Irkutsk
I spent a really fun couple of days in this Siberian town. About 3 days by train from both Vladivostok and Moscow, it is the natural place to stop off on this journey and gives access to the stunning Lake Baikal.
I get the feeling that if I had seen Irkutsk in the summer I would have thought it a grotty town not really worthy of visiting but with a thick covering of snow even the blandest of towns becomes magical...this might even apply to Reading.
Lake Baikal
Only an hour or so from Irkutsk by kamikaze-style minibus, Lake Baikal (the deepest and oldest lake in the world) contains a staggering 20% of the world's fresh water. If I were to do the trip again, I would come in February when the lake freezes over, allowing all sorts of fun such as ice-fishing, dog-sledding across and even driving across the lake. Given the size of it, a couple of days at the lake doesn't really allow one to do very much and I didn't have the week or so required to really do the place justice, so I spent just a few hours admiring the scenery and watching the snow fall.
Leaving Irkutsk
I am really glad that I decided to walk to the train station rather than go by tram as I saw a really fantastic sunset over the river.
Siberia from the train
The train from Irkutsk to Moscow was much more modern than the one I caught from Vladivostok. It also had crystal-clear windows making photography much easier.
Moscow
A few thousand kilometres and 3 nights later saw me in Moscow.
Red Square
Moscow by Night
I spent several hours wandering around with my camera last night. Moscow looks really good when the sun has gone down.
Tsar Cannon
An enormous cannon inside the Kremlin. It was constructed purely as a showpiece and is thought never to have been fired. Apparently the cannon balls on display are too big to fit inside the cannon...
Tsar Bell
A very very large bell inside the Kremlin.
Cathedrals
The Kremlin boasts some really beautiful Cathedrals, many of which it is possible to visit.
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
About 10 minutes from The Kremlin and
constructed in the 90s on the site of a former Cathedral, The Cathedral of Christ the Saviouris apparently a controversial building among Muscovites, many of whom regard it is hideous. I quite liked it myself. According to my guide book Stalin had planned to build an enormous monument on the site: The Palace of the Soviets to feature a 100m tall statue of Lenin so I think that the citizens of Moscow should be pleased with what they've got.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
I was lucky enough to arrive at this monument just behind The Kremlin just as the obligatory changing of the guard ceremony was underway.
GUM
GUM, the department store on the edge of Red Square opposite the Kremlin, was once a Soviet monument to queues and shortages but is now packed full of designer clothes shops.
Next...
I have been really surprised at how friendly the people have been all through-out Russia, especially given all the stories I heard about how rude Russians are. With a few exceptions everyone has been very accommodating and helpful. Something I was not expecting is that German is more widely understood here than English so I have been using my incredibly poor language skills to communicate with a few people.
Tomorrow evening I will catch an overnight train to St Petersburg.
3 comments:
Fascinating stuff. It doesn't look like a very lively place though. Has anyone said much about Putin? They are supposed to be fairly adoring of him in Russia from what we read in the Western press.
Yesterday I passed literally hundreds of what looked like students on their way to a pro-Putin rally at the bottom of Red Square. They seem to be crazy about him!
He seems dodgy to us but maybe if you have had people like Stalin in control in last 100 years he looks like a bit of a saint.
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