St. Basil's CathedralLast Wednesday, we were treated to a tour of central Moscow by Milla. Milla is an English-speaking, German woman who was married to a Russian. Got all that? The sites toured included The Kremlin, Red Square, The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery. First, it will be helpful to define some terms:
Moscow - Russian for "dark water." The soil around Moscow contains clay which darkens the appearance of the Moscow River.
Kremlin - Russian for "fortress."
Red - Old Russian for "beautiful." Hence, Red Square, as commonly thought, is NOT named to honor Russian Communism. It's only an unfortunate coincidence.
The Kremlin - a three-sided fortress along the Moscow River. There are 20 towers incorporated into the fortress wall. Within The Kremlin are government buildings, royal palaces, museums, residences and cathedrals.
St. Basil's Cathedral - Commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate his victory over the ruling Turks. It is famous for it's colorful onion domes and is positioned on the southeast corner of Red Square. The cathedral was designed by two Italian architects, a fusion of European and Asian design. The story goes that Ivan was taken with the beauty of the church and, so that another like it could not be built, had the eyes of the two Italians gouged out.
Red Square - flanks the east side of The Kremlin and was originally named Market Square. The name change was believed to have taken place in the 17th century. The square seperated The Kremlin from a merchant district. Most of us recognize Red Square from seeing footage of Soviet military parades. To accomodate the tanks, weaponry and troops for the parades, a double arch at the north end of the square, which was the original gateway to the city, was removed. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the double archway has been rebuilt. Also, Lenin's Tomb is located in Red Square.
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour - Tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world. Built to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon's army in 1812. Sorry, cameras weren't allowed inside.
Novodevichy Convent - Translates to New Maidens' Monastery. Originally built as a fortress to defend the southern part of the city. Flanking the Convent wall is Swan Lake, which inspired the ballet of the same name by Tchaikovsky. Home of the the Novodevichy Cemetery mentioned in posts below.
10 comments:
So nice to know the truth about the "red" in Red Square!
Loved reading the Moscow journey and wandering.
What's next?
I just arrived in Maine to work at a summer camp. Should have some posts on the Maine countryside. With any luck, there'll be a Buccello sighting.
Are you planning on becoming a serial killer? Don't offer to check the kids for hernias either. It isn't like the old days any more.
Ernie,
If I had any street cred, you'd be ruining it right now.
Very cool posts and pics, D.
I look forward to learning something about Maine soon. Might you also see Gator Bumpass there, as well?
I forgot about Gator. I'll have to look him up, too. Wouldn't be neighborly if I didn't visit my kinfolk.
Wow, DD, when I heard you were in Russia, it took me by surprise, you sure get around!
As always, great photo's and the information you provide too.
Did you bring a Russian-bride home with you?
Breath taking picture's, must have been awesome to experience such a different country, with their culture and architecture.
Overworked,
No Russian bride, although there is a website devoted to such things.
and why doesn't that surprise me that you know that!
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