At last, I meet Greg and Dustin, two members of the team that is heading out to Kamchatka. They have cleared a lot of time in their schedule today to show me Downtown Moscow. There are a lot of cathedrals here, along with buildings of importance with the government.
Greg and Dustin on the stairs as we arrive at The Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
We get out of the Metro station near Red Square and what a sight, St. Basil's Cathedral.
A view of St. Basil's Cathedral from the center of Red Square.
The view of St. Basil's Cathedral from a bridge outside of Red Square.
We also stop to look at where Lenin is buried. The tomb is not open for viewing today.
On the side of Red Square is a special resting place for one of Russia's past leaders.
Also in Red Square is the oldest museum in Russia. Unfortunately, it is closed on the first Monday of each month. Perhaps I can go back on my return trip home.
I can't believe that I am standing in Red Square.
Greg and Dustin need to go check out some satellite phones and do some work at the National Archives so I am left on my own to explore. I visit the Cathedrals within the Kremlin and then take a scheduled audio tour of the Kremlin Armory Chamber. Both of these excursions are very interesting. Although you cannot take pictures inside of the Armory, it is filled with beautifully detailed objects of gold and silver, armor from past wars, garments, thrones and crowns from past Tsars and ornate carriages that are amazingly hand crafted. It is a collection of artifacts that is unrivaled.
Inside the Kremlin there are a series of cathedrals for various purposes.
There are also extremely large cannons.
Within the Kremlin there are several cathedrals. Each of them has beautiful domes covered in gold.
Small cannons line the sides of the building within the Kremlin.
I took some time to get of Red Square and walk around town a bit. As you can see, the Russians love that St. Basil's Cathedral and plant gardens to recreate the domes.
The colorful flowers are a nice replica of the domes at St. Basil's Cathedral.
I also find the Bolshoi Theatre near the entrance to Red Square. It is a beautiful theatre where you can see the Russian Ballet.
The home of the Russian Ballet is located across the street from Red Square.
Please check out the photo gallery to see a few other pictures of our adventures in Moscow. It has been a fantastic day, but with more ahead tomorrow, I plan to get some sleep.