{RUSSIA}
ST PETERSBURG
ACCOMMODATION REPORT
St Petersburg International Hostel
(webpage) COST : US$17 (dorm)VALUE FOR MONEY : 2
CLEANLINESS : 3
FRIENDLINESS : 3
NOISE : 4
TOTAL : 12 / 20 [RANK : 22nd / 45]
Possibly my favorite city in my journey, St Petersburg was my first taste of Russia, and it's a wonderful city. The streets are wide, so are the footpaths (you could fit a road on the footpaths) the buildings are seven stories high everywhere, give or take a story, there are trolley buses, normal buses, trams and an amazingly efficient, clean and impressive metro. The city could do with a paint, but generally is in good condition. The shops are almost hidden, being slightly below footpath level so that around a third of their windows are above ground. When looking for a place to eat, there is no shortage of the typical American fast food chains, but there are many cafes around with some excellent food at great prices. You may have trouble occasionally with the menus though – of just in Russian with the Cyrillic alphabet. One café close to the hostel was fantastic, and for a few dollars gave a top top meal.
The Alexander Nevsky Monastery (outside pictured) is nice, although there is not a lot of interest inside – apart from Trinity Cathedral. The outside was, at the time, falling to pieces but inside was quite magnificent, and a little haunting. There are many paintings inside of the saints, with Mary and Peter in particular, and you will find some earnest prayers happening, probably at most times of the day.
St Nicholas Cathedral (not close) is one of the most beautiful cathedrals you may ever see, the brilliant design on the outside is quite phenomenal, the colours brilliant. Very popular, but a definite must see. Nevsky Prospekt is the main street in St Petersburg, with the best shops and fast food eateries (including the Russian take on burgers, they are a little different). At the end of the Prospekt (and a little to the right) is the main square – Dvortsovaya Ploschad. People mingle here, pass the time of day, offer horse and carriage rides all in the presence of the Alexander column, and opposite the main tourist attraction in St Petersburg – the Hermitage.
One of St Petersburg’s main features is the Peter & Paul Fortress. Separated on an island of its own, the Fortress has many things too see enclosed behind a huge wall. In the past it was a prison, and it is set up for the tourists now to see the cells and so forth, with information on the prisoners who stayed here. (I don’t think Bea Smith was one though) Unfortunately the information is in Russian. Also inside the Fortress’s wall is the Cathedral of SS Peter & Paul, where most of the late Tsars were buried (for a time St Petersburg was the capital of Russia) including Peter the Great and Nicholas. Also of interest is the mint is where there are some amazing examples of old coins dating back to 1700, such as the 3 ruble coin, surely a rarity to see such a denomination anywhere.
The cost for the whole fortress was only 38 rubles making this major value for money.
One night whilst in St Petersburg I managed to catch the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the best in world, at the Philharmonia Large Hall. Despite not a hugely interesting choice in music and a 20-minute introduction in Russian, I heard an amazing orchestra, perfectly in time and tune with each other. Certainly worth an evening out.
NIGHT CLUB WATCH :
The Metro : A fantastic club, with different levels rooms, bars, a varied selection of music (Russian dance music rocks). ****
MOSCOW
ACCOMMODATION REPORT
TRAVELLER'S GUEST HOUSE
COST : US$18 (dorm)
VALUE FOR MONEY : 1
CLEANLINESS : 3
FREINDLINESS : 2
NOISE : 3
TOTAL : 9/20 [RANK : 41st / 45]
Huge, apocalyptic, Moscow is a Mecca of cities. Stalin had a great influence on what you see in Moscow today - apartment buildings that look like something from Ghostbusters and statues built with the intention to dwarf anyone who might stand anywhere near the base. Despite all this Moscow is a bubbling metropolis for around 13 million people where most anything can be bought - you are in a modern city one second and then suddenly you could be in an old cobblestone alley. There are plenty of 'hip' joints to wander into cafe wise, one funky internet café visited by my good self played MTV and you could sit down to an hour on a top internet connection for the price of a cup of tea. If all that doesn’t take your fancy, you can enjoy a film with audience talking through it (if it’s in English) or why not by a pet from outside one of the grand metro stations (same in St Petersburg). The stations are built in old bomb shelters and are quite a way down escalators under the ground. They’re an attraction on their own.
SIGHTS
THE KREMLIN AND RED SQUARE
One of the first things associated with Moscow, the Kremlin is surrounded by a fortress in the heart of the city - next to Red Square. A cost of 150 rubles to get in gives you access to 5 cathedrals inside the gate and a religious museum. A further 140 rubles and you can visit the armory, which I did not do. The cathedrals are interesting enough - delicate artwork dons the inside, with the Russian gold 'bulb' effect on the roofs. The archangel church is possibly the most interesting, housing the graves of the Tsars up to the end of the 17th century. Unfortunately too much is closed to the public - even more to foreigners. Uniformed officials blow whistles when you go to far - in one instance when I took a step back to get a better photo!
In Red Square you find Lenin's tomb - considering its age it looks very slick and modern and is made out of marble. I never ventured inside, but I believe his body isn't presently there. The jewel of Red Square is St Basil's cathedral, a testament to the Russian Orthodox style. It seems to have sections and bulbs just piled on top of each other, but this chaos manages to create a perfect end product.
In Red Square, which is very big indeed, you can have your Polaroid taken in front of the tomb, or visit GUM - Moscow's upmarket shopping centre. Or just while the day away watching the people.
GORKY PARK
Firstly, I haven't seen the film of the same name, but I intend to at some point in my life. This place is definitely creepy, at the time I was here they were just coming out of winter (there was still a little snow around) and most of the rides were not in operation. It is an amusement park spread over a gigantic area. People party outside one little cafe/hotdog bar type places, which don't actually sell hotdogs - instead they sell a rather limited selection of microwave foods. You can dance with the drunken Russians, check yourself in the magic mirrors, ride the dodgems or risk it all by hopping on the rather rusty roller coaster which I managed to survive. Either way this place leaves Luna Park for dead.
STATUES
There are quite a few statues in Moscow. On the river Peter the Great stands on his ship, under which are several other ships, obviously his conquests. This statue is quite a monstrosity - towering above everyone and thing below. It is hard to put into words how horrific it actually is. Outside a metro station stands Lenin, once again very big. This doesn't deter people sitting in the square and on the base of his statue drinking beer. There is also a nice little park near the Peter the Great Statue featuring the heads (sculpted, not actual) of many famous people, from Albert Einstein to Mahatma Ghandi (as well as a plethora of prominent Russians). This place was quite a find - peaceful and
serene, a little haven.
McDonald’s
One hates to include McDonald's as a site - well, no I don't, I think it's quite amusing actually – but a trip to Moscow is incomplete without a visit to the McDonald's in Pushkin Square, reportedly the biggest in the world. It is indeed quite an eatery, giving the impression half of Moscow eats here. The counter where you are served is 35 metres long with around 200 staff behind the registers. Despite many hidden sections of tables finding a seat is a very hard task indeed. If not the biggest in the world, probably the craziest. (although I was served quite promptly)
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