GUM

Once I already told you about 'main mall of Russia' - GUM, and now I present another photo of it. In fact, it's only now that I realized its resemblance to French architecture. Don't you think it looks slightly like a bit of Paris? :)

While weather allows, I'll gift you with more autumn colours.

P.S. No Photoshop used! :)

It's Friday, and I'm happy about it.
Have a nice week-end!

Sunny morning

Manege square is quiet and people-less in the morning. Autumn is here, and it may be the last opportunity to enjoy sunny days...

Cosmos Hotel

Cosmos in Russian means space. The hotel (semicircular building on the background), open in 1979, was intended for Olympic Games of 1980. Facing Space Explorers monument (in the right part of the picture) and vast VVC grounds, for a long time Cosmos was something like 'elite' hotel. Its facilities were also used for all kinds of conferences and exhibitions. During PERESTROIKA period many rooms were let for offices but later most part of them was returned to original purpose.
Nowadays Cosmos is one of the most popular hotels with foreign visitors due to acceptable lebel of comfort and reasonable prices.

A little more colours

When I walk to my work in the morning, I often see tourists exploring Alexandrovky Garden and its neighbourhood. Shivering, they stand up to chilly wind and nasty rain, still trying to listen to their guide () and enjoy sights. I always pity them: how could they know that September, August and even July could be so cold in Moscow?! Well, we didn't know that either :) And current imitation of Indian summer is going to be very short, I'm afraid. But, at least, I can show you a few more colourful photos.

Last two or three weeks were cold and miserable in Moscow, but finally we seem to come into Indian summer. The air temperature is still rather low (+11C) but sky is cleared up and sun caress ground with chilly but bright beams. September was cold and rainy, so trees don't get gold or red but dirty-greenish brown. However, as you can see,sSome leaves are beginning to turn yellow.

VVC

Once I promised to tell you more about VVC (former VDNH), and today I'll prove that I keep my word :)
As I already told you, VVC is an official abbreviation for All-Russia Exhibition Center. It was open in 1939 as agiricultural exhibition but later the complex was extended and in 1959 it was re-open by the name of Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy. After Soviet Union ceased to be, VVC was given its modern name. There are about 400 building, including over 80 pavilions, in its territory and great many of famous pieces of art as well as technical objects.

The picture presents a 'Friendship of Nations' fontain, built in 1954 as a symbol of Soviet Union: it contains 16 sculptures of girls, each representing one of the former Soviet Republics. It's been nearly 15 years since there is no more USSR but fontain is still there.

One the most famous pavilion is Space one (Cosmos in Russian). There are real rocket and aircrafts (I showed them earlier) which, no doubts, the most favourite show-pieces with public. Unfortunately, I've got bad news regarding them: the TU-154 plane was barbarously destroyed last weekend. Here is an article on a news site (it's in Russian but you can see the photos). Officials explained their action as 'the only possible way to get rid of potentially dangerous and unservicable artifact'. But why, in the first place, did they let it come to such non-repairable condition?! This question officials couldn't answer. And as for visitors, most of them remembering that aircraft these last 40 years (or since their childhood), they are left but with memories of a great museum-plane they loved so much.

Alexandrovsky Garden

It's rather empty in Alexandrovsky Garden when the weather is like this: day temperature in Moscow is +7C and it's been raining since Tuesday morning...

Rainy. Windy. Cold.

The morning of a busy Moscow day...

More VVC photos

The same rocket but with plane now (there is a boy posing but I didn't mean to photograph him :))

Blooming white

Summer is over. Last few days were extremely cold: +7C is too much (or rather too little) even for Moscow! The only warming thing I've got is summer memories...