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June 1998 - Moscow, Russia
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  Approaching Moscow on the Moscow-Volga canal, built in the '30s by Stalin to give Moscow a deep sea port Approaching Moscow The tall buildings on the far bank are suburban apartment buildings
OK, let's get this out of the way: Red Square and St. Basil's Cathedral! Red Square Red Square Red Square
Viewed from Red Square, this is the Kremlin, the walls and one of the towers on the left, the Russian Senate building with its dome showing over the wall, Lenin's tomb in the middle, the Russian Historical Museum at the right. Kremlin  
Inside the enormous galleria on Red Square, known as GUM (russian acronym for Government Universal Store) -- it is directly across Red Square from Lenin's tomb. GUM Entering Red Square through the Iberian Gate, rebuilt recently after being demolished by Stalin so that tanks and missiles could parade through Red Square, you can see St. Basil's through the archway. Iberian Gate
Within the Kremlin walls, a striking sight is this 16th century cannon, cast for Tsar Fyodor, the feeble-minded son of Ivan the Terrible. It has never been fired -- the cannon balls were too heavy to lift into the muzzle! Cannon in Kremlin The Church of Christ the Redeemer is behind me. Church of Christ the Redeemer
Moscow's Metro is fast, efficient, and some of its major stations are astonishingly beautiful, with marble, frescoes, statues, etc. Train headways are under 3 minutes, and at rush hour on some lines, only 60 seconds!.
(Thanks to Audrey & Des Smale for these photos.)		 Moscow Metro Moscow Metro
The Bolshoi Theater. Bolshoi Theater Novodevichy Convent, a favorite spot for Tchaikovsky, who is said to have been inspired to compose Swan Lake by the serenity of this lake. Iberian Gate
 
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