Memorable moments in Moscow

Moscow

There is more to Moscow than meets the eye. This writer revels in unexpected encounters of the Russian kind.

“Sanjay Kapoor,” blurted one of the two middle-aged Russian women in a religious memorabilia shop, referring to my ethnicity. We clearly did not share a common language. Then, spontaneously, she broke into a Bollywood-style Hindi song. We laughed, nodded. Mystery solved.

My first trip to Moscow was marked with moments like these for my confused mind. Gruff but friendly policemen directing me. A young student translating the price of spectacular peonies that an old woman was selling beside a bus stop. In the spirit of the soccer season, face painters obligingly daubed my cheek with my flag of choice – England.

With a history of repeated conquerors and destroyers spanning more than eight-and-a-half centuries, Moscow is a splendid display of art, museums and monuments. One of the world’s most magnificently preserved cities, its history archived in and around Red Square, the symbolic centre of all Russia. Travellers should not miss it.

At every point of the significant square stand other monuments, most notably the iconic mid-16th-century St. Basil’s Cathedral, built during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The famous Kremlin serves as the Russian President’s official residence, but also encompasses four cathedrals, four palaces and a number of towers. Lenin’s Mausoleum contains the embalmed body of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, that has been on display almost every day since the revolutionary leader’s death in 1924. The Tretyakov Gallery is said to feature the world’s best collection of Russian fine art, with masterpieces ranging from the 11th to the 20th century.

However, it was the unexpected encounters that made Moscow memorable.

Russian Orthodox church

Russian Orthodox Church

Although I felt like a trespasser, I was immediately welcomed like a long-lost family member and handed a scarf to cover my hair.

The small room at The Monastery of the Holy Mandylion, founded in 1600, was a light offering a quiet hush to the soul. It makes you want to stand still and be aware. Candles on intricate antique stands were lit with constant regularity. The room scented with fresh lilies and incense, the walls adorned with religious portraits of saints. Conservatively dressed devotees paused between pictures, saying prayers and lighting wishes. A priest was conducting the service accompanied by the most soulful hymn rendition. This was prayer at its best: personal, unpretentious and spiritual.

The vast majority of Russians are Orthodox Christians. It is a religion that first came to the city almost a thousand years ago. When I stepped out again into the world, I felt strangely ready.

Metro stations

It’s like meandering through a museum, caught in a web of invaluable artefacts. The Russian capital’s metro stations, masterpieces of art and architecture, deserve a tour of their own. No two stations are alike. Out of 212, 44 are considered cultural monuments.

During rush hour, when Moscow’s metro stations are at their most crowded, it’s impossible to stay on track. Entrances and exits, route guides and maps fade into the background insipidly as passengers are forced to contend with the tumult in the extravagant spaces and the gloriously ornate, vaulted halls. Socialist realism artworks, busts of Soviet leaders and propagandistic icons containing overtly symbolic messages carry a proletarian message in these “palaces of the people”.

Built according to Stalin’s vision of empowering the masses and showcasing the Soviet Union’s potency and splendour, they remain as monuments to the country’s turbulent history, unfurling Russia’s revolutionary past.

The Moscow metro network serves the largest number of daily passengers in the world, clocking up to nine million on weekdays. The first station was opened to the public in 1935 and till today, the metro presents an array of spectacular, subterranean gems in their grand architectural galleries.

moscow
A devotee lighting up candles

Tolstoy House Museum

The thought of being privy to one of my favourite authors’ homes was enough to make me want to tiptoe into the wooden house, while pretending to clutch a posy of flowers in one hand and a flute of champagne in the other. Just to pay homage.

Set in a rural idyll in Moscow’s Khamovniki District are the house and garden in which Lev Nikolayevitch Tolstoy and his family spent their lives from1882 to 1902. He wrote about 100 of his works there, including The Death Of Ivan Ilyich, The Kreutzer Sonata and The Power Of Darkness.

Large and airy, with incandescent light pouring in from the high windows, the house contains almost 6,000 original items belonging to Tolstoy. Carefully preserved and meticulously illustrated, they provide visitors with a glimpse into his life.

The big second-floor hall decorated with oak parquet and “marble” wallpaper and a spacious cordoned-off drawing room are where Tolstoy and his wife received guests and hosted literary and musical evenings for other celebrated individuals. Yet his own second-floor study where the writer penned many of his masterpieces is simple, scaled-down and stark.

His garden, too, has been marvellously conserved, still lined with maple and linden trees. It remains mostly unchanged from when Tolstoy called it home, when he revelled in its neglected orchard and woods.

On a hillock at the far end of the garden, I sat on a narrow bench for a long time sipping my imaginary drink and recalling my favourite Tolstoy work, Anna Karenina.

Tsaritsyno Park and Estate

In 1775 the Empress Catherine the Great was captivated by the picturesque views of this 16th- century royal estate. She ordered a palace to be built there as her suburban residence. However, before its completion, she declared the rooms to be too dark and cramped, and deemed the palace unliveable. She ordered it to be torn down.

Nevertheless, centuries later, on a hot June day, her legacy glittered invitingly in the sunshine. Located in south-east Moscow, Catherine Park, as it’s commonly known, features a Russian Gothic-style palace and an expansive landscaped park with three ponds. Tsaritsyno farm is also Moscow’s largest nature reserve and has stables, cafes, stalls and tents to entertain visitors.

From the palace,classical music temptingly tinkled, adding to the atmosphere. Young Russian couples’ wedding portraits were directed onto the lawns and stone stairs. Children, couples and extended families wandered, stretched out on the ground and partook of impromptu picnics. Suddenly breaking into song and dance, too.

Communing with the past and present, standing still to savour it. There’s more to Moscow than meets the eye.

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