muses-at-random: Russia Calling

Siberia, Lenin, Stalin, Moscow, Trans Siberian Railway, Gorbachev, Garry Kasparov are but a few names that register in our mind when we hear the word Russia. Unlike Europe and USA, Russia is not in the regular tourist circuit. So, when I got an opportunity to visit this country, I was delighted. With an expanse of 170 lakh sqkm and a population of 15 crores (with a density of 8.4 persons/sqkm), Russia is a comparison in complete contrast to India’s physical and human geography. When we landed in Moscow by an Air India flight on an early morning in the second week of July, the weather was just perfect.

Russia is divided into two parts by the Ural mountains- European part to the West and the larger Asian segment towards the east. Siberia forms most of the Eastern side and is covered with snow for most part of the year and a sizeable chunk of the land is under permafrost. Unfortunately, Siberia was not a part of our itinerary and it remains a part of my bucket list.

On the first day of our arrival, we headed for a Moscow city tour with a knowledgeable guide named Maria. The city has a population of over 13 million and one in every three people has a car. Even though the city residents are frustrated over the increasing traffic snarls, wide roads and impeccable lane system ensure that the jams are cleared without blaring horns and flaring tempers. Russians are very proud of their achievements in space science and a statue of Yuri Gagarin occupies a place of pride in the heart of the city. The residents are not averse to talk about their dark past-the reign of Stalin-and understandably, we did not come across a single statue of this leader.

The Red square in Moscow is a favorite tourist destination and July being the beginning of the pleasant summer, the area was teeming with travelers, mostly Chinese. The location has several attractions such as the lovely St Basil’s cathedral, Kremlin, Lenin’s mausoleum, Kazan cathedral and GUM shopping mall. From Red Square we moved to the Moscow Metro. This metro is more than 80 years old and the stations are beautifully designed with paintings from Russian history, the Great October Socialist Revolution, space odysseys etc. Most of the stations and routes are underground and one of the stations is about 270 feet underground, one of the deepest in the world. The metro is Moscow is also one of the busiest with more than 2 billion ridership in a year.

The cruise on the Moskva river was delightful and the audio guide helped us to identify the landmarks as we traveled along the river enjoying the views of the the magnificent city sparkling in the neon lights. The cruises usually start near the majestic and imposing Radisson Royal Hotel and takes about two and a half hours.

There are many more statues and landmarks in Moscow and the most important among them is ‘Worker and Kolkhoz Woman’, a stainless steel sculpture that stands 78 feet high and portrays a male worker with a hammer in hand and a female farm worker (Kolkhoz) holding a sickle. Together, the figures form the Communist hammer and sickle symbol. Another important building in Moscow is the Ostankino television centre which is the second tallest man-made structure in the world.

From Moscow we moved to St Petersburg, visiting Novograd on the way, making a night halt there. The drive from Moscow was lovely as we could see the countryside and the rural landscape. The Sun was shining bright throughout and the drive was a breeze. Incidentally, during this time of the year and in this part of the world, nights are very short. Usual time of sunset was 10.30 pm and sun was up by 4.30 a.m. But this only helped us stretch our sight-seeing time!

Novograd is the old capital of Russia and Novograd Kremlin fort on the bank of the Volkhov river is the main attraction here. The enchanting five-domed 11^th century cathedral of St Sophia within the fort complex is a must-see. ‘Millennium of Russia’ is a big bell shaped bronze structure with statues of several important people who have contributed to the growth and rise of Russia over a thousand year period and was unveiled in 1862. While in Novograd, we also tasted, ‘kvas’, a local drink made of fermented rye which is mildly sweet and minutely alcoholic.

Our last stop was St Petersburg. Again, regal and awe-inspiring cathedrals are the major tourist attractions here. St Issac’s cathedral with its golden dome is serene and the large columns at the façade of the building look grand and the interior decorations are lavish. The Church of Resurrection of Christ is an amazing panoply of colours and a photographer’s delight. We tried the night cruise along the Neva river but it was not as enjoyable as the one we did in Moscow. The Neva river has several bridges which are popular tourist attractions and the Palace Bridge (and several others too) opens in the night to allow the movement of ships.

We traveled back from St Petersburg to Russia by a comfortable high-speed train and before we could realise, our Russian love affair had begun and was over.

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