Weather: -2 degrees, not freezing!! You probably already noticed the colour of the sky on the last posts' pictures... It's really really grey and it seems like there is a massive and low cloud on the city... All the time... This day was the worst I've had!
Au planning aujourd'hui, visite du Kremlin et balade sur la Place Rouge :)
Today, Romain and I planned to go around Red Square and to visit the Kremlin!
En route vers le metro:
On the way to the metro:
Juste a cote de la station pres de l'hotel:
Between the hotel and the metro station:
Okhotny Ryad Station:
Une station proche de la Place Rouge
One of the closest station from Red Square
Hotel Moskva:
Cet hotel a une histoire assez originale...
Il a ete contruit entre 1932 et 1938, inaugure en 1935 et detruit en 2004. Le meme hotel, au meme endroit, avec les memes caracteristiques architecturales est en cours de construction. Il inclura cependant des facilites necessaires aujourd'hui et inutiles dans les annees 30 (parking, etc).
Il offre une facade asymetrique : deux projets differents avaient ete proposes sur une meme feuille a Staline et celui-ci avait signe le document sans preciser lequel il preferait. Par crainte, le batiment a ete construit en reprenant la moitié de chaque projet.
This hotel has a bit of a funny story....
It was originally constructed from 1932 until 1938 and opened in 1935. The old hotel was demolished in 2004 for a modern reproduction (still being built) with new features not necessary in the 1930s.
The old hotel was notable for its use of two different designs for the wings off of the central structure. The most popular explanation is that two different designs had been submitted for the wings of the building, with the intention that Stalin would select one of the designs when he authorized the plans. He signed off the blueprints, failing to take note of the two choices. This confused the builders, and afraid to make the bold move of informing Stalin that he had failed to select a design, they simply constructed one wing of each on either side of the building. One design included large windows and a more ornate facade, while the other maintained smaller windows and the simpler details of the rest of the hotel's facade.
Entree de la Place Rouge:
Red Square Entrance:
Kazan Cathedral:
En fin d'apres midi, nous avons eu la chance d'assister a une messe a l'interieur.
At the end of the day we had the chance to go back inside to see a mess.
La Place Rouge:
Red Square:
La patinoire, St Basil's Cathedral, le Kremlin et le tombeau de Lenine.
Skating rink, St Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin and Lenin's tomb.
The Kremlin:
Tombeau du soldat inconnu:
Tomb of the Unknow Solider:
The Poteshny Palace:
Entree:Entrance:
The Arsenal:
The Poteshny Palace:
Marie au Kremlin!
The Assumption Cathedral:(1475-1479)
Cette cathedrale etait le principal lieu de culte, c'est la que les Tsars et empereurs russes etaient couronnes.
It was the country's central place of worship, where the Russian Tsars and Emperors were crowned.
The Archangel's Cathedral:(1508-1508)
Lieu de sepulture pour les princes et tsars.
It was the burial place of the Great Princes, local Princes and Tsars.
The Verkhospassky Cathedral:
The Church of Laying Our Lady's Holy Robe:(1484-1485)
Construite en tant qu'eglise des Metropolitains et Patriarches.
It was built as the home church of Moscow Metropolitans and Patriarchs.
The Verkhospassky Cathedral:
The Annunciation Cathedral:(1484-1489)
Contruite pour les princes de Moscou et les tsars russes.
Built as a home church of the Great Moscow Princes and Russian Tsars.
The Annunciation Tower:
The Grand Kremlin Palace:
The Armoury Chamber:L'armurerie est desormais transformee en musee. J'ai pu y voir des oeufs de faberge, des plats, assiettes etc, carrosses, armes, tout un tas de choses!
The Armoury is now a museum. I saw all kind of stuff there; old dishes and plates, weapons, old coaches, etc. The Ivan and the Great Bell Tower:
The Patriarch's Palace and the Twelve Apostles' Church:(1653-1655s)
The Tsar Bell: (1733-1735)
Cette cloche fait 6 metres de haut, 6.5 metres de diametre et pese 200 tonnes... C'est la plus grosse cloche du monde, impressionnant... Sauf que la cloche a ete cassee lors d'un incendie: un eclat de 11 tonnes s'en est detache. Elle etait alors encore dans sa fosse de coulage, et c'est le choc thermique entre le feu et l'eau d'extinction qui a ete fatal.
It is 6 meters high, 6.5 metres in diameter and weighs 200 tons.
The bell was never rung — during a fire, a huge slab (11.5 tons) cracked off while it was still in the casting pit.
The Tsar Cannon:(1586)
5 metres de long et 40 tonnes.
5 metres long and 40 tons.
La Place Rouge:
Red Square:
GUM:
A l'interieur de GUM, le centre commercial de la Place Rouge.
Inside of GUM, the shopping centre on Red Square.
Patinoire:
Skating rink:
Tentative d'aller a la patinoire de la Place Rouge mais nous n'avons pas eu le temps parce que nous avions rendez vous le soir avec Andre dans un club/resto .
We wanted to go skating but we didn't have the time as we had to meet Andre in a club/restaurant later on.
Taganskaya Station:
Night out:
Nous avions donc rendez vous avec Andre et sa femme dans le club a 20h. Il nous a bien explique qu'il fallait qu'on soit a l'heure et tout parce qu'il y avait un concert. C'etait sympa, on a eu une super table, mais a 21h on avait un peu faim avec Romain et Andre n'etait toujours pas la. Du coup, Romain nous a commande une entree a partager.... qui s'est averee etre un dessert comme vous pouvez le voir sur la photo.... Andre est arrive vers 22h30.... Soiree sympa :)
Andre told us to meet him at the club at 8pm and he insisted on the fact that we had to be on time as there was a concert and he booked a table. We got there on time and got an awesome table in a little private area. At 9pm we were enjoying the music, starving and waiting for Andre! Romain ordered a starter to share, using his Russian knowledge... That's the desert you can see on the picture ;p Andre showed up at like 10:30! We had a really cool night though :)
