I saw Lenin today. Seriously. He is on display in a mausoleum in Red Square, and on view there. It was kinda weird, but also fascinating. The line forms about a block away, an hour before opening. You cannot take any bags or cameras inside. Our guide told us that is cost about $1 million a year to keep him in this viewable state. Wow. What is also interesting is that Lenin faces the GUM shopping mall , with Louis Vitton right out front. We've heard of East meets west, this is Communism meets Capitalism.
After seeing Lenin, we went to an amazing art museum, and then spent the afternoon walking around the city. Here are some of the interesting sites. The yellow house is now the Russian writers association. It is the house that was the location of War and Peace. The statue in front is Tolstoy. He based the story and location on this house and its residents.
The very tall building with the spire is one of Stalin's "Seven Sisters". There were suppose to be 8 of these, but only 7 were built. One housed the foreign ministry and one the Moscow University. The others were apartments for members of his government and the KGB. He liked to keep his supporters close. (and enemies closer). Six of the seven have a star on the top. The last one built was finished after his death, and the star was not added.
Had a wonderful dinner in a Ukrainian restaurant.
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