Strength Of Spirit
Russia
01 CHAPTER
MOSCOW
I finally made it to Russia! I am visiting Moscow for the first time, if not taking into account a very short layover, about 20 years ago, when as a teenager I flew across the Atlantic Ocean. I only had a couple of hours to see the city, so I figured I would visit the red square and see the Kremlin! It was wintertime. I remember how cold it was, I remember my ridiculous, orange jacket that showed off my skinny legs, which sort of stuck out there, squeezed in tight jeans; while my head was covered with a funny flat-crowned hat, completing this dull outfit. And here I come again! This time it is summertime! Now I am an adult woman who is very used to flying across the Atlantic Ocean. And what did I do first? I went to Red Square again, to soak up the atmosphere of this city and feel the strength of the Russian spirit!
What strikes me most about this city is the boundless vastness of broad avenues, boulevards, and parks. Here, you do not feel cramped or claustrophobic, but on the contrary, you are breathing fully, with all your mighty strength! A couple of times, I had situations when I couldn’t cross the street. The streets were just too wide, and there was no way to walk or even quickly run across the street. I had to look for an underground passage. By the way, there are lots of them in the city, which makes the life of a pedestrian much easier and stress-free.
I decided to head to the observation deck of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Once again, I ended up being the only person interested in doing such a thing, at that late hour. Visitors were no longer allowed inside the Cathedral, but I was offered to perform an "Ascent" to the very top and enjoy the views of Moscow. I had no other choice but to actually "ascend" the Cathedral, by using the stairs, since the elevators stopped working. What I did not know is that the viewing platform, combined four structurally matching decks, located in between the bell towers of the Cathedral. At one point, I was utterly delusional because I felt like I kept coming back to the same deck topped by a substantial golden bell, and saw familiar views of the city, unveiled right before me. I thought that maybe I was trapped in there, and from that point on, will be going in and out of the same space for infinity, until I repent my sins or unravel some sort of mysterious puzzle sent from above. Eventually, I was able to break the vicious cycle, and felt very much relieved, when I finally escaped the Holy Place for good, and continued my late wanderings in the city.
