May 25 - June 1
Flights: Denver to San Francisco. Business Class from SF to Frankfurt. Frankfurt to Moscow.
Arrival Saturday, May 26.
We stayed at the Aerostar Hotel in Moscow. It was an easy walk to where Don helped with the basketball camp.
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| Breakfast buffet at the hotel each morning. |
Evening River Cruise on the Moscow River
Moscow is a lively city, full of things to see and places to visit,
from the Kremlin to lots of spots for shopping and sightseeing.
The sprawling city of Moscow is a mixture of historical and
contemporary sights.A tourist in Moscow has a lot of choice. From the
Red Square and the Kremlin to tours in the outskirts of the city, there
is something for everyone. You can shop, engage in cultural activities
in the capital of music and theatre, or simply be captivated by the
beautiful surroundings of Moscow.
Red Square
St. Basil's (Pokrovsky) Cathedral
The well-known St. Basil’s Cathedral is located on the opposite side
of the Voskresensky Gate of the Red Square. It was built under the rule
of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible in 1554-1560 in honour of conquest of the
Kazan Khanate. According to the legend, when the Tsar saw the finished
cathedral, he ordered the architects to be blinded so that they would
not build such a beautiful building anywhere else.
Despite the gruesome story behind it, the Cathedral itself is an
architectural masterpiece consisting of nine altars spread out on one
single foundation. St. Basil’s is a must-see for anyone visiting Moscow.
The Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin is one of the most ancient parts of the city and
symbolises the whole of Russia. It is both a cultural sight, as well as
the centre of the Russian state, and the residence of the President of
Russia. The Kremlin is steeped in history. In 1990, the Moscow Kremlin
and the Red Square were included into the list of UNESCO worldwide
heritage.
There are many tours offered around the Kremlin, and various museums
are located inside the complex, such as the Armory Chamber, Cathedral of
the Annunciation, Cathedral of the Archangel, Cathedral of the
Assumption, the Patriarch’s chambers, Church of the Deposition of the
Robe, Ivan the Great Bell Ensemble, Sobornaya square, and “Archeology of
the Moscow Kremlin” collection.
GUM Department Store
The GUM is a huge shopping center, one of the largest in Europe. It
is the most famous place to shop in Moscow, but it is also known for its
architecture. It is situated on Red Square and the first part of it was
built in 1812, under Alexander I.
The shop itself has a luxurious style, selling brands such as Louis
Vuitton, Dior, Hugo Boss, Burberry etc. There are also many cafes and
restaurants.
Moscow Metro
The Moscow metro is famous for its architecture and the stations
called “underground palaces of Moscow” have become main sights of the
city.
The old, prewar stations symbolize the industrialization of Russia,
whereas the post-war ones were made to symbolize victory and pride of
the nation. The first metro line was the Sokolnicheskaya, built in 1935.
Some of them are also protected by the state as valuable cultural
objects. The underground complexes are decorated by statues, monuments
and art such as paintings, mosaics, and stained-glass windows. The idea
was to give every station an individual shape and appearance.
Day Trips
With my personal tour guide, Julia (a university student in English) we took off for four days of sight seeing.
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre is the most famous theatre in Moscow. The theatre
shows around 3-4 different operas and 2-3 ballets each year. The focus
is on classical masterpieces from composers such as Mozart, Verdi,
Wagner, and Tchaikovsky. Russian ballet is world famous and is an
important part of the Russian culture.