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!!