Ice Skating in Moscow - Part II

[Click here to read Part 1 of this article, "Ice Skating in Moscow"]

 Ice Rink No.1: GUM-Katok

The skating rink "GUM-Katok" at Red Square has a festive atmosphere like Rockefeller Center. One can skate while gazing out at the Kremlin's high wall, Lenin’s Mausoleum, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the GUM (Moscow’s high-end shopping mall).

I rushed to buy a ticket at the rink’s kiosk. But I discovered that the rink was taken over by the “Red Square Classic” curling competition. Anna Sidorova, Russia’s Olympic curler and lingerie model was unfortunately not on the ice. However, members of the USA curling team were.

After cheering for my home team, I visited the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. In 1918 Lenin moved the capital of Russia from St. Petersburg back to Moscow. (Peter the Great had moved it to St. Petersburg in the 18th century.) Hence, the tsars are buried in St. Petersburg and the communist leaders here.  Stalin's tombstone is close to the middle, near the entrance of Lenin’s Mausoleum.

Moscow is great in winter also because there is no waiting line to go inside Lenin’s Mausoleum. A guard stood at the entrance, front and center, with his cap shadowing his eyes. He directed me to walk left down an Escher looking staircase, to where another guard hushes visitors and directs right. I observed Lenin in his bulletproof encasement.  

Lenin is still honored for all the good parts of Russia's Soviet legacy. If you look up at building facades and the walls in many subways too, you'll see what I mean. The hammer and sickle hasn't left Russia either. In prior visits, I thought this was due to the financial burdens of re-facing the city. But now, a sort of Soviet nostalgia pervades Moscow. T-Shirts that say things like "KGB Still Watching You" are even trendy to wear.

Back outside, I walked further along the Kremlin Wall. Blue spruce trees were naturally sprinkled with fairy-tale snow, and set the stage for St. Basil’s Cathedral. The Cathedral was erected by Russia's first tsar, Ivan IV Vasilyevich (a.k.a. Ivan the Terrible), in the 16th century. It now poses as a miniature castle capped with colorful cupolas. The cathedral spins and swirls in kaleidoscopic patterns that don't quite make sense, but seems to transcend any rational order. The result is a fantastical wonder that is so very Russian. 

Feeling my fingers getting cold, I strolled across Red Square and went inside the GUM (Moscow's luxury brand mall) to warm up with an espresso at Coffee Mania (www.coffeemania.ru). The mall was quiet, with just few people shopping. I discovered the Russian clothing brand, Bosco, and wanted to buy everything. Mixing wintry red, white and blue patterns,  Bosco captures a strong national pride. It outfits the Russian Olympic teams(http://www.boscosport.ru) and is the chic brand to be seen in. The stylish couple eating cakes next to me wore Bosco hats.

Getting hungry for lunch, I walked along Nikolskaya Street and turned left, down a passageway that leads to Gudonov (http://www.godunov.net/), a Russian upscale restaurant with a folktale tradition. I was practically alone in one of its ornate halls for lunch, sitting in a carved wooden chair before a heavy oak table, and gawking at the gilded ceiling and wall murals. A waitress in a peasant costume stood in the corner, waiting for my next question. 

The dishes on Gudonov's menu date back to 18th century Russian recipes. I spooned rabbit stew out of a golden crisp bun, thinking that this meal is now 1/2 price with the ruble devaluation. At full price I wouldn't be able to afford it. The empty tables around me made me feel uneasy. I paid the bill and retrieved my coat from a lone coat clerk. 

I meandered for a while through side streets, soaking up the new contradictions of these times. The boom of development that had captivated Moscow for the last decade seemed frozen now. Upscale malls and shops looked like the staging sets of last years' spectacles. I worried that the middle class, the class of entrepreneurs that had taken risks to open shops and restaurants, were taking a hard hit.

I walked back to the ice rink at Red Square and watched the ice getting cleaned. I thought about what makes Russia so distinctly Russian. From the magnetism of St. Basil's Cathedral, to a strong central government and Kremlin's ghosts, the new Russian brands and Russia's perseverance, I wondered if we (in the west) understand Russia now any better than when the Soviet system kept its borders closed.

I still hadn't dug my blades into Russia's ice yet, though. I'd continue my mission at Gorky Park.

<<click here to read Part 3 of "Ice Skating in Moscow">>