MIR Corporation's Travel Log:
Trans-Siberian Railway - Day 3: Moscow
MIR clients Helge Pedersen and Karen Ofsthus ride the rails of the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to UlaanBaatar on MIR's Trans-Siberian private rail journey as they check in from each stop with stories, photos and video.
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Day 3: Moscow, Aboard Train
July 3, 2008
Last night Helge and I met our travel companions; over 90 fellow travelers from all over the U.S. traveling across the Russian Far East, all with a penchant for adventure. Friendships develop quickly over shared meals, stories, and flowing wine. After a fabulous welcome meal and a lively introduction of MIR guide staff, we were off for a late night stroll to Red Square. Beautifully lit, the facades of buildings many centuries old twinkle and glow romantically against the night sky. It was the perfect way to end a fabulous day, which included a ride on Moscow's famous Metro subway, a visit to the Moscow zoo and an exhilarating visit (to say the least) to a Russian public bath or banya.
The banya has a practical origin. It wasn't until the beginning of the 20th century that baths entered Russian homes and even then, only the wealthiest had them. The masses went to the public banyas to bathe. While it's evolved from a co-ed, utilitarian necessity to become more spa-like, it's still very much a lynchpin of Russian culture. You've probably heard the stories: A sauna with deliriously high temps and "beatings" with birch branches? True. All true.
Gorgeously designed, the Sunduny banya sports pink Italian marble, long leather lounges, and a massive "wet" room, replete with showers, a wooden dunking tub and solid marble tub. It also has a wooden bucket filled with cold water, suspended from the ceiling. A little pull on the chain and Wooosh! Female battle cry for sure!
The sauna itself, well, it was torturous. Thirteen steps lead to a 12 X 12 brick room with birch slat floors and benches. At stair number one it's hot, but not terribly unbearable. At stair number 13, however, the temperature is a suffocating 60 degrees Celsius! Do the math. These temps can kill you!
Stair number four was my kind of environment with a temp still compatible with human life. Only thrice did I venture to the top. The first time was out of sheer curiosity. I lasted 3 minutes. The third was to check the thermometer again, after the banya assistant threw water on the furnace. I couldn't believe my eyes as the temp climbed to 68 degrees Celsius while hardy Elza lay on the floor under a wool blanket, sweating it out! Read that again slowly... "under a wool blanket!" She came out from under that blanket 15 minutes later, smiling like a Cheshire cat and still alive! I was honestly flabbergasted! I gave her a high-five and showered her with a congratulatory bucket of ice-cold water. She screeched, but continued to smile like a Cheshire cat. Russians are a tough lot, I'll tell you that!
The second time I ventured to the top of the stairs I was flat out consenting to a birch branch beating. Yep. I paid money and allowed the banya attendant to whack my naked, sweaty body with a double fistful of birch branch and leaf, soaked and softened in water. I'm not embarrassed to say I liked it. Every bit. It was so hot I thought my head was going to pop like a melon in the sun when I turned over for the frontal beating, but rotisserie I did. Wow! On rubber legs, I barely made it down the stairs after the ordeal, but I was smiling like a Cheshire cat too!
My trip to the banya facilitated a good night's rest, giving me tons of energy for the morning's activities. Helge and I and our fellow travelers climbed into our air-conditioned coaches and headed out on our tour of Moscow highlights, including the striking Novodevechy monastery and cemetery.
The Novodevechy monastery was founded in 1525. A convent, it housed the daughter's of czars, wives of noblemen, and even the daughter of the brutal tyrant, Ivan the Terrible. Sophia, the stepsister of Peter the Great was there too. Like many woman before her, Sophia was forced into the convent. That's what you get for maliciously conspiring against your brother and ruler of Russia. There's a huge advantage for the church for "incarcerating" this class of wealthy women at the nunnery: upon entrance, the women hand over all of their holdings of money, jewels and lands, making the Novodevechy monastery the richest of them all.
Today, 20 nuns work and pray behind the baroque style walls, and amid stunning original Byzantine frescos and gilded framed paintings of saints and nobles. There are two cemeteries, old and new.
Many of the most famous Russian characters are buried here under massive carved hunks of imported marble, fenced by intricate wrought iron fences and shaded by mature oak, maple and birch. Statues depict the life and contribution of the deceased. Here you will find former leaders Boris Yelsin and Khrushchev, the guy John F. Kennedy persuaded to refrain from "pushing the button" during the Cuban missile crisis. You will find Bolshevik party members... lots of them. You will find Nicolin, the most famous Russian circus clown of all time. Cosmonauts, generals, artists, musicians, professors, scientists, authors and poets; they are all here. You will even find Nadezhda, Stalin's young wife. She was 16 when she married Stalin and at age 31, decided that she'd had enough. While her husband was away, she committed suicide, orphaning two children. It's said that Stalin insulted her at a dinner, sending her over the edge. We'll never know, though. All that remains are rumors and a beautiful white marble statue marking her grave.
Our city tour complete, we made our way down the wide streets of Moscow to the Kazansky Vokzal Railway Station to board the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, our home for the next eight days. Next stop, Kazan!
Photos from this leg of the tour:
Novodevechy cemetery
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Novodevechy cemetery:
wall containing ashes
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The Bolshoi Theater is getting a face lift
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A birds-eye-view of the Historical Museum in beautiful Red Square
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Christ the Savior Cathedral looks ancient but is less than 10 years old
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Moscow's Metro subway is
extremely well designed
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The Moscow Zoo. Such a splendid skyline!
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Kremlin's Palace
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Novodevechy Monastery sits
on beautiful grounds
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Angels bless visitors as they tour the grounds of the monastery
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All aboard the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express!
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Elegant emblem on our carriage
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A slideshow with more photos from this leg of the tour:
To start the Slideshow, click once within the frame above, then click the PLAY button at the left of the menu bar. You may also slide your mouse pointer along the timeline to view individual photos.
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