Beginning of Moscow Virtual Tour Main Index of Uncle Pasha's Files
MOSCOW by NIGHT
My aim here was to convey the sense of safety and light in Moscow, but even I am surprised at how well this set turned out..
This one was taken from the Bolshoi Kamenny ("Big Stone") bridge west of the Kremlin by a couple of our guests from Holland. You can read about their East Europe, Russia, and Asia trip at wereldreis.zondervleugels.nl (in Dutch with English summaries). It was a particularly cold and clear night well into December 2001. Normally light produced by Moscow doesn't dissipate into outer space as you see here, but instead stays in the place between ovecast clouds and shining asphalt. This was an exception..
This night we walk along the Lavrushinsky pereulok (the Tretyakov Gallery is in there), from Klementyevsky lane to Kadashevskaya embankment, cross the pedestrial bridge over the canal, find ourselves in the Bolotnaya Ploschad ("Swamp Square") park, and proceeded to the far corner to admire "Adult Vices Threatening Children", a recently installed sculptural composition by Andrey Shemyakin..
 Lavrushin and Klementyevsky. The Library of Education. Windows are lit despire late our (close to midnight) and people are everywhere. Moscow rises late and goes to bed even later, if ever. |
 Late 1700's cast iron fence and gate of the Library of Education |
 Mayor Luzhkov will be remembered by posterity for introducing backlit signs to the streets of Moscow. |
 Lavrushinsky pereulok, looking north, towards the canal. The Tretyakov Gallery is on our left. Columns on the right are free-standing structures, for pedestrians to sit in. |
Please note that all of these shots were taken by an old beaten up recorder put in the "night" mode, with no subsequent retouching. In this set of pictures I tried to capture how things appear to a human eye around midnight. |
 A closer picture of the Tretyakov Gallery. |
 If you absolutely must shop for suvenirs I can recommend this shop. I bought my favourite clay mugs here. |
 "ARTICLE
OF FOLK |
A cafe that promises to to stuff you cheap and good is also in this building across Lavrushin from the Tretyakov Gallery. I am yet to try it. |
 The end of Lavrushinsky is market by The European Commission for something or other. |
Lavrushin is a pedestrian street, same as Old Arbat. The Moscow government plans to make more streets into No Motor Vehicles zones, which is commendable. I'll share a bit of the city gossip: it was decided in the corridors of power to make tourism a major source of money for the city, from 5% at present to 20%, on part with Paris or London, over the next ten years. |
Now we are on the pedestrian bridge that takes us from Lavrushin Lane to Swamp Square Park. Throughout medieval period the park was used as the place for mass fights and public executions. Presently it serves for dog-walking and other peaceful purposes.
 West from the bridge. The bulding on the right, on Yakimanskaya embankment and Bolshaya Ordynka, houses the Eldorado Supermarket and Restaurant. The supermarket is pretty good and not as pricy as its fancy appearance may suggest. This building was also made famous by one of Russia's recent Prosecutor Generals who was caught - adn filmed - with prostitutes in one of the apartments of this mid-50s late Stalin building. If you look real carefully, you'll see a ray of light shining onto the statue of Columbus re-made into Peter-the-Great. (See Russische Stucke for a sample of absurdities, from cute and innocent to majorly annoying.) |
 From the same bridge, looking north. The bronse statue of Repin made in the socialist realism style of mid-70s greets you upon entry to this park. Mr. Repin is holding an easel and several brushes to make sure you recognize him as a painter. Speaking of this style in sculpture, smaller revolutionaries depicted in this tradition are shown with a raised fist, and the bigger troublemakers have a crowd of figures following them. |
 A Moscovite crosses the bridge. Note the plastic bag. If you really want to blend with the crowd, get into the habit of using plastic bags instead knapsacks and briefcases. |
 Looking north-east from the Lavrushinsky pedestrian bridge over the canal. Note light over the Tverskaya district, the center of Moscow merry-making any night of the week. |
 Looking east. Note the heating plant's smokestacks. The brightly lit building on the left is the newly build Czar's Gardens office and shopping mall.. |
Now we are entering the Swamp Square park and proceeding to its darkets corner to the highlight o fthe trip, Children as Victims of Adult Vices composition by Moscow sculptor Mikhail Shemyakin (alternative spelling: Mihail Chemiakin).
 "The sculptural composition |
|
This set of supposedly evil figure can be viewed day or night. In the daytime they are visited by crowds of children who loudly admire Prostitution (represented by a frog) and Promostion of Violence (prepresented by a long-nosed figure they interpret a Pinocchio) |
|
The vice of prostitution is represented by a woman with the face of a frog. I wonder why they chose a frog to represent it. Any thoughts?
|
This is my official froggie logo that graces all my documents, from memo notes to business cards to my official rubber stamp, this sine-qua-non of Russian business. Now, with traveller support being the source of my daily bread, I undestand the profound wisdom of my subconscience that farted out this symbol years ago. |
 The alcoholic who looks more like a glutton is another one of my favourites. |
 I happened to have a photo of the same statue by day. Here.
|
 This old lady represents Poverty. A custom seems to have developed to put coins by her feet. |
And the whole composition is centered around two blindfolded children, a boy
and a girl. A bronse book, Fairy Tales by Alexander Pushkin, is on the floor between them
and is probably intended to represent all things good and gentle.
From what I know, Russia may be the only place where realism in art lives and flourishes.
Beginning of Moscow Virtual Tour Main Index of Uncle Pasha's Files
Posted February 3, 2001 ~ Last update February 14, 2002
