How an 8-year-old boy conquered the Kremlin and VDNKh at Christmas
Tour guide Maria gave guests an eight-hour author's tour of Moscow on Christmas Day. The meeting began at the home of a family who had come from Ivanovo. The group included a mother, father, adult daughter, an eight-year-old boy and a grandmother. Their journey began with a trip to the Kremlin's Cathedral Square, where tickets had been booked in advance. On the Kremlin grounds, the participants got acquainted with its main attractions.
The tour guide told about the Palace of Congresses, the Assumption, Archangel and Annunciation Cathedrals, the Faceted Chamber, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the Patriarch's Palace, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon. Particular attention was drawn to the Kremlin Christmas tree, which the eight-year-old boy especially liked. The group visited the Assumption and Annunciation Cathedrals, where the guests were captivated by ancient Russian painting: icons, iconostasis and wall paintings.
Maria, being an art historian, spoke in detail about the styles of icon painting, including the Palaeologus style, as well as the works of Andrei Rublev and Theophanes the Greek. The boy looked at the icons with great interest, lingering near the iconostasis. This sparked a lively dialogue, which does not always happen on such excursions.
After visiting the cathedrals, the family walked around the Kremlin, paying attention to the icons on the towers and discussing their themes. Then the group went to the Alexander Garden, where they managed to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The tour guide told them about the grotto created from the rubble of buildings destroyed in the fire of 1812, as well as the title of hero city and monuments dedicated to this theme.
On Red Square, the guests paused to warm up with tea and snack on doughnuts at the fair. Maria told them about the Kazan Cathedral, the Historical Museum, and Lenin's Mausoleum, which particularly interested the boy. He asked questions about the embalming process and the changing of mausoleums, and the guide explained everything in detail. The family then strolled past the Spasskaya Tower, Lobnoye Mesto, and St. Basil's Cathedral. In a conversation with his grandmother, they recalled the Rossiya Hotel, which older generations had seen before, and discussed its original designs.
The tour then continued at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Due to the queue, it was not possible to get inside, but the family walked around the temple and learned about its gilding, made using the galvanic technique. They also discussed Zamoskvorechye, the house on the embankment, GES-2, and the monument to Peter I. The guests shared their knowledge about the gilding of domes, which made the conversation especially fascinating.
After lunch in Kitai-gorod the group went to VDNHAlong the way, the guide talked about Stalin's skyscrapers and the complex's history. Participants began their walk at the northern entrance, strolled to the central alley, and learned about the "Worker and Kolkhoz Woman" and "Montreal-70" pavilions, which were originally designed for international exhibitions. The guide explained the VDNKh's zoning and modern museums, such as the Tretyakov Gallery branch, the Documentation Museum, and "Russia. My History."
Particular attention was paid to the "Space" pavilion. The family took a photo next to a model of the "Vostok" rocket and an airplane, and then delved into the history of cosmonautics. Inside the pavilion, the boy studied with interest the models of aircraft, maps, control panels and models of the Earth. The architecture of the pavilion made a strong impression on everyone.
At the end of a wonderful Christmas day, the guide helped the guests call a taxi. Grandma warmly thanked her for the tour, hugged Masha and wished her all the best. The family was pleased with the rich program, which allowed them to discover many facets of Moscow in one day.