Boots on the Loose

We spent two days (and an evening and a morning) in Moscow. So little time to see one of the great cities of the world. I’m embarrassed to admit that is all the time we could give it.

The good news is, there is still plenty to see and do next time we go!

Russian Alphabet Basics

I’m starting to understand the Russian alphabet, a wee little bit.

The interest came when I was noticing the word “pectopah” all over the place. Back in Mongolia.

Mongolia uses the Russian alphabet due to them being an x-Soviet country. But apparently Mongolia has a few extra characters representing a bunch of weird back-of-the-tongue sounds we are not comfortable even attempting.

As it turns out, “pectopaH” is actually the word ‘restaurant’. Because p’s are r’s, c’s are s’s and H’s are n’s.

Armed with that knowledge, it becomes fun walking around town, trying to read the signs. “Mapket”, an obvious, simple decryption for any beginner to get their feet wet with.

In Russia, the Russian alphabet has thirty three letters. It is actually a heavily-modified version of the Greek alphabet.

These are the letters that are (for all intents and purposes) exactly the same in our alphabet: a, e, k, m, o, t

These are the letters that look like ones from our alphabet, but make different sounds: B (sounds like v), H (sounds like n), p (sounds like r), c (sounds like s), y (sounds like oo), and x (sounds like k).

So in Mongolia when they write Genghis Khan everywhere, Khan is actually spelled “XaaH”.

As an aside, “khan” actually means ‘king’. Go figure.

“CYnEP”? s-oo-p-er….. Super!!!

The fun begins when you get to the twenty one other characters that aren’t represented by anything in our alphabet. 

Slowly but surely I will work my way through them.

And unfortunately I can’t be bothered to figure out how to make my keyboard type them into this post.

…so you’ll just have to come to Russia and see them in real life for yourself!

Trip Update: Moscow, Russia

We get off the train on a beautiful Thursday  afternoon. Sadly, the two thousand kilometre journey from Yekaterinburg would be the final overnight train ride of the trip.

We opt to take the metro plus a short walk to get to the Fasol Hostel. In the end, one of the best hostels out there. En route we catch a glimpse of a couple of Moscow’s beautiful metro stations. On top of their ornateness, there is no advertising anywhere. What a treat. As Zoe puts it, very “restful” not having to shield your brain from the constant bombardment of shit you don’t need to buy.

After getting ourselves settled in, we hop on a tram and head towards the famous Gorky Park. I truly hope Winds of Change by the Scorpions is going through your head right now, like it is mine. If not, click here.

We walk along the Moscow River along the way. Street cafes everywhere chock full of patrons spending their Thursday evenings sipping beer and wine.

Off in the distance we see a massive, very odd-looking pirate ship. And as we approach we realize it is an homage to Peter the Great. Probably the most incredible statue I had no idea existed before now.

A couple ancient leaders you may have heard of before: Ivan the Terrible in the late 1500’s. Apparently the name came from his bad temper, not his inability to rule a country. Followed a couple generations later by Peter the Great somewhere around the late-1600s. He created the city of Saint Petersburg as the new capital and it was inaugurated in 1703. People seem to really like him here so I guess he probably did a pretty good job.

As we pass by one of Moscow’s enormous art museums, we get to wander through a garden area filled with soviet-era statues.

Onward to the gate over the entrance of Gorky Park. As we pass under it, we are greeted with classical music coming from the speakers. And a very large fountain up ahead.

Gorky park reminds me of a much livelier version of Central Park in New York. Similarly sized, but having a great deal more amenities. Including everything from pubs that specialize in lawn-bowling to art museums to enormous water fountains. The Russians sure know how to do it up!

We make an attempt to get up a bit earlier the next day because it is going to be a big one. Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral, and the Kremlin. Oh, and a trip to Russia certainly wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a ballet at the Bolshoi.

Following the map around Moscow’s twisted roads, we come around the corner to be greeted by Red Square on our right, the Kremlin in front, and the unmistakable St Basil’s cathedral on our left. I can’t help but to stop for a minute and take in the fact that I am standing where I am standing.

We stick to plan and head to the Kremlin first.

In the end, the Kremlin wouldn’t be ALL that interesting. If it weren’t for the Armoury. Which is actually quite difficult to make it into – there are all these crazy times you can buy tickets for. With a timeframe for when the tickets may be purchased. But the lineup is so long to get the tickets, you risk missing the time frame you are buying them in. Somehow, we manage to beat the crap shoot and make it in.

The highlights are too numerous to point out, but I was a huge fan of the metal books holding the church psalms, the massive guns from the early days, and the incredible horse drawn carriage room. There was even a carriage that sat on skis and was used for travel between Moscow and St-Petersburg.

Outside the armoury, the Kremlin is basically a group of cathedrals. And a whole lot of government buildings which are off limits. Surrounded by a beautifully done fortress wall.

The cathedrals have the usual array of paintings/frescos. Many famous figures have tombs in them, including Ivan the Terrible and his sons. One of them was used ever since Ivan’s day for tsar inaugurations.

I couldn’t help but to be taken aback at the thought that I was standing there looking at the same frescos that Peter the Great would have been looking at during his inauguration. Over three hundred years ago.

Out and around the Kremlin, and through Red Square, we head into St. Basil’s Cathedral.

The story (roughly) goes like this: Ivan the Terrible was accused of killing one of his son’s (contributing to the name). Apparently, a homeless man named Basil saw the “real murder” happen. Getting Ivan off the hook. And, as a result, Basil was knighted and the cathedral was built for him. Hmm. Whatever the truth, it makes a great story today.

The inside is a museum and it is a little on the clean and tidy side for me. The cathedral was refurbished in the nineteen hundreds, so everything is fairly modern looking. Best to remember it for the extreme beauty of its exterior.

Off for a quick nibble and a break before the ballet.

I never would have thought in a hundred years that I would go to a ballet and enjoy it as thoroughly as I did.

We go to see the Taming of the Shrew. Great seats in a beautiful theatre. Friday night. Sold out crowd. What an incredible display of athleticism, musicianship, and art. I actually didn’t want it to end.

The women in Russia sure like to dazzle themselves up. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. (The men in the Bolshoi were also well dressed but that isn’t normally so much the case). We all felt very underdressed being in the Bolshoi with what we had on. Jen felt a woman’s eyes burning into her as she was looking at Jen’s disgraceful New Balance shoes while she walked down the marble staircase.

The next day is a little less aggressively structured. We take the metro out of the main part of town to a still-active convent. But really what I’m there to see is Moscow’s main cemetery attached to it. And the most incredible cemetery I have ever seen in my life.

Many famous people lay to rest there including Boris Yeltsin. But he doesn’t win the prize for the most over-the-top headstone. I don’t know that there is an answer for that though.

We metro back in the direction of home stopping at a massive church, followed by Moscow’s Pushkin museum. The museum has plenty of great paintings, but pretty much all the sculptures are replicas of the originals. I must admit I find that a little disappointing.

Starting to feel pretty weary from the two day slog, we find a bite to eat. And be sure to pass by St. Basil’s on our walk home so that we catch a glimpse of it at night.

But perhaps what ends up beating it is the incredible light display on the Gum department store that sits beside it. Wow. (Apparently in soviet times, it was the only place the people of Moscow were able to go to shop)

The internal debate still goes on. But there is a very good chance Moscow makes my top three favourite capital cities of the world. If you get the chance to go don’t be foolish like us. Give her the time she actually deserves.

Oh… And did we drink a Moscow Mule in Moscow? I never actually found it on a menu. And I was too embarrassed to ask!