Moscow :classic walks - part 1 - from Hotel Ukraina to Ministry of Foreign Affairs

[michau]

The first day after my arrival to Moscow was a nice and sunny Sunday. After spending some time at the hotel´s outlook terrace :) (see Moscow - fantastic views from Hotel Ukraina (http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=157670)) I decided to explore Moscow from the street level.

This is the way I walked (first part of my walk only): from Hotel Ukraina to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/mapa_ukraina-msz_web.jpg

Hotel Ukraina (where I stayed)

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9579.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9584_2.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9591.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9593.jpg

Kutozovsky Prospekt (street) next to the hotel

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9585.jpg

The White House on the other side of Moscow river

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9583.jpg

New Arbat Bridge (Novoarbatsky most)

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9594.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9595.jpg

Looking back at Hotel Ukraina

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9596.jpg

The Moscow River. World Trade Center in the background.

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9597.jpg

New Arbat

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9602.jpg

Mayor Office and the Stalin-gothic residential at Kudrinskaya Square.

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9604.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9605.jpg

Hotel Ukraina once again

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9610.jpg

A modern residential at the river

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9612.jpg

Metro train crossing the river

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9615.jpg

Stalinistic architecture at the river

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9617.jpg

Borodinsky Bridge

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9622.jpg

Moscow University seen from Borodinsky Bridge

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9620.jpg

A trolley bus on Smolenskaya Street. Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the background.

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9625.jpg

A suicide candidate ;) The two twin buildings in front of Ministry of Foreign Affairs are the Belgrade and Golden Ring hotels.

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9628.jpg

:)

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9629.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9630.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9631.jpg

Golden Ring Hotel

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9634.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9636.jpg

Looking back at Smolenskaya Street. On the left side - Kiev Railway Staion and the Edelweiss residential (in the background)

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9637.jpg

Police

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9638.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9641.jpg

The Garden Ring

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9642.jpg

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You can see that the tower on the top doesn't really fit the rest of the building. Actually, the tower wasn't planned by the architects, but when Stalin saw the plans he asked: "Where is the tower?" and they had to add it quickly :)

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9623.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9639.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9640.jpg

http://www.michau.se/pics/my_pics/moskwa/2004_sept/moskwa_040919_9643.jpg

In next part I will continue my walk on Arbat...

[Sky | Kai]

i like the towers.

why wasn't the soviet symbol removed from the ministry of foreign affairs? i mean - it's a adminstartional building!

[MIMICA]

It's good to see Russia moving towards the better, and leaving it's sad past behind! :) GOOO MOSCOW! :)

[michau]

why wasn't the soviet symbol removed from the ministry of foreign affairs? i mean - it's a adminstartional building!That's a very good question... I don't think that the common argumentation "it's part of our history" cab be applied in this case. But I suppose that the answer is beyond the scope of this forum section (classic architecture:)) On SPP the discussion about the symbols, in the equivalent of this thread, led to the closing of it :(

[Sky | Kai]

i agree, the "it's part of our history"-argument does not fit in this context
i mean, would it be okay to have a swastika on a german adminstartional building?
i do not think so!

however, good pics!

[michau]

^jump :)

My Moscow series is going to be continued tomorrow :)