Moscow Mayor, Mr. Luzhkov (his site is in Russian only), had a very ambitious plans for construction work in Moscow. Before financial crisis hit us in August 1998, many of his dreams had materialized, and each one of them was controversial enough to spark hot discussions about how well new objects fit traditional Moscow environment. A bit later we will look at some of the items, now we are watching his dream that is still in the process of coming true, and the process is slow. This glowing model in the picture demonstrates Moscow City Business Center, a new downtown area packed with skyscrapers. So far all this area covered with glowing buildings in the model is in real world a flat wasteland with some minor construction activities. The only part of the model that already exits in concrete, steel, and glass is the entrance, the bridge that you at the bottom of the photo with a tower looking small in comparison to giant structures across the river... Well, the tower does look small in the model, but on the bank of Moskva river it sits very impressively. You can see them in the row of pictures below
As always in my stories here, you can zoom in on any picture. Just click an image and a larger and better quality photo will open. Many of the photos are worth looking at in postcard size.
The bridge itself is not just an overpass, it is a complicated multilevel structure with interior resembling a modern airport (actually, any international or domestic Moscow airport looks very old and low-tech compared to this bridge). I mean it, look at the picture on the right and tell me how much it looks like a bridge across a narrow enough river! From the level with shops and running pathways you can go upstairs to the open deck - to enjoy views, to breath a fresh wind, to remind yourself that you are just crossing a river, not going to fly anywhere.
If you started from already urban and populated riverbank (that means, from Kutuzovski prospect), crossing the Bagration Bridge (yes, this is the name, and the bridge got it after the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812) brings you to the area that looks almost deserted by comparison. It won't be long before construction activities will destroy these strange remnants of rural Moscow, small grassy patches below stone wall of embankment, quiet silence of a countryside. In the meantime you can take a few nice photos - with Moscow future in the background and its village past in the foreground, with the girls sitting on the new steps - while traditionally eclectic Moscow reflects in the water behind them.
And the last suggestion before we move on. The other end of the bridge (not the tower) is a useful place. First, the model that has opened this story sits right there, and second, there is an excellent restaurant with fabulous meat dishes of Brazilian cuisine. Speaking of restaurants - this is another example of how fast Moscow changes - and in what direction. More and more restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, clubs keep opening in the city all the time. Some are best for quiet business talks, other are famous for their music, most of them offer really fine food - and often at very decent prices. Two photos on the left show examples, a boat that is a restaurant - one can rent it and enjoy best views of Moscow all through the party with numerous friends. The other picture shows a small cozy cafe recently built in the old bedroom community. Actually it sits across the street from the school that I was attending 30+ years ago, and I feel some envy, looks like the right place to relax after (or instead) classes. We missed that opportunity.
A few more sights of river and bridges. They offer views very traditional - but still new because of the restoration work. Restoration of Kremlin has been under way for years and is still in progress in some places. But many churches, towers, and most of the walls are done and now look fresh and colorful on a sunny day. Shining gilded domes on slender white bell-towers are best to watch from the river - or from the bridges across it.
In other places views are less traditional and instead present a wild mixture of styles from different times. Behind the Metro bridge one can see typical Stalin architecture of pseudo-classic style and modern marine design, glass tower that was a symbol of "new Moscow" in Brezhnev times and that now is occupied with Mayor Office and headquarters of powerful private corporations.
The photo at the bottom on the right shows another construction site, the one where a new bridge is being built instead of the old one moved last year to become an entrance to Gorky Park. This modern one is supposed to be wide and carry heavy traffic - new bridges are part of the plan to re-route city traffic and somehow save the city from horrible traffic jams that now are killing Moscow life in the daytime.
And then of course there are two dramatic changes of Moskva river sights. Cathedral of Christ the Savior is completed. (Though experts still argue whether its rebuilding could be called a restoration. The looks are close, but not exactly repeating the original building, the technology and materials are mostly new and have nothing to do with the destroyed prototype.) Anyway, the Cathedral again has become a noticeable detail of city landscape, easily seen from far away. And it presents a perfect background for making portraits on the bridge...
A huge monument of Peter the Great was a target of many criticisms, it became a good style for Moscow intellectuals to express deep resentment towards the monument and its creator. But tourists like the thing and - just do not tell anyone - I also think it's a funny piece of metal protruding from a river surface and presenting an excellent background for many photos. Like this one featuring a Russian flag on a river boat, clean as it can be only on the first day of the new season.
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