Last Day

My three weeks in Russia are drawing to a close. I made one last visit to "Teremok," the bliny (crepe) establishment for a blin with red caviar. It's the most expensive option on the menu, but it only comes out to about $7.50. A cheap and tasty supper. The weather was a little better today - a bit warmer with only a little rain - and so I had another walk around town during the afternoon. Central Moscow is definitely more attractive and more pedestrian friendly than I've ever seen it. And the beautiful eighteenth to early twentieth century architecture that has always (in my life time) been here now stands out thanks to ongoing restoration of facades. I'll look forward to even more positive changes when I visit next.

Sts. Peter and Paul Lutheran Church from the back

The chapel

This building also belongs to the church. I stayed in a room here my two nights in Moscow.

Dietrich Brauer, former student at the seminary in St. Petersburg, now bishop of European Russia, and just recently elected archbishop of the ELCROS

Dean Lena Bondarenko.

The Church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian on Maroseika Street in the Kitai Gorod neighborhood.

Yes, I ate here. Where else am I going to get an Egg McMuffin for breakfast?

Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker in Kitai Gorod

This was a feature of several buildings in St. Petersburg too.

The Spaski Tower of the Kremlin is in scafolding

The inside of G.U.M.

Resurrection icon on the Resurrection Gates

Both Helen and I had this as our first view of Red Square (not together.) I will never forget coming up over this rise and seeing St. Basil's and the Kremlin walls and towers for the first time. It's still a breathtaking sight, even in bad weather.

Angel on a chapel in front of the Resurrection Gates

The Resurrection Gates. Reconstructed after being destroyed in Soviet times.

Jingoism. It's not just for Americans any more.

The Ritz Carlton. We stayed here with my parents in 2000. Except it was a completely different building, a rather ugly glass, steel and concrete highrise called the Intourist Hotel. Helen and I also bluffed our way into to their breakfast bar when we were students.

Another new pedestrian zone.

Yuri Dolgoruki ("long-arms") the founder of Moscow.

I've always liked this statue.

Moscow city government works out of this building. Or at least it used to.

A blast from the past. Except I remember them being two-tone grey.

The Eliseevski Store. It continued, somewhat paradoxically, in Soviet times.

Eliseevski Store monogram on the sidewalk outside. The buildings facade is being worked on, so I don't have a picture of that.

Denis is trying to attract attention to himself. I think it's working.

The Marriott-run Aurora Hotel

Bikes for rent. I saw at least one person using this service.

The Bolshoi Theater. I don't remember the parking out front.