{"id":9676,"date":"2025-08-21T02:14:35","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T02:14:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nordinabubakar.com\/?p=9676"},"modified":"2025-08-28T03:50:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T03:50:13","slug":"moscow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nordinabubakar.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/21\/moscow\/","title":{"rendered":"TranSiberia Train Journey : Kazan to Moscow(4 hours)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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St Basil\u2019s cathedral <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I heard about this city before. Mainly from the news and many Hollywood movies . It\u2019s a place of cold, gloomy with western spy infested streets. The women were ugly and the men were dirty and smelly . I\u2019ve never dreamed to visit this awful place. Being communist with the iron curtain policy, it also shut the doors for outsiders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I was here nevertheless, with many thousands of other tourists trying to know and understand why Moscow is a great city. It is a city of immense scale, deep history, and powerful presence, making it “great” by many definitions. Its greatness comes from a unique combination of imperial grandeur, Soviet might, and a modern, vibrant energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We arrived early in the morning and greeted by Olga, a beautiful Russian lady in her 50s. The weather was about right for a late summer;not so hot, a bit windy and kinda wet. As we drove around the city Olga narrated the facts and figures about what we saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arrived in Moscow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Olga and tour leader Salimi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The scale of everything in Moscow is awe-inspiring. The wide avenues, massive buildings, and the general sense of space are overwhelming and contribute to its feeling of grandeur. The architecture from the past was well preserved  and made you wonder whether all these were the result of their struggles to protect the country. Some 28 million soldiers died in WW2 fighting against the nazi. I felt small and insignificant comparatively; my people and my country have a long way to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shopping area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Is everyone here ?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Russian dolls <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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fun at the square <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We waited in the wind and cold for a change of guards. I was pushed and stared at just for blocking someone\u2019s view. In two minutes the thing finished. That\u2019s it. OMG! I felt so stupid. But the face-turning part was cute! hahaha. I wanted more of that but it was only a change of guards ceremony not a dance show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n