Red Square & Moscow Metro

#Red_Square_Moscow_Metro

As i enter this city of 13 million residents i get the vibe of Manhattan with its modern buildings, skyline and Gorky Park (which is much larger than Central Park) as in any given day there could be 100,000 people on its grounds
You can "smell" the wealth here as actually there are more billionaires (84) than again New York (62) 
but i am in Moscow for the history, as i make my way to Red Square

St Basil 
A) Ivan the Terrible and its Rumor; he was so awestruck by the architects work of this cathedral that he blinded them, so they could never replicate its beauty anywhere else
Not True thankfully
B) Demolish; in the 1930s Joseph Stalin planned to tear it down as it obstructed his military parades (this is a reoccurring theme as you will read) 
It was only spared when the architect Pyotr Baranovsky threatened to take his own life,
 then the plans changed
C) Originally White; the famous candy colored onion domes were only added in the 17th century after those descriptions were read in the Book of Revelations 

 

Inside the Walls 
A) Foundation; underneath the square there is a hidden 3 meter (9 feet) layer of limestone
B) Luxury Shopping; yes a retail mall (GUM ....pronounced Goom) which opened in 1893 and is famous for its 60,000 individual glass panes, its meticulously restored historical marble bathrooms (for a fee that you to use 😅) plus its period correct creamy
 waffle ice cream cones
C) Winter Fun; a large section of the historic cobblestone is flooded to build an
 open air ice skating rink

The Cathedral
It is a cluster of eleven distinct chapels built onto one shared foundation
and now functions as a museum.
Visitors can explore the labyrinthine interior of its narrow corridors and winding staircases which i found very interesting
But please remember there is no flash photography or the use of tripods plus if there is an exhibition on there is zero picture taking, as unfortunately i found out  

Kazan Cathedral
I discovered that this is a total replica ( rebuilt in the 1990s) as the original was torn down by the Soviet Government in the 1930s just to clear space for their heavy military tanks for its use in parades
Also the Resurrection Gates (north entry point) had to be done over for the very same
vanity indoctrination event 

Red in Embarrassment
In 1987 a eighteen year old West German amateur pilot Mathias Rust departed from Helsinki Finland and flew over 800 kilometers (500 miles) of Soviet airspace undetected by keeping at a low altitude. This is known as nap-of-the-earth and it works by utilizing the earths curvature plus physical terrain that blocks the radars line of sight
Unable to land directly inside Red Square because of the usual large crowds, he touched down on the nearby Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge and then taxied into the square

For Peace
He did this flight to promote unity with west-east relations, which in turn allowed Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev an opportunity to purge hardline military officials (using the excuse) that it proved their defenses where not as unbreachable as they boasted about
Very handy timing for Gorbachev, as these Generals also opposed his perestroika and glasnost reforms

The Aftermath
After signing a few autographs Rust was arrested and convicted of violating international flight rules, plus illegally crossing the border
He served 14 months of a four year sentence before being pardoned

Today
Lives in Berlin, works as a financial analyst, yoga instructor and
a professional poker player

Concerts at Red Square

Paul McCartney
A full circle moment, as for decades the Beatles music was restricted and discouraged by the Soviet Government as they deemed it "propaganda of an alien ideology"

Fun Facts
1) He played Back in the USSR twice as Vladimir Putin arrived one hour late, just to make sure the Russian President heard the signature song of his people
2) Former Premier Mikhail Gorbachev hung out backstage to chat with Sir Paul and gave him a signed copy of his latest book
3) After the concert McCartney and team rented bicycles to ride around the square, stopped by a local security guard yelling "Niet" and told them that its forbidden because of the sacred brickwork, but quickly added Great Show Last Night

Scorpions
They are considered the Cold War Ambassadors for having played the famous Moscow Music Peace Festival (1989) which inspired the anthem hit song "Wind of Change" 
They returned to play inside Red Square (2003) with the Presidential Orchestra of the Russian Federation for an epic show

Pink Floyd
The band collective never played inside the square but had five sold out shows at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium (1989) as the Soviet fans were only able to listen via underground or bootleg recordings, hence the large numbers attending
But Roger Waters returned solo (2006) to perform at Red Square to create the signature
 quadraphonic sound 

All of this proves to me once again you CANNOT suppress your citizens as its an unsustainable strategy as we humans need to be stimulated, so in this case with music   

The Outer Walls
It was named for its beauty and not for the color of the brick or communism
In Old Russian the word "krasnaya" it meant both red and beautiful, so the name was used to highlight the charm of the plaza

Interesting Things
A) Not a Square; geometrically it is a rectangle with an area of 800,000 sq feet
B) Hidden Defense; until the year 1812 a massive moat separated the square from the Kremlin walls which was paved over after the Napoleonic Wars
C) Zero Marker; near the Resurrection Gates is a bronze marker that denotes the starting point of all Federal Highways in Russia, which visitors can stand on to make a wish

Grand Kremlin Palace
The building serves as the official working residence of the president of the Russian Federation
I felt fortunate to get this close for a photo as its a highly secure government facility so is strictly off limits to any tourists
So my guide told me that actually no one lives in the 700 room building and is used for just official events, treaty signings and diplomatic handshakes

Entrance to the Metro
Using light reflection as a creative use of photography

Moscow Metro
It is known locally as the "Palace of the People" because of its architecture, chandeliers
 and museum grade artwork

 Massive Transit Network
It has a total route length of 535 kilometers (332 miles) with 304 stations which makes it the longest metro system in Europe with only China with a greater distance

Some Highlights
A) Subterranean Greenery; one stop has unique pyramid shaped glass terrariums built along the platforms to house live plants
B) Built on a River; another station is the only one in the world built directly on a bridge spanning a river that is 284 meters (931 feet) long 
C) Deepest; it has the longest escalator (126 meters - 413 feet) to reach your boarding area at 84 meters (275 feet) underground which is the equivalent of a 28 story building
D) Physics; the tunnels are intentionally designed with a slight incline before the stops and slopes immediately after them.
This uses gravity to assist the trains with its braking and acceleration 

Prehistoric Fossils
Many of the stations are lined with natural marble and limestone that may contain millions of year old marine fossils that include perfectly sliced ammonites, nautiluses and ancient corals

Wartime Secrets
A) Nuclear Shelters; many of the stations were built to double as fallout areas with massive hermetic blast doors hidden at the base of the escalators
B) Underground City; during the Second World War over 500,000 citizens sheltered in the Metro
 There were outfitted with fully functional libraries, hair salons, shops and the trains were
used as sleeping quarters
C) Another Subway; rumor had that Stalin had built a deeper parallel network to connect the Kremlin directly to government bunkers and strategic airports 
In 1991 a western intelligence report acknowledged underground structures and connections designed to allow political leadership to evacuate safely 

Hard Rock Cafe
Well if anyone knows my history you now if there is one, i will find it
But after my meal and going to the gift shop i was told they had zero in stock but would mail it to me
After eighteen months i was giving up hope, but then it arrived 😀

Drawing
I sketched as much as i could during my full day here, but you had the feeling of being watched, so did not want to push my luck
Finished the rest by memory with my time in Red Square