I had several options for the
second day, and the most popular one was returning to St. Basil’s and sitting
on one of the benches behind it. People watching. All day. Not a bad thing to
do because it somehow gives me a semblance of tranquility. Don’t ask me how.
But that didn’t happen in the end. In fact, I never came back to the Red Square
anymore. I looked for alternatives on Wikitravel and one itinerary seemed
interesting. Apparently, there’s another Kremlin no one talks about that much.
It’s called Izmailovo.
Red Square’s Kremlin seems to
be on top of the list of every tourist who lands in Moscow, even those who don’t
have the slightest idea what to do in the city. The place has good name recall,
perhaps due to it being name-dropped in the news every time something about
Russia comes up. I’m not sure if you can get into the Kremlin for free. I saw
people going in and out yesterday. A quick search of tickets online revealed
that for some areas, you need to register, and they tend to be booked out well in
advance.
What drew me to Izmailovo was
its proximity to the center. You just get on the blue line at Ploshad
Revolutsii, which shares the same entrance and exit with the Green line’s
Teatralnaya. The stop you are looking for is Partizanskaya to the northeast.
The trip was quick and did not take 20 minutes. Getting out of the metro
station, you have the option to head south to the park or north to the Kremlin
itself. I chose to go the park first because I wanted to take a stroll. Suffice
it to say that I had a jolly good time.
I’m just a ten-year old kid
trapped in this emaciated 30-something body, okay? Bring me to a theme park and
I’ll be supah grateful. Izmailovo has two Ferris wheels at the park itself. The
theme park right at the entrance seemed to have its own, too. They don’t seem
that high, though. The tallest one is on the other end of the park, but I don’t
know if it does give you a good panoramic view of the area. There is also no
shortage of green and brown. It was nice to get away from the tourist infestation
in Central Moscow.
The stroll took around an hour
or two. They also have a big lake where you can go boating with the family. You
can jog or run, too. At the theme park they were playing ABBA hits one right
after another. And then I told myself, what better way to spend a boring Sunday
afternoon than chill at this park while singing along to ABBA’s hits, eh? I
then took a break and ate corn on a cob at the mall halfway between the two
attractions. It was raining, so I had to wait for it to stop somewhere. Next
stop: Kremlin!
This Russian type of
architecture I find quite hard to place. The splash of colors suggest an
affinity closer to architectural styles in Muslim countries, far detached from
the monotonous grandeur of the European tradition, which seems to favor size
over hue. But the similarity ends with the colors, for the shapes and patterns
are uniquely Russian. In effect, it always gives me that impression that I am
at a theme park. It feels like a colorful medieval town straight out of a fairy
tale.
The bazaar next to the
premises is also housed in small buildings of the same style, but I can’t be so
sure if they were part of the original or just copied the look in order to
blend in. You can buy your souvenirs here. Some knowledge of Russian will
definitely help if you want a good bargain. As for me, I went straight to
the Kremlin’s entrance and took the obligatory photos of the stunning façade. To
get inside, you have to pass through an elevated bridge of sorts leading to a
beautiful archway.
Once inside, you’ll feel as
though you were in some kind of Harry Potter village rip-off. I mean, this gave
me more Harry Potter feels than Harry Potter World, to be honest. I’m not
saying that the place looks anything like Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. What I’m
simply driving at is that the ambiance is far more legit. While the area was
indeed once the location of the Romanovs’ residence back then, the buildings
are just recent constructions meant to make everyone nostalgic of a bygone era.
I thought they were legit!
The small plaza is sandwiched
by a wooden church to the right and another tall wooden structure to the left,
which does not seem to be religious in nature. To me it looked like a Himalayan
rest house with a Disney inspired roof. Did I mention that the central roof is
studded with gold and purple spikes? It appears to be something that Lady Gaga
would design if she decided to shift careers and unleash her inner architect. That’s
what makes the place so unique. It’s a like a mash up of the old, the new, and
the weird.
I don’t think they hold masses
at the wooden church. The interior design is interesting. True to Orthodox
traditions, the central wall comes alive with vivid paintings of religious
personalities while the ceiling is adorned with a chandelier that floods the intimate
space with just enough illumination. You will see people come in and light an
incense or just pray. And then there’s also me, the tourist, snapping photos.
The church is really tall but the higher floors seem to be inaccessible. Is there
even a higher floor to begin with?
The vicinity has several
museums dedicated to Russian history. It also has a selection of restaurants if
ever you get hungry. It is said that the place was built to showcase Russian
culture, and I believe that it has achieved that goal so far. It offers you a
glimpse of how life was back then, without having to venture far away from the
modern city center. While I don’t really consider it as a must-see, I highly
recommend it if you want something different.
[MOSCOW] The Other Kremlin
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