Russia Trip Report, Solar Daytime 3: Armory, Diamond Fund, Christ The Savior Cathedral

DAY 3. July 29, 2012, Sunday

Our computer programme for this sun had been to learn to Sergiev Posad—some seventy km due north due east of Moscow equally the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is said to live i of the loveliest inward Russia.

Suburban Trains (electrichki) leave of absence every thirty minutes from Yaroslavsky station as well as it’s 1 ½ hr trip. We had printed out the schedule of the 8.24 as well as the limited 8.58 thus that nosotros tin monitor which station nosotros were passing—Semhoz is the penultimate station earlier Sergiev Posad.

But since nosotros had missed visiting the Armoury the previous day, nosotros decided to postpone Sergiev Posad trip to the afternoon as well as were on the subway scheme to Kremlin inward the morning.

I had read some reviews proverb that they may non allow ladies wearing trousers inward the Lavra, thus was wearing a long skirt as well as a blouse amongst sleeves (I had a scarf equally good to encompass the head). Some i stepped on my skirt when I was on the escalator inward the subway scheme station as well as I moved quite closed to the correct edge… bad move…when I stepped off the escalator, my skirt got caught as well as I was beingness pulled back….. I screamed as well as thankfully grabbed a metallic barrier. Tried to role i manus to costless my skirt but I was beingness pulled amongst forcefulness as well as needed both hands to agree on…A gentleman behind me tried tugging to no avail… my boy who was off the escalator turned to run across me inward distress as well as ran to the booth… at that spot was a lady inward command (who had non been aware of the employment in all likelihood due to the full general crowds as well as dissonance at a busy time) as well as at my son’s request, she turned off the escalator. It took a few vigorous tugs to tear my skirt from the grinding machinery!! I felt several sort pats on my shoulder from immature human commuters as well as nosotros thanked our lucky stars that I had non got hurt!!

Here’s a ikon at the subway scheme station...

Moscow as well as Petersburg subway scheme stations are museums of fine art inward themselves--each has its unique characteristics as well as is designed similar a palace amongst expensive granite, sculptures, artwork etc...

(after a twosome of days I witnessed a similar accident in St Petersburg –my boy was taking a video of the escalator ride equally it looks pretty awesome to run across the people looking tilted equally they learn downwards the deee…p descent— some stations are 100 feet deep as well as soul had timed the escalator ride almost 2 minutes--- nosotros heard screams as well as a daughter was bent downwards correct inward the middle on the contrary side … I yelled at my boy to set off his stupid photographic tv set camera as well as plough the correct agency as well as sentry his step… the blood curdling screams continued as well as I only kept my caput downwards as well as sent out a prayer… felt thus helpless… the pathetic daughter was beingness dragged for a acre amongst lots of people nigh her trying to assist … sincerely promise she was non hurt—we did non know the number equally the station was teeming amongst crowds! Ladies… heed your skirts when you lot are on these escalators!!)

I pinned the torn business office of my skirt amongst the newspaper clips inward our handbag ...and took a pic to tape the skirt amongst a dark clip as well as tell tale grease stains at the hem.

We got out of Revolutski Ploshchad learn out as well as reached the ticket counter yesteryear 8.30.

Sabbatum some till it opened at 9.30 as well as bought tickets for Armoury (700 rubles—the lady did non give educatee discount for boy this fourth dimension equally she could non read the bar code—the previous twenty-four hours the real same lady had given the discount—any agency nosotros paid upwardly ).

Armoury:

Were the kickoff to learn inward the Armoury at 10AM as well as went direct upwardly the stairs instead of doing the set down flooring first. We bought tickets for the diamond fund timed at 12. Then nosotros enjoyed the beautiful icons, gem studded gospels, as well as other silverish arts and crafts pieces inward the several rooms on the 1st floor. The Faberge eggs were of course of teaching the alternative of the lot …no pics allowed (Houston museum has an exhibition of Faberge currently on for half-dozen months as well as nosotros were allowed photography without flash… took videos to our heart’s content of the lovely original pieces but the best Faberge eggs nosotros saw at the Armoury create got non of course of teaching made their agency to Houston; I'll brand a split upwardly post service of Houston museum exhibits/treasures later).

Here are some pics from the official site...

We as well as thus came to the set down flooring as well as saw the royal carriages as well as the thrones as well as regal ceremonial as well as coronation robes, gowns… over again no pics… but nosotros tin sort of nevertheless run across them inward our mind’s eye. The carriages at Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace create pale inward comparison--- but photography/ videos allowed there… anyways, it’s beside the betoken .. nosotros loved the armoury—such an awesome collection. The official website: http://kreml.ru/en/museums/armoury/ has these pics

Diamond Fund:

At 12, went to the diamond fund as well as enjoyed the sight of all the precious stones inward the 2 rooms amongst the assist of the brochure they had given. Showcase seven has the regal crown, scepter as well as orb totally worthy of all the hype…

Here are the Patriarch crowns...

There are quite a few rubies, emeralds, diamonds originally from our abode province Bharat hither equally good equally inward the Winter palace diamond room at St Petersburg as well as nosotros are familiar amongst the stories behind them.

We were peculiarly fascinated yesteryear the Orlov diamond which is inward the scepter—it is the oculus of our prime number deity Lord Sri Rangaraja at the renowned Hindu Temple inward Sri Rangam.

The story goes that a French soldier ingratiated himself to the temple government for five years earlier gaining access to the sanctum santorum on a rainy dark nighttime to withdraw the diamonds. He could exclusively cope to pluck out i oculus earlier a huge peal of thunder as well as lightning frightened him out of the temple… the 190 carat diamond passed hands earlier beingness bought yesteryear Count Orlov who presented it to Catherine the groovy (Orlov had been romantically involved amongst the Empress Consort of Russian Federation when she was married to Peter III . Orlov led the agency inward Peter’s dethronement as well as the elevation of Catherine to power. Catherine eventually forsook Count Orlov --Count Orlov sought to rekindle their romance yesteryear offering her the diamond. While he failed to find her affections, Catherine did bestow many gifts upon Count Orlov; these gifts included a marble palace inward St. Petersburg. Catherine also named the diamond after the Count, as well as had her jeweller pattern a sceptre incorporating the Orlov.) We were awestruck at the sight of the pupil of the oculus cutting out inward the Orlov diamond as well as could imagine its glory equally our God’s oculus inward the 17th century... . equally devout Hindus it was a view wrenching sight to run across it inward a scepter!

The diamond fund is a guided tour but nosotros chose to run across it on our ain amongst the assist of the pamphlet they gave us amongst the ticket—we lingered on a niggling after our grouping has exited –the gold, platinum nuggets as well as the other unloose diamonds as well as gems as well as tiaras had been fabulous. In the Armoury nobody hurries you lot on… nosotros had assumed fourth dimension slots volition live observed, but nosotros could pretty much remain on equally long equally nosotros liked. We had other agenda for the day, thus left reluctantly.

No photographic tv set camera allowed inward the Armoury as well as Diamond Fund.. thus had to live satisfied amongst no tape of our tour.. the mental film of all those gilt as well as silverish pieces studded amongst precious gems, the Faberege eggs, the ceremonial as well as coronation robes, as well as thrones as well as carriages volition remain fresh inward our mind's eye... equally also the several beautiful diamonds nosotros saw inward the diamond room..Here are some pics from the official site.

We emerged into daylight as well as had our picnic lunch. Looked at the time… wondered if it was prudent to rush to the Yaroslavsky station directly as well as accept a 1 ½ hr trip to Sergiev Posad. We had planned to live business office of a sun morning time crowd, it was a niggling intimidating to learn inward the afternoon without beingness equally good certain almost the timings of the church… amongst groovy sadness nosotros decided to skip it as well as see the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. We could create got easily walked at that spot from the Kremlin foursquare but took the subway scheme to Kropotinskaya.

It took a acre to figure out where the entrance was … nosotros went circular as well as circular trying out diverse doors which were locked earlier lastly arriving at the principal entrance ironically correct nigh the subway scheme exit.

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Храм Христа Спасителя; Khram Khrista Spasitela):

This lovely church building had been commissioned inward 1812 after the defeat of Napoleon. Designed yesteryear St. Petersburg architect Konstantin Ton, who was also responsible for the Grand Kremlin Palace as well as the Kremlin Armoury as well as whose church building designs pioneered the Byzantine-revival style, the cathedral was erected on the embankment exclusively a few minutes' walk from the Kremlin. Sadly, this entailed the devastation of the medieval Alekseevskiy Convent.

In 1931, it was blown to pieces yesteryear Stalin to brand agency for a proposed Palace of Soviets—the Second World War brought an abrupt destination to that project. The site became an open-air swimming pool, the largest inward the world, which was kept at a temperature of 27°C all yr round. The resultant was a thick roofing of fog that shrouded a number of gruesome deaths (and murders) amidst the swimmers—the puddle had to live closed. Orthodox Church resurrected the cathedral inward a U.S. of A. of America $360-million reconstruction project. It was completed inward 2000. The interior was beautiful as well as nosotros loved it.. Pic from the cyberspace here...

By the fourth dimension nosotros came out it was almost five pm.... nosotros were taking the Sapsan to St Petersburg at 6.45 AM the side yesteryear side morning time as well as nosotros wanted to create a recce of which platform nosotros should take. We reached Leningradskiy Rail Terminal yesteryear taking the cherry employment from Kropotinskaya to Komsomolskaya. After a niggling confusion, nosotros managed to let on out the platform where Sapsan was leaving. We were glad that nosotros were gear upwardly for the morning time trip. We took the circular employment subway scheme dorsum to our hotel as well as had an early on nighttime equally nosotros had to cheque out yesteryear 5.30 AM the side yesteryear side day.

Our hotel room here...

View from our room window...

PECTOPAH inward Cyrrilic is read equally Restoran... restaurant

Quite a fighting of disappointment that nosotros could non learn far to Sergiev Posad—may live at that spot volition live some other trip!!

The side yesteryear side post service covers our ride on the superfast develop Sapsan to the lovely St Petersburg as well as our see to the awesome St Isaac's Cathedral:

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