Highly recommend to visit an excellent exhibition “Moscow Metro. Subterranean Monument” at Schusev museum of architecture (Moscow, Vozdvizhenka str., 5/25, 17 March – 17 July 2016). It represents the Moscow metro as a unique achievement of architecture and art in the variety of projects embodied and unrealized.
{ 0 comments }
In my opinion, one of the most beautiful metro stations in Moscow is Arbatskaya (dark blue line). Completed in 1953, the year of Stalin’s death, it was intended to be used as a bomb shelter, if necessary. Look at that bomb shelter! The long 250 meter platform is also very deep - 41 meters underground. The station represents an example of Stalinist baroque style, its opera clothes include white arched ceilings, bronze chandeliers, ceramic bouquets of flowers, red marble decorations, and glazed tiles. Arbatskaya station can boast a unique design. It was not yet time for austerity and criticism of luxury in Soviet architecture. Up to 1955 metro stations were built on the individual projects. They looked like palaces. Later, between 1955 and 1970 mostly functional aspects prevailed.
Before 1955 in one of the escalator vestibules one could see a mosaic portrait of Stalin (sculptor G. Opryshko).
The same place today:
{ 0 comments }
Actually, originally Moscow metro was named after Lazar Kaganovich. They renamed the metro for Lenin in 1955 and it still bears his name.
Forgotten things (Komsomolskaya Metro Station).
{ 0 comments }
It’s not for the first time when the question of burying Lenin was raised again in January on the eve of the Lenin’s death anniversary. He died on January 21, 1924, but was not buried according to his wish next to his mother in St. Petersburg. The body was embalmed in a special way to be shown to all wishing to take a look at the leader of October Revolution and Soviet Union founder.
The first mausoleum built in 1924
{ 2 comments }
Today I’d like you to tell about Sts. Mary and Martha Convent of Mercy founded by the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Romanova, an older sister of Alexandra, the last Russian Empress. Both of them were granddaughters of Queen Victoria. She was married to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, who was assassinated in 1905 by a terrorist Ivan Kalyayev. After his death she sold everithing she had and devoted herself to charity and spiritual life.
{ 1 comment }
Before the revolution of 1917 Krynkin’s restaurant famous for its excellent cuisine was located on Vorobyovy Hill high over the Moscow river. Looking at these photos you will definitely say that it was a charming place. I agree with you.
{ 0 comments }
I invite you to get a panoramic view of Moscow from the observation platform located just in front of the Moscow university building. The view from Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) is especially lovely at night.
Places I would like you to visit
“Whoever wants to understand Russia should come here and look down at Moscow…” A.Chekhov
In a day time good weather will provide you with the pictures of the Kremlin and Christ the Saviour cathedral, situated 12 km away. In fact it was Sparrow Hills where originally Christ the Saviour cathedral was planned to be build by the Emperor Alexander I.
Look at the university and try to find its 6 sisters – similar buildings of Stalin’s time. Some of them always try to vanish in the distance.
What else to search? The Sports complex is impossible to overlook. To the left will be the Novodevichy convent, to the right – headquarters of the Russian Academy of Sciences known as “Golden Brain” for its architectural appearance, a ski jump, double-decker metro bridge across the Moscow river, the river itself and a nice park for a work. It will take you not more than 15 minutes to get to the nearest metro station with the same name – Vorobyovy Gory (red line).
{ 2 comments }
Places I would like you to visit
This is one of my favorite places in Moscow.
In Russian we call the university MGU. The main building of it among the students is known as GZ (glavnoe zdanie – abbreviation for the main building). It is an impressive monument of soviet architecture decorated by scultural figures in traditional for those days style. The university is the oldest and most prestigious in Russia and most picturesque. It was established in the reign of the empress Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great. This building of the university was constructed after World War II in 1949-1953. The 32-storey main tower is 240 m high. It houses headquarters, 3 departments – geology, geography and mathematics, lecture halls, assembly and concert halls, sports complex, residential area for professors and dormitories for students. The university campus covering over 800 acres includes over 40 university buildings located in a nice park, sports grounds, observatory, botanical garden, meteorological station, etc. More than 40000 students study at the university.
{ 2 comments }
