Crocus City & Old Arbat

As I have picked up my pen again, and with less than 5 weeks to go before we return to Australia, I am inclined now to write a few posts about places of interest in Moscow that I had intended to cover earlier.

An inch of snow settled on Saturday. It is -4 degrees C and snowing again today. And still only October. Returning to an Australian summer next month is sounding pretty good. 

First, though, some people have asked whether anything has changed for us here with the sanctions and other Ukraine related goings-on. Short answer – no. 

The supermarkets are still well-stocked, though the produce is, understandably, oriented to Russian tastes, which don’t always align with ours. Muscovites have, for example, a preference for root vegetables and red meat - it has not always been easy to find green, leafy vegetables. 

There has been no overt hostility to us as English-speakers and nobody has singled us out for targeted rudeness. 

So, from an expat’s day-to-day perspective, I wouldn’t have realised there were any sanctions in place had I not known from watching the news and seeing the rouble’s exchange rate steadily drop on the ubiquitous neon signs around the city.

One of the numerous currency exchange signs found around the city. Given the rouble has dropped almost 25% of its value against other major currencies over the past few months, I am surprised they remain so brightly lit.

In fact, an observer could be forgiven for becoming a tad confused about Russia's economy. I took the Metro out to the Crocus City Mall today ( see earlier post dated 21 July 2012) and was surprised to find this very fashionable mall has been massively extended. Included in the new section are a skating rink themed on New York's Rockefeller Centre and an indoor 'Times Square'. Someone's obviously got some $ (sorry, roubles) and for a nation always squabbling with the USA, more than a few Muscovites seem to retain a fascination with things American.

 

'Rockefeller Centre' in Moscow. New indoor skating rink at Crocus City

Moscow's indoor 'Times Square'. Crocus City.

 On to the topic of the post - Old Arbat features in every tourist guide book about Moscow. It is possibly the most famous street in Moscow and was once inhabited by the nouveau riche, nobility and various bohemian and artistic folk. Wonderful buildings. It is now a long pedestrian mall a couple of kilometres to the west of the Kremlin. 

Part of Old Arbat

 However, as a tourist magnet, Old Arbat has become a long strip of expensive souvenir shops, cafes and stalls. It is also often over-crowded in good weather. Which doesn’t mean it’s still not worth visiting – but if time is an issue I would instead recommend a stroll around the beautiful pedestrian streets closer to Red Square – such as Kuznyetskiy Most, Nikolskaya Ulitsa and Kamergersky Pereulok. The architecture in these is just as stunning – if not more so.

Arbat busker - no rap dancers here, thank you.

Street artists abound

Poster and book stall next to a handy toilet. These particular pay toilets have sprung up all over the city recently. Men more typically seem to use the outside of the structure to avoid the expanse of opening the door.

Perehods

One sure way to have people look at you and think ‘he’s not from around here’ is to try and cross major, multi-lane Moscow roads at street level. Every couple of hundred metres are pedestrian underpasses, called perehods, which are used by more sensible folk.

 

Many perehods contain little shops selling odds and ends such as clothing, jewellery, toys and the like. Some months ago I read an item in the Moscow News about these shops and apparently the rents are astronomical, which surprised me considering the stuff they sell is hardly top-of-the-line and they are actually fairly dingy places to shop. That might help explain why I have seen a couple of perehods in recent months having their shops dismantled. 

Quite a number of perehods also contain the entrance doors to Metro stations. At the end of this one you can see the doors to Tverskaya & Pushkinskaya Stations.

The shops are quite tiny cubicles in which a woman (usually) shopkeeper spends her day.

Another view of the long perehod under Pushkinskaya Ploschad

Most, though, are empty tiled corridors, occasionally inhabited by buskers (the acoustics are good), old ladies begging, or some sad old guy sheltering from the cold. 

Opposite the entrance to Gorky Park, this perehod has become an art gallery.

 

The other market at Izmaylovo

A couple of posts ago I wrote about the tacky (but interesting) tourist market at Izmaylovo, accessed from Partizanskaya Station. One stop along is an even more enjoyable market. It is, at any rate, more useful for an expat needing groceries rather than another couple of matryoshka dolls.

The train briefly emerges from its burrow after Patizanskaya and the next station - Izmaylovskaya - is one of the few above ground. On the southern side it adjoins Izmaylova Park. To the north are the ubiquitous towering and somewhat shabby Moscow apartment blocks. But also on this side, a couple of hundred metres east, is a shopping mall.

Unlike the glitzy mega-malls that have sprung up around Moscow, this humble place is more like an open air market moved indoors (speaking of open air markets, I am annoyed that our local weekend street market at Novoslobodskaya seems to have fallen victim to the city government's campaign to close them - it has disappeared since New Year).

The lower floor consists of grocery stalls - you name it, they've got it (though not vegemite or ovaltine - that would be asking too much) - at very reasonable prices. It also smells of spice. Nice.

Upstairs is the clothing section. When we arrived my wife bought one of those full length down-filled coats popular with women here for 8000 roubles (about $250 Aus) - about 2/3rds the price in regular Moscow shops. If you are living in Moscow and haven't seen this place, its worth taking the train and a shopping bag for an afternoon out.

A short aside - it has become quite cold the past week or so, dropping down to about minus 15 to 20. Prior to that we had something of an extended autumn. I can tell when its getting really cold as the Moscow women stop wearing down coats and dust off their furs. Anti-fur activism has made no impact whatsoever here.

Izmaylovo Market

All expats, and many tourists, find their way to this flea/craft/art market. We have been there many times.

I’ve not been able to find much about its history. Apparently an art market started here in the 17^th century. I have no idea how it fared during the Soviet years.

Izmaylovo market entrance

 We always bring visitors here and it can be hard to drag them away.

Think of a Russian souvenir and you can pick it up at Izmaylovo, and generally at better prices than the souvenir shops in the city. The stall holders often speak some English and are open to bargaining – some more than others. Your best bet is to buy several of something and ask for a bulk discount.

Of course, you will want to take home some Matryoshka dolls. These hand-painted dolls depicting rural workers are better quality than the glossy things most retailers sell. They cost a little more, but they are the only sort my wife will buy.

This is about the only place expats can pick up English language movies on DVD – pirated – they make no pretense – the disks often don’t have any label at all. Of course, I wouldn’t buy such a thing...the mere thought...tsk tsk.

 Catch the metro to Partisanskaya station (which is also worth seeing) on the dark blue line number 3 from Ploschad Revolutsi (which is near Red Square). When exiting Partisanskaya turn left and follow the trail of people about 500 metres towards what looks like a Russian theme village. There’s a gold coin entry of 10 roubles (I think you can manage 30 cents).

Partisanskaya metro station. It contains some wonderful Soviet post-war sculptures

 

Best to come on the weekends. Not all the stalls are open during the week. Wednesday, in particular, is not good as this is when many stall holders visit their wholesalers and much is closed.

Art for all tastes...

...or perhaps you prefer painted boxes (these are very good and quite reasonably priced)...

...not interested?...okay, well perhaps a furry hat?..no?...

...what's that?...you'd prefer a helmet to a furry hat...and some munitions to go with it? Well, you might have some difficulty with Australian customs...

...perhaps a hand made Azerbaijani carpet would be a safer bet. We've bought a number of carpets from this friendly chap at a fraction of the price we'd pay in Australia.

Open air markets

Well, we are halfway through the posting now. Another year and a half to go.

The Rugby World Cup Sevens is being played in Moscow this weekend and I attended a reception for the Australian teams last night. Not that I have the slightest interest in Rugby Union, I'm strictly an Australian Rules guy. But one has to show the teams support.

Every Thursday afternoon temporary stalls are erected in a number of Moscow streets and parks. Over Friday and the weekend, stall holders do a lively business. Mostly they sell fruit and vegetables, but many other small grocery items can be found.

On Fridays I usually buy a kilo of cashews from a stall in Novoslobodskaya. At about 500 roubles (or $15), they are a bargain compared to the price I would pay in Australia. I am going to miss stuffing myself with cashews when we leave Moscow.

The sadly missed Prospect Mira street market

Unfortunately some of these markets have disappeared recently. The large one at Prospect Mira being a notable loss. I have been told the city administration has been closing some down as they interfere with traffic. My opinion is the traffic is interfering with the street markets. 

A gloomy day at at the Prospect Mira market

The Novoslobodskaya market - where I buy cashews

Some of the markets, such as this one at Bagrationovskaya, are off street and run 7 days a week. They appear to be semi-permanent

Moscow City

It has been snowing, though rain last night cleared much of it. Last year we didn't have snow until well into December. It seems to have been snowing over much of Europe, so it may just be an autumn cold snap. 

There is a cluster of glass towers on the north bank of the Moscow River, about 4 kilometres west of the Kremlin, called the Moscow International Business Centre, or Moscow City.  It was conceived in 1992 and much construction activity has been going on there since, though not without hiccup. The world's tallest tower, to be named Russia Tower, was planned for the site. Construction began in 2007 but the project was scrapped after the global economic crisis.

That hasn't stopped Mercury City Tower, which is still under construction, from becoming Europe's tallest building at 339 metres and Federation Tower will be even higher at 506 metres.

The cluster of glass towers that comprises Moscow City. Mercury City Tower, currently Europe's tallest, is the gold building on the right

I don't mind glass towers, depending on their context. A city like New York is defined by its towers - take them away and there is no New York.

I am, however, less keen about artificial little clusters of skyscrapers that look as if they were dropped into a city from outer space. Even though they are only 4 kilometres from the Kremlin, these buildings feel kind of isolated and there is nothing worth mentioning at street level - just cold canyons. Stalin's towers were at least congruous with the other ponderously grandiose central Moscow buildings.

A Metro spur line has been constructed to the development, notable for being the only underground line on which one has to wait ten minutes for a train. There are two stations, one of which emerges at the ultra-modern AFIMALL shopping complex. This is a good place for coffee on a cold winter's day - there is a Starbucks right next to the fountain (say what you like - I don't mind Starbucks coffee - and they are one of the few cafes in Moscow that don't permit smoking).

Fountain in the AFIMALL shopping centre within Moscow City.

Most fascinating is the collection of giant matryoshka dolls on the top level of the mall, under a glass dome through which the towers can be seen.

Giant matryoshka dolls in the shopping mall. And you thought you'd seen all that Moscow has to offer.