Moscow- June 1

Our train came into Kievskiy Vokzal, Moscow has several train stations, on time. During the night we passed the Ukrainian and Russian border control, each took about 20 min. where we presented our passports that they then stamped. Ukraine is very easy to get in and out, Russia on the other hand is not. It has strict Visa laws that the country enforces. We can only be here for a month, attaining a visa is somewhat of a hassle on both sides, we had to have an invite since we are not staying at a hotel, and we had to be registered within the first seven days here. We were greeted at the station by Liliya's Aunt Vera Ivanovna with beautiful roses, that smelled amazing. T. Vera is graciously hosting us for the month and the main reason why we've embarked on this adventure, Thank You.

First impression: the city is big, hectic but the space feels open and expansive.

Wonderful breakfast before heading out to, of course, the Red Square on the Metro. The Metro system in Moscow is BIG, very impressive stations and cleanliness that is impressive!

First we were greeted unexpectedly by K. Marx.

Being in the Red Square is somewhat surreal, the fantasy made real, ordinary and approachable while the reproduced ideal image is more powerful.

The enchanting St. Basil's Cathedral.

Eating our packed lunch sandwiches on the other side of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation building.

We walked along the Moskva River towards the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, a replica of 19th-century original. This magnificent cathedral was opened in 2000, it took 10 years to reconstruct at the final cost of more than 5 billion Rub.