Praça Vermelha - The Red Square

Catedral de São Basílio / St. Basil's Cathedral 

A Praça Vermelha, em Moscovo, é um lugar fantástico! A primeira vez que entrei na Praça Vermelha fiquei com pele de galinha. Foi a primeira vez que senti arrepios causados pela visão de um local, mas a Praça Vermelha é tão imponente, majestosa e bonita que me impressionou enormemente. Eu não sabia exactamente o que ia encontrar, porque me recusei a ver fotos na internet antes de ir, para não ficar com as expectativas demasiado altas. Funcionou! Claro que já tinha visto fotos na internet, mas não o fiz mesmo antes de ir e não tinha na cabeça uma imagem clara do que ia ver.

The Red Square in Moscow is an amazing place! The first time I entered the Red Square I got goose bumps. It was the first time that happened because of a sight, but the Red Square is so imposing, majestic, and beautiful that I felt overwhelmed. I didn't know exactly what I was going to find, as I refused to see pictures on the internet before I went, so I wouldn't rise my expectations. It worked! Of course I had seen pictures before, but just not immediately before I went, so I didn't have a clear image in my mind. 

Foto Panoramica da Praça Vermelha (retirada daqui) / Panorama of the Red Square (from here)

A Praça Vermelha é enorme e nela podemos ver a Catedral de São Basílio, à sua direita o Kremlin com o Mausoléu de Lenine, à esquerda as Galerias GUM, e em frente à catedral podemos ver o Museu Histórico do Estado. A entrada principal, ou Entrada e Capela Ibéricas, fica ao lado do museu e desde a entrada à Catedral são cerca de 400m. Quando se atravessa o arco da entrada vê-se a Catedral de São Basílico lá ao fundo e da primeira vez parece uma visão que se vai tornando realidade à medida que caminhamos na sua direcção. 

The Red Square is huge and on it we can see St. Basil's Cathedral, on its right the Kremlin and the Lenin's Mausoleum, on its left the GUM department store, and in front of the cathedral the State Historical Museum. The main entrance, the Iberian Gate and Chapel, is right next to the museum and from the entrance to the cathedral is about 400m. When crossing the arch of the entrance we could see St. Basil's Cathedral very far away. At first, the sight of the Cathedral seemed an optical illusion and it slowly got more and more real as we walked towards it.

Entrada e Capela Ibéricas / Iberian Gate and Chapel

Da esquerda para a direita: Galerias GUM, a Catedral de São Basílio e o Kremlin. 

From left to right: GUM department store, St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin.

Museu Hisórico do Estado e à sua direita a entrada principal.

State Historical Museum and to its right side the Entrance.

O Museu Histórico do Estado e à sua direita as galerias GUM.

The State Historical Museum and to its right GUM department store.

Catedral de São Basílio e à sua esquerda as galerias GUM.

St. Basil's Cathedral and on its left side the GUM department store.

Catedral de São Basílio e à direita uma das torres do Kremlin.

St. Basil's Cathedral and to its right one of the towers of the Kremlin.

Entre o museu e as galerias GUM está a catedral do Kazão em Moscovo, bem menor em tamanho, mas igualmente bonita e peculiar.

In between the museum and GUM is the Kazan's Cathedral in Moscow. It's much smaller if compared to St. Basil's but it is as beautiful and its architecture is also unusual. 

Catedral do Kazão em Moscovo / Kazan's Cathedral in Moscow

Catedral São Basílio - St. Basil's Cathedral 

A catedral tornou-se o nosso monumento favorito em Moscovo. É um monumento lindíssimo com as suas torres coloridas e a sua arquitectura unica e incomum. O seu interior também é especial, uma vez que é composta por divisões pequenas em vez do salão enorme, que encontramos na maioria das catedrais. Hoje em dia a catedral é um museu e vale a pena visitar. 

The cathedral was probably our favourite sight in Moscow. It's just so beautiful with its unusual and unique architecture and colours. Inside is no ordinary cathedral either, as it has been divided into small rooms and is not just a big room like most cathedrals. Nowadays, St. Basil Cathedral is a museum and it's worth to visit.  

Interior da Catedral de São Basílio / Interior of St. Basil's Cathedral

Vista do 1º andar da Catedral / View from the first floor of the Cathedral

Galerias GUM - GUM department store

As galerias GUM começaram por ser uma cadeia de lojas da antiga União Soviética, localizadas em várias cidades russas, sendo as mais famosas as da Praça Vermelha. Hoje em dia as GUM da Praça Vermelha são um centro comercial chique, onde se podem encontrar lojas de designers famosos como Channel, Armani, entre outras marcas, internacionais e russas. O interior das galerias é muito bonito, com uma arquitectura russa medieval, um telhado em vidro e aço e corredores com canteiros floridos e fontes.  

The GUM stores were the oldest department stores in the Soviet Union, located in several Russian cities. The most famous one was/is located in the Red Square. Nowadays, the GUM in the Red Square are a chic shopping center, containing famous brands such as Channel, Armani and other international and Russian brands. The interior of the galleries is really beautiful in a Russian Medieval style, a glass roof with a steel frame, flower beds and fountains in the corridors. 

O interior das galerias GUM / The interior of the GUM shopping center

Uma das entradas das galerias GUM / One of the entrances of GUM

Acabámos por não visitar o museu, mas visitámos o Kremlin, cujas fotos vou colocar num outro post para não tornar este ainda mais longo. E vocês? O que acham da Praça Vermelha e da magnífica Catedral de São Basílio?

We ended up not visiting the museum, but we did visit the Kremlin. I will post about the Kremlin in another post, otherwise this will become an endless post. How about you? What do you think of the Red Square and of its magnificent St. Basil's Cathedral?

Metro de Moscovo / Moscow Metro

O metro de Moscovo é o meio de transporte mais rápido para percorrer grandes distâncias na cidade. Foi inaugurado em 1935 e foi o primeiro sistema de metro na União Soviética. A rede de Metro foi sendo alargada ao longo dos tempos e hoje em dia conta com 194 estações que se estendem por cerca de 324 km. A arquitectura do metro de Moscovo é famosa e há estações lindíssimas, com arcadas decorativas, estátuas e outras peças de arte. 

The metro of Moscow is the fastest means of transport within Moscow city. It opened in 1935 and it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. The metro network has been extended since then and nowadays it has 194 stations and a route length of 324 km. The metro in Moscow is also well known by its architecture and its beautiful stations with decorative arcades and art items.

Estação de Komsomolskaya, de estilo barroco /  Komsomolskaya station in baroque style

Mayakovskaya station

Uma das criticas feitas pela população moscovita é o facto de muito esforço e dinheiro ter sido investido para alargar a rede de metro, mas muito pouca atenção foi dada à sua manutenção. O resultado é visivel para quem usa este meio de transporte, pois os comboios são velhos e muito ruidosos, ainda que eficientes. Uma consequência da falta de manutenção do sistema foi o descarrilamento de um comboio do metro que ocorreu a 15 de Julho deste ano, na mesma semana que estavamos em Moscovo, do qual resultaram 24 mortos. O acidente ocorreu numa estação longe do centro da cidade e a uma profundidade de mais de 80m, o que dificultou o trabalho das equipas de emergência. 

One of the complaints made by the Muscovites is that a lot of effort and money has been employed to extend the metro network, but very little has been done to improve the existing lines and stations. This is visible to the metro users, as the trains can be really old and noisy, even if they are efficient as well. A sad consequence of the lack of maintenance of the metro system was the derailment of a train on July 15th this year, in the same week we were visiting Moscow, which resulted in 24 deaths. The accident took place in a station far from the city center, at a depth of over 80m, which made it difficult to the rescuing teams.

Novoslobodskaya station

 Ploshchad Revolyutsii station

A estação de Ploshchad Revolyutsii tem inúmeras estátuas de soldados e trabalhadores em posições desconfortáveis. As estátuas estão em baixo de arcadas de mármore vermelho. 

Ploshchad Revolyutsii station sontains numerous statues of soldiers and workers, all in uncomfortable positions. The statues sit under red marble arches.   

As estações no centro da cidade são mais modernas e cuidadas, onde circulam os comboios mais novos. Em algumas linhas do centro há painéis electrónicos com indicações do trajecto e das próximas estações, enquanto que nas linhas mais antigas apenas se houve uma voz roufenha a cada estação. Quem não fala russo tem que prestar muita atenção e tentar ler o nome da estação na parede quando o comboio está parado. Escrevi tentar porque o que nós faziamos era mais memorizar os primeiros 3 símbolos cirílicos das estações e não propriamente ler. 

The stations in the city center are usually more modern and with better trains as well. In some of these trains there are electronic panels showing information about the traveling route and the following stations. In the older trains, this is information is not displayed but there's a bad recorded voice saying the name of the stops. Those who don't speak Russian have to try to read the name of the station outside, when the train stops. I wrote try to read, because what we did was to memorise the first 3 Cyrillic symbols of each stop, and not exactly to read the whole word.

 Na transição entre as estações de Ploshchad Revolyutsii e Teatralnaya

Transition between Ploshchad Revolyutsii and Teatralnaya stations

A linha no topo são as estações da linha onde estamos, e as tabelas são as linhas para as quais podemos mudar em cada estação.

The top line shows the stations of the current metro line, while the tables below each station show the different lines one can transfer at each stop.

Belorusskaya Station

Pode parecer estranho, mas para mim andar no metro de Moscovo foi uma das melhores experiências no estrangeiro que já tive. Foi um desafio mental enorme e a sensação de desafio cumprido no final foi grande. Se calhar foi uma prova de como a felicidade está nas pequenas coisas inesperadas.

It might sounds strange, but to use the metro in Moscow was for me one of the coolest experiences as a traveller. It was a huge mental challenge and the feeling of accomplishment after each day was unbelievable. Maybe it's a proof that happiness is in the little unexpected things.  

VDNKh - Moscow

VDNKh, conhecido como o Centro Panrusso de Exposições, é um parque de exposições em Moscovo, uma espécie de Expo98. Foi idealizado por Stalin em 1935, mas a abertura oficial foi adiada várias vezes devido a defeitos nas construções e foi inaugurado apenas em 1939. O parque é gigantesco, maior que o principado do Mónaco, e contém cerca de 400 edifícios, fontes, jardins, um parque de diversões e muitas pessoas a passear. Num dia comum a maioria dos pavilhões estão fechados mas o parque é agradável por si só, especialmente ao final do dia, depois de estarmos fechados o dia todo num centro de conferências. Aqui ficam algumas fotos.

VDNKh, known as the All-Russian Exhibition Center, is a permanent general-purpose exhibition center in Moscow. It was idealized by Stalin in 1935, but its opening was postponed several times due to construction defects and it was opened only in 1939. The park is enormous, bigger than the principality of Monaco, and it contains about 400 buildings, fountains, gardens, an amusement park and loads of people enjoying themselves. In a regular day most of the pavilions are closed but the park is really pleasant as it is anyway. Especially at the end of the end, after being closed up in a conference room all day. Here are some pictures. 

Monumento dos Conquistadores do Espaço / Monument to the Conquers of Space

 Propylaea - A entrada principal / The central gate entrance

 Roda de Moscovo - Moscow Ferris wheel

A entrada principal e os jardins da avenida principal / The central gate entrance and the gardens of the main Boulevard

Pavilhão Central - Central Pavilion

 Pavilhão do Quirguistão / Pavilion of Kyrgyzstan 

 Fonte da "Amizade entre Nações" / Fountain of "Friendship of Nations"

 Pavilhão da Ucrânia / Pavilion of Ukraine

 Casa futurística? / Futuristic house?

 Pavilhão do Espaço / Space pavilion

Adorei as fontes a representar os gases expelidos como se o foguetão estivesse prestes a ser lançado para o espaço. 

I liked the water fountains representing the gases expelled by the ignition of the rocket, as if it was almost being released to space. 

Claro que há sempre quem tire partido dos locais mais populares. Neste caso vimos uma fila de senhoras a vender vestidos, e um rapaz a exibir papagaios coloridos. Afinal era um centro de exposições, ora essa!

In such popular spots, there's always someone trying to sell something. This time we found a queue of ladies selling dresses (online shopping is so last decade, now it's inline shopping!), and a boy showing off his colourful birds. It was an exhibition center after all!

Como tudo o resto em Moscovo, este parque era enorme e cheio de edifícios e avenidas imponentes. Visitar o VDNKh foi uma maneira maravilhosa de terminar o dia. 

As everything else in Moscow, it was a huge place with gigantic buildings and boulevards. Visiting the VDNKh was a wonderful way to end the day!

Marco's Sara Jump

O Marco e a Telma ficaram noivos recentemente e para celebrar a ocasião fizeram uma sessão fotográfica, onde não se esqueceram de fazer um Sara Jump! O primeiro Sara Jump captado por um fotografo profissional!

Recently, Marco and Telma got engaged and to celebrate such special moment they had a photo session, in which they didn't forget to make a Sara Jump! The first one captured by a professional photographer!

Marco & Telma, 2014

Photo by João Pedro Jesus

Martina Trchova - Barvy Ženy

Martina Trchova is a Czech singer, an artist and a fantastic woman (see her website)! Her latest project is called Colours of Women (originally Barvy Ženy), as it involves 4 female artists from 4 different countries: 

Martina Trchova from Czech Republic

Ana Lagidze, from Georgia

Lesya Demchenko, originally from Ukraine but living in Turkey

Takako Morishita, from Japan

https://www.startovac.cz/projekty/barvy-zeny/

The event will be held in Hradec na Moravici, here in Czech Republic, on August 30th. It will start with a concert from Martina herself and her Trio, and later on there will be artistic workshops guided by the 4 women. The artists come from different background and generations, which is expressed by the way they approach and see art.

To make the meeting of these 4 women successful, Martina needs all the help she can get. Please visit the website of the project HERE, where you can read more about this project and make your contribution by buying rewards. She has already gathered the minimum necessary funds to make sure the event will happen, but in order to cover the travel costs of all artists she needs to gather more. 

Now, many of you live very far away from Czech Republic, so rewards like singing classes, or art workshops will not work, but you can buy paintings, art works, or a CD from Martina Trchova and Trio. I will be helping Martina shipping the rewards to you, so you don't have to worry. 

To make it easier here's the list of shippable rewards, and the approximate prices in Euros and US dollars. All contributions are welcome!

 95 CZK (€3, $4) - Poster signed by all the artists
150 CZK (€5, $7) - Posters and photographs with the artists
300 CZK (€10, $14) - Art prints of Himalayan Travel Diary - size A3 (by Martina Trchova, choose here)
400 CZK (€14, $19) - Original painting using Linocut technique (by Martina Trchova, choose here)
500 CZK (€18, $24) - Original painting of Autumn in Czech Siberia (České Sibiri by Martina Trchova)
600 CZK (€21, $28) - CD by Martina Trchova and Original Graphics

I think this will be a very entertaining and interesting event, and I will be there as one of the photographers, so you will be able to read about Barvy Zeny soon again.

Martina and I thank you all!

Martina Trchova, 2014

Challenge

Sami from the blog Sami's Colourful world challenged me and here are my answers.

- The world would be a better place if...
... we would all be a little less selfish and self-centred.

- A friendship is really important when...
... we think we don't need it, we can deal with everything alone.
   
- Patience and tolerance for me is...  
... something you get more of as you get older.

- Something that irritates me profoundly... 
... unfairness.

- I think that humble people are...
... those we are purely happy with what they have.

- When the day dawns cloudy, I...
... remind myself the sun is still shining behind the clouds.

- An essential quality in people is...
... the ability to laugh at themselves.

It felt good to stop my busy day for 5 minutes and think of some more important things in life.
I end this challenge by inviting all my readers to reply to the same questions, either in your blogs or by email (voltasnomundo@hotmail.com).