Moscow, the culture of celebration and the weight of tradition.
Moscow, originally Moskov, was founded in 1140 on the banks of the Moscow River, which flows through the city. With a population of almost 12 million, it became Russia’s capital in 1918 at the expense of St. Petersburg. Moscow is one of those cities whose historical and religious past is felt right from the start, as soon as our eyes land on the first cathedrals or exuberant monuments such as the statue of Peter the Great, whose official title is “Monument to the Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of the Russian Fleet”.
The main religions represented in Russia are Orthodox Christianity (there are also Catholics and Protestants), Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. As Russia’s emblem of a two-headed eagle, one facing east and the other west, suggests, there’s a wonderful melting pot of people and cultures from Russia’s four cardinal corners, making Moscow a diverse city where you can enjoy surprising encounters on both culinary and cultural levels.
Discover the Kremlin
In the center is the Kremlin, built in 1368 by Prince Dimitri Donskoi in its original form, with Lenin’s mausoleum and the world-famous Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed. In snowy winter or summer, the charm of this and the other churches inside the Kremlin (Verkhospasskaya Cathedral, Dormition Cathedral, Church of the Deposition of the Virgin’s Robe) is matched only by the sumptuous artistic decorations, sculptures and triptychs that adorn the interior.
Over 400 religious buildings welcome those wishing to pay their respects or get married. Generally speaking, it’s more practical to celebrate unions in spring or summer, for obvious practical reasons. That’s when nature, buried under the winter snow, is reborn, along with all the love kept warm under thick quilts of goose feathers during the winter. Everything then becomes exuberant and magical, as if winter had crystallized feelings and desires for fun.
Like all children around the world, it’s mainly the images of snow-covered Moscow that are etched in our memories, fueled by fairy tales, dreams of presents and Santa’s sleighs. In Kolomenskoye Park, crossed by the Moscova River, our bravery in the cold is finally rewarded by the calm, cold beauty of the landscape and the sight of Santa’s sleigh himself escaping before our eyes and those of the cross-country skier in shorts at minus 20 degrees. Contrasts are everywhere, and even if winter is not generally conducive to the fruit and vegetable trade, local markets offer housewives the essentials for the home and everyday cooking.
You can also visit Moscow by metro, the city’s most popular means of transport. Although built in 1935, the metro is rich in discoveries. You can see and revisit all the glories of Greater Russia, as long as you pay close attention to the admirable scenery and works of art on display in the stations of the first ring of the city tour.
Moscow (Russia) – January 2019
