Moscow virtual tour: Zamoskvorechye to Preobrazhenka

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ZAMOSKVORECHYE TO PREOBRAZHENSKY FARMERS MARKET ALONG THE YAUZA RIVER
A series of Zamoskvorechye views from a humped pedestrial bridge overlooking the canal

Zamoskvorechye apartment for short-term rent or backpacker accommodation

Zamoskvorechye. A pedestrian bridge over the canal, looking East.	Still there, turning a bit north. Normally one of the Stalin skyscrapers dominates over this view but here you can only see half of it because of the mist.	Now, while looking east, we turn 15 degrees to the right and see the edifice of the Ministry of Economic Development.
Still on the same humped pedestrial bridge over the canal. The tall grey building in the background is where I live. I'll be trying to make friends with the service people to get a hold of the key to give me access to the roof, and then you get, provided the project goes well, a panoramic view of Moscow.	And that's the bridge itself. When I get overcome by the fact that I have no job the way normal people have, I contemplate a file of dark figures marching over that bridge every morning. You see only two or three figures because it is Saturday, and very few people actually live in Zamoskvorechye.	Accommodation in Moscow, mostly in the budget range Horseback riding, rafting, caving and other rural fun at the webmaster's "dacha" between Moscow and St. Petersburg Backpacker accommodation 7-9 min. from Red Square $25 per person, $35/couple

February 2, 2002. Well above zero after a week of heavy snowfalls. Water and slush everywhere. In this virtual tour and elsewhere in photos you may see on this site moisture in its various forms is present in abundance. Don't be too disappointed. Part of the explanation is that drizzling rain and plus 10 centigrade is when I am most active and most willing to run around with a camera to bring you a realistic picture of Moscow. Please make a correction for this quirk in my constitution.

As usual, our tour starts in Zamoskvorechye ("Behind the Moskva River"). It ends at the Moscow's biggest and cheapest farmers market in the Preobrazhensky ("Transfiguration") district. On our way we'll stop at the Crystall Vodka Distilleries on Samokatnaya ("Scooter") street in Lefortovo.

Now we are on the Ustinsky bridge. "Ustye" means mouth of the river. This is where the Yauza flows into the Moskva. Among the points of interest of this area are the Illusion Movie Theatre in the left wing of the Stalin skyscraper where the French embassy shows old French movies, and the library of foreign literature that is a good place to start looking for a job if you are in Moscow to teach English.

This next few shots are from the Ustinksi bridge, where the Yauza flows in to the Moskva.

East, down the river. East and south-east are factory districts; lots of smokestacks could be seen on a clear day	Looking south, back to Zamoskvorechye. The 30's building on the left is the college of garment design or something like that.	Moscow's oldest streetcar line connects two sides of the city. Moscow trams deserves a special description. [link to Solomonov's Tram Page]
A ZIL truck taking snow from heavy snowfall in the beginning of this week to the outskirts of the city. Moscow authorities largely banned the practice of dumping dirty snow into the river.	The Rossiya ("Russia") hotel and concert hall. Although no details can be seen in weather like this, the picture conveys the sense of gray-ness for the connoisseurs of gloom. A view west from the Ustinsky Bridge	A view west, onto the heating plant on the right bank of the Moskva opposite to the Kremlin. This picture will soon be replaced by one taken on a clear day, with a clear view of the Kremlin and Ivan-the-Great bellfy..

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Now we are over the bridge to the Yauzskiye Vorota ("Yauza Gates") Square, at the beginning of the Boulevard Ring.

Yauza Gates Square, looking north, with the back to the Ustinsky Bridge.

Now we are proceeding up the Yauza river. One point worth taking a note of in this area is the Library of Foreign Literature. The bulletin board in the entrance hall has ads from persons and schools inviting English teachers. By some reason I couldn't find its picture in the camera, so you will have to take my word.

The brightest thing seen on that gloomy day was an entrace to a casino on the left bank of the Yauza, close to its mouth. Gambling is popular with Russians who, despite strong schooling, have but a weak understanding of probability and statistics.

One of the highlights of the trip - Crystall Vodka Distillers on Samokatnaya Ulitsa.

Vodka related materials are piling up somewhere in the Misery Tourism section

"Samokatnaya" is an adjective formed from "samokat" which means "scooter" or "push-cycle".

A store inside the factory. Fake products are quite a problem, and it is thus better to buy direct from the producer. More expensive Crystall vodkas (with black labels) cost an equivalent of $6US, which cheaper ones are less than two bucks.

Picture taken with the permission of store manager who declined be shown here.

Usually Russians are quite camera-shy even when they have an oppurtunity to advertise their business. It may be a consequence of decade of KGB rule or perhaps their understanding of the virtue of humbleness.

Proceeding up the Yauza embankment

The Bauman Technical University, a gloomy Stalin era place swarming with thousands of leather-jacketed students. Yes, today I definitely feel Russophobic - a natural response to being told several time to hide my camera away or it may get incidentally broken. [TO BE EDITED OUT BEFORE POSTING]

Proceeding up the Yauza embankment. Notice the repair works in progress. Massive public works in Moscow are glorious picture indeed. I would be happy to document them if not numerous security guards that are allergic to cameras. If I was rich I'd scrap the whole virtual tour project designed to entice you here and do a russophobia site instead.

Now we are approaching the Preobrazhensky ("Transfiguration") market.

"We are Russians. God is with us." Preobrazhenka is a working class neighbourhood.

"Long live the police and the army!"

The market is near Preobrazhenskaya Square, 3rd Cherkizovskaya ulitsa

Here I tried to capture the slush and mud of February and March Moscow. I was caught doing that by the market's bosses, told that, in their opinion, I am collecting incriminating material on them, informed of a fellow before me who had an accident with his camera, and asked to do my shopping fast and leave.

Russian sellers didn't mind my taking photos of their produce but themselves preferred to stay our of site.

Those from neighbouring republics did not mind to be on the camera. A Georgian refugee settled in Moscow selling green produce that still grows in open ground in southern Georgia.

"Cigarettes and beer, wholesale or retail." Cigarettes are the most popular product in this country where nearly 100% of men smoke.

Persimmon, slightly damaged, sells for 5 roubles (15 cents) per kilo.

Western travellers often write me asking about the food situation. Relax.

Grapes, 25 roubles (80 cents) per kilo.

This brick wall is used as a bulletin board. Wall unit for sale, room wanted for rent, fruit saleswoman wanted...

Dance lessons: Latin American, Rock 'n' Roll, Flamengo whatever that means, club dances..

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That was not the end of my trip. The final destination was the soya center on Pervomaiskaya street in Izmailovo, where I wanted to pick up some rather credible vegetarian sausage. If you are interested in how a vegetarian can live and thrive in Moscow please proceed to www.vegrussia.org that I am administering this year.

Materials of interest to fellow vegetarians are moving to ..\vegetarian_russia.htm

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All-vegetable sausage, rather credibly made from seawead and corn. The price is 150 roubles (5 dollars US) per kilogram, or about $2.40/lb.

Now we are moving back the same route we came except of course we'll drive on the opposite (right) bank of the Yauza, and the Kremlin embankment along the Moskva.

Looking back south (upstream) from the bridge over the Yauza near the Andronnikov convent. Late 19th century railroad bridge in front of us. Notice barges in the river.

Same direction and a bit to the right (east).

South from the bridge

Now we are on the Kremlin embankment. Ustinsky Bridge where we started is behind us.

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The heat generation plant on the other (Zamoskvorechye) side of the river.

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Ivan-the-Great bellfy emerging from the mist.

Shines bright an advertising billboard in front of the Rossiya hotel build over bulldozed 16th and 17th century town.

And on this note let me finish this gloomy-ish tour. I'll try to make the next one more cheerful.

Uncle Pasha's CONSULTANTS & FACILITATORS

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Beginning of Moscow Virtual Tour

Posted Feb. 3, 2002 ~ Last update Feb. 3, 2002

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