When in Moscow: First Impressions
First of all, hello everyone. I’d just like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Goff and I’m the new editorial assistant intern here at Liden & Denz Moscow, so if you frequent the blog you’ll be seeing a lot from me for the next couple of months. I’ve just completed my first week here in Moscow, and I’m excited to be sharing the beauty, excitement, and dynamism of this city with all of you. While this is not my first time in Moscow, it is my first time here with Liden & Denz, and the experience is going extremely well so far. The staff here have been extremely courteous and helpful and given me sound advice for navigating the city and other aspects of daily life in Moscow.
Marvellous City
From the beauty of Red Square (Красная площадь) and the Seven Sisters (Called Stalin’s Highrises, or Сталинские высотки by the local population), to the bustle of daily activity, and the vibrant nightlife, Moscow stands out as a truly marvellous city, and in the eyes of many, the capital of the eastern world. While St. Petersburg is an undeniably beautiful city, someone looking for a less European influenced aesthetic would do well to come to Moscow. My first visit to Moscow was in the summer of 2012 for a mere three days. I have been in love with the city ever since, and cannot express how thrilled I am to be here again. With Russia once again reasserting herself on the international stage and emerging from the turbulence of the post-Soviet period, Moscow is undoubtedly one of the most exciting cities in the world.
And, So It Begun
My first day here was mostly spent sleeping, the flight from the US is painfully draining. But thankfully I was wise enough to force myself out of my slumber and accompany some of the students and staff of Liden & Denz on a brief tour down Tverskaya Street (Тверская улица), terminating at Red Square and the Kremlin. The walk itself was breathtaking, this street, formerly known as Gorky Street (улица Горького) hosts monuments to literary giants Mayakovsky and Pushkin, as well as the founder of Moscow, Yuri Dolgorukiy. The highlight of the night however, was the Circle of Light. Though there were events across the city from October 10th until the 14th, we attended a brilliant light show which lit up the whole face of the Bolshoi Theatre (Большо́й Tеа́тр) with fantastic animated depictions of nature, the cosmos, war, scenes from history, and countless others. While not always related to Russia, and even fewer directly related to Moscow, the many scenes depicted seemed to me a microcosm of the city itself: vibrant, beautiful, and spellbinding. Regrettably, my camera was not able to capture the true splendour of the display, so I cannot share it with you here, but it was a beautiful and festive start to my time here in Moscow, and it has left me eager to see what else the city has in store for me.
As an aside, the winter came swiftly and unexpectedly. My first day here was relatively pleasant, and then all that changed. As a hardy Minnesotan well accustomed to long cold winters, I am faring well. But for those of you from warmer climates, don’t forget your boots and coats, you will need them.
