I have always wanted to visit Moscow.

History. Power. Religion. 

Since the collapse of the Communist state, contemporary Moscow has reinvented itself into a thriving tourist destination that thrills with its nightlife and its majesty. I have also heard rave things about its growing foodie culture which draws on traditional Russian cuisine and local ingredients in the face of EU sanctions.

The lure of walking the capital of the once mighty Soviet Union is so great that it’s almost against my will. Not only have I heard that the Slavic city is wonderfully beautiful at any time of year, but Moscow is a time capsule of vastly different governing ideologies and archetypal thought. It would be fascinating to see its Imperial Palaces, Orthodox landmarks, and the spectre of the modern day Kremlin.

I want to stand in Red Square and marvel the strange contradiction of the gorgeous, St Basil’s Cathedral in the shadow of so many communist icons. That it survived the Soviet era intact is a testament to the power of the Orthodox Church in Russian society.

On more than one occasion, World History has been decided in or around the great Russian city and for Napoleon, Hitler, and Charles XII of Sweden, Moscow signaled the start of the end of their respective Empires.

When I get to Moscow I want to walk Red Square, I want to marvel at the kaleidoscope of colours of St Basil’s cathedral on its onion-like domes and I want to feel the magnitude of the Kremlin. I want to explore the Imperial Palaces of the Tsars and eat the finest dumplings in Russia.

I’d love to walk the Volga River and take a day trip out to the battlefields outside the city where the Germans were miraculously halted from taking the city.

I have an odd interest in metro’s around the world (especially Europe) and Moscow’s metro is renowned as being one of the most beautiful and most loved in the world. I want to buy a fluffy ushanka hat and go to a fancy vodka bar, and most importantly, I want to make friends with some lovely Russians.

Signing off.