Untouched by colonialism, Russia’s capital city is culturally very different from its European counterparts
Rachit Mankad
Posted on Mumbai Mirror on Friday, November 06, 2009 at 05:14:34 PM
One’s experience in a new country starts on the arrival at the airport. But, like all things in Russia, that too was very different.
My co-passengers aboard the Turkish Airlines plane were made of mainly Turks and Russians. As the plane touched down at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, they all broke into a cheerful applause – for the captain’s flying skills. Just then, the passenger next to me jumped out of his seat and ran along the aisle to ensure that he would be the first to alight. I have seen impatient passengers everywhere, but this was extraordinary even by Indian standards.
Looking at him, I was certain about one thing, my stay in Russia would be full of surprises.
Traffic jams everywhere
It took me an hour to get out of the parking lot of the airport. Traffic jams are common in Moscow. Ask a Muscovite about the time it would take to reach a destination, you'll get a response that begins with, "without traffic jams...”
If there's one word to describe Moscow, it would be majestic! Russia's capital city is a symbol of its past, present and future.
It's different
What really struck me first about the city was that it is very different from most other European capitals. As the world shrinks into a global village, cities such as London, Paris, Berlin and Rome are becoming increasingly similar in appearance with their malls, shopping boulevards, fast food joints, cinemas and amusement parks. Moscow, somehow, has managed to remain insular to this change.
Most Muscovites do not speak English and all sign boards are in Russian. The Moscow Metro, the first of its kind in the world, opened in 1935. The stations have turned into monuments and are even listed in tourist guides. If only the trains could match up to their promise…
Gimme Red!
Moscow's most popular tourist attraction is The Red Square. The square separates the trio of Kremlin (the Russian Parliament-cum-President’s residence), the former royal citadel and the state museum, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitay-gorod.
The name Red Square derives neither from the colour of the bricks around it nor from the link between the colour and communism. Rather, it’s named the name came about because the Russian word krasnaya can mean either "red" or "beautiful". This word, with the meaning "beautiful", was originally applied to Saint Basil's Cathedral and was subsequently transferred to the nearby square. It is believed that the square acquired its current name (replacing the older Pozhar, or "burnt-out place") in the 17th century.
Of Pushkin and Matryoshka
The state museum has a rich collection of historical relics, right from the ice age to modern-day Russia. I walked down one of the streets around the Red Square where I bumped into a statue of the great Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin. A few steps further were souvenir shops selling the nested matryoshka (a set of dolls of decreasing sizes placed one inside the other) for 200 Rubles (Rs 323) each and souvenir spoons for 2.5 Euros (Rs 174) each.
I browsed through the Kievskaya mall and the GUM department store (arguably Russia’s poshest mall) as people made their way into the super-expensive nightclubs at Tverskaya.
On my way to the hotel, I caught a glimpse of the imposing Foreign Ministry skyscraper. My guide Pavel noted, “Stalin believed that constructing tall, turreted buildings he would attain cosmic powers. He had constructed 11 such buildings during his time.”
Bread and board
There are two things Russia’s famous for – vodka and caviar. I headed to a Czech restaurant, Prazecka at Proletarskayafor a baked piece of chicken and some salmon kebabs that I washed down with some very good vodka. There were few options for hard-core vegetarians. As for the caviar, I picked it up a jar of red caviar for R260 (Rs 420) from the airport itself.
Accommodation is expensive in Moscow and can cost anything upwards of 150 Euros (Rs 10,457) a night. The closer you are to Red Square, the more expensive it gets.
Russia is different – very different and it gives you an experience that you may never get in any other country. On that note - Do Svidanya.
Also on http://rach-unlimited.blogspot.com/
Rachit Mankad
Posted on Mumbai Mirror on Friday, November 06, 2009 at 05:14:34 PM
One’s experience in a new country starts on the arrival at the airport. But, like all things in Russia, that too was very different.My co-passengers aboard the Turkish Airlines plane were made of mainly Turks and Russians. As the plane touched down at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, they all broke into a cheerful applause – for the captain’s flying skills. Just then, the passenger next to me jumped out of his seat and ran along the aisle to ensure that he would be the first to alight. I have seen impatient passengers everywhere, but this was extraordinary even by Indian standards.
Looking at him, I was certain about one thing, my stay in Russia would be full of surprises.
Traffic jams everywhere
It took me an hour to get out of the parking lot of the airport. Traffic jams are common in Moscow. Ask a Muscovite about the time it would take to reach a destination, you'll get a response that begins with, "without traffic jams...”
If there's one word to describe Moscow, it would be majestic! Russia's capital city is a symbol of its past, present and future.
It's different
What really struck me first about the city was that it is very different from most other European capitals. As the world shrinks into a global village, cities such as London, Paris, Berlin and Rome are becoming increasingly similar in appearance with their malls, shopping boulevards, fast food joints, cinemas and amusement parks. Moscow, somehow, has managed to remain insular to this change.
Most Muscovites do not speak English and all sign boards are in Russian. The Moscow Metro, the first of its kind in the world, opened in 1935. The stations have turned into monuments and are even listed in tourist guides. If only the trains could match up to their promise…
Gimme Red!
Moscow's most popular tourist attraction is The Red Square. The square separates the trio of Kremlin (the Russian Parliament-cum-President’s residence), the former royal citadel and the state museum, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitay-gorod.
The name Red Square derives neither from the colour of the bricks around it nor from the link between the colour and communism. Rather, it’s named the name came about because the Russian word krasnaya can mean either "red" or "beautiful". This word, with the meaning "beautiful", was originally applied to Saint Basil's Cathedral and was subsequently transferred to the nearby square. It is believed that the square acquired its current name (replacing the older Pozhar, or "burnt-out place") in the 17th century.
Of Pushkin and Matryoshka
The state museum has a rich collection of historical relics, right from the ice age to modern-day Russia. I walked down one of the streets around the Red Square where I bumped into a statue of the great Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin. A few steps further were souvenir shops selling the nested matryoshka (a set of dolls of decreasing sizes placed one inside the other) for 200 Rubles (Rs 323) each and souvenir spoons for 2.5 Euros (Rs 174) each.
I browsed through the Kievskaya mall and the GUM department store (arguably Russia’s poshest mall) as people made their way into the super-expensive nightclubs at Tverskaya.
On my way to the hotel, I caught a glimpse of the imposing Foreign Ministry skyscraper. My guide Pavel noted, “Stalin believed that constructing tall, turreted buildings he would attain cosmic powers. He had constructed 11 such buildings during his time.”
Bread and board
There are two things Russia’s famous for – vodka and caviar. I headed to a Czech restaurant, Prazecka at Proletarskayafor a baked piece of chicken and some salmon kebabs that I washed down with some very good vodka. There were few options for hard-core vegetarians. As for the caviar, I picked it up a jar of red caviar for R260 (Rs 420) from the airport itself.
Accommodation is expensive in Moscow and can cost anything upwards of 150 Euros (Rs 10,457) a night. The closer you are to Red Square, the more expensive it gets.
Russia is different – very different and it gives you an experience that you may never get in any other country. On that note - Do Svidanya.
Also on http://rach-unlimited.blogspot.com/
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