Moscow - Day 10

Once more, the heavens opened as we arrived about 1:00 p.m. in the city of Moscow.  We had spent the morning with disembarkation details and listening to a panel of our resident guides lend forth on the topic of "Russia Today".  Not pretending to be politicians or economists, they answered our questions about what the "new" Russia is like from their own personal perspectives.  They answered questions about religion in Russia (there had been an upswing in attendance after the end of the Soviet regime, but now some of the younger people are not so interested), health care (there is a basic plan covered by employers or the state, but if you want better service, you have to pay extra), and hopes for the future.  Most often expressed was that Russian parents feel they have endured the various experiments in government always hoping that things will be better for their children and grandchildren.

After lunch, our buses took us to the Kremlin -- the fortress -- that was the original city.  Our guide walked us through the grounds, pointing out the various architectural styles shown in the cathedrals and the government buildings.  We entered two of the oldest cathedrals (all churches in the Kremlin are called cathedrals) to see the extensive icon walls and the fresco interiors.  Both cathedrals had a similar depiction on the west wall -- the one you face when leaving -- and that was of the Day of Judgement.  True to the Gospel, the saints were on Christ's right hand, those condemned to Hell were on the left.  Apparently the church wanted its believers to remember that it really matters what one does in daily life.

As we left the cathedrals, the sun came out.  Our bus took us to the Red Square  -- the Red Square where we have seen pictures of Russian parades and the tomb of Lenin.  We could not enter the Red Square.  It was closed to set up for the Independence Day celebration which takes place on Tuesday, June 12th.  But we were able to walk around the perimeter on one end to view the beautiful Cathedral of St. Basil with its multicolored domes and the icons on the exterior.  Then we entered the GUM department store.  What a difference a couple of decades make!  Instead of a stark showcase of state-produced goods, it now has all the stores and shops (and more) that one sees in the average American mall.  It has three long avenues of three levels, each avenue covered by a glass roof.  For Jan and me, it could have been the Mall of America.

Our final stop for the day was a classical folklore concert, featuring the Moscow Russia Folk Orchestra.  Using traditional Russian stringed instruments, strummed with fingers rather than with bows, we heard selections ranging from Tschaikowsky to Hachaturian.  The orchestra was made up of young, enthusiastic musicians who really seemed to enjoy giving us a great performance.

Tomorrow we will visit the Sergiev Posad monastery in the day and enjoy Moscow by Night, a bus and boat excursion to see the lights of the city.  More to come...