Wed22Jun16: Red Square & The Kremlin

Must have needed the rest because we slept after 8:30am, quick shower, then a small breakfast of Russian 'fast food' (coffee with ham & cheese rolls) at Tepemok.  Walking down Ulitsa Marosevka a small piece of crennelated Kremlin wall is visible, past the GUM Department Store, and in less than 300m we enter the expanse of Red Square.

Multi-coloured St. Basil's Church to the left, the orange brick of the Kremlin walls and towers straight ahead, and the very red Russian Historical Museum and Resurrection Gate to the right, the ploschad (a.k.a. plaza) covered with groups of tourists from all over the world.

We join the short line at the security check-point for Lenin's Mausoleum, enter and view The Man at rest, then exit to review the row of headstones of VIR (Very Important Russians) lined up behind his gravesite.

Saviour's Tower has two guards, young men in uniform enduring the parade of tourists lining up to have their photos taken while standing alongside them.

St. Basil's Church is a magnificent building topped with a onion domes in a dazzling array of patterns and colours. 

Walking down and clockwise around the Kremlin takes us along the Volga River, in parkland sheltered by the tall brick walls, through the lush Alexander Gardens, to the Kremlin ticket office (500p @ for the Cathedral Tour).


Groups of uniformed police and guards are parading up and along the ramp up to the Trinity Tower.  While standing beside one group of army cadets I loudly comment "...and what a fine looking group of men they are"; one young cadet turns to face us and smiles broadly, which makes it obvious he has a solid knowledge of the English language.

The Kremlin compound contains several functioning government buildings (including the Senate building occupied by President Putin and senior officials), but the tourist attractions include its several cathedrals.  We enter the blah-block structure of the  "Assumption/Dormition Cathedral" lined with icon paintings from floor to ceiling; the very cozy "Church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Holy Virgin"; the several golden domes and frescoed walls of the "Annunciation Cathedral"; the "Archangel Cathedral" full of crypts and tombs.

Photographed the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the broken Tsar Bell; the Tsar Cannon, enjoyed an ice cream and drink in the Secret Gardens while chasing a thrush and Russian wag tails (birds!).
Savior's Tower has a clock face on each side tolling the hours and a large red star on top.





Suddenly from the pale yellow Senate building an entourage of black vehicles emerges, each with flashing blue lights and klaxon horns; two security cars, followed by two armoured plated vans with tinted windows, followed by an armoured van van with soldiers at each open doorway in full battlefield dress and submachine guns across their chest.  Very impressive - even made our hearts skip a beat!

 Outside we retrieved our backpack from the baggage room and continued our stroll around the Kremlin walls, to the statue to General Khukov (WW2 hero) where fresh flowers were being laid.
A man hears us talking and stops to chat; he's from a city 1,000km south of Moscow and wants to practice his English and find out what we think of Russia and Russians.  For some reason, he's been told that foreigners believe that Russian men are drunks.  I dismiss his concerns, but advise him not to become a taxi driver when he grows up - in my opinion, they are the lowest life form who wear male human clothes.
We continue through the Resurrection Gate and back into Red Square, too late to catch the 4pm changing of the guard.  A final look at St. Basil's Church in the afternoon sun, then a slow walk up Ulitsa Ilinka to Ulitsa Maroseyka and into the local Tepemok for a late afternoon snack.  Yes, it's been a great day in the travels of Katrina & SuperDave - sunshine all day and wonderful photographic opportunities.