can imagine.