Discover the beauty of Russian capital

[The Patriot]

Discover the beauty of Russian capital

05-13-2011 07:36 AM

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Fri, 2011-05-13 15:34


Discover the beauty of Russian capital


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Discover the beauty of Russian capital

Heather Joy

Begin your tour at the heart of Moscow in the 1600 foot long Red Square on the south side at the Lobnoye Mesto, a round white stone platform built in 1534 for tsar’s proclamations to the people and for religious ceremonies.
Behind the monument sits the architectural wonder, St. Basil’s Cathedral with its brightly colored cupolas and tent- roofed central church. Folk lore abounds about the cathedral’s architect Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan the Terrible whom commissioned the cathedral in celebration of victory over the Tartars. The cathedral is named after the Basil the Blessed whose remains are interred within.
Across the square visitors can explore the State Historical Museum which houses collections of coins, medals, archaeological finds, arms, clothing and more. To the east tourists will find the long Russian-Revival style building called the GUM with three separate galleries inside that now house shops, cafes and restaurants.
Across from the GUM visitors can walk along a portion of the Kremlin wall and see the Lenin Mausoleum where the leader of the 1917 revolution lays embalmed for visitors to pay their respects. Along the foot of the Kremlin wall are the graves of Joseph Stalin, Leonid Brezhnev and Yurity Andropov. A surprise to many Americans may be that this is also the burial location of America John Reed author of “Ten Days that Shook the World” a book about the 1917 October Revolution.
Now visit the Kremlin, the seat of power in Russia, this complex of cathedrals and palaces offers visitors a whole days worth of attractions to see. Enter the Kremlin walls through the Kutafya Tower, were you can get tickets for the sites, over a stone bridge to Trinity Tower where Napoleon triumphantly entered in 1812 only to be defeated a month later.
Inside the walls and to the right visitors will find the State Kremlin Palace which is used for cultural events and is the only modern building in the Kremlin. If time allows return here for an evening performance of the Kremlin Ballet Company.
To left visit the State Armory were treasures collected over the centuries by Russian tsars and princes are on display. According to the museum’s Web site www.kremlin.museum.ru highlights include the Fabrege Egg made in 1904, Catherine the Great’s coronation dress, the crown of Monomakh and a collection of carriages and sledges.
No visit to the Kremlin could be complete without a stop at the Cathedral of the Assumption, the oldest of the Kremlin churches it was used throughout Tsarist times for coronations. The seemingly plain exterior is provides visitors with no preparation for the beauty within. The cathedral’s interior is covered by icons and frescoes on gilded walls and ornate chandeliers. Here tourists can see the royal seat of Ivan the Terrible.
Other Kremlin sites include the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the Faceted Palace and the Great Kremlin Palace.








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