russia: moscow in the cold

I've been a happy camper all week. Temperatures have plummeted, and there has been plenty of snow. It truly feels like winter, I finally need to wear a proper winter coat, hat, and mittens or gloves.

On Wednesday evening I went out to a spot called Rechnoy Vokzal, which has had renovations finished in the past year or so. It has been on my list of places to go in Moscow, and stays on the list even after this visit. I had planned to wait until summer, or at least late spring to visit, but then I saw a photo showing holiday lights in the surrounding park.

I enjoyed the lights, and due to the cold there weren't many other people out walking around. I didn't have to wait long for people to get out of my photos, yay. I wonder if there are lights in this park every year, or if this is just a special year.

The weekend did not go the way I originally planned. Not at all. I had train tickets booked to go out of town, and a booking for accomodation as well, but when Friday evening rolled around I just didn't want to go. I cancelled both, and stayed in Moscow all weekend instead.

Unlike last year, this winter in Moscow has actually been cold. This weekend the temperatures stayed around -18C/0F, with one day of wind and snow and one day of blue skies. I'm a huge fan of winter, so I was generally thrilled.

On both days it took me too long to get dressed and walk out of my flat, but that's normal for me. My first sight on both days was a statue of Lenin. There are so many in this city, I wonder if I'll ever see all of them. I think a few are behind fences and closed gates, so probably not.

By the time I got to my second sight on Saturday evening, it was after dark, but that was the plan. Every year an area in Moscow called VDNKh builds a giant ice skating track/rink. I had no real desire to get out on the ice, particularly with the wind and continuing snow, but there were plenty of folks out there having a grand ol' time.

There is a bridge built over the middle of the track, giving a great view of the entire territory. This is where I wanted to be, as it gave me a slightly elevated view of all the holiday lights. Very pretty. I took a few phtos, then started walking back to the metro because my fingers were SO COLD.

On Sunday, I walked to Lenin, then walked to my second sight as well. The temperatures on Sunday were colder (-21C/-6F) and the sky was blue. While walking in the sun I wasn't cold, but as soon as I had to walk in the shade I got chilly very quickly, particularly my fingers and toes.

The second sight on Sunday was a park I've visited before, but not in winter. Park Dubky is beautiful in fall, as there are plenty of trees with heaps of brightly coloured leaves. I wanted to see the seasonal contrast. Everything felt crisp and clean, if that makes sense.

It was wonderful to walk around and take photos, right up until my phone froze, and I realized I didn't know how to get to the closest metro station. Whoops. I walked out of the park and was fortunate to see a supermarket almost straightaway. I walked in without intention of buying anything, but with the intention of warming up. It worked, woo hoo.

russia: walking in Moscow

 

At the beginning of June the city of Moscow created an official schedule, allowing residents outside to go for walks and/or exercise on specific days for the first half of the month. Until then, all of us (except essential workers, of course,) were supposed to stay home.

From mid March until the end of May, we were allowed out only to walk to our nearest grocery store or pharmacy, to take out rubbish, or to walk a dog within 100 meters of home. For most people, this meant very little walking, as there are grocery stores and pharmacies in every neighborhood, on many blocks.

I was thrilled to have official permission to go outside for walking and exercising. Each building was given specific days for walking, I walked as much as I could. At that point, I didn't care if Google maps said it would take me two hours to get somewhere, I was all in.

And usually when Google maps says it will take me two hours to walk somewhere, I'll take three hours, because I stop so often for photos.)I went from taking 500-1000 steps a day for more than two months to taking 20,000-25,000 steps a day, which wore me out at first but also felt really really good.

I walked to a few historical train stations around the city. I walked to churches. I walked to parks. I walked to a building decorated in 'Chinese' style. I walked along Moscow River in both daytime and after dark. I walked to several monasteries. I walked to a couple Lenin statues. I walked to various buildings with grafitti murals.

I walked to Red Square, which is even more impressive than normal when it isn't chock full of tourists. I was able to take a photo of St. Basil's Cathedral without anyone else in the photo. I walked in the central neighbourhood of Arbat. I found heaps of supermarkets I hadn't known about previously. I walked to a number of war memorials.

I walked to a fancy bridge, one that has a restaurant hanging under the peak of the arch, over the roads below. I walked to apartment blocks with huge faces/people painted on them. I walked to the victory arch in Park Pobedy.

I suppose I could've summed up the first half of June by saying this: I walked.

Once the digital pass system was stopped, I started riding the metro again. (Wearing a mask, of course.) I worked all the way through the end of the month, but my work from home schedule gave me more free time, so I went further around the city. (Always wearing a mask in public indoor places.)

One day I was heading for an Orthodox Church when I spotted Buddhist prayer flags. I ended up skipping the church and visiting a stupa instead. Much more interesting, and much more unique. Curiously, there was a mosque not too far away. Most of Russia is Orthodox, but other religions are represented all over the country.

One day I rode the metro to VDNKh, walking all over the area. City workers had been kept busy during this time, everything was super CLEAN. I went back to the ecowalk I'd first seen in October, and took more photos. (It looks much better without other people ;)

Another day I went to 'new' metro stations, they'd been officially opened the first week I worked from home. As usual, each station was decorated differently, all of them interesting. If I remember correctly, Moscow now has more than 250 metro stations, and the system is still being expanded.

A few days I went to a beach. Definitely not a pretty beach, but being outside and in the warm sun felt good. Like so many others, I was probably lacking in vitamin D during months of staying home/indoors.

Near the end of June, I learned about a war memorial event about to take place along the banks of the Moscow River not far from Gorky Park. During the event a small flag was hung along the banks of the river for each day of WW2. (According to the official count by Russia.) There were 1418 flags, each accompanied by a candle. The candles were lit just before sunset, making the whole thing really photogenic. I don't know for sure if this memorial takes place every year, but I imagine it does. I just need to figure out if the June day is normal, or whether it is also a normal May event. 

Due to the pandemic, this year's Victory Day tank parade was postponed from 9 May to 24 June. It turns out that 24 June was the anniversary of the first ever Victory Parade in Moscow, so the specific date made sense. Even though the pandemic was still very much happening, and there were supposed to be restrictions about big gatherings, all that seemed to go out the window for the parade.

There were several dress rehearsals in the days before the parade, I was able to see them from my balcony and the streets nearby. Very cool, though I didn't love all the people standing around to watch. At that point I was normally wearing a mask only when indoors in a public space, but when I was on the street for parade rehearsals I wore the mask then too.

June was certainly an interesting month this year. Though I was happy to walk all over Moscow, I'd much rather have a 'normal' June next year and foreva after.

russia: covid 19 times

 

Just like the rest of the world, the Covid 19 pandemic hit Russia. Just like the rest of the world, much of the country was closed down.As I heard about what was happening in the States each day, I heard about decisions made by the Russian government as well.

Russia closed its border with China fairly early on, which is a pretty big deal. As far as I know, Chinese citizens do not need a visa to travel in Russia, and there are normally a LOT of Chinese tourists nearly everywhere.

Not long after I heard news of schools and cities shutting down in the States, we got news that Russia would be doing the same thing. Though the decisions were always officially left up to the regional governors, I think they all followed Moscow.

Mid-March we got news that we would have one more week of in class school, then there would be a three week closing of all schools. This was about the same time that many school systems in the States decided they would be closed for months, if not the rest of the school year.

The first week was just the closing of schools. As far as I know, not much else was closed. Toward the end of the first week, it was announced that the next week would be a 'holiday' week for everyone. Everyone was supposed to stay home, and the workdays would be considered official holidays, meaning people should be paid. (Whether payments actually happened was a different matter, as some businesses simply could not afford to pay their employees while they stayed home.)

The weather was particularly good that weekend, so almost no one stayed home. The mayor of Moscow allegedly saw videos and photos of people in huge gatherings all over the city, and apparently got really mad. The stay at home suggestion suddenly became an order, and the time was lengthened.

I think the first self isolation regime (as the Russian government called it,) was supposed to last a month, through 30 April. It quickly became apparent that it would be extended, and it was. I can't remember if the extension was all at once, or in several steps, but the long and short was that the majority of residents in Moscow had to stay home through the end of May.

Those weeks of self-isolation had some rules. We were allowed out to walk to our nearest supermarket or pharmacy. We were allowed out to take out rubbish. If you had a dog, you were allowed out to take the dog for a walk, within 100 meters of your residence.

Sometime in mid-April, the city government decided residents weren't staying home as much as they should, so they introduced a regime of digital passes. There were rumors about this system as soon as the lockdown began, so there was no real surprise when it finally happened.

The rules said that everyone needed one of these digital passes if they used a form of transport other than their own feet. Riding a scooter, taking a bus, driving a car, etc... All forms of transport. (I want to point out that the public transport systems of Moscow never stopped running during the entire time.)

To get a digital pass, you had to put your information into one of several online systems. I never got one of the passes, so I never learned much about how it all worked. Something about putting in passport numbers, address where you live and address where you're going, and phone number?

I think once you put in your information, the system kept it, so when you needed another pass you just had to apply again. Regular residents were allowed two of these passes each week, essential workers were allowed to have as many as needed. If you rode public transport, you had to connect your public transport card.

My flat sits on a big intersection, so I got to see more of how the city was affected by the closure of so many things. There was definitely less traffic for a few weeks, but starting in May, there were a lot more people and cars on the road.

At the beginning of June, the city created a schedule to allow people to go for walks, based on your address. The schedule gave everyone two specific weekday walks, and one weekend walk. The schedule was meant for the hours of 0900-2100, anyone and everyone could exercise/walk as much as they wanted from 0500-0900.

As soon as we were allowed out to walk, I took advantage. Not being allowed out to exercise, or just walk for over two months was tough. My closest supermarket and pharmacy are in my building, so I had very little distance to go when I needed supplies. That being said, sometimes I went to a supermarket about 300 meters down the road, just for a little variety.

I taught from home for 13 weeks I think. Schools were finally allowed to reopen the last full week of June, with staff and teachers expected to wear masks or face shields. (As well as a lot of deep cleaning and less moving around.)

russia: moscow: the canal, a mosaic, and a trolley depot

Several times I've ridden one of the trains (metro and aeroexpress,) that goes over one section of the Moscow Canal. When that ride has been in daylight my eye has been caught by that part of the ride more than any other.

Social distancing was already starting, though nothing officially changed in my life for more than another week. As I rode the metro to get to this area, I wasn't within 2 meters of anyone the entire time.

After I got off the train I walked to the water, which wasn't as impressive up close as it was from the train. There is one area that serves as a marina, but I wasn't able to get close, as there was a fence around everything, argh.

I was able to walk along another section of the canal, which was super quiet. I don't know what the canal is used for, if anything. It was a beautiful day, but the wind was super strong.

After walking all over for a while, I got back on the next train, hopping off at Belorusskaya station. This stop also happened because of previous train rides. On a number of daytime aeroexpress and metro trains that went past Belorusskaya station I noticed a large mosaic with Lenin that I wanted to get close to. Looking at both Yandex and Google maps, I didn't think I needed to leave the station to see the mosaic.

I walked all the way to the end of the platform for one of the tracks, it took me right to the mosaic, yay!A bit further down the way was a steam locomotive on display. I've seen such locomotives before, and I don't know specific trains well enough to appreciate differences, so it was just another train for me.Even further along I found an old brick water tower. Very tall, of course.

The last stop on my walk to the end of Belorusskaya station property was the trolley depot. I don't know how to describe it other than to say it was like a garage with 10 different doors, all in the same building around a semi circle. In the center of what would be the circle was a platform that circles around, so a trolley could drive on, spin a little, then drive off into a specific garage.

Sortof interesting, in terms of photography.

russia: moscow: manezhnaya square and zaryadye park

Another episode of touring Tuesday in the dark. I left school as dark was falling (which is still entirely too early at this time of year.)

I walked toward the most famous part of the city: the Kremlin, Alexandrovsky park, Manezhnaya Square and Red Squre.

I'd seen photos on social media of the holiday decorations, and I knew they were all still on display.

I'm not sure, but it seems to me that there were more lights and decorations this season than in the past two years I've lived in Moscow.

Manezhnaya Square is often forgotten when talking about the most famous parts of Moscow, but I think most visitors wander through the area at some point, even if they don't recognize it.

There are a couple archways of lights, as well as an entire thematic display with small houses and cartoon like animals, all in a winter setting. Really cute.

Wikipedia tells me the square is locally known as the Manezhka. I've never heard that name, but I don't think I've ever talked to anyone about that area in particular. 

Or maybe the name has been said and I don't remember. I walked through Red Square next, the holiday festival there is still going strong.

I'd seen photos on social media of my next destination as well, Zaryadye Park. The decorations here were definitely over the top.

Zaryadye Park was the first new park in Moscow in 50 years, it was officially opened in September of 2017. It is across the street from one side of the Kremlin, and Red Square.

The entire park is covered in holiday lights, most of them sticking to a similar look.

If I had to describe the lights, I'd call them one half of a Q-tip, with the tip changing colour regularly. The colour change was mostly in unison, so a full hillside looks pretty cool.

On the far side of the park were holographic lights, with the 'pictures' changing regularly. Awesome.

russia: lenin, danilov monastery, and holiday lights

Tuesday touring continues, I really need to get better about doing something or going to see something every Tuesday.

Like so many other places I've visited recently, I learned about the Danilov monastery on social media. It is a walled monastery near the right bank of the Moscow River, in Moscow.

Wikipedia tells me it has been the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church since 1983. The year of this designation surprised me, because that was during the existence of the Soviet Union, and I didn't think the state wanted anything to do with religion back then.

Danilov Monastery is the official residence of the Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia. I'm pretty sure I know which building has his residence, there is a giant mosaic on the exterior wall of one building in the monastery. This building is blocked off from visitors, so that's my guess.

As with any religious facility in Russia, this one has a long history, including being moved around several times. First it was here, then it was moved to the Kremlin, then it was moved back. It was also used as a fort.

As far as I could tell, there were two main buildings that looked like churches. One is called the katholikon, it's actually three churches in one building. I went inside, and saw at least two areas, but I'm not sure about a third.

The other unmissable building was yellow, with big steps on all four sides and a dome on top. It wasn't open, so I'm not sure if it was a church or not.

After leaving the monastery I used the metro system to get to the area near the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. It's the big white cathedral on the list of most tourists.

The church is pretty new, at least the building is. Before the current church the location was actually a giant city pool for a long time, as the Soviet government did not want religion to be important in the life of any citizen. I've seen a few photos of the area when it was a pool and whoa.

There was a church there in the past, I assume it had the same name.

The reason I came to the area was to check out the holiday lights. The pedestrian bridge on one side of the church has a very non traditional series of Christmas trees. Think upside down cone, with lights spiraling around, and the cones leaning over to the side.

The other side of the church also had a couple sets of lights, which looked like shooting stars.