Russia 2019 (21) MOSCOW - Moscow by Daylight

As we continued around the city, we saw the entrance to Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure. It was founded 91 years ago and follows the Constuctivist style. In 2010 the park went through a major transformation moving toward being more eco-friendly. Its 300-acres run alongside the Moscow River. It is filled with extensive gardens and a 2-deck carousel. The park is free for all to enjoy.

The Red October Confectionery Factory, established 1851. The development has gone through several iterations and currently hosts art galleries and designer studios. It is known as Moscow's answer to New York's Tribeca.

The Bolshoi Theatre of Ballet and Opera was open on Tzar Alexander II's coronation day 20 October 1856, although the ballet company itself was established much earlier in 1776. It went through a major reconstruction in 2005-2011, which reinstated some of its historic features.

We whisked by the cold war Secret Service building, not used for that purpose these days.

Belorusski Train Station (green building), one of nine railway terminals in Moscow. It was opened in 1870 and reconstructed in current glory in 1912.

Can't identify this one, but one of the most beautiful buildings we saw.

A tour highlight was the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, built in honor of those that died in the Patriotic War of 1812. Unlike Saint Basil's, this is a working church with a capacity of 1,000+. It has an interesting history. The original structure took 40 years to build and was completed in 1879. In 1883, the world premier of the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky was held in the church.

During the atheist Soviet era of the early 1900s, the structure was destroyed with explosives. Stalin planned to build the world tallest skyscraper on the property, but his plan never came to fruition. In 1958, Nikita Khrushchev ordered the world's largest open air swimming pool to be built at the location. It had accommodated 10,000 people at a time, had hot water and was opened year round. The Moskva Pool remained open until 1994. Impressive photo at:
https://russiable.com/cathedral-christ-saviour-moscow/

By 1995 public support, including that of Yuri Gagarin, rallied for reconstruction of the church. It was built from scratch in the exact style of the original edifice. With completion in 2000, it is the seat of the church and the largest Russian Orthodox Church in the world. Currently, in Moscow alone there are over 300 Russian Orthodox churches.

Surrounding grounds are lovely.

As we continued the tour, we noticed details of art and honors throughout the city.

 

Last in this entry is the Peter the Great statue which stands along the Moscow River. It is 98 meters (321 feet) (8th tallest statue in the world), intricate, and beautiful. It was commissioned to honor 300 years of the Russian Navy founded by PtG, but it is also controversial. There is a "tug-of-war" between Moscovites and Saint Petersburgers (?), so locals are unhappy that this personality has taken such a prominent place in their city.