Travel Notes in Russia —— Experience in Moscow

With the improvement of national life, traveling abroad is no longer what ordinary people expect. Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, visited 5,000 yuan in eight days, and we started our trip to Russia. This trip will take a Russian flight. It was 7: 30 p.m. when we took off from Hohhot Airport, and the plane kept flying northwest. The tour guide told us that it would take about seven and a half hours to get to Moscow. Because of the first long-distance flight, I feel very wronged and look forward to reaching this mysterious country as soon as possible.

As a China who grew up watching 19 18, Lenin and the Battle of Stalingrad, Russia is my first choice for traveling abroad. I want to experience the vast and generous countries and nations in this territory at close range. My seat is near the window of the engine room. There is not a cloud in the clear night sky. I look at the distant land from time to time. It has been flying for more than three hours and should be in Russia. Occasionally, sparse lights flashed outside the engine room, and the vast land became darker. Unlike our country, which passes by street lamps like gold necklaces from time to time, or cities as bright as burning flames.

After the meal was delivered at around 8 pm, most of the passengers were sleepy and closed their eyes. After twelve o'clock at night, the stewardesses handed boxes of hot noodles to people. Everyone opened their eyes and looked at each other. I really don't have the habit of eating supper. This incident also fully shows that Russia is a nation that plays by the rules. Whether you eat or not, you must do what you have to do.

Finally, an endless light appeared before us. The Chinese broadcast in the cabin told passengers to fasten their seat belts. The plane will land in about twenty minutes. People are extremely excited and are sorting out their things and preparing to set foot on Russian land. I looked out of the window at the house that was gradually parallel to the plane and didn't feel any friction with the ground. The plane has landed, and after taxiing for some distance, it came to a smooth stop. The tour guide said that most of the pilots of Russian large passenger planes are retired fighter pilots. They were skilled, transported us safely to our destination, made everyone applaud and thank you, and then the passengers filed out. There are signs in Chinese in the aisle from time to time. It seems that the domestic legend that President Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe compete for tourists from China is not groundless. Japan still needs to apply for visas and other procedures, and Russia is exempt from visas. A large number of tourists play an inestimable role in stimulating the local economy. Russia and we are both friendly countries in the Belt and Road Initiative and have become strategic partners this year, so there will definitely be more tourists to visit. We all came from China on this flight, which shows how attractive Russia is.

When going through the immigration formalities at the entry and exit, I found some foreigners with blue eyes and white skin wearing shorts T-shirts. Doesn't that mean the temperature here is lower than that in China? What's the matter with foreigners dressed so thinly? Before leaving, my wife coughed, and my daughter found all the thick clothes and a wool shawl, which I pulled out before leaving. How much can I wear in cold weather?

It's cool outside the terminal, and the sweater fits me just right. It seems that "Vienna" is really not afraid of the cold, and people who can keep fit without drinking hot water are really rare. When the bus is heading for the city, it is exciting and novel not to pass through European buildings. There are more than 30 people in our party who are not sleepy at all. There is a five-hour time difference between Moscow and Beijing. At this moment, the sun in our country is high, so it's time to get up and have breakfast.

This four-star hotel has 500 or 600 rooms, and the huge front hall is crowded with tourists. Listening to the accents of Guangdong, Hebei and Shanxi, questioning each other. Their tour fare is not much higher than ours. I really don't know how the travel agency can make a profit at such a price.

It is rumored that Russia's work efficiency is not high, and it has been truly verified at the moment. There are only two staff members in the counter. Because it is visa-free, tourists need to mortgage their passports at the hotel, but it still takes some time to process them. Fortunately, there are many young people with blue eyes and high noses drinking beer in bars and open-air bars, and there are no snacks on the table that we should have. Friends meet and hug each other, and the atmosphere is warm but not noisy. The tour guide said that President Putin had ordered that the sale of alcohol was prohibited after eleven o'clock in the evening. Although Russia is an alcoholic nation, no one wants to break the bottom line and try the law by losing their freedom. Although it took me nearly an hour to register, I have been enjoying the nightlife of young Russians, and I didn't think it was too long.

After breakfast at eight o'clock the next morning, the bus took us to visit the Dongzhengda Church in Sergey Town, a suburb of Moscow. The church is as magnificent as a manor, with a colorful roof and some walls decorated with gold foil, such as the Winter Palace, Summer Palace and Amber Palace in St. Petersburg. Religion occupies an important position in this country, and heaven and hell play a very important role in restraining people's moral behavior.

Having lunch in a Chinese restaurant in Moscow, with the sharp increase of tourists from China, Chinese restaurants have mushroomed. Not only cooking, but also hot water. It's not like China's legendary cold water diarrhea, but I never dare to "try my best" to cool milk in western food. Russian toilets are charged, and some are coin-operated automatically. These jokes will be discussed later.

In the afternoon, the bus took us directly to the Red Square in Moscow. Red Square is much smaller than Tiananmen Square. The ground is paved with a stone half a foot square. The tour guide said that the stone was inserted more than one meter underground and could withstand the crushing of heavy equipment such as parade tanks. On the Red Square, a group of children interact with people wearing national costumes, as if to stimulate children's imagination with fairy tales. Russia has a vast territory and a vast population, and there are not many tourists in Moscow's Red Square, which is quiet and peaceful. Two soldiers on duty strolled leisurely beside the purple Lenin mausoleum. Lenin's mausoleum did not look out, but silently missed the leader of the first socialist country in the world.

Every city in Russia has World War II monuments and memorials, as well as sculptures of famous generals. The most shocking thing is the burning torch under the red wall in Moscow. During World War II, 27 million Russians gave their lives, and only one head was buried here. Burying this nameless head here symbolizes every Russian who has shed blood for his country. The flame here will never go out, whether it is windy or rainy day or night. In sharp contrast to Lenin's Mausoleum, there are soldiers with straight bodies and bright eyes guarding the tomb ahead.

There are as many as 36 military festivals in Russia every year, which is unique in the world. Russia also held a military parade in Red Square on Victory Day. The parade entered from the left and dispersed after passing through the Red Square, which had little impact on traffic. The grand and solemn military parade has played a positive role in national defense and patriotism education for the whole people.

In sharp contrast to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, although the soldiers on duty in Red Square are wearing military uniforms and carrying guns, they walk leisurely, not terrible and fierce at all, but more like ceremonial soldiers. Covering an area of 26 hectares, the Kremlin has stood firmly on the west side of Red Square for more than 800 years. There are many palaces, churches and office buildings here, which show thousands of treasures accumulated by czars in past dynasties. Exquisite church architecture is an elaborate masterpiece of Italian Renaissance style and Russian Zhengdong spirit.

The wall of the Kremlin is red, and so is the Russian History Museum. In the historical process of Russia, Red Square has always been called "new open space" or "burning place", and later it gradually developed into the center of the city. There are many magnificent buildings with unique shapes, and the largest shopping store in Europe is opposite the Red Square. Unlike our domestic tourists, the streets around Red Square are sparsely populated. On the grass not far from Red Square, two men who looked like vagabonds slept soundly, and no police intervened.

The sparkling moscow river, like a blue ribbon, flows quietly from the ancient Red Square. The spire of the Kremlin and the huge golden roof of the church sparkled in the sun. Ancient buildings and modern buildings are addicted to birch trees, and the exotic customs are unforgettable. The largest country in the world is still worth visiting by friends. (To be continued)