A cold, cold day in Moscow on May 8th 2017

Sunday was a gorgeous day.. Monday not so much.  We actually spent the day trampling around the Kremlin in rain, then sleet, then snow.  We were chilled to the bone...wet socks and shoes and all...but tried to make the best of it as we could not leave this city without seeing the heart of Moscow.  We miraculously made our way to the ticket office after being told once again that the Kremlin was closed for Victory Day where we bought tickets to the Kremlin Museums and the Armory.
To enter, one walks across the Troitskiy bridge and enters thru the Troitskaya Tower.

Bill decided to have little fun with the guards....but only after watching a few Koreans doing it first!!!

Inside the Kremlin walls are several Cathedrals.  After awhile they all start to look alike but we went inside them all, some just because we wanted to dry out. Out of respect, you can't take pictures on the inside but we did take pictures of the outsides.

Archangel Cathedral

Synaxis of the Archangel Michael

Annunciation Cathedral

Dormition Cathedral

To read more about the Kremlin Cathedrals, click here. Cathedral Square

From Cathedral Square we went to the The Tsar Cannon on display on the grounds of the Moscow Kremlin. It is a monument of Russian artillery casting art, cast in bronze in 1586 in Moscow, by the Russian master bronze caster Andrey Chokhov. Mostly of symbolic impact, it was never used in a war. However the cannon bears traces of at least one firing. Per the Guinness Book of Records it is the largest bombard by caliber in the world, and it is a major tourist attraction in the ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin.

Next stop was the The Tsar Bell. It is located between the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Kremlin Wall. Made of bronze, the bell was broken during metal casting and has never been rung. The bell is the largest bell in the world, weighing 445,166 lbs, with a height of 20.1 ft and diameter of 22 ft, and thickness of up to 24 in. The broken piece weighs 25,400 lbs. 

On to the Kremlin Armory, which is basically Russia's national archives and an incredible display of relics from it's fascinating, sometimes troubling history. You were not supposed to take pictures but we took a few. This museum was the best part of the Kremlin Tour.  Read about it here:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kremlin_Armoury

Coats of Armor

Coronation Gowns and Crowns

The original Horn of Plenty Cast in silver

Czar's Jewel-encrusted Gospels

Large Clock was a gift to a Tsar's wife but it never worked 

Tourists Freezing

Kremlin Clock tower and Saint Basil on a snowy day

Last stop was the Hard Rock in Moscow for the obligatory pin purchase.  Andrea has been collecting pins from all over the world and has about 50 so far.

We ate an early dinner and went back to the Palace to dry out.  The Kremlin is a must see and we are glad we did not forgo it because of the weather, just wish it wasn't so freezing and miserable! So, all-in-all we got a pretty good look at Moscow. We were pleasantly surprised that it is just like any other European world capital city....beautiful buildings and world-class restaurants, transportation and shopping. Tomorrow, it is on to the former capital...Saint Petersburg...via a four-hour bullet train ride.