Final Post / 'till next time

We're back in LA now, safe and sound - reflecting on an amazing vacation in such a beautiful, vibrant, and dynamic City. Special thank you's to Sasha and Olga for making sure not a day went by without fun filled activities.

Here's a link to photos from our trip !!

Same photos,: different view format

Counting down the days until our next visit to Moscow, as this was only the beginning !

Olga the Great

With all of the "Greats" famous in Russian history (Catherine, Peter, Ivan), I couldn't resist adding another one - Anastasiya's dear and loving childhood friend Olga who I finally got to meet during this trip. Olga you are so truly wonderful - thank you for making our trip so special and fun - we can't wait to see you again soon!

Presidential Motorcade

All was impossibly quiet on Kutuzovskiy prospect around 3pm last Saturday - a highly unusual sign on an 8 lane highway, one of Moscow's busiest. Not a creature was stirring. Since we were waiting to catch a bus to Victory Park, we had a chance to wait it out and see what was happening. We saw that the police had stopped all traffic in both directions on 2 major highways; therefore we knew something important was going on.

About 20 minutes later it all came to light... Russian President Dimitri Medvedev in his Mercedes Maybach stretch limi and his motorcade/entourage of about 20 black German cars came barreling through at about 90 mph, heading from the Kremlin in the direction of his ritzy Rublovka home.

Bad news: the tens of thousands stuck in the backup on Kutuzovskiy and Rublevskoye for 30++ minutes.
Good news: the President was actually working on a Saturday!

Boat rides

We did actually discover another great way to beat the traffic (in addition to the metro, buying a special license plate, and driving a tank) - taking a boat on the moscow river, which winds through town !!

Russian Hospitality

It must not go without mention as to how incredibly hospitable and gracious Anastasiya's family and friends have been! Every day of our trip has been filled with phone calls and offers to take us over to see the different sights of Moscow (and beyond) and spend time together. Sasha, Olga, Konstantin, Anton, Pasha, Damir, and Alexey you guys are the best!! From seeing the sparrow hills, gory nature preserve, and street racing all on our first night here, to taking us over to all of the magnificent parks, starry arabat, shopping centers, eating at Putin's favorite hangouts, sightseeing in the city center day and night, the endless invites, dinner parties every night of the week, and the nightlife - - we have been treated so extremely wonderfully. This has been a memorable trip to say the least, and we owe much of it to the remarkable Russian culture's hospitality.

Street Medians

In an earlier post (driving in moscow) I had mistakenly indicated there were no landscaped medians here in the Moscow streets, saying they instead featured those reversible suicide lanes for the FSB/Police/Government officials to bypass traffic on. While this is true for most of the streets, further exploration of the City has revealed that certain major boulvards do indeed have landscaped medians. And those that have them, have seriously beautiful ones. Think extremely grand, park like. Statues, walking trails. Triumphant. In the case of these photos, the Triumphal Arch right smack in the middle of Kutuzovskiy prospekt (a major arterial heading into the city center and connecting to Anastasiya's house). This median is nearly wider than the road itself, and the glorious victory arch was erected in 1827 in celebration of the victory over Napoleon in 1812. Truly grand.

Unique Cars on the Road !

As everybody knows I am a true automobile lover, and therefore it has been a pleasure to see many new vehicles and models here in Moscow which have never been available in the United States. Just dozens of unique and interesting cars all over the place. Here's a sampling - enjoy:

See photos here

old fashioned russian "chaser"

OK, so you must understand that russians are extremely resourceful people. For instance, in harder times when you were able to secure you ration of vodka but weren't able to get any fresh juice (in the winter in siberia for instance), and old fashioned and reliable method of helping chase down your vodka shots was invented - a nice long sniff of your buddy's hair. See photo (pretty self explanatory)!

concealing visual blight

This town is so sophisticated that all buildings under construction (and there are a lot of them getting worked on right now) actually install full scale graphic covers over the entire project, in order to act as as temporary facades which depict the post-construction look of the building, while the tough and dirty work is carried out underneath totally hidden from eyesight. Imagine the visual blight that is avoided by millions of residents and visitors by having this plan in place. As a construction guy and a generally observant traveler I think this is quite excellent, as nobody really wants to see the guts of a construction site and half torn apart building facade.

Russian White House

The classic and imposing Russian White House (which is a term that Russians also call it, in their own language as "byely dom"). Constructed in 1981, it housed Soviet Republic's Congress and the Supreme Soviet until the famous Russian constitutional crisis of 1993, when a major uprising led to a siege and artillery bombardment on the building which caused a major fire. The building stood damaged for some time after the coup was overthrown, and the black burns became famous, so much so that it became tradition for newlyweds to be photographed in front of its damaged facade.

More than $300 million US dollars were spent renovating the building. The reformed parliament, known thereafter by its Tsarist era title of the "Duma", was elected in 1994 and then moved to another building on Moscow's Okhotny Ryad. The President Medvedev also is not located in the white house, and instead operates out of the Kremlin.

The renovated White House now houses the Russian government. An inscription at the base of the tower reads, "House of the Government of the Russian Federation."

The Russian Banya

A real visit to Moscow is not complete without a visit to a Russian Banya. Participating in this unique experience is an unforgettable part of the Russian culture; going to the banya is a time honored activity and the love that the Russian people have for the banya is profound. With special thanks to Sasha and friends Damir and Pasha, I had my first Banya visit last night at Moscow’s finest banya, Sanduny which is over 115 years old.

In 1832 the famous Russian Author Alexander Pushkin wrote that “the banya is like the Russian's second mother." He goes to his second mother for rejuvenation, warmth, and a bath. She restores him to a state of glowing health. In Russia, sweating and health are virtually synonymous. Researchers have found that the blood supply to the skin, muscles, and joints are notably improved after a visit to the banya. The body’s metabolism is increased considerably, the number of red blood cells and quantity of hemoglobin increases, the overall oxygen level increases and impurities are purged. The banya assists in eliminating toxins from the body and improves circulation of the blood. The word banya actually derives from Latin balneum, which means 'to chase out pain'. The benefits of banyas and saunas were the subject of ancient philosophers such as Aristotle and Hypocrites.

Russians regard their visits to a banya as key to continued good health and as a remedy to poor health, especially with regard to circulatory and respiratory illnesses. They are very, very serious about the banya. They have been a part of Russian culture since medieval times (nearly 900 years). Almost every village home has its own banya. And I have heard that there are over 100 public banyas in Moscow alone. These private banyas range from about the size of a large walk-in closet to several palacial rooms and pools.

What exactly is a Banya? The Banya, in the most simplest terms, is basically a combination of a steam room/humid sauna and cold pools of water or snow, plus a few uniquely Russian aspects such as how and what accessories to use to generate steam and soften the skin. It involves lots of steam and humidity, high heat, icy cold water, and an invigorating beating with birch leaves and branches. In contrast to the Roman baths and wester saunas, in the Russian Banya the air is humid and moist. In fact, the Russian steam banya normally reaches 95 degrees with 85-90% humidity. The use of certain herbs in the water of the banya is thought to magnify the effect of the banya experience.

In the main steam room, called the “parilka”, the temperature is kept extremely hot with the help of a large oven or fire. To add the humidity, someone takes a ladle full of hot water and dashes the hot water onto the stones. The room immediately fills with hot steam. The inexperienced run for cover and no one but the truly experienced remain on the upper benches. Everyone feels their pores open instantly, and a week's worth of toxins begin to be sweated out. Russians believe this process not only removes toxins but also relieves stress. What better way to get rid of stress than to have it steamed, washed, and beaten out of you ?!?! Hold on, what do you mean “beat” the stress out of you?? Ahhh - let me elaborate. Banya-goers place dried branches from the white birch or oak trees (these bunches are called veniki) into water to soften them up, and then, amazingly, take these branches and BEAT each other and themselves repeatedly… all over their bodies until everyone has a rosy glow. Getting clobbered with timber in a 90 degree 90% humidity environment - the idea is to Beat out the toxins in addition to the stress. This is all done in the pursuit of good circulation (so is drinking vodka after the banya is over).

After each round of the parilka room, the tradition is to go outside and swim in the icy cold lake or river, or, if it's winter a roll in the snow. For the city dwellers who don't want to risk arrest for indecent exposure, jumping into very very cold pools or, in an even more shocking way to cool off; by dumping large barrels of cold water from the ceiling onto yourself (both of which are both available at the city banyas). In fact at the main banyas there are typically 2 or 3 different plunge pools with varying “icy” temps to select from (65 degree cold, 58 degree really cold, and the ICE ICE cold 50 degree pool). All together it’s a really exhilarating experience that closely resembles the mammoth mountain ski cabin tomfoolery that people are familiar with (people jumping out of hot tubs and rolling around in the snow), but much more therapeutic and better in terms of overall process and circulation/healing.

After the first cycle of the steam and cold plunge, you return to the dressing/lounge room. Wrapped in white sheets people connect and socialize for about 10-15 minutes, as well as rehydrate with the help of plenty of water, hot tea, cold kvas (the wonderful national drink in Russia made from fermented wheat) or beer. Some people chat, play chess, cards, laugh, etc. Then, it's time for rounds two /three /four /etc. Everyone returns to the banya and the process is repeated. Most people go through the routine four or five times over the course of a 2 hour visit. The result of these efforts is the feeling of renewal, recirculation, re-connection with your banya mates, and complete relaxation. As they say in Russia “Lyokum Parom ” (easy steaming).

Magnificent Moscow Metro (subway)

Perhaps if one item could rival the beautiful and numerous Churches in Moscow for being an internationally recognizable symbol of this Country, it would be the world class Metro (subway) system. The Moscow Metro is as close to perfect for a public transport system as exists in the world.

The Metro is very big part of the history of Soviet Moscow and the growth of the City. The construction of Moscow's metro system started in 1933 with the intention to build the best metro of the world. At that time the population was nowhere near the 15 million people that are here today, but the system has been able to keep up with the population growth through a massive expansion that has retained the beauty and efficiency of the system. Today more than 9 million people per day use the Metro, with its 177 stations and nearly 200 miles of lines. Those are a mind boggling figures. It's the best way to move around the city considering the major automobile traffic that clogs the streets daily (see my previous posts): it’s also very inexpensive ($0.70 a ride) AND very very efficient!! It is easy to use the system although you will not see latin letters in the corridors of the metro where there are the other signs. Here’s where my months (OK – weeks) of studying the Cyrillic alphabet have paid off !!

What also sets the Moscow Metro apart is the fact that they aren’t just metro stations. They are absolute architectural and engineering masterpieces. To some they are underground museums. Quite simply the best metro stations ever seen. Take your visual perception of the New York City subway system and turn it around 180 degrees, flip it upside down, shake it around and instead visualize the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That is much closer to the layout inside the Moscow Metro (pronounced Mietro) stations. The platforms are showcases of works of art. The ceilings have chandeliers and are kind of like mini palaces. The ground and walls are often marble and terrazzo. There are statues and paintings everywhere (even in some of the subway cars !!). Each station has its own theme and history, with the predominant theme being socialist “realist” art. The Moscow Metro has become one of the proudest examples of the might and power of the Soviet Union.

I have in all truth never seen a more efficient method of transportation. Trains come every 2 minutes (it’s actually fun to stand there and watch the timer, and right around 1:30 to 2:00 – the next train barrels through just like clockwork). In fact, since the trains are so frequent, there is no timetable that is published or printed. Let me repeat - the system is so amazing and efficient that timetables are totally unncessary! Just stand there for a few seconds and you’ll get picked up! One of the key features of the system is the radial “brown” line that goes around the city in a circular type pattern, allowing passengers access other metro lines without having to travel all the way to the city center. This goes a long way towards keeping the stops in the city center free of excess overcrowding. Everything works so well and the system is so optimized that despite using the Metro every day, we have actually never had to wait for a train for more than 2 minutes, and have never been unable to board due to overcrowding. I think people across the US could only dream of a system this incredible. $0.70 a ride to anywhere you want to go (the system is about 15 miles long from one side to the other), never more than a 2 minute wait, unscrupulously clean, and works of art and architecture to admire during your travel.

The Moscow Metro is also actually the worlds biggest underground antinuclear shelter – as many of the stations are extremely deep (more than 100-200 feet) and feature special steel doors at the entrances that are to close shut in the event of a nuclear strike on Russian soil. Approximately half of the stations, mostly around the City Center, are designed as bomb shelters and could therefore protect hundreds of thousands if not millions of Moscow citizens in the event of a nuclear bomb attack. Additionally, there is also the rumored, and super top secret classified “D-6” metro line, which is a deeper and separate metro system authorized by Josef Stalin after World War II, to provide for transportation and protection in the event of a nuclear attack. Nobody knows how many stations the secret D6 line consists of, but it is thought there are more than 20-30, with many fake buildings acting as decoys across Moscow. This system, which is not officially confirmed, exists under military jurisdiction and was designed for emergency evacuation of key city personnel as well as chosen civilians in case of nuclear attack during the cold war. It is believed that it consists of a single track and connects the Kremlin, the FSB/KGB, the Ministry of Defence, and numerous other secret installations (main Library, Moscow University, police stations, a few other strategic locations in the City) and is speculated that this secret system would allow for the evacuation of a small number of randomly chosen civilians, in addition to most of the elite military personnel.

The Moscow Metro, a marvel of engineering, transportation, and national defense in all regards.

Anastasiya's Family

Certainly one of the biggest highlights of our trip has been the ability for Anastasiya to re-connect with her family, father, uncles, grand-aunts, and cousins after 5 years. And for me, finally the cherished opportunity to meet and spend time with them for the first time. They immediately strike me as being very loving people, hard working, deeply passionate, and excellent conversationalists, in addition to being absolutely marvelous cooks!

Soviet Space Museum

Went to the Russian Space Museum this weekend. A terrific museum project in all regards. They first planted a sweeping 30 story tall titanium obelisk on top of a little knoll back in 1964, adding a glorius titanium rocket at the end of it, and then some 20 years later buried a giant museum underneath it to celebrate their achievements in astronautic and aeronautical engineering, which certainly they have many of.

Curious timing on my part to be in the Russian Space Museum during the USA's 40th anniversary of landing on the moon. Leave it to say that the Russians are also very proud of their own many "Firsts" in pioneering space exploration - a list of achievements that is indeed very numerous and impressive in their own right:
* 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1 (which was launched just a little over one year after both the USA and USSR announced intentions to send satellites to space).
* 1959: First probe to impact the Moon (and images of moons far side), Luna 2 & 3
* 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
* 1961: First person in space and Earth orbit's, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1
* 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
* 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
* 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this was their only major space achievement that the US had not fully duplicated.)
* 1970: First samples automatically returned to Earth from another body, Luna 16
* 1971: First space station, Salyut 1
* 1971: First probe to orbit AND reach another planet (Mars), Mars 2
* 1975: First probe to orbit Venus, first photos from surface of Venus, Venera 9
* 1986: First permanently manned space station, MIR, lasting from 1986 until 2001

Retail explosion

Even though there is technically impacts from the global financial crisis here in Moscow, one could not tell this from the retail spending - which is absolutely manic. New futuristic malls sprout up like weeds across the city, and each one (we've only been to a few) attract hoards of shoppers. It's almost as if there is no saturation point, even though there are more than 15 extremely large shopping centers. Is there no limit? Build another one, and BAM - it's filled with tenants and shoppers from day 1 if not before (I heard one place had a pre-sale for VIP's the day before the mall actually opened).

New Muscovites have a voracious appetite for designer clothes, home goods, and electronics/gadgets after 8 consecutive years of positive economic growth from 2000-2008. Almost all transactions are done in cash, which is different from the growing use of credit and debit cards for almost all transactions in the US. Russian Rubles accepted only (some stores accept Euros but that it not common). Most Russians seem to not be worried about the current economic environment, with great confidence that it will turn around very shortly. American shoppers have been far more reserved with their spending over the past 18 months. I have to say one possible reason is the lack of compelling and innovative merchandise at the american stores, this might come as a surprise to many but there is really in my mind a clearly better selection of products being sold in Russia, although that comes with the caveat that most of these items are more expensive. I wondered for a while how it was that all of the Muscovites dress so remarkably well, but after seeing the extremely high quality of clothes in every store it really is no wonder. They get the very best of US merchandise along with the best of Europe and Asia - it's all available here.

Check out these photos of some example shopping centers - the first is the 7 story mall's at Kievskaya's blue escalator, the second is the terrific 3 story GUM shopping center with the gigantic barrel roof skylight, and the last photo is a sharp 21st century 4 story glass and steel center across the street from our apartment (which houses a mall, a grocery store, pharmacy, cell phone shop, dry cleaners, jeweler, florist, photo lab, and cafe all in one great space).

nature, amazing nature

although moscow is truly a metropolis, it is by no means a traditional "urban / concrete jungle". around every corner and street there is a grand park or large forest. everyone has easy walking access to little parks for kids, as well as more undeveloped nature preserves, forests, and ponds. just stunning.

Soviet Sushi

Sushi has become a big sensation here in Moscow... it is almost difficult to find a restaurant / cafe / supermarket that does NOT serve it. And although it is new and not that many expert sushi chefs are preparing it, they are serving it surprisingly well!