Red Square – Moscow

For about the last 5 years I have really wanted to go to Russia. Although I was intrigued with the entire country it was Moscow that really caught my imagination. Growing up it was always “the Russians” that were the “bad guys.” They were communist, atheist and wanted to do the United States harm (or so we were told). Something about this core difference between my country and theirs caused this place to bubble to the top of my “travel bucket list.” In June of 2010 (while Lindsay was Pregnant) we made our trip to Russia. The process for getting a Russian visa is very intense (I will write about this in another post some day) and the flight was VERY long. Furthermore, Moscow is the most expensive city in the world according to some sources and finding cheap but decent accommodations is very tough. The minute we landed in Moscow all of these hassles/frustrations were forgotten. We caught the quick and efficient train from Domodedovo airport to the Paveletsky Station in the center of the city (one of about 7 train stations in Moscow). We then took the AMAZING Moscow Metro to our hotel just outside the center city. After checking-in and taking a quick nap it was time to head into the heart of Russia (and for years the heart of communism)…RED SQUARE. We hoped the Metro again and within a few minutes we were at the central station. It was late afternoon when Lindsay and I first stepped out of the Metro and into central Moscow and Lindsay described it best in two words…”travel high.” The beautiful buildings in this part of the city were shining in the late evening sun. It was a Sunday and there were old Russian women singing hymns on benches in the park. There were fountains, street vendors and it seemed all the local Muscovites were out for a stroll. After taking in this scene we wandered over to Red Square and were BLOWN AWAY at the beauty. There are about 4-5 different entrances to this square and no matter which way you take it is gorgeous. We entered from the north and as we made our way up into the square the colorful and Iconic St Basil cathedral began to appear. Nothing is more Russian than St Basil cathedral. The numerous colorful and onion shaped domes mixed with the red brick and unique design make this building one of a kind! We continued to walk through the square to take in the scene. For most of the 20th century this square was famous for military parades that showed of the military might of Russia. Tanks, missles and soldiers would march by while dictators nodded in approval. However, these days are long gone. Modern Red Square is full of cafes, tourist and Muscovites strolling along in one of the most beautiful urban spaces in the world. One side of the square is dominated by the beautiful Kremlin with its medieval walls. The other side is home to GUM Department Store which used to be a communist food pantry for the people and is now high end shops. St Basil cathedral dominates the South end while the incredible state history museum brings up the south. There is also the Lenin moseliem which houses the enbalbed body of the father of Russia. As the late afternoon turned into evening Lindsay and I continued to stroll in and out of Red Square. We burned up most of our memory cards trying to capture this incredible place. By this time in our life Lindsay and I had been blessed to have traveled to some amazing cities and I can honestly say that very few match the beauty of Red Square and central Moscow.