Moscow is laid out in rings centered around the Kremlin, the foundations of which were laid in the 1100s. The Kremlin is a mixture of churches and sanctuaries (open to the public) and various palaces and halls that have housed the Russian government through the years of monarchy, socialism and now capitalism. The exception to this is the years 1700 to 1917 when the capital was in St. Petersburg.

Le Kremlin consitute l’epicentre de cette ville etalee en pelures d’oignons, depuis 900 ans. Cette forteresse bien connue fut le siege de plusieurs gouvernements russes. Composee d’eglises, de palaces et de salles de receptions, ce site a vu une monarchie ceder place a un regime socialiste qui a son tour a du faire place a un systeme de libre marche.

Outside the Kremlin is Red Square with Lenin’s Mausoleum and the picturesque St. Basil’s Cathedral. In addition there are numerous parks and plazas. Throngs of people gather throughout the day to visit over coffee at a sidewalk cafe, or to sit around one of the numerous fountains and watch the day go by. 24 hour kiosks abound, selling snacks, cigarettes, beer and vodka to anyone who has the cash.

Juste a cote du Kremlin, se trouve la fameuse Place Rouge ou il est possible de visiter le corps embaume de Lenin, ainsi que la populaire Cathedrale St-Basil. Les parcs et plazzas abondent. Les Russes aiment s’y rencontrer pour un cafe ou simplement prendre un bain de soleil pres d’une fontaine. Des kioskes ouverts 24 heures parsement le decors. On y trouve un peu de tout: des cigarettes, biere et vodka, l’essentiel quoi, et ce a prix modique.

The world's largest bell (200 tonnes). It has never been rung.

La plus grosse cloche du monde (200 tonnes). Elle n'a jamais sonne!

The world's largest cannon (the calibre is nearly 3 feet across). It has never been fired.

Le plus grand canon du monde. Il n'a jamais ete utilise.

In the evenings people fill the massive plazas to socialize. Gangs of kids assemble with beer in hand to show off their cell phones and mini skirts. Pensioners scurry around, gathering the empties for their deposit. Madams line up their girls and negotiate preference, price and logistics with interested customers. An occasional cop only intervenes to keep people from sleeping on the benches.

En soiree, les jeunes se rassemblent, biere a la main, cellulaire en poche et mini-jupes aux hanches! Des femmes agees ramassent les bouteilles laissees derrieres. Les prostituees font de bonnes affaires. Les policiers choisissent de deranger que les dormeux qui choisissent de s’etendre sur les bancs.

All works out well. There is no intervention, no resistance, no harassment, no damage and no arrests. Helene and I felt completely safe wandering the streets at any hour. We did not have any problems, or even a grumpy look, from the police either.

Tout semble bien fonctionner. Il ne semble pas y avoir de veritable intervention policiere, ni de crimes ou de dommages quelconque. On s’est toujours senti en securite et ce a toute heure du jour et/ou de la nuit.

Detail from a Metro station showing Socialism's triumph over Fascism