Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts

WW: Bits and Pieces from Moscow, Russia

Some colorful snapshots from Moscow, Russia

Spring is still in the air..

Although my time in Moscow was super limited, but I tried to capture the beauty of it.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.














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What to See in Red Square, Moscow, Russia

Welcome to Moscow
You probably remember my previous post about my visit, first time ever, to Moscow, the capital city of the Russian federation. 

Read: Hello Moscow, I am Coming.

As I said, it was a very memorable trip and definitely exciting. I only spent less than 3 days, packed with meetings, but surely we managed to see the famous landmark of Moscow, the Red Square.

Everyone in Red Square literally took picture of this!

Red Square has been famous for being the heart of Moscow.

Being number one tourists’ destination in Moscow, here lies several historical buildings and important, unique spots deemed tourists’ attractions as well as architecture gems. Perhaps one of the most striking one is St, Basil's Cathedral.
You know, the cathedral with super unique dome with intricate details and vivid colors it looks surreal. At the same spot, we can enjoy many museum, the Tsar's tower, Lenin's Mausoleum and more.

Before coming here, I read some reviews about what we can do for one day in Moscow. Most of them, if not all, recommend visiting the Red Square. 

Well, my Russian colleagues complained why I only had one extra day in Moscow with so many places to see. Not that I didn’t want to but more works are waiting in Jakarta so that my team and I had to go home to Jakarta right away. Nevertheless, I feel grateful for having a little break and getting to see the best the city can offer.


So there I was.. standing in the middle of Red Square.

The one-and-only Red Square.




I felt beyond happy and about to cry at the same time.

This is just like a dream-come-true destination for me.
I remember meticulously preparing the trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg with my petite family,, the Frakarsas, back in 2009 when we regretfully cancelled it after a series of  bombing incidents happened in the city’s subway. Bo, our son, was only 3 and we couldn’t risk traveling to places like this. Ten years after, my Rabb answered my prayers and I finally visited Moscow for the first time ever. Alhamdulillah.. merci my Rabb ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป.

So flying through Istanbul, we arrived in Moskow on Tuesday afternoon. Heading straight to the Ambassador’s  office and having the courtesy call, we had dinner at a place call.. I forgot :). Before dinner, we stopped by the Zaryadne Park, near the Moskva River to see the St. Basil's Cathedral from outside.


Cheers...
The following day we had full bilateral meeting, with wonderful lunch served at the mansion of the MoFA. It was a very productive meeting and certainly many follow ups we need to do afterwards. All in all, it was a successful meeting and both parties enjoyed the process as well as the result.



Once we were done with the meeting, we directly went to the Red Square.

Good thing it was summer, so we had long days.
Arriving at the Red Square at around 5 PM, we were directly walking towards the heart of it. Starting from the Museum of Archeology of Moscow, we admired the architecture designs of the building. 


Striking red..

where to go first?


Even the gate to the Red Square is amazing!
I was actually trying to get more detailed information about the gate but I wasn't very successful here. Perhaps I should learn Russian to make it easier!

At the gate of the Red Square, with the team.



Striking red brick seems to be the trade mark, as the State Historical Museum is also standing across the street. Too bad we didn't  have time to enter this place but I made a mental note that I have to be back here and definitely explore the museums.

The side of the Museum of archeology of Moscow

As we stepped into the Red Square, we were again wowed by the vastness of the area, surrounded but beautiful and historical buildings. One of them is the Kazan Cathedral. Ornate with pink and white bricks, the church looks glorious with its golden domes and intricate details. I was tempted to go inside and see more glorious settings but I knew I had no time :(. 

The Kazan Chatedral in Pink and White


At the same spot, we have the oldest shopping center in Moscow, GUM Department StoreTo me, it looks more like palace instead of the shopping mall. It is very artistic and the good thing is, the good being sold are tax free. Please correct me if I'm wrong but that's what I read in one of the signs.



Here you can find all those branded stores like Dior, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and more, as well as the most delicious ice cream in the city.
Oh, and there is a fountain in the middle of the Mall that looks cute.
When we were there, it was packed with watermelon and cantaloups. Perfect fruits for summer in Moscow.


GUM Department Store
I was coughing badly yet I enjoyed one scoop of chocolate ice cream.
It was delicious and only costed me 100 Rubel, or Rp 22.000,- or less than 2 USD! Very, very cheap, right. Even cheaper than Jakarta.


My yummy ice cream
After strolling around GUM Department Store, we went out to walk towards the St. Basil's Cathedral. There was a festival of military band at the are so it was packed with people and members of the band who were practising. We had to pay the ticket to see the performance but then again we had no extra time. Too bad the front part of the St. Basil's Cathedral and the Tsar Tower were closed with the tents for this festival.

Perfect summer day!
Yet, we saw many stalls and vendors selling traditional handicrafts like various kinds of Matryoshka, Russian chocolate and candy, ushanka or the Russian hats, and more. I just love to see them all!

Don't you just love them!
And, as the final stop, we once again took pictures of St. Basil's Chatedral.
I have to say I can't get enough of it!

The colourful domes are like magnet to me!

Mini - me loves this place, too :)
Again, here's the video of me welcoming myself to Moscow and get more shots from the airport to the city of Moscow! More videos are coming and wish me luck with the editing.




That's what I had on my first visit to the Red Square, Moscow, Russia and its charms and will definitely be back with more story about the subway in Moscow and the ones that we tried!


Stick round and see you on the next adventure!



Hello Moscow, I am Coming

Welcome to Moscow, Russia

The sky was blue.
You can see high-rise buildings and didn’t see it I’m honestly super sad eyes underground. We are here we are in Moscow. I smile as I recorded moments before we landed in Alaska from the capital city of Russian Federation.
One of my dreams comes through.

***

“We will be meeting with the Ministries on August 21st and be leaving the country on the 22nd evening. So, let’s get everything ready and keep in touch with the Embassy in Moscow.”
We just finished our regular meeting gearing up to all the activities and events scheduled for our office. I was beyond excited when I found out that I would visit Moscow, the Capital city of the Russian Federation. Although it's going to be an official working visit for two days, but I know I will at least be able to see the famous Red Square and Kremlin, and complete my collection of Matryoshka.


The famous Matryoskha
I remember almost 9 years ago, back in 2010, when we were about to visit this magnificent city. Known as one of the most beautiful capitals, Moscow has long been captivating our hearts for its beauty, history and more. We planned our journey meticulously in Geneve when suddenly we heard the news that bombs exploded in Moscow's famous subways. We cancelled the visit as we had young kids traveling with us. Since then, I haven't got a chance to visit or even plan to visit the city again. Now, in 2019, my dream comes true! This visit is truly like an answered prayer. 





We flew from Jakarta through Istanbul and reached Moscow the following day at 2 PM.
The weather was beautiful and it's just a lovely summer where people can comfortably go out just wearing t-shirt, short and sandals. Perfect for me as I don't have to bring too many jackets and stuff. 



As we landed in Vnukovo International Arport, I know the adventures start.



Anyway, what do you have in mind when you hear Moscow or Russia?
Tsar? KGB? Red Square? Kremlin? Putin? Borsch? 
Or all of them?

In my case, it's all of them!
As I have mentioned above, we were so ready to visit and explore Moscow before so I have spent sometimes reading and understanding the enigma and the rich history of this country. Moreover, while I was in New York City, one of my very best friends, Andre, was raised in Moscow and speaks Russians fluently. So we used to spend times in Veselka, the famous Russian - Ukrainian 24-hour cafe in Hell's Kitchen that becomes super famous after being one of the scenes for Ocean 12 (Go check it out!).

A view in Red Square

Come and watch my YouTube video welcoming myself to the heart of this iconic city.






Wait for more details and stories here as I'm coming back with more.



Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World, Oh My Heartsie Girls and Friends

Welcome to Moscow, Russian Federation

Cheers from Moscow, Russian Federation!

As I have probably mentioned to you before, I am heading to Moscow, the capital city of the Russian Federation for series of meetings and dialogues with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
I have to say I am super excited as this will be my first time to visit this iconic city!

Our Embassy in Moscow, Russian Federation
So many plans I have in mind but obviously I will go with the flow as I'm here for work.I sincerely hope I will get to see the landmarks that make Moscow famous worldwide.

As I landed in Vnukovo International Airport, I practically enjoy the vastness and unique ambience of the city. You can tell I am beyond excited!

So, before I share more, let's join the weekly party we have here with My Purple World, Oh My Heartsie Girls and Friends.


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