Doing the Commie thing

From the Kremlin, Irina took Maria and I into Red Square.  It's immediately outside the walls.  Lenin's tomb is there - we didn't go in (what a disappointment!) but I didn't think it looked that impressive anyway.

The unexpected site was a Christmas Market complete with a wonderful carousel (they wouldn't let me have a go).  We went back the next day with Mouse (having to queue for hours to get through security cordon - it was New Year's Eve and they were taking an awful lot of precautions, quite a contrast from just strolling in the day before) and did exciting shopping like my new Russian hat.  Maria and Mouse had had enough of my nice warm red fleece beanie and insisted that if I wear a hat (they didn't) it had to be something better than that.  Personally I think the new one made me look much more of a dork.

The main site of Red Square of course is what we all think of as St.Basil's Cathedral.  Which isn't what it is at all.  Officially it's the  Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin on the Moat.  It's made up of a series of 9 Churches (I think the central one is possibly a cathedral), all very small crammed together with little passages running between them.  There's an onion per Church.  Only the Tsars were allowed to worship there - and I think that excluded the Tsarinas as well, from some of them at least.  Basil was a homeless beggar from the sounds of it, who spent his time living outside the Churches praying for everybody with practically no clothes on (him not them), if Irina was to be believed.  When he died they buried him just outside.  He then got sainted (I can't remember Irina's story about that - it probably involved an unexpected miracle - and so they hastily built an extra little Church in his honour.  Actually, having just looked on Wikipedia the story there bears very little resemblance to what Irina said, but her version was much more fun.  Here's the link if you want the proper story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_Fool_for_Christ

Again, the weather both days was really naff.  Dull skies, no sun etc.  So not wonderful pictures.  However, while my next blog will wish you a happy new year, the one after that will have some sun - a good high to finish on. 

Strolling up to the main "Festival Gates" into Red Square - 30th Dec

Just inside the Gates - this Church was completely destroyed but they rebuilt it

The "GUM" store down one side opposite the Kremlin walls

Yep, that says "Lenin"

The big Kremlin clock - the Russian's Big Ben when the NY arrives

Original roof tiles

Inside an onion

View of Red Square from "St.Basil's"

Inside another onion

And another

All those little brick tiles are actually painted on

Another....

Passageway running behind one of the Churches

GUM again

Queuing to get in - 31st Dec

He really is that big!

I definitely look better in the red beanie!