Walking around the ring

The ring is a circular route that sorrounds the centre of Moscow.

Originally here stood the long and tall defensive walls of the city of tsars. Between XVIII and XIX century a two way road with a green boulvard in the middle took their place. That green boulvard is now considered the longest park in Moscow. It is also the park with the most original shape and -I would like to add, the narrowest park I've ever walked.

I went to explore it last week.

I found literature (the statute of Aleksandr Griboyedov - Russian playwright), architecture ("monastyr" seem to mushroom in Moscow), politics (the statue of Nadezdha Krupskaya: Lenin's wife - writer and fierce Bolshevik), music (the statute of Sergei Rachmaninov - composer), art (several museums). In Petrovsky Bulvar, between Petrosky Monastyr and Art Nouveau buildings I also found "globalization".

Click on video :)

Garage - contemporary art

This is one of the many contemporary art museums here in Moscow. It is close to where a live and yesterday I went to have a look at it.
I am not a massive fan of contemporary art, but I believe that visiting a museum it is always worth it. You never know, you may discover something new.

I very much enjoyed the photography exhibition on the on "Alternative fashion before Glossies 1985-1995". Here what was written on the wall when I entered the room:
"..history of alternative fashion, a trend that emerged at the junction of rock and squat club culture during the period that started with early perestroika and ended with the arrival of glossy fashion periodicals in mid 90's."

My understanding is that when Russia opened its frontiers to the Western world, young people got overwhelmed by this new freedom, by the trends and ideas coming from Europe and the United States. And they liked it so much that they mixed punk with rock with New Wave and whatever else was available from the West. The result was an underground culture that created an alternative fashion.
When I first looked at those pictures I thought they were exaggerated both in terms of clothing and poses. Unprobable dresses or half naked models, masks and elegant hats, heels and boots, propaganda poses with design dresses.. it was all so mixed and messed up!
Then I thought that -maybe- there was such a hunger for freedom that they did not care about making distincions and they took it all.

I can't blame them.

Stary Arbat - Old Arbat (from my Moleskine)

It claims to be one of the oldest streets of the Russian capital (15th century). It was home of craftsmen and was an important trade route. It was burnt down by Napoleon but was rebuilt soon after. In the 19th century you could spot Pushkin and Tolstoj walking up and down this busy street.

Today you can find here portraitists, painters, musicians, singers and lots of shops selling all sorts of matrioska, chess boards, jewelery and Cold War souvenirs. Being a pedestrain street, no cars are allowed. So you can stroll freely without worrying of being run over by a reckless Russian driver!

The master and Margherita - Michail Bulgakov

" At the hour of the hot spring sunset at Patriarch's Pond two citizens appeared.

The first of them -some 40 years old and dressed in a a grey summer suit- was short, well fed and bald.... The second - a broad-shouldered. gingery, shock headed young man.... was wearing a cowboy shrt, crumpled white trousers and black soft shoes.

.... ....

Yes, the first strang thing about that terrible May evening should be noted. Not just by the booth but along the entire tree-lines avenue, running paralled to Malaya Bronnaia street, not a single person was about...

.... Having quenched their thirst, the writers immediately started hiccuping, they settled up and seated themselves on a bench with their faces to the pond and their backs to Bronnaya."

(from www.oneworldclassics.com)

This is the beginning of one of the most interesting books I have read so far.

The picture here portays the Patriasrhi Prudy, where Bulgakov set the opening scene of this intriguing and surprising story.