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The capital of Russia, less serious side of Moscow

Gosia — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 17:46:00 +0000

It would seem that visiting Moscow is constrained only to the Red Square, Cathedral of Vasily the Blesseed, Kremlin, Bolshoi Theatre and other must-see places. Travel guides skip the places showing the capital of Russia from a slightly different perspective than this exclusive and full of splendor in a style characteristic of the Russians. Meanwhile, there are many beautiful places in Moscow, some of which are located close to famous tourist attractions. One of them is the popular Arbat district. Most tourists visiting this place head straight to the main boardwalk – Arbat street, which is the oldest in Moscow. Unfortunately, looking for Moscow from the old years is in vain, the street is the main point of shopping and dining. The true charm of old Moscow lies in the side streets where we won’t meet tourists. In addition to the ancient houses, there’s a gallery of interesting sculptures in the courtyard of one building. An interesting gallery called the Garden of Fallen Monuments is located right next to the New Tretyakov Museum.You can see there many banished monuments presenting: Stalin, Felix Dzerzhinsky, Brezhnev and many other “former idols”. An interesting place adjacent to the Garden of Fallen Monuments is the Red October arts center, located on Bolotny Island. The characteristic red buildings, which are the remnants of the old Alenka chocolate factory, the numerous restaurants and bars create a specific atmosphere of this place. Right next door is the huge statue of Peter the Great. The list of unique places includes also Izmailovski Kremlin, I wrote about it here. In addition to the colorful palaces and the bazaar, there you can see numerous murals and visit cosy restaurants. There’s also a characteristic monument of Stalin and Lenin, which hasn’t been moved to the Garden of Fallen Monuments. I guarantee it won’t miss anyone’s attention. Some exhibits in the main square of izmailovo can be really scary. Don’t let yourself be enchanted by the colorful facade of Izmailovsky Kremlin, because on its other less representative side there’re real gems- neglected bizarre monuments. In Moscow you can see many interesting murals, some of the a little bit scary while othershave political backround. An interesting 3D mural is located on the facade of one of the buildings opposite the Red Gate metro station. A lot of murals are located in the Winzavod Centre, in the area of Chkalovskaya metro station. Winzavod was once a wine and beer factory that was transformed into the centre of contemporary art. There are numerous galleries promoting young artists and some interesting dining options. Near Winzavod you canfind another gem – ArtPlay. As the name indicates, it is the main hub of street art. There are numerous murals on the walls of the old manometers factory. There’re also various shops that offer both products and used products. In winter, you can skate on the roof of building no. 3, while in the summer you can sip there drinks and listen to music. For coffee, go to the Flakon Factory – former renovated glass factory, which used to produce perfume bottles. In the old production buildings are numerous shops, restaurants and interesting galleries. The Square around the factory was designed as a creative space for street art. A slightly different climate has the restaurant Petrovitch, which I mentioned here. Petrovitch is the best guarded secret of Moscow. Inconspicuous entrance makes this place inaccessible for many.Nevertheless, it is worth going here to see Moscow from another side, the more human, more homely. Find out more about Moscow here:

Artykuł The capital of Russia, less serious side of Moscow pochodzi z serwisu .

Moscow – Gallery of the Fallen Sculptures

Gosia — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 15:40:18 +0000

It was about 5 years ago or more when for the first time in my life I saw Lenin’s monument somewhere on the streets of Hanoi. That hit the spot! I’ve always been interested in history and such monuments are the symbol of an ideology that has long changed the fate of the world. However, I have to admit that after visiting Belarus and Moscow this year, Lenin has ceased to impress me. In Moscow you can meet him mainly at metro stations. There’re numerous mosaics or paintings. What’s interesting, Lenin is presented there as a proud chief looking straight, or what is incomprehensible to me, to the right. In addition, on the streets of Moscow, you will find a lot of monuments presenting the comrade. The most grandeur can be seen in the square in front of the Luzhniki Stadium or in the area of the VDNKH exhibition centre. Of course, also the statue of Marx could not be missed, it’s located in the square opposite the Bolshoi Theatre. However, the large part of statues can be seen in the Gallery of the Fallen Monuments, located close to the New Tretyakov Gallery. There are many monuments that have been removed from the streets of Moscow. You can see here statues presenting: Stalin, Felix Dzerzhinsky or Brezhnev. However, the real attraction is a parade organised on the streets of Moscow on Labour Day. Thousands of people take part in this important event. The streets of Moscow are filled with flags and balloons then. Red Square is closed to the public then because a solemn ceremony with the participation of dissidents takes place there. Many war veterans also attend this event. Some of them play and sing old songs. Find out more about Moscow:

Artykuł Moscow – Gallery of the Fallen Sculptures pochodzi z serwisu .

The capital of Russia, less serious side of Moscow

Gosia — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 19:30:43 +0000

It would seem that visiting Moscow is constrained only to the Red Square, Cathedral of Vasily the Blesseed, Kremlin, Bolshoi Theatre and other must-see places. Travel guides skip the places showing the capital of Russia from a slightly different perspective than exclusive and full of splendor, in a style characteristic of the Russians. Meanwhile, there are many beautiful places in Moscow, some of which are located close to famous tourist attractions. One of them is the popular Arbat district. Most tourists visiting this place head straight to the main boardwalk – Arbat street, which is the oldest in Moscow. Unfortunately, looking for Moscow from the old years is in vain there, the street is the main point of shopping and dining. The true charm of old Moscow lies in the side streets where we won’t meet tourists. In addition to the ancient houses, there’s a gallery of interesting sculptures in the courtyard of one building. An interesting gallery called the Garden of Fallen Monuments is located right next to the New Tretyakov Museum. You can see there many banished monuments presenting: Stalin, Felix Dzerzhinsky, Brezhnev and many other “former idols”. An interesting place adjacent to the Garden of Fallen Monuments is the Red October arts center, located on Bolotny Island. The characteristic red buildings, which are the remnants of the old Alenka chocolate factory, the numerous restaurants and bars create a specific atmosphere of this place. Right next door is the huge statue of Peter the Great. The list of unique places includes also Izmailovski Kremlin. In addition to the colorful palaces and the bazaar, you can see numerous murals and visit cosy restaurants there. There’s also a characteristic monument of Stalin and Lenin, which hasn’t been moved to the Garden of Fallen Monuments. I guarantee it won’t miss anyone’s attention. Some exhibits in the main square of Izmailovo can be really scary. Don’t let yourself be enchanted by the colorful facade of Izmailovsky Kremlin, because on its other less representative side there’re real gems- neglected bizarre monuments. In Moscow you can see many interesting murals, some of them are a little bit scary while others present political backround. An interesting 3D mural is located on the facade of one of the buildings opposite the Red Gate metro station. A lot of murals are located in the Winzavod Centre, in the area of Chkalovskaya metro station. Winzavod was once a wine and beer factory that was transformed into the centre of contemporary art. There are numerous galleries promoting young artists and some interesting dining options. Near Winzavod you can find another gem – ArtPlay. As the name indicates, it is the main hub of street art. There are numerous murals on the walls of the old manometers factory. There’re also various shops that offer both products and used products. In winter, you can skate on the roof of building no. 3, while in the summer you can sip there drinks and listen to music. For coffee, go to the Flakon Factory – former renovated glass factory, producing perfume bottles. In the old production buildings are numerous shops, restaurants and interesting galleries. The square around the factory was designed as a creative space for street art. A slightly different climate has the restaurant Petrovitch. Petrovitch is the best guarded secret of Moscow. Inconspicuous entrance makes this place inaccessible for many. Nevertheless, it is worth going here to see Moscow from another side, the more human, more homely. Find out more about Moscow here:

Artykuł The capital of Russia, less serious side of Moscow pochodzi z serwisu .

The Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) – a country that does not exist…

Gosia — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 18:42:51 +0000

The Southern Caucasus is famous for its beautiful views, excellent food, incredible hospitality, but it also has its dark side. The strategic position linking Asia to Europe has always been the cause of clashes among world players like Russia, Iran and Turkey. This area consists of three countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Before the trip, I did not expect that countries with such a small area, could be so different in every way: religion, culture and even origin. The Southern Caucasus is an area of very turbulent history, which is even now visible. Many conflicts remain unexplained, resulting in the existence of three self – appointed counries: Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia concerns Georgia, while Nagorno Karabakh is a disputed area between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Nagorno Karabakh has many names, in the Russian language is Nagorno /y Karabakh, in Azerbaijan Qarabağ, while in Armenian Artsakh – the current name of the Republic. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have created a historical right to this territory. It’s no use searching for Nagorno-Karabakh on the South Caucasus map. It’s an Armenian enclave, located in around 15 % of the Azerbaijan territory. It has not been internationally recognised, only self – appointed states like: Abkhazia, Transnistria and South Ossetia recognised its independence. More importantly, it hasn’t been officially recognised even by supporting it Aremenia. In the 20th century, as a result of the Soviet Union’s policy, Karabakh was repeatedly incorporated once to Azerbaijan, once to Armenia. On 4th July 1921 USRR decided to join it to Armenia, but in order to improve relations with Turkey (the Armenian enemy), a day later, they decided to include it in Azerbaijan, on the rights of the autonomous territory. The fact that the territory was inhabited mostly by Armenians did not matter. Karabakh had remained within Azerbaijan borders until 1987, when it came out with a proposal to join with Armenia. The refusal of the USSR has become the beginning of an armed conflict present today. The typical ‘divide and rule’ policy of the Soviet Union was suppressing the independent aspirations of the Southern Caucasus, but with its collapse, the situation in this area has become very complicated. After the collapse of the USSR, Russia began to support the Armenians in joinig Nagorno-Karabakh. The main reason for reversed Russia’s policy to Nagorno-Karabakh was that the Azerbaijanis, as a nation related to the Turks, was always supported by Turkey, an ally of the United States. Declaration of independence proclaimed by Karabakh in 1991, started a bloody war between Azerbaijan and Armenia which lasted until 1994. At present, the situation between these countries is tense, but there are no open hostilities. Before the trip, I thought that Nagorno Karabakh is a country destroyed by war, but it turned out to be a beautiful area surrounded by high mountains, picturesque valleys and canyons. The name itself gives a perfect image of this place. Nagorno Karabkah means “Mountainous Black Garden”, Nagorno – means mountainous in Russian, Kara – it’s black in Turkish and bakh – means gardens in farsi. In addition to beautiful nature you can see there old churches, monasteries and fortresses. The Capital of Artsakh – Xankendi, commonly known as Stepanakert, surprised me with its order, new buildings and good roads. Karbakh/Artsakh is supported financially by Armenia, so it was even more surprising to me that its economic situation seems much better than on the Armenian side. The mandatory point of each trip is the capital – Stepanakert, where the visa should be obtained. On a hill close Stepanakert, you can see the monument “We are our mountains”, built in 1967. I presents two old men – mountainous people, called Tatik and Papik,in translation grandma and grandpa. During the tour, there was a demonstration at the monument with one of the Nagorno-Karabakh ministers. Standing in a crowd of children waving flags, we became the stars of Karbakh TV. The historical capital of Nagorno-Karabakh was located in Shushi, near Stepanakert. It was heavily destroyed during war. There are no signs of war right now. You can see there a beautiful cathedral, as well as the tank left after the war in its suburbs. Close to Stepanakart is the true jewel of Nagorno-Karabakh, Hunot Canyon. The canyon path leads along the Karkar river surrounded by high rocks and lush vegetation. Around 40 kilometers form Stepanakert is very interesting buildng – Hotel Eclectic located in the small town of Vank. High on the hill, above the village of Vank, you can visit the historic Armenian monastery – Gandzasar. A lot of pilgrims come here every year, due to the relics of Zachariah – John The Baptist’s father. The interior of the monastery is raw, and only the glow of the candles made it warmer. From the top of the hill there’s also a beautiful panorama of Karabakh. We also wanted to visit Agdam – the ghost town. Once city with a population of 50 thousand residents, now completely desolated after the war. Unfortunately, it turns out that the visa does not allow to visit this place. In addition, it is a buffer zone with Azerbaijan, where situation sometimes gets tense, as it was during our stay. Safety: Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan are still at the border of armed conflict. At present, it’s safe to move around Armenia and Azerbaijan, but it is important to avoid areas close to the border, as there is sometimes an exchange of fire. On the site of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs you can find following infromation: In the territory of Armenia, as a rule, it is possible to move without restrictions, but it’s advisable to avoid travelling in areas near the border with Azerbaijan (especially in the province of Tawusz), as there are armed incidents associated with Karbakh conflict. The Embassy warns against travelling on the road of Voskepar-Baghanis (part of the international tour of Yerevan-Tbilisi). We suggest using the Armenian side of the M5 and M3 route (by Vanadzor and Aparan). If you need to pass the M16 route, you shall be forced to move to a detour designated by the road H26. However, in the case of Nagorno-Karabakh on the same site you can find the following information: It is strongly advised not to travel across the Nagorno-Karabakh territory because of its unknown international status and the armed incidents on the border. The consul in Yerevan does not have the possibility to take care of Polish citizens in that territory. It is also necessary to be aware that the entry into the Karbakh territory is regarded as an illegal crossing of the border from the point of view of the Azerbaijani authorities and may result in consequences defined in its law. When deciding to go to Nagorno Karabakh, a possible threat should be considered. One must also bear in mind that travel insurance will probably not cover emergencies resulted from armed or terrorist activities. There are no armed incidents currently in Nagorno Karabakh territory, but before going there, it is best to obtain up-to-date information on the situation, from Armenians living in border areas or to use local guides. In addition, when planning a journey across the Southern Caucasus, first go to Azerbaijan and then visit Armenia not to mention Nagorno Karabakh. The stamps form these places in the passport makes it impossible to obtain a visa to Azerbaijan and at the border it is necessary to hide all items related to Armenia (what I’ve written here) Transportation and visa: You can only get to Nagorno Karabakh through Armenian border. Border crossing is located next to the village of Berdzor, although it’s possible to cross the border next to the village of Karvajar during the summer. From Yerevan to Stepanakert you can get by bus, which runs every day, ticket costs 45000 drams. I have to admit that the border crossing between Armenia and Norgorno Karbakh is quite bizarre. There are two flags: Armenian and Karbakh, which practically look the same. Tourists wishing to visit Karabkh must obtain a visa, but the most surprising thing is that it can’t be arranged before coming or at the border. At the border you receive a note with an address where you can get a visa. Furthermore, a visa can be obtained in the capital – Xankendi (common known as Stepanakert) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, located at Azatamartikneri 28, about 70 km from the border!!! The customs officer gave us the address and instructed to keep in mind that at 1 pm, ministry officials have lunch. It was valuable information, because what would we have done if a hungry official hadn’t given us a visa? Then would be the only one solution… We would have stayed in Artsakh for much, much longer 😉 Lack of visa makes it impossible to return to Armenia. The ministry is open from Monday to Saturday between 9 and 17. If the ministry it’s closed, the visa should be obtained on the following working day. Visa costs 3 000 drams, which is calculated. It’s said that it can be made in Yerevan, but in this case, a photograph should be included. The visa is not stuck to the passport, so in future it can be used to cover unwanted stamps e.g. from Kosovo when we want to visit Serbia. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Artykuł The Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) – a country that does not exist… pochodzi z serwisu .

Only in Lviv!

Gosia — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 18:20:31 +0000

We’ve been waiting for a trip to L’viv for a long time. This city is a part of long Polish – Ukrainian history. We hadn’t known what to expect there but our visit turned out to be a journey to the past. Having got off at local bus station at 8 o’clock, we saw another reality. This city brought us back to the old, pre-war Warsaw times and resembled Polish conditions around 30 years ago. It was a very important cultural center. Many famous Polish writers, scholars or artists lived here. A lot of Polish prominent figures were buried in the old Lychahiv Cemetery and in the city many monuments are connected with common history. In the city center you can see the most beautiful statue of Adam Mickiewicz – the famous Polish poet. Another Polish artist – Nikifor, who sits in front of Dominican Church. In museums are numerous exhibits important to Polish history and in the Old Town Square are a lot of old Polish townhouses. But on the other hand, we must admit that we didn’t know what to expect there because L’viv was within Polish borders for around 600 years. What’s more, Polish and Ukrainian history was sometimes very rough. To our amazement, after getting into the first restaurant we received Polish language menu and heard Polish old music from late 20’s. And this makes this city amazing. Our difficult relations seem to be a thing of the past. Lvi’v has been a multicultural for years. It has been a city of Polish, Ukrainians , Jews, Russians or Armenian people and this is apparent even nowadays. One can see it in the architecture where Orthodox churches coexist with Catholic ones or even Armenian Cathedral. The city has been trying to catch up with West Europe for years but then again one can get an impression that it got stuck in post – socialist malaise. Bumpy roads, uneven sidewalks, contorted tram tracks or neglected townhouses are common here. To top it all off, chaos in public transport, unmarked stops and routes which remain secret even for local residents. What’s more, public transport facilities are in poor condition and simple activity like tickets validation can be really baffling However this is a charm of this city. During our only 1-day visit, we heard many negative opinions about L’viv. Some people were disappointed by the omnipresent chaos and city and overall city’s condition. To our mind, these things create a unique atmosphere of the place which seems to be locked in a time warp. This city is a one of its kind, we’ll get back here again. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Artykuł Only in Lviv! pochodzi z serwisu .