Moscow: All About Town

The day after Christmas, we did our own version of after-Christmas shopping at a place called Ismailovo. When I was here, it was a giant market called Ismailovsky Park where people just stood and sold their fur shapkas and matrushka dolls. Anyhow, now it's more civilized with actual booths. Unfortunately, we didn't stay long because the girls soaked through their boots in the melting snow and froze. But each of the girls got a matrushka doll with a Pushkin fairytale painted on it. Something I hope they'll treasure. Tyler got a cheap nesting doll that he absolutely loves to play with.

Here we are at the entrance to Red Square. Wow, it's been a long time since I've been here. Much more commercial all around. But still stunningly beautiful.

Rob and me. We left the kids at my parents house with a babysitter. I don't think they would have lasted in the cold. I don't know how the Russian kids bear it.

President and Sister Woolley (Mom and Dad) in their home-sweet-home town right now. During all the times I've lived in/visited Russia, I never would have guessed my parents would be living here.

Rob and I in front of Lenin's tomb. This place used to have a long, winding line of visitors. Now, nobody really cares much about seeing the great architect of Soviet communism.

Soldiers changing guard in front of Lenin's tomb.

Here we are in front of GUM--what used to be the largest department store in Russia. It is now a giant mall full of high-end fashion stores.

In front of good old St. Basil's Cathedral. Still as strikingly beautiful as ever. Even Rob was impressed.

Another view of Ivan the Terrible's masterpiece. (Apparently he had the eyes of the architect poked out after he built this so that he could build nothing more beautiful.)

A view of Red Square from St. Basil's. The nice thing about coming to Moscow in the winter is that there aren't so many crowds. (However, the metro is still a big crowded mess. I had to scold several people for butting in the metro ticket line. That hasn't changed in the past 17 years.)

Christmastime in the GUM shopping mall.

Touring the Kremlin churches. I still remember coming here for the first time back in 1986. Still just as beautiful.

Dad and Rob in front of one of the Kremlin churches.

I'm so glad that the Soviets preserved all of these old Russian Orthodox Churches. So unique! After this, we toured through the State Armoury, which basically has most of the the treasures from the former Russian Tsars. I don't think I've been there since 1990. I forgot how incredible it is -- full of all kinds of crowns, state gifts and, my favorite, the Cinderella carriages. The Soviets did a good thing by sticking them all in a museum, rather than selling them off.

Standing over the Moscow River.

My parents live just a couple metro stops away from where I used to work in a kindergarten back in 1992. We stopped off so that I could find my old kindergarten. I was shocked that my legs just carried me right back to the same spot after 17 years. There are lots more stores around, but some of the same nearby stores still exist too -- which surprised me in a city that has undergone such dramatic change over the past two decades.

What a trip down memory lane!