Metro Tour Part Deux

January 9-15, 2017

After two days of lounging, it’s back to the office on Tuesday. Pretty much everyone is back at work so things are returning to “normal”. But, Friday is the Eve of the “Old New Year” so there is still a festive vibe.

This week I am getting ready for the first business trip of 2017. I am part of a CFIA delegation to the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin next week. We have a few bilateral discussions planned so the folks in Ottawa are busy working out logistics and writing briefing notes, etc. so that we are properly supported.  We are doing what we can at this end to confirm meeting days and times and provide input to the various documents in the briefing binder.

It’s a short week with lots to do so Friday sneaks up on everyone and we are off to Canada Club for a sociable. The night was at risk of ending too soon so the Obydensky crew gather at Shawn and Tanya's for a couple games of cards while they cook the turkey for tomorrow night’s dinner party. Yes indeed, Embassies are very sociable work environments!

Saturday, I am off on Moscow Metro Tour Part II. This weekend we are checking out some of the newer stations (built after 1995) on the light green line.

The group met at the Kurskaya Station and after some introductory remarks, we make our way upstairs to the entrance to Chkalovskaya Station - at street level it is very modern with lots of steel.

Into the depths with Eva and Stephanie

The station is named after the famous Soviet aviator Valery Chkalov and is dedicated to aviation.

Next stop is Sretensky Bulvar - a vision in white. The station features a set of metallic artworks on themes of the Boulevard Ring.

Next stop is Trubnaya Station.  The station boasts 12 wall columns each with an illuminated stained glass mosaic image of Moscow or a historic Russian city (Rostov, Novgorod, Yaroslavl , etc.). Most have a wooden bench surrounded by a black ironwork frame topped with four round lamps - a nod to traditional Moscow boulevards. The mosaics are the work of Zurab Tsereteli as are the two large mosaics which decorate the portals of the escalator tunnels leaving the station. A must see.

Suzdal Cityscape

Bogolubovo

Vladimir

Moscow

We were a large group hanging around the Metro so we were bound to attract attention chattering in English. The fellow in the red coat in the middle of the photo below was a bit inebriated on a Saturday afternoon and insisted on being photographed much to our tour guide's dismay, lol! Luckily two of my fellow tour participants were good sports.

Next we head to Dostoyevskaya Station. This station features murals which illustrate the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky including Crime and Punishment and The Idiot. There are two scenes of violence (homicide and suicide) depicted on the station walls which are quite controversial.

"The Idiot" Mural

"Crime and Punishment" Mural

Next stop - Maryina Roscha. At this station, the beautiful stained glass mosaics are in the tunnels and can be seen as you speed by on the train.

Tsvetnoy Bulvar station on the grey line is the next stop with half moon glass mosaics of flowers.

Last stop for me today for Eva, Stephanie and I was Borovitskaya Station on the grey line. The end of the station has a large clay bas relief which shows the Kremlin as the base of a tree  in the shape of a map featuring all the previous states of the USSR. The walls are also adorned with a number of single tiles that are works of art as well.

  
Even though there is still much more of the Moscow Metro to explore (see the map at the top!), our stomachs were calling so Stephanie and I headed to the Danilovsky market for some Pho. They have been busy here and there is now a second floor set up with tables and benches to enjoy the culinary delights from the various eateries. It also provides an excellent view of the market.

Danilovsky Market

Sated, we head back to the Metro and a quick ride home.  Back home, there's time for a quick nap and shower before heading to turkey dinner at Shawn and Tanya’s with a number of colleagues and their families. It is Old New Year's after-all. The food is great and filled with the laughs and camaraderie that are the hallmark of Expat events.

Sunday comes and it's finally time to put Christmas away. The de-Christmafication process is never as fun as getting things setup but it needs to be done before I head to Berlin next week. Many hours later, the house is much less sparkly and festive as the boxes go back into storage with new and old treasures ready to be unwrapped next December. Even in Russia, there isn't a third Christmas!!

Christmas in January!

January 1-7, 2017

We were off Sunday and Monday so lots of time to recuperate from the party , clean up and get all the dishes washed and put away before heading back to the office. After a busy Christmas holiday, it was nice to relax and binge watch Netflix while working my way through some of the leftovers.

Tuesday night, Cat, Alberto, Vanessa and I are going to the Bolshoi Theatre to see a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker; what must be one of the quintessential Moscow experiences. After a glass or two of wine and some snacks, we grab a cab to the Bolshoi. The main building of the theatre is a landmark of Moscow and Russia and the lavish décor does not disappoint. 

We are seated in the third balcony so we have a very good view of the performance as a whole. The ballet is beautifully executed as you would expect from one of the oldest and most renowned ballet companies in the world. I even managed to stay awake through the entire 2 hour plus performance (I think!).  The offerings at the intermission included champagne and a myriad of small sandwiches and other light snacks but we resisted as we had plans for a late dinner.

After the performance, we headed to Voronezh. To date, my culinary experiences there have all been in the ground floor snack bar but tonight we are going upscale so we made reservation for the second floor. 

Voronezh is a meat lover’s paradise and the menu boasts many cuts of steak, along with various game, fowl and fish.  We order our salads, entrees and wine and settle back for a great end to a beautiful evening. It didn’t turn out exactly as planned as there were issues with one of the steaks (twice) so not sure whether a return is warranted.

Canada club was canceled so it’s a quiet evening at home for a change.

Saturday evening, Craig and Kerry are hosting a Regift Party for Orthodox Christmas so I excavate my gift cupboard looking for the perfect treasure(s) to pass on to one of my unsuspecting friends. I don’t as a rule re-gift presents that I have received so I put together a pink bath gift pack from things that I have purchased and wrap it up.  

Craig was cooking all day so they served turkey with all the fixings along with chili, chicken wings, shrimp and a long list of other foods to the hungry masses. After we had stuffed ourselves and finished dessert, the craziness of the gift “exchange” ensued.

In my opinion, the funniest gift was a partially full (80%) bottle of Sambuca though there was clearly a lot of thought and humour injected into many of the gifts! Another great evening with great food, friends and fun …

One of the best things about Russia is that you get to celebrate Christmas (and New Year’s) twice – once using the Julien calendar and the second time using the Orthodox calendar – all good! This means that we have two days to recover from our Saturday night “excesses” since Monday is a stat holiday.  Of course, we will have to work days that folks in Canada don’t as a result but c’est la guerre! Sunday and Monday are frigid so a couple of days of hibernation ensued.

Friends, Family and Fun

December 2016

December was a mixture of parties and events with new friends in Moscow and parties and events with old friends and family in Ottawa and Halifax. I am blessed to have so many fabulous people in my life! 

December 6 features a trip to the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum for concert by Mikhail Rud; a Soviet pianist that defected in Paris in 1976 at 23 years of age. The concert included the music of Gluck, Mozart, Wagner-Liszt, Debussy, Ravel and Mussorgsky accompanied by, what I considered, weird video installations attributed to Kandinsky and Chagall. Rebecca, Eva and I grabbed burgers at Voronezh and then headed to the concert which was held in a beautiful room in the Museum featuring fabulous art. I may have fallen asleep for a few minutes (!) but the music was fantastic and the surroundings surreal.

December 10th, after a highly entertaining Canada Club on Friday night, I was up and at‘ em Saturday morning for a brunch at I Love Cake in Patriarshiye Ponds; an affluent residential area in downtown Moscow. Looking at the cake offerings in the two displays, the reason for the restaurant’s name is obvious but they also serve a spectacular brunch. 

The Pond is one of the main settings of Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita; a must read that is currently on my list of Russian books to buy. After brunch, Robin and I strolled through the area checking out some of the quaint little shops and bakeries along the way. A return visit in the spring is a must.

Both Robin and I are heading home for Christmas so we grabbed a bus and the Metro and headed to Ismailova Market to pick up some last minute gifts before heading home. It was a bit cold but our expedition was successful. 

Saturday, December 10 boasts another Embassy Christmas party, this one hosted by Jack and Shirly. They live in my building so there is lots of time for a quick nap and shower before whipping up a little something for the party and putting on my glad rags. Jack and Shirly are the Embassy’s unofficial Aunt and Uncle so their parties at are always well attended and the food is plentiful and fabulous! Another late night but loads and loads of fun!

On December 13, I co-hosted an Ag Attaché lunch with my US colleagues as my last task before my flight to Canada. We hosted about a dozen guests from around the world with an interesting speaker on the future of Russian Agriculture. Back to the office finish up the inevitable last minute things before holidays and then home to finish packing. Embassy staff had been offered an opportunity to buy hockey jerseys signed by the famous former goaltender for the Soviet Union's national hockey team; Vladislav Tretiak; a fundraiser for his Charitable Foundation that supports children. The jerseys arrived an hour before I was leaving the office so my Dad's Xmas present is in the bag!

Rebecca modelling one of the Tretiak jerseys

My December 14th flight home includes an Aeroflot-Air Canada (with a change of terminals) in Heathrow so that was all very interesting but I arrived in Ottawa pretty much on time and headed to Karen’s; my home for the next few days.

After a few hours of catching up with Karen and Sally over glass after glass of wine, I crashed in a heap. The next day, I had a lunch with work colleagues, a meeting with my boss, a dental appointment and then dinner at the Royal Treasures with Gavin; another full day that ended earlyish. Friday, I crashed the Animal Health Directorate Christmas lunch to chat up my former colleagues and friends, relaxed for a bit with Karen and Sally and then headed to the Manx for a great night out with the usual suspects. 

Anyone seeing a pattern here? Food, drink and friends! 

Saturday, I hung out with Karen during the day and then headed to Linda’s for her Xmas party and more great friends, fabulous food and fun. Sunday, one more chance to chat with Gavin as we grabbed a bite en route to the airport and my flight home. I miss my Ottawa peeps and I didn’t get a chance to see everyone but I certainly tried! Thanks to everyone who made my visit so special and for those I missed, I will try to do better next time!

Most of the next eight days were spent in Halifax hanging with my Mom and Dad. I did manage to squeeze in a visit with Chrissy, Maureen and the Crant/Smith families, a card night with Connie and Mary but mainly I spent some quality with my folks. 

Mom's Tree

My sister Heather hosted the clan Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Peraux where we were treated to some great food (including maybe the best lobster I have ever eaten!) and lots of laughs. 

Yummy Crustaceans

A visit from the Pyle family on Christmas Day with their two precious boys was a highlight as was ahanging with Ashton, Cody, Heather, Rob, Mom and Dad. 

Too soon it was Boxing Day and I was packed and headed to the airport hauling along an extra suitcase to bring back all the food I’d bought to stock my larder! The green monster rides again!

The flight home was a bit hairier as I had a tight connection in Heathrow and we were late leaving. It was one of the few times that I can say that I was happy that my flight was delayed as the connecting flight to Moscow was also delayed so I made it to the gate with lots of time to spare. 

I arrived home a little late but my luggage didn’t make the connection so I worried for a couple of days about the butter, cheese, lobster and other delights that I had brought back and what condition they would be in when they finally arrived. With a bit of prodding and follow up, I managed to have the bags delivered Thursday night around midnight! All my treasures survived the ordeal because it was winter and quite cold.

New Year’s Eve Eve, Craig and Kerry hosted and evening of dinner, cards and silliness though I was well-behaved as I was hosting a large contingent for New Year’s Eve the next night and I had lots of stuff to do.

I love hosting parties though I have usually avoided doing so on New Year’s Eve so this was a first for me. The day was spent cooking and cleaning up the disastrous mess that ensued but I planned it well as there was time for a nap and a shower before the guests were to arrive. 

There was lots of food as most everyone made something for the table.  Melissa outdid herself bringing enough cookies, confectionaries and cupcakes to stock a small bakery and assuring there would be no lack of sugar for the guests big and small!

We had a great time chatting and laughing and as midnight approached, we donned our winter gear, grabbed the bubbles and headed to the bridge behind the Christ the Saviour Cathedral to enjoy the fireworks from Red Square and Gorky Park. Luckily the thermometer was hovering around 0C so it wasn’t cold.

The Boys!

The Girls!

Fireworks over the Kremlin

Champagne!

The bridge was packed with people ready to continue their celebrations. The fireworks were a bit disappointing because of the low cloud cover but we popped the corks on the champagne and toasted the New Year with friends and strangers before heading back to continue the festivities chez moi. 

The festivities continued until the wee hours though I may or may not have nodded off before the last guest left – Jet Lag!! Can’t wait for the adventures that 2017 has in store. 

С новым годом

Moscow Metro Tour - Underground Palaces

November 28 – December 4

Monday morning and it’s back to work after a whirlwind weekend with Chantale. Luckily, her departure is softened by the myriad of social functions leading up to the holidays. In fact, this week only Monday and Sunday do not include a social and/or work function. No wonder my bathroom scale is starting to show the effects of a Russian winter!

I offered to host the Trade Section Christmas Party at my SQ because of its proximity to the Embassy and it was tarted-up for Christmas in time for Thursday’s bash. We had ordered a bunch of food from a local caterer, rescued some abandoned bottles of vino from the Embassy basement and wrapped our presents for a Grinch gift exchange so we had all the necessary ingredients for a couple hours of fun. The afternoon was a blast with lots of laughter especially during the gift exchange with the odd theft of a prized selection here and there. In the end, everyone seemed pleased with their final selection so all was good. The party ended too soon but there are parties on Friday and Saturday as well so best to save some energy (and liver/brain cells) for those.

Friday was the Colonel’s fiftieth birthday so free drinks and pizza at Canada Club for a couple hours and then a few games of cards with the folks from Obydensky before calling it a night. Despite the late evening, I was up and at it early the next day as I was heading out on a guided tour of the Moscow Metro; something I have been meaning to do for months. Stephanie and I met the fairly large group (it was a free tour!) at Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Blue Line). Lots of cool things to see there but we are keeping that discussion for the end of the tour so we headed off to Teatralnaya (Green Line).

Teatralnaya Station is decorated with labradorite and white marble taken from the demolished Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Crystal lamps in bronze frames attached to the center of the room give the central hall a festive appearance. The vault of the central hall is decorated with bas-reliefs by Natyla Danko on the theme of theatre arts of the USSR, manufactured by Leningrad Porcelain Factory. These bas-reliefs are a series of fourteen different figures, each representing music and dance from various nationalities of the Soviet Union. 

Seven male and seven female figures attired in their national costumes are  performing an ethnic dance or  playing a distinctively ethnic musical instrument. The series includes Armenia, Belarussia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Back on the train, we head to Mayakovskaya station. Located 33 meters beneath the surface, this station became famous during World War II when an air raid shelter was located in the station. Alexey Dushkin's Art Deco architecture was based on a Soviet future as envisioned by the poet Mayakovsky. The station features streamlined columns faced with stainless steel and pink rhodonite, white and grey marble walls. In the ceiling there are a number of mosaics by Alexander Deyneka with the theme “24-Hour Soviet Sky”.

Mayakovskaya Station

Soviet Sky Mosaic

Soviet Sky Mosaic

Soviet Sky Mosaic

Staying on the Green Line, our next stop is Belorusskaya. The station is named after the nearby Belorussky Rail Terminal, from which westward trains towards Belarus and western Europe depart. The station is decorated with national Belarusian motives. 

Next we jump off the train at Novoslobodskaya (Brown Line). It is best known for its 32 stained glass panels, which are the work of three Latvian artists. At the end of the platform is a mosaic  entitled “Peace Throughout the World”.  

Next stop is Kurskaya (Blue Line). It is named for the Kursky railway station located nearby. Built in 1938, the station has tiled walls and gray marble pylons with sconce light fixtures and circular ventilation grills. Upstairs there is a spot for visiting musicians but sadly there were none there that day.

Two hours later and we are back where we started at Ploshchad Revolyutsii. The station opened in 1938, its architect was Alexey Dushkin. The station features red and yellow marble arches resting on low pylons faced with black marble. Each arch is flanked by a pair of bronze sculptures by Matvey Manizer depicting the people of the Soviet Union, including soldiers, farmers, athletes, writers, aviators, industrial workers, and schoolchildren.  
One of the bronze sculptures — a dog that accompanies a frontier guard — is believed to bring good luck if you rub its nose.

A rub for luck!

Moscow metro is famous not only for its exquisite design and interior but also for its unique trains. Nowadays there are  seven of them which have their own names. Some of them are dedicated to significant military campaigns and battles, others - to art and culture.

A train honouring the memory of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War The Christmas Train!

Another interesting Metro fact is the gender of the person announcing the station depends on the direction that you are going.  When you are taking a train to the center of Moscow you hear a male announcer. But as soon as you cross the city center you'll hear a female voice announcing stations. There's a good way to remember this - 'your boss calls you to work; your wife calls you home'. On the ring line the clock-wise direction is announced by the male voice, while counterclockwise direction is under the guidance of the fairer sex. This system was initially invented to help the blind. Listening to announcements you can find your way even if you don't understand the language.

The Metro tour finished, I have a couple hours to get ready for my next Xmas party! Saturday night’s festivities were co-hosted by Alex and Cat at one of the locations a bit farther afield. I grabbed the Metro mid-afternoon armed with some chips, guacamole, and small hostess gifts so I could help with last-minute preparations. Luckily, everything was done when I arrived so nothing to do but hang out, taste test the night’s delicacies and sample some punch.

Most of the Embassy descended on the party between 7:00 and 8:00 and the music and dancing started had the place rocking. There were some special guests including folks from other Embassies and

Canada’s next man in space – David Saint Jacques. What a great night of silliness to kick off the holiday season!