Saturday, August 4, 2012
THE Kremlin...my gosh, nothing like we'd imagined. "Kremlin" means a city's fortified wall and every old Russian city has (or had) one. THE Kremlin is where Moscow began on a hill beside the Moscow River in the 1320s. Inside the walls are three main gold-domed cathedrals, many governmental buildings including Putin's office, the pink building where Stalin lived, the 700-room Great Kremlin Palace, the Armory with its displays of Russia's gold, silver, gowns and crowns, Faberge eggs (only about 11 of the original 48 are still in Russian hands) and acres of park land filled with flowers.
Of the many churches and cathedrals, we explored only Assumption Cathedral, built in the 1470s. The walls are covered with frescoes and icons, including the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God which even Stalin (who was initially a seminary student) used to prevent the Nazis from entering Moscow (he ordered the icon to be flown around Moscow three times).
More by chance than planning, as we were leaving, the Presidential Regiment, both on foot and on horseback, showed up in all its finery and bayoneted rifles. Quite a demonstration.
Once back on the Rurik, we had lunch and departed for the north and St. Petersburg. It wasn't long and we were in the country. On both sides of the Moscow Canal, "ordinary" Russians picnicked, camped and fished with many waving as we floated by. More than six locks gently lowered (a total of 161 feet) us to the level of the Volga River, a fascinating event to watch from on board.
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