Today I go to the Kremlin. I had tried the previous day but it was closed. I explore the Cathedrals and see where Tsars were crowned and buried. Unfortunately, the building I found to be the most interesting to look at I could not enter, The State Kremlin Palace. I peer through the windows and glimpse fantastic stairways, angular strong communist architecture and seals of the former CCCP states still on the wall.
I leave and head to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War (WWII). It is very interesting, filled with Dioramas depicting battles and information boards telling a rather biased Soviet side to the story. I have come to the opinion that if one wants a true and frank depiction of what happened during WWII then the museums of Germany are the best place. There I feel the story of the conflict is not nuanced to depict national interest (or bias) but to my inexpert mind one finds an open and honest account of what happened. May be the cliche that history is written by the victors is being challenged here, or perhaps Germany is not in a position to accord any personal hurrah! to The War, so is free to recount the story without national agenda. Anyway, I am waffling. I have included a couple of the information boards below.
I take a massive walk back to the hostel, and as it is a Friday I think about clubbing. After a bit of research I find a club that sounds suitable so head off. I stop at a few bars along the way, none of which are particularly exciting and find the club, only to find it is closed! Not a peep of that on its website. Other bars near by are open so I try these instead, but they are really not to my taste. It feels a bit like drinking on Broad Street in Birmingham, or Park End Street in Oxford. R and B schlager echos from all the bars. After a while (well half 3ish) I give up and return back to the hostel, only to find the night watchman is asleep and it takes half an hour of door banging to wake him!
I leave and head to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War (WWII). It is very interesting, filled with Dioramas depicting battles and information boards telling a rather biased Soviet side to the story. I have come to the opinion that if one wants a true and frank depiction of what happened during WWII then the museums of Germany are the best place. There I feel the story of the conflict is not nuanced to depict national interest (or bias) but to my inexpert mind one finds an open and honest account of what happened. May be the cliche that history is written by the victors is being challenged here, or perhaps Germany is not in a position to accord any personal hurrah! to The War, so is free to recount the story without national agenda. Anyway, I am waffling. I have included a couple of the information boards below.
I take a massive walk back to the hostel, and as it is a Friday I think about clubbing. After a bit of research I find a club that sounds suitable so head off. I stop at a few bars along the way, none of which are particularly exciting and find the club, only to find it is closed! Not a peep of that on its website. Other bars near by are open so I try these instead, but they are really not to my taste. It feels a bit like drinking on Broad Street in Birmingham, or Park End Street in Oxford. R and B schlager echos from all the bars. After a while (well half 3ish) I give up and return back to the hostel, only to find the night watchman is asleep and it takes half an hour of door banging to wake him!
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