Moscow, Part 2

Greg left for Moscow (part 2 of his New Leaders Training) on Wednesday, January 30th.  Pictures of his trip are below.  But first, here are a few things we did while he was away for 12 days (but who's counting?).

Ben's Spanish kindergarten class and the French immersion kindergarten class had a "Friendship Assembly" on Thursday, January 31st.  They sang one song in Spanish (Barney's I Love You anthem), one song in French, and then two friend songs in English.  Such a sweet morning!  They started the assembly off with a singing of the national anthem...O Canada.  Thank heavens it was printed on the gymnasium wall so I could pretend to be a true Canuck and sing along!

On February 6th, Ben's school participated in Winter Walk Day 2013.  This is a province-wide initiative to get Albertans up and moving during the winter months, so it was not just for students, but adults alike.  Parents and siblings were invited to join in the fun, and so Nathalie and I enjoyed the brisk walk with our big guy.  He held on to Nathalie's hand most of the walk (which was too cute), but of course once I pulled out the camera, no such luck.  I was able to catch a pic of Ben and his buddy, Reid.

The weather was so pleasant over the weekend, we decided to head out and explore Edworthy Park.  I was so pleased to find the park was just a short 5 minute drive from our house!  Edworthy Park was developed by the city in 1962 and sits along the Bow River.  It was such a gorgeous day to enjoy the view, the snow, and the playground.  We are sure to be back...can't wait to bring Daddy!

Back to Moscow...on Sunday, February 3rd, the group was taken on a tour of the city before the busy week started on Monday.  Naturally, it was a cold, snowy day...how else would one expect to see Moscow in February?  :)  The tour guide was fantastic, and Greg got a chance to see so many great sights.

First stop was the Kremlin.  The Kremlin is home to the Russian president and the seat of his administration.  As a result, less than half of it is accessible to the public.  That's where the tour guide came in handy, gaining them access to the square and some of it's highlights.  Below is the Trinity Tower.  The name comes from Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius, which once had a mission nearby.  Trinity Tower is the tallest in the Kremlin, seven stories high.  This tower used to be the entrance for patriarchs and the tsars' wives and daughters.  Today, it is one of two gates that admit visitors. 

Here is the Presidential Administration.  This building was originally used as a training school for Red Army officers; today it is home to part of the (you guessed it) Russian presidential administration. 

Still inside the Kremlin, the Church of the Twelve Apostles.  This five-domed church and the Patriarch's Palace form a single structure, housing a museum with a huge collection of period furniture, utensils, 300 year old fabrics, and religious artifacts.
 

The Tsar Cannon, cast in 1586, weighs a massive 40 tons!

Cathedral of the Assumption, so magnificent!  The tour group was able to go inside, but no pictures allowed.  From the early 14th century, the Cathedral was the most important church in Moscow.  Grand princes and tsars were crowned here, heads of church were chosen and enthroned here, solemn prayers were held here before military campaigns and in honor of Russian victories, and patriarchs of the Orthodox Church were buried here.  The interior of the church was very different than those churches that we visited in Europe...there are no pews or seating in the Cathedral of the Assumption, and the walls are covered in paintings.  The icons in these paintings are used for worship and teaching and the Orthodox church has strict rules for creating each image.  Greg also toured the State Armoury and saw the wealth accumulated by Russian princes and tsars over many centuries...carriages, crowns, thrones, Faberge eggs, and much more.

Cathedral of the Archangel, the last of the great churches in the Kremlin to be built.  This site was originally the burial place for Moscow's princes and tsars from 1340.  They were no longer buried here after the capital city was moved to St. Petersburg in 1712.

Ivan the Great Bell Tower was built from 1505 through 1508.  Outside the bell tower is the enormous Tsar Bell.  The largest in the world, it weighs over 200 tons.  When it fell from the bell tower and shattered in a fire in 1701, the fragments were used in a second bell ordered by Tsarina Anna.  This bell still lay in its casting pit when the Kremlin caught fire again in 1737.  Cold water was poured over the hot bell and a large piece (displayed beside the bell) broke off.

Cathedral of the Annunciation.  Unlike the other Kremlin cathedrals, which were created by Italians, this cathedral is completely Russian. 

The Senate Tower, in the outer wall of the Kremlin.  The Senate building behind was completed in 1790.  Today, the Senate is the official seat of the president of the Russian Federation.

On the way towards Red Square, the group passed by a series of tombstones.  This one commemorates the St. Petersburg battle from World War II and was decorated to honor the anniversary of that battle.

Walking in to Red Square is the Resurrection Gate.  The current gate was built in 1995, after the first gate (built in 1680) was demolished in 1931.  There are mosaic icons on the gate, and within the gateway is the Chapel of the Iverian Virgin.  Whenever the tsar came to Moscow, he would visit this shrine before entering the Kremlin. 

The Historical Museum in Red Square was founded in 1896 and is housed in this 19th century church of St. John the Divine Under the Elm.  Only a fraction of the one million items in the collection can be displayed at any time...items such as jewelry, pottery, toys, Iron and Bronze Age artifacts, rare maps and books, paintings, etc.

Saviour's Tower rises above Red Square at a height of 230 feet and is no longer open to the public, although it used to be the Kremlin's main entrance.  The chimes of the clock play the Russian National Anthem. 

GUM is Russia's largest shopping center and is quite a sight itself with it's glass-roofed interior.  Long ago, there were more than 1,000 shops selling goods ranging from furs to silks to candles.  Now, it is a high-end shopping center with Gucci, Christian Dior, etc.  Greg didn't do much shopping inside, although there was a cute little market outside where he found some Matryoshka dolls to bring home as souvenirs.  Greg enjoyed lunch in the GUM, traditional "canteen" style food.

Last, but not least, here's a daylight photo of St. Basil's Cathedral.  Greg had previously been out and about at night, but was able to see the Cathedral this time during the day.  Although, he's still hoping at some point for a photo with maybe some blue skies and sunshine behind the Cathedral??  :) 

Greg made it home on February 10th and will travel back again on Good Friday, March 29th.  We are sad he will miss celebrating Easter with us, but he does get to travel to Siberia at the end of that trip.  Yes, I said Siberia.  Who can say they've been to Siberia??  Crazy guy.