Russia Trip Report, Twenty-Four Hours 8: Novodevichy Monastery, Moscow

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Russia Trip Report, Twenty-Four Hours 8: Novodevichy Monastery, Moscow

August 3, Friday, 2012

SAPSAN RIDE BAACK TO MOSCOW:

Collected the ample breakfast from our hotel Roses at 5.30 AM as well as walked to the Moskva station. As nosotros were entering the station, a safety guard stopped us as well as asked for our passport/visa (he maintained a polite distance as well as asked inward a courteous voice). We were surprised at this asking so early on inward the morn –6am-- in that location were three immature men amongst huge backpacks who had been stopped every bit good as well as were standing around. . . Our passport was easily accessible every bit I had it handy for Sapsan verification (we had carried roughly alone a photocopy on other days)—the guard waved us on at the sight of our documents.

We caught the 6.45 AM Sapsan without whatever farther incidents. Our seats did non direct hold the huge windows this time(seat nos 27, 28 straight off versus seats 3, 4 inward coach no 4 on the previous journey)—we noticed that the seats that human face upwards each other roughly the tabular array direct hold hardly whatever leg infinite as well as people were sitting cramped, witting their genu should non knock into the mortal sitting opposite.

When nosotros booked online, nosotros could non direct seats—probably missed a step. So in all likelihood some enquiry is needed to larn preferable seats. We had our breakfast as well as dozed off till nosotros reached Leningradsky inward 4 hours flat.

I did non fancy lugging my purse through the key tube delineate of piece of employment to attain our Moscow hotel Katerina nigh Paveletskaya. I had non done whatever enquiry on taking a taxi from the railway station, so nosotros rang upwards our Moscow hotel from Petersburg the previous eve as well as accepted their offering of 900 rubles cash for sending us a cab to come across the Sapsan. As nosotros got downward from the Sapsan, in that location were uniformed drivers asset plaque TAXI correct at the platform, looking for passengers. Don’t know what rates they may direct hold quoted. We looked for our cab as well as constitute him asset our cite as well as got to the hotel after a curt crusade of 6km. The driver asked for thou rubles maxim 100 ruble was for parking as well as nosotros paid up. When nosotros entered the hotel, the daughter at the reception was a picayune miffed that nosotros had paid the driver ourselves as well as she was running to the entrance to come across the driver who had left past times then. We were certain in that location had been a big markup as well as hefty committee involved but could non assist less every bit nosotros merely wanted to current of air upwards our stay

We checked into our room early on past times 11.30, repacked bags so that I was ready to larn out for New Delhi by the 7.30 PM flying from SVO spell boy left the adjacent morn for Houston past times 10.30 AM flying from DME. Both of us had our provide aeroexpress ticket nosotros had bought for 590 rubles.

Novodevichy monastery, Moscow:

We walked to the key delineate of piece of employment as well as traveled to Park kul’tury as well as changed to the ruby-red line. Got downward at Sportivnaya as well as walked the familiar three blocks as well as reached Novodevichy Monastyr (New Maidens' Convent).

Located nigh the Moskva River, this peaceful retreat includes a spectacular 16th-century convent as well as a cemetery where writers, poets, politicians as well as world figures are buried. We had been to the cemetery on our previous visit, so visited all the chapels hither this time.

Founded inward 1524, the Convent contains the Sobor Smolensk Bogomateri (Cathedral of the Virgin of Smolensk), amongst its golden onion domes as well as tiered bell tower dating from 1690.

The cathedral features 16th-century frescoes, every bit good every bit magnificent 17th-century iconostasis. The ruby-red as well as white Church of the Assumption as well as the neighboring refectory, the soaring bell-tower as well as the northward as well as S gate churches, are from the afterwards period. All display Moscow Baroque means as well as the interiors are lovely.

The convent was a house of exile for noblewomen inward mourning or disfavor--powerful Regent Sophia, Peter the Great's half-sister, who did much to rebuild the convent inward the 1680's was confined hither after a revolt inward back upwards of her inward 1698!

The Convent's master business office was every bit i of the band of fortresses that guarded the outskirts of the medieval metropolis as well as it was positioned strategically to protect the primary southern access route to the metropolis at the betoken where it crossed the Moskva.

Novodevichy managed to conditions French regular army siege every bit good as well as has remained intact making it i of the best preserved historical complexes inward Moscow. (Napoleon’s regular army had captured Moscow as well as put seige on it... however, the French regular army could non withstand the harsh Russian wintertime as well as the constant guerrilla warfare past times the locals... they had to retreat...The retreating regular army was leaving a trail of destruction behind past times setting burn downward every bit they left a place. They had put bombs at this convent complex as well as ignited them... but the nuns managed to extinguish the fuses on casks of gunpowder past times throwing H2O as well as therefore saved the convent!!)

We bought the tickets as well as paid the pocket-sized fee for the photographic goggle box camera also.

There was a marriage ceremony amongst soulful music at the primary chapel as well as nosotros felt privileged to stand upwards unobtrusively as well as witness it for some ten minutes.

There was a squeamish exhibition every bit good as well as nosotros were almost the alone people walking through the several chapels admiring the frescoes--it was a thoroughly plumbing equipment halt to our Moscow trip

There had been many misses on this trip every bit nosotros could non schedule fourth dimension for the lovely fine art museums. Our logic was to give priority to Typical Russian architecture every bit nosotros direct hold been to some slap-up global fine art museums. No regrets…we had a soul enriching sense at all the places nosotros visited as well as savored every moment.

On our enquiry earlier the trip, nosotros had come upwards across some comments which had created a few misgivings. (There had fifty-fifty been a poll which declared Russians the most unfriendly people as well as quite a few stories nigh the militia). Our sense was totally positive as well as nosotros could non direct hold asked for a amend holiday. .

We promise to provide some twenty-four lx minutes menstruation to this lovely province amongst its rich culture, slap-up history, AWESOME palaces, museums as well as best of all, warm people nosotros met from all walks of life!

The adjacent post service is the get-go of the study on our opor-garai inward beautiful Brazil:
http://www.kris-sapiutri.blogspot.com/search?q=brazil-trip-report-day-1-rio-de-janeiro