Moscow, One more journey

In short, one day I have decided to change my home town of Novosibirsk for the Russia's capital, and my resolution was to complete it before the end of 2018. Actually, this is my fifth month of the permanent staying in Moscow. I should admit that it was not easy to move from one city to another in such a short period of time. In the end, it became another adventure for me; and the story turned out to be exciting one. So, now I have many impressions to share with. 

I moved to Moscow at the end of December 2018. The gloomy weather, the lack of the shining sun, the melting snow and the huge crowds of strangers in the streets did not make a good picture of the big city. Moreover, depressive state of my mind was reinforced by the new working environment. All as a whole, this move was a big stress for me.

The things started changing after three months of my staying in Moscow. It is not only about the end of the adaptation period, but also about spring spirit. Honestly, this is a real wonder how Moscow transforms in your eyes when you feel sunlight, can breath the fresh warm air and simply have more time to observe the things at the daylight. Additionally, I had time to explore the city and locate some strong points, where I can feel comfortable and find inspiration. And now I am able to draw the true image of the city, which, in fact, looks very welcoming and positive.

So, today I set off for walking around Moscow in order to make the relevant photos and create this post, which would present the city from the prospective I see it now.

In reality, Moscow has many contradictory faces - beautiful, grotesque and shabby ones. And the city has so many different architectural styles - Classicism, Empire, Eclectic, Modern, Constructivism, Stalin Empire, High-tech etc. This variety undoubtedly appeals to me.

First of all, there are plenty of churches located here. And them all are worth visiting and admiring. As a matter of fact they count more than 600 churches from different Christian denominations in Moscow, but the biggest number belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church. And this is not surprising, because more than 1000 years ago our predecessors had chosen this kind of belief, and now we have accumulated these numerous religious objects and artifacts.

The streets in the historical centre are cozy and very attractive. In fact, there are more than 3500 streets in Moscow, but the most popular are Nikolskaya, Ilyinka, Tverskaya, Kuznetsky Most, Pokrovka, Sretenka, Old Arbat. I should notice, that the streets are really comfortable for pedestrians, but they respect also the bicyclists here, because in some places they organized the bicycle lanes.

The courtyards are very remarkable and pictorial here. And if you are the lover of city sketching, Moscow is ideal place for your practice in drawing.

There are countless squares and parks in Moscow. And them all are amazing. Honestly, I cannot wait for blossoming it at full strength.

The streets are regularly cleaned and refreshed with water here. This is one of the main reasons why I feel so comfortable and light in Moscow.

I cannot skip mentioning the underground with its outstanding interior. A good thing is that the authorities continue developing the transport infrastructure in higher rates. For example, in 2018 they opened 17 new stations, and in 2019 they have plans for, at least, 16 more stations.

People say, that many things have been rebuilt and renovated during the last five years in Moscow. However, the reconstruction is still in progress here. I really hope, they will keep preserving the historical part and make the city even more comfortable for the local inhabitants.

In general, Moscow keeps surprising me by its gorgeous look and interesting events. To sum up, I have visited one concert of the classical music, two free live concerts in the air, five museums, up to ten theatre performances, the dozens of coffee houses, bars and restaurants, not mentioning the street performances which I witnessed accidentally many times.

In truth, Moscow has a wide range of entertainment to offer for every taste, but the bad thing is that it is not always of a good quality. Honestly, there were many disappointments about it. However, by this day I can orientate myself quite easy and pick the better options for me. I even have a short list of the magnetic places in Moscow, which I visit on a regular basis. So, my favourite park is Zaryadye, my favourite boulevard is Chistye Prudy, my favourite theatre is Pushkin theatre, my favourite museum is the Gallery of 19th and 20th century European and American art, my favourite movie theatre is Pioner on Kutuzovsky Ave, my favourite coffee house is Starbucks in Kamergerskiy Pereulok, the best price/quality coffee for 60 roubles is from OnePriceCoffee chain, the best authentic pub is John Bull near the Smolenskaya station and the best restaurant in terms of quality and money is Grabli.

Now I am in anticipation of summer. Some experienced people promised to me even more positive emotions during the upcoming season. Let's wait and see. I hope, my expectations will be met.