Half term interlude

I am just coming to the end of half term - well sort of. We have been at school for four weeks and now have seven to the end of term.

Sorting out the photos of our Golden Ring trip has taken ages so I am interrupting it with my half term so I don't forget. Having been out all day on Monday, Tuesday was a day of general duties. Peter had to go to work and I caught up on shopping etc.

On Wednesday Alla, a Russian colleague from school took me to the Vaznetsov house museum. Vaznetsov was a famous painter, working across the revolution. He often painted pictures from Russian folk stories. He made, or had made by friends and family some beautiful furniture.

Standing by the back door

By the front door

The studio upstairs

Afterwards we went to the Botanical Gardens. I went last year but most of the flowers were over, even in June. This week they were full of tulips, as are all the gardens in Moscow.

We then went for a cup of tea on a tiny balcony with a tree growing through it.

On the way to the metro we saw this interesting wall, possibly on a firestation.

On Thursday we took ourselves out to Tsaritsino park. Catherine the Great started to build a huge palace here having knocked down an old one. It got as far as having the roof put on when she died and her son put a stop to the building. It then stood empty until a few years ago when the Government decided to finish it. It has been turned into a large exhibition space with two concert halls. At the same time the park has been laid out, with musical fountains. It was a beautiful place to visit, even if it was a bit twee.

Entrance

The architects

The Big Palace

Grand Bridge to the Palace 

The small bridge

The ticket office and way in

The musical fountains

The lake

Inside was an excellent exhibition space. However, in middle of each of the wings were two outrageous 'ballrooms' which were all gold paint, fancy floors and chandeleers.

Catherine the Great watches over it all!!

In the garden was a lovely chapel with an interesting design over the door.

Upstairs we found this amazing cafe with an amazing display of confectionary. I assume you can order it for a special occassion if you want.

Tsaritsino turned out to be an interesting trip and most enjoyable. It it wasn't so far away it would be a place to take a walk in more often. Perhaps later in the summer.

And so to Friday. The weather wasn't so nice but we decided to risk a trip back to the Novodevichy Cemetery that we visited last autumn. This time we bought a book of famous graves to visit. There were still some equally interesting ones to see, even if  I don't know who they are. So much effort was put into creating the monuments. Some of the top artists designed and made them. Here is a selection.

Khruschev

Galina Ulanova

Zoya Kosmodemianskaya - partisan. A road near school is named after her and her husband. I wondered who they were.

Peter standing by Yeltsin's grave. How did we miss this one last time?

And so half term is over and back to school tomorrow. We have the first of the Moscow International Choir concerts on Tuesday. One more week and the season will be over until September. Oh dear.

I will put the rest of the photos from the Golden Ring up as soon as I have time to sort them out.

Till next time.