Day 11: Moscow - the Kremlin

After breakfast we all went to the local metro station where Svetlana helped us to buy a 3 day metro pass and then took our first ride on the metro to Red Square to meet our guide for the next couple of days.

This is the outside of the Metro station. The weather was atrocious - raining, windy and cold. The long term forecast prior to leaving for the trip showed sun and temperatures of 30+ for the whole trip so I wasn't the only one who did not have the right clothing for this weather. I was miserable!

Looking towards Red square you can see the Lenin mausoleum  straight ahead. It is possible to see the embalmed body of Lenin if you wish to queue. We were on our way into the Kremlin. This is Moscow's historic centre. It started life as a 12th century citadel surrounded by wooden walls. Today the walls are made of brick and enclose palaces, museums, cathedrals and the offices of the Russian president and its government. Running along the NE side of the Kremlin is Red Square where parades and ceremonies are regular  events.


Although we had pre booked tickets we still had to queue in the rain to get through the security checks. Once inside the walls of the Kremlin we made our way to the  armoury where many treasures are on display. Out of the cold and rain, I cheered up, especially as the armoury was not full of weapons as I had anticipated, but such items as Catherine the Great's silver wedding dress. She married Peter III which led to his abdication and her taking over power. The armoury owns one of the world's largest collection of Faberge eggs but sadly no photography was allowed in the museum, leaving me with  few visual memories. There were numerous gold, silver and bejewelled presents from around the world to the tzars. A reminder of the wealth of the Russian aristocracy. Also on display were the numerous extravagantly decorated, ceremonial gilded carriages.

Back outside we went to have a look at a couple of the cathedrals. This is the Cathedral of the Assumption. It was originally founded in 1326  but redesigned in 1470. The coronation of Ivan the Terrible took place here in 1547.  During Napoleon's occupation in 1812 the cathedral was one of many churches used to stable horses. Then it became a museum during the Soviet era in 1918. Religious services resumed here in 1990.


I think this is the Cathedral of the Archangel designed by a Venetian architect in 1505. This cathedral was used for the burials of Moscow's tsars and princes until the 18th century.

Ivan the Great Bell Tower.

The offices where Putin works.

The walls of the Kremlin.

At 220 tons (199,580kg) this is the world's largest bell. After it was cast in 1586 a fire broke out and some people wanted to save the bell not realising it would come to no harm in a fire. Instead they doused it repeatedly with cold water and a large chunk of the bell broke off. The bell was unused and was put on display here in 1835.

The Tsar cannon was originally sited in Red Square as a symbol of Russian power. This enormous cannon was cast in 1586 and weighs 43 tons (39,000kg).

At the end of the tour the guide took us out of the Kremlin and showed us where we could get something to eat in a food court. There was a huge choice of international food at very cheap prices AND we could sit down for a rest.  Once I was fortified by food and a rest I was ready to go and have a look around the Red Square with a couple of other members of the trip.









In Red square is Lenin's mausoleum. No queues to get in because it is only open in the mornings. Behind the mausoleum are the Kremlin wall graves.

This section of the Kremlin wall  has the bodies of 238 Bolshevik revolutionary fighters buried in mass graves in 1917. Since then over 100 Soviet heroes have had their ashes interred in the wall.

They had just changed the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier at the Kremlin War Graves and I  missed getting a photo of them goose stepping away.

One of the most iconic buildings in Red Square is the colourful St Basil's Cathedral. Ivan the terrible ordered its construction to celebrate capturing the Tatar stronghold of Kazan, 500 miles east of Moscow  in 1552. The cathedral has eight chapels each representing a successful attack on Kasan.


















At the other end of the square to St Basil's Cathedral is the State Historical Museum.

On top of the museum is the double headed eagle, the symbol of Russia.

Next to the museum is the Kasam cathedral which was rebuilt in 1993 in the style of the 17th century original.

Occupying the whole of the eastern side of the square is GUM (State Department Store), a 19th century shopping mall. It was built on the site of a 15th century market.


It consists of three parallel halls faced with marble and covered with a glass roof.

It is now privately owned and has around 200 high-end shops, cafes and food stores.

Four of our fellow travellers, also looking around GUM, were totally unaware that I was photographing them.

We left the shopping mall through the side entrance onto a very decorative street full of lights.

We returned to our hotel via the metro. This is Ploshchad Revolyutsii station. Stalin's favourite station has niches containing 76 life size bronze sculptures of Soviet citizens.

People touch the statues for good luck as they walked  past.

This sculpture is at Partizanskaya, the closest metro station to our hotel.

This line through the centre of the station was added for the football World Cup and didn't seem to be in use at the moment.

In the evening we went out to a restaurant for our final meal as a group. Svetlana, our guide for the trip would be leaving us tomorrow.  We went to a local Russian restaurant and enjoyed good food and wine as well as good company.

We would all met up in the morning for our final tour of the trip.