MOSCOW / KIEV photos

FINALLY! 

Pictures (the interesting ones, at least) of Moscow and Kiev! Admittedly these pictures are far overdue, but I had trouble uploading them to the blog website. I guess blogspot can't handle super awesome, bad-ass, beastly, super-wicked photos. It's a damn shame. While my mother and grandmother will most likely be disappointed in me, I chose to forgo many of the "cultural" excursions during our trip- and headed straight for anything military-related. The result? A Soviet Air-Force control bunker 300 feet underground in downtown Moscow, a huge WW2 museum in Kiev, and me playing in an M24 Hind helicopter and a Mig 15. Anyways, for explanations as to what each picture contains- read the caption. Enjoy!

LENIN'S MAUSOLEUM

Ironically, perhaps the most jaw-dropping feature of Moscow was the only place where photography is prohibited. I had the opportunity to see Lenin's actual embalmed dead body, complete in a glass case inside a marble building smack-dab in the middle of Red Square. It was literally the most creepy feeling I have had in a while, and words cannot describe the vibe that a dead revolutionary figure gives off. I was staring at a man who was the cause of the entire Soviet Union, the cause of the largest socialist state to ever exist in history, and arguably the cause of the Cold War. While these statements are obviously debatable, I just like to imagine what path Russia would be on presently if Lenin had not existed. Regardless of my hypothetical situations, speculation isn't worth a damn, now is it?

MOSCOW- Bunker 42. The Soviet Air Command Center during the Cold War. 300 feet below ground in downtown Moscow.

At the same level as the Moscow Metro, Subway trains could be heard passing by every so often. When the structure was built, it was disguised as simply another subway line. Those crafty Soviet bastards...

Receiving launch coordinates...

FIRE ZE MIZZILE! About to launch a fictitious missile strike on America.

Gas Masks for babies. The reality of a possible nuclear war really set in when we toured this part of the museum. The tour guide gave us a great sense of isolation- which would be exactly the case if a nuclear event occured, and Moscow was reduced to rubble.

A gutted wing of the bunker. It was built using the same round shape as the metro, as to disguise it from any sort of underground spying the West attempted during the cold war.

KIEV- Just another tall epic statue that I felt compelled to imitate.

The 300 foot tall statue dedicated to Kiev's effort in WW2. Seen from a long, long ways away.

View out my hotel window in Kiev. 

Absolutely ecstatic inside the M24. I didn't even realize my face until a friend showed me this picture. I was in that cockpit for literally 15 minutes. So AWESOME.

Just making some mid-flight adjustments.

The huge statue close up. Pictures cannot do this thing justice- it was absolutely enormous.

Just making sure my instruments are squared away on my MIG-15.

MOSCOW- Red Square in all of it's beauty.

Sup, Shrek.

Russian equivalent to our Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Obelisk commemorating all of the "Founding Fathers of Socialism" Names included: Marx, Lenin, Engels.. and many other dudes with superb beards.

Outside the Kremlin.

Thoughts on Moscow and Kiev

MOSCOW-

             In retrospect, my journey to Moscow was extremely brief. The two days I spent in Russia’s bustling capital were jam-packed with sightseeing, on-foot adventures, and delicious Holiday Inn continental breakfasts. We arrived via overnight train from St. Petersburg at around 8 in the morning on Saturday. And what is the first thing you do when you go to Moscow? Why yes! That’s correct! You go directly to Red Square. Honestly, the square was not as big as I perceived it to be. The YouTube research (watching military parades of awesome Russian tanks instead of writing essays in the library) I have done over the last couple years led me to believe that the Red Square was much much larger than it actually is. Perhaps this is Russian bias when filming television broadcasts, or perhaps it is just that Russian tanks aren’t as large and fearsome as Americans think they are. The latter has been disproved- I’ve climbed on at least 23 tanks here and they are all large. Regardless of size, Red Square is still an enormous expanse of ancient awe, a center of all things Soviet, and the first image anyone pictures in their head when they think of Russia. When compared to St. Petersburg, Moscow does not even graze the level of beauty which Peter possesses. That said, the vibe of Moscow was extremely upbeat. Being in the city revealed the feeling of importance of the city economically, socially and culturally. While St. Petersburg has the beauty and splendor, Moscow definitely has the brains and brawn.

KIEV.

            If Russia were Darth Vader, then the Ukraine would definitely be characterized as Luke Skywalker. A young rebel who refuses to become a part of an “Evil Empire” (read: Soviet Union) is living instead under some sort of identity crisis. It was evident in Kiev that even Ukrainians were unsure of their own national identity. Aspects of the west were ever apparent, such as clothing style and etiquette - people will actually hold a door open for you. But when a country is only 20 years old, remnants of its old ways also permeate everyday life. Like Russia, Ukraine’s infrastructure is strewn, and this is obvious. Public Transport seems to be in a fit, traffic jams are everywhere, and no one is ever on time. EVER. Regardless, the city was gorgeous and the country which is hosting Euro Cup 2012 could be summed up as a more gentle version of Russia.

Apologies for the lack of pictures- I took over 500 in the course of 1 week and am still sorting through them to give my readers only the best!