Today I was able to visit a place that has much weight in modern history, the Kremlin. Behind the magnificent red brick walls is a fine collection of Russian artillery, three gold tipped churches, and a distant view to the current offices of the Russian administration. After lunch it was the famous Moscow Metro, with its trademark grandiose decor. Then the Red Square, a solemn vastness of cobblestone for military parades, with the former State Department store on the side. Today there is only a queue for ice cream in one of the worlds earliest shopping malls, and the Soviet era trading stalls are replaced with global fashion brands. It was an almost surreal experience to walk in a place I have done a fair amount of reading of in books, and I gained an appreciation for past history in Russia that still make their mark to this day.

by Andy Z & John G

Привет! For our second day in Moscow, we visited the Red Square and the Kremlin. I had always thought that Kremlin is a palace with “onion” like tops. And it turns out that Kremlin is in around 20 parts and that is just a iconic building that news like to use as a symbol of Kremlin as a whole. The buildings are fascinating as the insides of the churches are completely covered from head to bottom in wall paintings. We looked around in the streets of Red Square and took a look in Gum Mall. In the evening, we watched a circus show, the performance was wonderful. I’m looking forward to go to the next town tomorrow and experience the Russian culture more deeply. Спокойной ночи, пока!

By Courtney Lun and Tiffany Ng