Moscow 2023

Ko.Fe.

Ko.Fe.

Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
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6:29 PM
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Jul 14, 2013
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Belgium 🇧🇪
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My previous trip was in 2016. Malkovich (pedestrian), New Canadian (passenger) and others in Moscow.

I couldn't get back where since 2023. Parents are gone.

This time I have to fly Toronto-Amsterdam-Helsinki. Bus to St. Petersburg and train to Moscow. Same to get back. Three days on the road, one way.

To where trip was non-stop. Bit more adventurous.

Once I got to St. Petersburg, I have no way to communicate. To connect to public wi-fi in Russia you have to have their mobile phone number. I got none.
Used most of local currency I have to barely make it before closing from subway stop where bus came to train station.

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After midnight, no money, no communication. No food, except two energy bars my wife gave me on departure day.

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I allocated manager on shift and she used rail station phone line to connect me with my school friend. I let him know where I'm and asked to let my wife know...
 
I think it was a reral adventure with many difficulties. It's a tragic sign of the times. Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry for the loss of your parents.
 
Thank you, Robert. It happened. Would they choose to come here. I won lottery for them under previous (normal) government.
It is getting worse and worse in Canada for families to stay united. Much more worse comparing to 2003 we came it. I want my Canada back.
And Russia too...

I was coming at beginning of last week New Year (Russian old New Year is Jan 14th) and week after Orthodox X-mas.
I deliberately selected two floors express train, second floor sleeping cabin for four. It was not existent before.
Train arrived from Karelian city where some of my relatives lives for long time.
But it came to different platform they have announced.

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And most of the second floor including where I was sleeping was occupied by some young females sports team from Nizhniy Novgorod city.

It was my first time to lay down and sleep on three days journey.

Woke up just close to Moscow and observed some familiar places. Like ski slope where I was going with my parents on weekends for cross country ski and later on for my first downhill on some crappy old eastern block skis.

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I have noticed how similarly to Toronto they have it overbuild since 2016...
 
Ko.Fe, my wife and I took the Aeroflot flight from Havana direct to Moscow a few years ago. Nice flight, great service, inedible food. We did the sleeper train up to St. Petersburg and the high speed train back to Moscow. I don't want to speak disparagingly of your home country so will only say that we will not be returning.

What a Cuban does in Moscow in June (they call this summer)
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Our take on how to survive in Russia.
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I will say Russian mechanical things do not wear out.
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Thank you all for kind words. According to Putin, in first quarter of 2022, life expectancy was 73 yo. My parents made it to their eighties. My mother's relatives, some, were helping them.
Land internet is down in our boonies. They say something is broken at 200 km away small town and it is causing no internet here, part of most populated area in Canada. If I would tell it in Russia they will laugh.
Using mobile internet and here is one of the picture I took on mobile phone at regular shop in Moscow.
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In Soviet if regular broadcast was interrupt by Swan Lake ballet, it was before official announcement about head of the state been done.
 
Rob-F said:
You mean, they use music from Swan Lake to introduce a government announcement?
Click to expand...

Technically it was government phone on the table of the state TV general director.
Phone rings. Kremlin's end: "stop regular broadcasting, wait for official letter".

BTW, general director of state TV has state ministry deputy status.
 
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Speaking about ministers and state tribute. I was rowing during school years and after in university. By the time I got to University (most of them called as Institute) the name of current head of soviet state totally escaped me. They were changing so often, it was named as "lafette racing". Started with Brezhnev. So, I was rowing after school and they want us to go rowing camp at Dnepr river in Ukraine during school. Director of school told me, get the signature of minister of education on release from school letter. So, I went to Ministry of Education. Entered building, asked where is office, all building was empty. By the time I entered empty office, it was loud with lonely TV set broadcasting Brezhnev's funeral. I stepped in, they have dropped his coffin to the grave bed instead of lowering it slowly, something was set to be wrong...

Here is typical ministry plate , btw.
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Within a week before departure to rowing camp, our class teacher (she was Russian Language and Literate teacher) told me I won't go if I won't pass test for War und Peace. Which is four books to shovel. How I did it? I knew she was not interested about war, but love. So, I read only love story. And this is what teacher only asked about.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
Thank you all for kind words. According to Putin, in first quarter of 2022, life expectancy was 73 yo. My parents made it to their eighties. My mother's relatives, some, were helping them.
Land internet is down in our boonies. They say something is broken at 200 km away small town and it is causing no internet here, part of most populated area in Canada. If I would tell it in Russia they will laugh.
Using mobile internet and here is one of the picture I took on mobile phone at regular shop in Moscow.
View attachment 4817289

In Soviet if regular broadcast was interrupt by Swan Lake ballet, it was before official announcement about head of the state been done.
Click to expand...
The juxtaposition is not at all ironic.

PF
 
Ministry of Finance is very important. The nameplate would not be out of place on most government buildings anywhere. Different language perhaps.
I'm enjoying your trip photos. I hope you can find some enjoyment in this trip too.
 
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