The graves are amazing (if graves can be amazing). The cemetery is packed with the famous and infamous. Many graves have enormous headstones and statues carved out of solid granite and sandstone. I can't imagine how much these headstones cost? I would think many thousands of pounds. I don't think the 'state' would pay for such things nowadays to rememeber their hereo's, which is rather sad. These statues are larger than life monuments to dead and famous Russians and really worth seeing. Boris Yeltsin rests there, although I am sure he is spinning in his grave if he can see how Russian has become, I am sure the current situation was not in his grand plans.
There are artists, scientists and many former Russian solderers and Soviet hero's. Resting below the church and cemetery is a large green large park. This is a good place to take the kids to as it has a playground area, although strangely, the park does not have a fence around and is surrounded by a busy roads so be very careful of your children's safety. The park is nicely kept and has twisting paths all around it as well as large lake. I highly recommend it for a walk on a sunny day and the park also looks very beautiful in the snow.
English Dad,
ReplyDeleteCracking read of every day life in Moscow. I lived there myself 2005-7 and will be back for more shortly.
Puzzled slightly by the Yeltsin 'grand plans' you mention - would these be the grand plans that centred around practically giving away the nation's oil and gas reserves? Or wiping out the population's savings overnight by revaluing the currency? I visited Russia under Yeltsin and, as much as he was more open than Putin, it would be unwise to see that as having been better for the country. Naturally his time in office was going to be unstable at times, but I can't help but think that he didn't help matters. If there's anything making him spin in his grave it'll be freedom of the press, but I would say that most Russians would sacrifice some of that for the political and economic stability they enjoy today.
Love Novodevichy. Happy times :)
Thanks. My point about Yeltsin spinning in his grave was that Russia is now so very corrupt and lawless that I am sure he would be rather sad about it. Of course it was corrupt when he was alive but he would be shocked at the traffic in Moscow and the pollution etc.
ReplyDeleteI did not say Yeltsin made things a whole lot better as I do not know enough about him to comment further.
As you say, the press has no freedom and the country is a democratic dictatorship of one party rule.... aka Putin PLC.
Welcome back to the motherland when you arrive back.
"Dead center of town?" Now really! Shame on you!
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