Moscow - Day 2

Monday 6th proved to have similar weather to the previous day - a warm sunny day.

A precision changing of the guard at the Eternal Flame

We headed off to the Kremlin. We arrived just after 10 pm, luckily found a ticket office without a queue and were able to get tickets to get in to the Armory immediately. So we found our way to the Armoury, picked up an audio guide and spent about 90 minutes immersed in the treasures of the Tsars. While the Faberge eggs are a highlight, there are superb collections of gold and silver pieces, often encrusted with gems, along with armour, clothing and carriages. We were disappointed that some of the Faberge materials seemed to away at an exhibition. It was particularly interesting to see some of the precious gifts given by or to Catherine the Great or Potemkin, as we had both researched the lives of these two notables. The wealth on display was staggering.

Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin

Leaving the Armory, we found a long line waiting to enter, even though the tickets are timed. We felt fortunate to get in early and with no delay. We headed into the other areas of the Kremlin, which mainly consists of various cathedrals around a central square. The cathedrals can date from over 600 years ago. They are often very small (typical of many Russian Orthodox churches) and always have rich icon displays. One cathedral (Archangel, from 1505) was used for burials and coronations of Tsars. The similar sized Annunciation Cathedral (1482) was used for christenings and weddings of the Tsars. The larger Assumption Cathedral (1475) was the main church of the Palace, though it became a stable for Napoleon's troops and was shut down by Stalin, before re-opeing in 1990. A smaller church (the Church of the Deposition of the Robe) was the private chapel of the Patriach.

The gigantic Tsar's Cannon never fired a shot

We found an exhibition in the Bell-tower and were delighted to find that it was the Faberge exhibtion - it held everything we missed in the Armory and more, incluidng material from other Russian museums. Even better, there were no tour groups and we had a great opportunity to have a good look at a superb collection. Again, the display of Tsarist wealth was overwhelming.

We grabbed a meal at a nearby pub - our first burger and beer in Russia. Outside, children froliced in the fountains of the Aleksandrovsky Gardens.

Then it was into the Metro and off to Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery. The Convent is a walled environment, containing an attractive gargen and a number of chruches. It was the traditional place where surplus sisters, wives or other female relatives or associates were exiled by the Tsar.

Khrushchev's black & white monument reflects his "good" and "bad"

Adjacent to the Convent is the Cemetery, where the notables of Russia have been buried since the Revolution, if they have not been considered eminent enough to be accored a position on the Kremlin Wall. The cemetery is leafy and green. Many of the burial monuments are elaborate sculptures. We saw some famous graves, including Raisa Gorbachev, Khrushchev, Yulanova (the ballerina), Illushyin (the aircraft designer), Popev (the clown), Alliluyeva-Stalin (his second wife) and Boris Yeltsin. Many have memorials that in some way reference their fame.

Then, we were back to the hotel by Metro. We were getting pretty good at navigating the Metro.

We adjorned to the Radio City restaurant/bar adjacent to the hotel, to use its wi-fi and to have a bite.