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!