I stayed in a very modern hotel that was located near the area where some of the Olympic events were held. It was away from downtown Moscow, a lot less expensive but was only a short subway ride away from downtown and most of the historic areas that I visited. The subway system in Moscow is clean, very efficient and low cost (about 30 cents a trip). Many of the downtown stations are attractively decorated with sculptures, ceramic mosaics, chandeliers and paintings. I used the subways all the time to get to various places very quickly in this city of 9 million people.

I was fortunate to arrive in Moscow at the time of their 850^th anniversary of the founding of the city. The city was prepared specially to mark this celebration. The center of the celebration was the area round the Kremlin and Red Square (see picture to the right). The Kremlin with its red brick walls and massive size was very impressive. Red Square is flanked with the walls of the Kremlin on the south side, the very decorative St Basil’s Cathedral on the West, the long cream stone GUM department store on the south and the red brick History Museum and entrance gates on the East Side (See picture to the right). 

 In the center part of the large square near the Kremlin walls is the polished red stone Mausoleum that contains Lenin’s tomb (see picture to the right). I got to see Lenin and was amazed how well he has been preserved after he died in 1924. The Kremlin is the hub of the city from where all the major roads and subways radiate from like the spokes of a wheel. About 4 kilometers from the hub is a 6-lane ring road and ring subway that makes it very efficient to travel from one radial road or subway from and to any part of the city (see picture to the right).

Within the red brick walls of the Kremlin are the working buildings of the Russian Government and some very interesting museums and historic cathedrals. The areas that house the museums and historic cathedrals are open to the public on payment of an admission fee. White lines on the roads simply mark off the government buildings that are restricted to the public. If a person crosses a white line a guard blows a whistle once. I never saw what happens when the guard blows the whistle twice (see picture to the right)

. The Armory is the world famous museum within the Kremlin that houses invaluable collections of the 4^th to the 20^th century Russian and foreign decorative art. The treasures on display are priceless. Most impressive treasures that I saw were the famous Faberge Eggs and crowns worn by the Czar and his family (see picture to the right). The four cathedrals and Bell Tower surround Cathedral Square that is almost in the center of the Kremlin. I took tours with a recording machine of the beautifully decorated cathedrals so I could stop when I wanted to admire all the artwork inside the cathedrals. 

 Outside the Bell Tower, I was fortunate to see President Yeltson who was visiting a display within the tower commemorating the 850^th Anniversary of the founding of Moscow (see picture below). He is big man and gives the appearance of a strong and powerful man. I also saw the largest cannon made but never fired and the largest bell ever cast but unfortunately had a piece that broke off the side so like the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia was never rung (see pictures below). The whole Kremlin area both inside and out left me with a feeling of a place of great power that is surrounded by beautiful and historic art and treasures.

The next day after the visit to the very impressive Kremlin I went for a walking tour of the old section of Moscow called Kitai Gored which means China Town. There was never a Chinese settlement in this area. The word Kitai appears to come from the Russian word that refers to the bundle of twigs that were used to build the wall that originally surrounded this area. In this old section were exquisitely decorated Russian churches and historical buildings that were painted in bright colours (see picture at right).

 Close to this area I saw the famous KGB headquarters and the Bolshoi Theater (see  pictures at right). I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to see the Bolshoi Ballet Company perform the ballet Gazelle in the Bolshoi Theater. The music and the dancing were just stunning. Another very cultural place that I visited was the Tretyakov Art Gallery. This place has fine artworks from the 11^th to the 20^th century. It contains an extensive collection of very famous icons. I also visited the house that the famous poet Puskin lived in when he was in Moscow. This house is on old Arbat Street that has been converted to a pedestrian mall and has become one of the lively areas of the city. I saw the house that the  famous author Tolstoy lived in. Moscow has so many museums and historic places to visit. I  would have needed a lot more time than I had to be able to see all the places that interested me.

Moscow has many churches, cathedral, monasteries and convents that are beautifully decorated inside and outside. I visited a number of churches during my tours of the city but only had time to visit one of the many notable monasteries and convents. 75 kilometers northeast of Moscow in the town of Zagorsk is the famous Toitsa-Sergyeva Larva  (Monastery) which for 500 years has been the most important place of pilgrimage in Russia  (see picture at right). I went out there on a local bus and by the time I got there I got to know the people seated near me on  the bus. The Russians are very friendly people on trains buses and subways. I answered their many questions on Canada and they told me all the places of interest on the way to the monastery.

There are 5 separate cathedrals within the high white walls of the Toitsa-Sergyeva Larva. The walls were required to protect the monastery from various invading armies. During the  Polish Siege (1608-10) when the monastery held out for 16 months, a spring appeared  within the walls. This miracle fountain that help save the people in the monastery is still flowing today. The Russians believe that if a person washes his hands and face in the waters of the spring, then their wish  could be granted. A tiny and beautiful chapel has been built over the spring and is called the Chapel at the Well (see picture at right). All the Cathedrals in this monastery are beautiful to see with their golden and blue onion shaped domes. The inside walls of the cathedrals are painted with religious murals and the walls of the altar areas are adorned with beautiful icons. The Czars and other notable people had been very  generous with gifts to the monastery. I saw some of these famous gifts including precious  jewels, jewel-encrusted embroideries, chalices, icons and paintings in a museum that is within the walls of the monastery (see picture at lower right).

After a week in Moscow, I had to leave on Sunday September 21, 1997 for my 4 day and 5191 kilometer trip on the Trans Siberian Railway to Irkutsh in the middle of Siberia. I left very reluctantly, as I had not had enough time to see many of the historic and interesting places in Moscow. I had to leave something to see for another visit to Moscow.