Field Trips, Museums, Landmarks

July 28, 2016

Although I feel as though I just arrived in Russia, I have had the opportunity to see so many great museums, monuments, and historic places. While we have not visited Kazan and St. Petersburg yet, my favorite excursion thus far was the tour of St. Basil’s Cathedral. Commonly mistaken for the Kremlin, this cathedral is easily the most recognizable landmark in Russia. The cathedral resides in Red Square in the center of Moscow, and is right next to the Kremlin. The inside of the cathedral has many displays on the history of St. Basil and Orthodoxy in Russia. While the tour was not the most exciting part of the excursion, I was very happy to begin my time in Moscow at a place I have always dreamed of seeing in person.

In addition to our visit to St. Basil’s Cathedral, we have had the opportunity to visit the inside of the Kremlin, Kolmenskoye Park (the former summer home of the Tsars), the Russian Museum of Cosmonautics, the New Maiden Convent, Lenin’s Mausoleum (where Vladimir Lenin’s body is on display in the heart of the Red Square), and many more. As an American, I have had very few opportunities to learn about the history of Russia, especially from a Russian standpoint. These excursions and field trips have given me a better understanding about the history of Eastern Orthodoxy, the Tsardom, the Soviet Union, and Russian pride. I look forward to our visits to Kazan, Russia’s sports capital, and St. Petersburg, the former capital of Russia!

Written By

Elisabeth Borja

Hello! My name is Elise and I am a senior at Northeastern University. I have a major in Communication Studies with two minors in International Affairs and French. I will be apart of the Tale of Three Cities Dialogue of Civilizations program, which takes place in Moscow, Kazan, and St. Petersburg, Russia. I hope that this Dialogue of Civilizations program will help me improve my Russian language skills, as well as educate me on the many parts of Russia that aren't shown in Western media. A fun fact about me is I speak three languages: English, French, and Russian. I am very eager to share my experiences with you for the next several weeks, and hope you continue to read my weekly posts!