Inspiration

It was rather nice to get recommendations, posted both here and on twitter, for the better-looking Moscow. Now I look forward to a next visit and some proper exploration. In doing a bit of reading around, I found this painting of Red Square before the great fire of 1812, and was amused to see the same tourist stalls as we had encountered on Saturday morning (well, I would prefer to scrabble around in these ones).

I wondered if my problems with Moscow started with the Great Fire (I need a historian, or someone with better knowledge than me, to tell me if it was started by Napoleon or the Muscovites?). Look at this map showing the degree of devastation – shaded in dark. Think what streets and buildings were lost.

Needless to say, my researches for a better looking Moscow couldn’t help but lead me to that rather famous photograph of Young Stalin that graced the cover of Simon Sebag Montefiore’s book of the same name.

Which leads us nicely on to this photograph found deep in the blogosphere. Have a happy Tuesday!