THE MASTER AND ANDREATA

One of Andrea's all-time favorite books written by Mikhail Bulgakov is The Master and Margarita.

So after our separate Russian language classes today, Andrea and I jumped on the metro and headed up to the neighborhood where poor ol' Bulgakov lived and wrote. We found his apartment, which is now a small museum.

We ate a late lunch and began wondering the neighborhood, which was lovely. It is now an upscale neighborhood with fancy cafes and boutiques. There are also embassies and consulates sprinkled up and down the streets.

We discovered the Lubavitcher synagogue. Andrea wanted me to go in and see it, but it's the high holidays, and I didn't want to interfere. Had it been a non-holiday, I would have attempted to see the schul. Interestingly, the entire structure is shielded by what I assume is bullet-proof glass.

The schul is not far from the Patriarch's Pond, also an important place in Bulgakov's book, and Debbie from Russian class had told me her husband gets his hair cut at an expat salon along the park.

So I killed two swans, so to speak, with one stone.

Here are a few photos from today's little escapade, plus two from Saturday.

IN THE OKHOTNY RYAD METRO STATION. THE MOSCOW (AND SPB) METRO STATIONS ARE WORKS OF ART THEMSELVES. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY ARE FULL, THERE IS PUSHING AND SHOVING; IT GETS UGLY.

MOSAIC CEILING INSET AT OKHOTNY RYAD STATION.

SOVIET-ERA BUILDING OUTSIDE THE MAYAKOVSKY METRO STATION.

STATUE OF VLADIMIR MAYAKOVSKY FROM AFAR IN TRIUMPHAL PLAZA.

OUTSIDE THE DOM OF BULGAKOV.

THE APARTMENT HOUSE WHERE BULGAKOV LIVED AND WORKED INSIDE THE DOM THROUGHOUT STALIN'S REIGN AND UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1940, WHEN HE WAS 49 YEARS OLD..

ANDREA PERUSING THE EXHIBITS AT BULGAKOV'S HOUSE.

CLOSE UP OF ITEMS FROM A YOUNG BULGAKOV'S LIFE.

PIANO, CLOCK, BOOKSHELVES...IN BULGAKOV'S HOUSE. THE MASTER AND MARGARITA HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO MANY MODERN LANGUAGES.

WE GOT A LAUGH AND THOUGHT OF DR. BILL WHEN WE SAW THIS SIGN.

BOOBS ON THE APARTMENT. WHO KNOWS HOW MANY ARE LIVING INSIDE.THIS NEIGHBORHOOD OF TVERSKAYA IS LOVELY. LOTS OF OLD BUILDINGS BEING RESTORED, AS WELL AS SOME VERY GAUDY NEW ONES, SUCH AS THIS. THIS AREA MAY BE LIKENED TO EMBASSY ROW IN D.C.

STATUE OF SHALOM ALEICHEM IN A LITTLE PARK AT THE END OF THE STREET UPON WHICH SITS THE  LUBAVITCHER SYNAGOGUE.

THE SYNAGOGUE. SEE? I WENT TO SCHUL ON THE SECOND DAY OF ROSH HASHANA! (I JUST DIDN'T GO IN).

THE SYNAGOGUE IS A LARGE COMPLEX. YOU CAN BARELY SEE HOW THE GLASS SHIELDS THE OLD YELLOW SCHUL.

PATRIARCH'S POND.

THE PATRIARCH.

SWANS.

SUNRISE FROM OUR APARTMENT ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15.

PARK IM BAUMANA. THIS PARK IS BEING RENOVATED, AS IS THE UNKNOWN CHURCH ACROSS THE WAY. THE CHURCH HAS TREES GROWING OUT OF ITS CUPOLA. 

BEST WISHES

This weekend marks several celebrations we want to honor:

1. L'Shana Tova Tikatevu! Today marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year 5773. May it bring peace and health into each and every home! Celebrate the coming of a sweet new year with apples and honey.

2. Best wishes to Zack and Kerri on Friday's nuptials! May the years flow with love and fun!

3. Happy Birthday to Gigi Turbow who has a very special birthday today! Enjoy your time in South Bend with Leslie and Bill.

4. Michigan and Notre Dame victories! Next weekend, one must fall to the other (unfortunately). Go Blue!

We have much for which we are thankful. It may be a long time until the third Thursday in November, but it is worth noting right now that we are thankful to be happy in Moscow, living in a nice, safe and fun neighborhood. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

We are lucky to be citizens of the United States of America. Despite the issues our country may face, it is still far more preferable than most every other place on the planet.

This was brought home, again, in two very specific ways yesterday.

A. We emerged from the metro station yesterday afternoon to find the station ringed by armed militia. We continued on our way uninterrupted to see a movie, "Grabbers," and down the street we saw at least a dozen large army troop trucks. There was an anti-Putin, pro-democracy demonstration happenng farther away, and out of the trucks jumped militia men. Like the Cossacks from "Dr. Zhivago," these troops were away from the action, but were headed down the streets to begin controlling and herding the crowd. Scary and off putting!

B. We went into a store to buy a simple, lined notebook and a basic two-pocket folder, and we were once again flabbergastd by the prices. What we may pay $2-4 for, the Russians pay at least twice as much. One spiral notebook, without lined paper, cost $25! How Russian families make it remains unfathomable to Andrea and me.

And with that, our thoughts are with the families of all American service men and women deployed domestically and abroad, as well as with the families of the four diplomats who were killed by ignorance and hatred this past week.

KITAY GOROD

[I am posting this blog very late on the afternoon of Friday, September 14. I should be out enjoying the weather and the city before it totally clouds over and starts to rain, but there was work to be done today on the computer, and if I don't keep up with the photos, they become overwhelming.]

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Andrea and I had separate Russian language classes today. She, of course, is getting one-on-one training to help her perfect her speaking and writing skills.

She finished at 12:30, and I finished at 12:40. We met outside and settled on Sbarro’s for lunch. It was a disappointment in both the price paid and the food eaten. Oh well.

I walked her to the Lenin Library on a beautiful early autumn day, and said good-bye to her as I headed across the street and through the Alexander Gardens to visit the Kremlin.

Timing is everything, and I have none. In fact, it’s about time I began to check my guidebooks prior to venturing off; the Kremlin is closed on Thursdays!

But no big deal. I embarked upon on a long afternoon of walking along the Kremlin wall, into Red Square and then through an area literally lined with little churches and interesting historical buildings. There are also quite a few government buildings, many under reconstruction using the overflowing funds from the state gas and oil coffers.

This quaint area is called Kitay Gorod. I followed the guidebook through it before coming out onto Theatre Plaza and back down Mochavaya Street, past the famous State Duma, Hotel Metropol, National Hotel, and probably a bunch of other sites I was too tired to note.

Because it was such a gorgeous day (and based upon the seemingly accurate Weather.com prognostications for Moscow), I decided I would not go into any place, saving those adventures for a later time when the weather may not be so cooperative.

I walked a long way and saw a lot. Here are some photos from a great day in the great city of Moscow.

TRINITY TOWER OF THE KREMLIN FROM THE ALEXANDER GARDEN THAT RINGS THE KREMLIN.

FOUNTAIN IN FRONT OF THE MANEGE. THE MENAGE WAS BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE AN ARMY REGIMENT'S DRILLING OUTSIDE THE KREMLIN AND IS NOW AN EXHIBITION HALL.

WALKING TOWARD THE RESURRECTION GATE. THE KREMLIN IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC ON THURSDAYS.

BUILT INTO THE KREMLIN (KREML MEANS WALL, THUS OUR NAME FOR THE PLACE)  IS A GROTTO, FROM WHENCE THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN.

OBELISK OUTSIDE THE GROTTO COMMEMORATING HEROES OF THE RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY.

LOOKING AT ALONG THE KREMLIN TOWARD THE WALL COMMEMORATING THE CITIES OF WORLD WAR II.

EACH MAJOR CITY HAS A STONE AND STAR, SUCH AS THIS ONE FOR LENINGRAD. IN THE BACKGROUND IS AN ETERNAL FLAME FOR THE SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN THE GREAT PATRIOTIC STRUGGLE. THE FLAME IS GUARDED BY SOLDIERS AT ATTENTION, 24/7.

STATUE OF MARSHAL ZUKOV IN FRONT OF THE  STATE HISTORICAL MUSEUM.

RESURRECTION GATE. THE STATE HISTORICAL MUSEUM IS TO THE RIGHT. THROUGH THE ARCHES IS RED SQUARE. RED SQUARE WAS ESSENTIALLY CLOSED, TOO. CREWS WERE DISASSEMBLING LARGE BLEACHER SEATING AND STAGING, PRESUMABLY FOR SUMMER CONCERTS IN THE SQUARE.

IN RED SQUARE LOOKING BACK AT RESURRECTION GATE. RED SQUARE IS A LARGE OPEN AREA WITH COBBLESTONE STREETS. LENIN'S MAUSOLEUM WAS ALSO CLOSED OFF.

KAZAN CATHEDRAL JUST INSIDE RESURRECTION GATE. FIRST OF MANY CHURCHES I WOULD SEE .

GUM - THE FAMOUS MOSCOW DEPARTMENT STORE. ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF IT, OVERLOOKING RED SQUARE, ARE CHI-CHI, HIGH-PRICED CAFES CATERING TO TOURISTS.

GUM STORE WINDOW. THE MOTIF WAS ITALIAN MOVIES OF THE 1950s AND 60s.

STATE HISTORICAL MUSEUM OVERLOOKING RED SQUARE.

ST. BASIL'S CATHEDRAL. IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN RENOVATED, AND LIKE THE CHURCH OF SPILLED BLOOD IN SPB, IT'S A JEWEL BOX OF A CHURCH SITTING ON THE EDGE OF RED SQUARE.

STATUE IN FRONT OF ST. BASIL'S CATHEDRAL. WHILE I WAS THERE, A BUNCH OF RUSSIAN ELEMENTARY KIDS HAD JUST COME OUT OF THE CHURCH ON A FIELD TRIP AND THEIR TEACHERS WERE LINING THEM UP FOR PHOTOS IN FRONT OF THIS STATUE. A VIDEO CREW WAS ALSO LOADING UP A TRUCK OF EQUIPMENT AFTER HAVING VIDEOTAPED THE CATHEDRAL.

ST. BASIL'S IS VERY PHOTOGENIC. THERE IS JUST NO BAD PHOTO FROM ANY ANGLE OF THE PLACE. IN THE BACKGROUND LOOMS THE KREMLIN CLOCK TOWER.

LOOKING UP AT ST. BASIL'S FROM ITS BACK SIDE.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RED SQUARE IS KITAY GOROD, WHERE RELIGION AND COMMERCE WENT HAND IN HAND GONG AS FAR BACK AS THE 12th CENTURY. THIS IS THE OLD ENGLISH COURT, A DWELLING IVAN THE TERRIBLE BUILT TO ENCOURAGE TRADE (GUNS) WITH THE BRITISH.

BETWEEN RED SQUARE AND THE ENGLISH COURT IS THE CHURCH OF ST. BARBARA.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ENGLISH COURT ALONG VARVARKA STREET IS THE MONASTERY OF THE SIGN. 

AND JUST BEYOND THAT ON VARVARKA IS THE CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE.

SMALLER THAN ST. BASIL'S BUT AS INTERESTING IS THE CHURCH OF THE TRINITY IN NIKITNIKI. IT IS TUCKED INTO A GROVE OF MODERN GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS SURROUNDING IT.

THE RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT.

THE GOSTINY DVOR OF MOSCOW. I VENTURED IN HERE, BUT THERE IS NOT MUCH TO SEE, YET. IT LOOKED AS IF ON THE MAIN FLOOR, THEY WERE TEARING DOWN A TRADE EXHIBIT. THERE WERE ONLY A FEW, HIGH-FALUTIN' SHOPS ON THIS CORNER OF THE MASSIVE STRUCTURE.

THIS PINK BAROQUE GEM IS CALLED THE MONASTERY OF THE EPIPHANY. I HAVE YET TO TAKE MORE THAN A FEW EXTERIOR PHOTOS IN SPB OR MOSCOW IN WHICH SOME KIND OF UTILITY LINE DOES NOT APPEAR.

NIKOLSKAYA STREET. THIS KITAY GOROD STREET IS LINED WITH FANCY BOUTIQUES. SEVERAL FACADES ARE UNDERGOING RECONSTRUCTION. 

THE OLD SYNOD PRINTING HOUSE ALONG NIKOLSKAYA, WHICH DATES BACK TO THE 19th CENTURY. 

TRETYAKOV PALACE SHOPPING ARCADE OFF OF NIKOLSKAYA: TOM FORD, ARMANI, HARRY WINSTON...HAVE SHOPS  IN THIS QUIET COURT CATERING TO MOSCOW'S ELITE.

THE BOLSHOY THEATRE DOMINATES THEATRE SQUARE, A BROAD AND BUSY LOCATION. TICKETS FOR THIS YEAR'S THEATRE SEASON ARE SOLD OUT.

REVOLUTION PLACE: CARLO MARX URGING THE PROLETARIAT TO RISE UP. KREMLIN IN BACKGROUND.

THE STATE DUMA BUILDING. SITE OF A LOT OF ACTION BACK IN 1990.

MOSCOW OLD UNIVERSITY AND A STATUE OF MY OLD PAL, MIKE LOMONOSOV, WHO FOUNDED THE PLACE IN 1755.

THIS IS WHERE ANDREA LIVES DURING THE DAY - THE LENIN LIBRARY.