Mission Control Center Moscow

 May 28, 2014 Damon and I got in the car and drove 2 hours, in heavy traffic, to view the blast off the Soyuz rocket taking three astronauts to the space station.  I learned a lot on this trip.  First, the rocket was not even here in Russia.  The launch pad is located in Kazakstan so I couldn't look out the window of the Control Center and see a rocket standing there ready to fly into outer-space.  Mission Control is slightly anti-climatic as well.  The experience was totally awesome, but not like in the movies where there are technicians running around and everyone is manning their station coordinating a high tech operation.  This is old hat to the Russians and everything pretty much seems to run itself.

Left side of the huge screen we were watching.  The top was a live feed of the cockpit.

 We arrived in plenty of time.  We got to meet two American astronauts who had spent a year each living in the space station.  I loved hearing their descriptions and was surprised at how down to earth they were.  They totally prefer to live in outer space versus on earth!

The astronauts preparing for blast off.

A live feed of the rocket on the right side of the large screen.

 We hung around, nibbled on some food then, in the middle of the night we watched the count-down and blast off.  As I was watching the rocket speed into the atmosphere on the right side of the screen, I was surprised at how still the astronauts were on the right side of the screen.  There were tons of "thumbs up" and "high fives".  I could see straps whipping around, but the men were fastened into their seats so tightly that they did not move - at all.  We watched the liquid fuel boosters separate and fall.  At 500+ seconds into the flight, Mission Control Russia takes over the control of the rocket. We hung around for about 10 minutes after the change of control the loaded up back into our cars and drove the short, 30 minutes home - without traffic.

Blast off!

Rockets are sent to the space station four times a year to switch out the astronauts.  Two times in the fall and two in the spring.  In between these trips, supply rockets are sent to the station.

They dock the rocket that they took into outer space onto the space station and use it again to return back to earth.

Each mission has one Russian and one American.  The third spot could be a Chinese or European.  As much money as each country or the EU contributes to the mission program determines how often they can send someone to the space station.  This mission included a German.

This was sort of a big deal mission due to strained relations between Russia and America right now.  The next morning I woke up and read several news stories about it on my news apps.  

The only facilities to make the rocket engines to blast a rocket  into space are located in Russia thus leaving America dependent on Russia for space exploration at this time.

VDNKh Park

The former Exhibition of Economic Achievements of the USSR (VDNKh) is now the All-Russian Exhibition Centre.  The park has had various purposes throughout history.  Begun in 1939 is was used as a major agricultural exhibition.  Twenty years later it was chanted to a vast park to show off the nation's achievements in economics, science and technology.  After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the grounds and pavilions became private businesses.  Many of the exhibit halls are still used as retail showrooms, yet the complex is only a shadow of what it used to be.

Damon and I took the metro on Memorial Day to search out some memorabilia left over from the Soviet days.  We spent a few hours slowly wandering the park and gazing at the monuments.  They are all quiet impressive and speak of an ideal that never quiet worked out.  

A portion of the park is an amusement park complete with a midway, small roller coasters and a large, rather rickety looking ferris wheel.

Space Obelisk
built (1964) 3 years after Yuriy Gagarin became the first man in space 

Main entrance
tractor driver and woman collective farmer

the Russian way to water the lawn.  This truck drove around and around and around to water the grass!

Massive monument to Lenin

Beautiful fountain made of gold mosaic.
People are encouraged to swim!

This is what we came to see!  It was a bit of a hike once we spotted it but well worth the extra walking.  The statue Worker and Woman Collective Farm Worker is made of stainless steel.  Vera Mukhina created this for the Paris Exhibition in 1937 to symbolize the glory and power of the Soviet Union.  With the hammer and sickle raised far above the man and woman's heads, they scream Soviet to the viewing world.  This symbol was chosen to be used on posters for "Mosfilm", one of the most well known Russian movie studios, making it famous throughout the world.  This statue represents a main Soviet ideal where the government owned all the land and the people did all the work.  As soon as Damon saw the statue in the distance he exclaimed "I've seen that symbol before!  It's very famous."
A few nights later we happened to be out driving at night - stuck in slowly moving traffic.  I had a chance to look around and noticed that we were on the highway that goes right past this park.  Each monument was lit-up and looked stunning.     

Galereika

If you know me, you know I love Polish pottery! Polish potter is pretty common here in Moscow, but there only seem to be about three basic patterns.  I was delighted when a friend shared this little boutique gift shop that carries a large amount of high-end Polish pottery.  It was a bit of a challenge to find, but well worth the effort.  They also carry some adorable stuffed animals that make excellent baby gifts.    galereika.ru
Here are directions my friend sent me.  I think they are priceless and give you a glimpse at the treasure hunt we are often on here in Moscow!
"it is located at Kuznesky Most 21/5.  I took the Kuznesky most metro and then went right out of it and up the street.  You will come to an end and see a starbucks on the perpendicular street.  go around the starbucks and then there is a random circle with a statue.  it is to the right of the statue.  Only in Moscow does a street continue on a different street and have a statue.  Anywhere else these directions would not make sense :)"

Folk Dance

 Russia is known for having exquisite dance performances.  I'd been dying to see one so I carefully selected a folk dance show.  I've seen the Russian Ballet perform the Nutcracker back home, so maybe that is why a different type of dance appealed to me or maybe it was because folk dance tells the stories of the everyday people.

 Many regions of Europe and Asia were highlighted.  The footwork was amazing and the costumes were delightful.  As I watched I thought about how much of folk dancing is done in a community to celebrate life.  They did it at village gatherings and weddings.  So many of the dances were filled with joy and fun.

 Other dances told stories.  History is preserved in this unique form that is passed on from generation to generation.

The best story of the evening for me though, had nothing to do with the dancing but rather with a particular woman we met.  When we came into the performance center we were a bit disoriented with all the shows going on, coat check and where to go.  A batty little old woman approached my husband and asked if he had an extra ticket.  We actually did have an extra ticket with us as one person in our party cancelled at the last minute.  She was probably a bit surprised when he handed it to her.  I'm assuming she comes every performance and tries to get a free ticket.  She shuffled off and disappeared around the corner.  We hustled in forgetting about her as we figured she had walked outside the theater to sell the ticket.  Halfway through the first dance the bent-over woman made her way up the stairs.  Transformed she was now wearing  an old knit dress and some bright orange beads that matched her bright orange, thinning hair.  She carefully carried her pocketbook with one hand as she gripped the railing with the other.  She settled in next to Chad and gave him a big smile as if he were her prince charming.  Throughout the show she proceeded to chatter very loudly to Chad in a mixture of English and Russian.  She was a true lover of the arts.  She enjoyed the performance and my gracious husband gave her all the attention she craved.

Victory Day

Victory Day was a great thing to experience here in Moscow.  Think Memorial Day, Veteran's Day and Fourth of July all wrapped up into one grand holiday.  May 9 marks the day Nazi Germany surrendered to The Soviet Union in the Second World War.

For the girls and me the celebrations began on Monday at school.  A choir of Veterans and another of war widows came to the school to perform.  Although feeble in body, they sang strong the old war songs.  They were proud of their country and the service they had given.

Celebrations start on May 9 with the Victory Day Parade.  This is where Russia displays her military power for the world to see - or at least those of us in Moscow.  This was different than any other parade I have ever watched.  People quietly lined the empty street.  Three police cars led the processions of a kazillion military vehicles.  There were no crowds cheering, clowns throwing candy or fire engines blaring their sirens.  It was silent.  The military men did not smile from their tanks or wave little Russian flags.  They manned their weapons and stared stoically ahead.  The earth rumbled as the tanks drove past worrying me a bit that the old crumbling US consulate building behind me would collapse.  It was a sobering parade yet well worth watching. 

Machine Guns

Big Machine Guns

Tank Guns

A Bigger Tank Gun

Fighter Planes that I bet had guns in them.

Missiles

Lots of big missiles and more fighter planes.

Red, White and Blue smoke - cool.

Scary looking missiles

I don't want to think of the damage these babies can do.

Truck after truck of bombs.

Not sure how they launch it, or for that matter get it off the truck.

This one didn't even fit in the picture.

In keeping with the normal daily duties, a line of street cleaners (33 to be exact) filed out after the last bombs with their sprayers going to wash all the "filth" away.

Throughout the afternoon people give veterans flowers in Gorky Park and Victory Park.  I have heard that the entire family must accompany the veteran just to carry the armloads of flowers they receive throughout the day.

In the evening we headed over to Victory Park to watch the fireworks.  The kids and I agreed that it was the best display we have ever seen.  Only America fires off one firework then waits while everyone ooohs and aaahs before shooting off another one.  Here they shot off twenty then before the twinkles were gone from the sky, twenty more were bursting in the dark.  Suddenly a shot, no a boom reverberated through the air, stopping my heart and shaking my clothes.  Eighteen canons were lined up on the hill behind us and every 30-60 seconds, another went off.  It was quite spectacular.  A good day and I am looking forward to next year when I plan on getting close to Red Square and having a glimpse of the 10,000 soldiers in formation.