Day 4 in Moscow

 I started with Victory Park, then strolled via Arbat Street. While I was struggling with floating GPS points toward the Old Mosque of Moscow, I walked by many landmarks and one trendy pedestrian street right behind my hostel. I ended up giving up the Old Mosque of Moscow, shopped and cooked my dinner to get ready for tomorrow early morning bullet train ride to St. Petersburg. 

Victory Park (Park Pobedy) is located on Poklonnaya Gora (Submission Hill) where guests coming to Moscow from the West were expected to bow down (poklonitsya) and pay homage.  It was also where Napoleon waited in vain to be handed control of the Kremlin by the Russians after capturing the city.  The park is in honour of the Soviet victory in the Second World War. Just outside the park is Moscow's Triumphal Arch which was constructed between 1829 and 1834.

The main monument within the park is the Victory Monument which consists of a 141.8 metre tall obelisk (10 centimetres for each day of the war), decorated with reliefs and with the goddess Nike at the top.  At the base of the obelisk is a statue of St George slaying a dragon adorned with Nazi symbols.  Just behind the complex is an eternal flame. There were an army promotional event and youth competition in the park today. Again, I skipping the museum since the descriptions are all in Russian.

Arbat Street is a pedestrian street about one kilometer long in the historical centre of Moscow. The Arbat has existed since at least the 15th century, which makes it one of the oldest surviving streets of the Russian. Originally populated with craftsmen and merchants. The most famous noble families settled here. One of such noble mansions was rented by Alexander Pushkin after his marriage to Natalie. Now It is alive with street musicians, artists who are eager to draw your portrait or caricature, second-hand booksellers, and Numerous cafes and various restaurants.