| Moscow - First Impressions |
| Well, as I moved to work in Moscow, capital of Russia, I think it will be interesting to lay down my first impressions and thoughts about it. At least it will be interesting for me in some time from now. Sorry for typos - have no time to check and correct. So, no particular order or flow - call it notes on the back of Metro ticket :))) I arrived in this City on Feb, 13 - just before St. valentines Day. 11 days from there I have ZERO memories about the day of my arrival. The sterotypes I have got - Moscow is huge, chaotic, not very friendly. To some extent it is true. But good things first. The City is BIG. I mean London is nothing comparing to it. But it is beautiful - at least in terms of architecture. The problem is that all the coloured photos of nice churches, chapel, buildings are being imprinted on the huge black and white - not to say grey - sheet of 'yellow press' newspaper. I was really impressed with the night centre tour by car - in the night lights all the greyness vanishes and the beautiful part being highlited. Moscow is European city - far ahead of, say my beloved Kyiv in it's development - you see money fountaining everywehre. I do not know if it is for bad or for good, but on top of the historic architecture, you can see the new mordern shape being stand out. Huge office towers, luxury appartments - part of new city face. Prices are adjusted respectively, so after 1.5 years in London I do not feel any change in pricing at all :))). Food is great. Real slavic food I am used to consume for the last 22 years. Ukrainian Borsch sucks in Moscow. Biggest dissappointments, though I still did not attend couple fo Ukrainian restaurants. I take my words back - TARAS BULBA Ukrainian Restaurant is great - good food and good price, excellent environment created by the friends :)) and nice Ukrainian design of the place. Real energy booster for me in Moscow. I can see gastronomic footprints of Ukraine everywhere and this makes me feel good. Think youself: 1) Nemiroff - Ukrainian Horilka with Honey and Red Pepper - I saw it is 5 out of 6 supermarkets I visited. 2) Obolon beer has the distribution in line iwth the best Russian brands. 3) Nizhynsky - this brand is capturing the market is well known pickled cucumbers and tomatoes. And this is just couple of days discoveries. Moscow cabs are disgusting, old , yellow Volgas. Drivers keep up the image. I have finally found an appartment - 2 rooms just near the Torpedo Moscow football stadium. The district sucks with couple of heavy industry manufacturings, but it is close to the office and the flat is quite nice. I wait two things: i) get it there myself; ii) wait untill my first friends come to visit me. I like appartment more and more. And place is not bad at all, I can cycle to Kolomenskoye park-museum - excellent place for cycling + some stuff remaining from Petro I, not that I am a big fan of him :))) Now I have got 3 day offs due to 23 of Feb. It is extremely boring, plus quite cold and wet to get out anywhere, so I use these couple of minutes to update mysite a bit. I HAVE been in Ukraine almost 2 weeks in May. I never felt its beauty so much, may be I am not fair to Moscow, because I do not feel good there. But Kyiv, home, are like a fresh breath for me. Something I would really like to return ... To be continued .... I have left Moscow - this part I add being back at home already. Though it is still first impressions about Moscow, as I believe I still do not understand the City. I have left a lot of friends there, good colleagues, I have left a part of my life there and turned the page. As I also left the Company where I spent 4 years in. Fortunately or not, it became inseparable part of my life, as I spent 80% of my time at work. It will never be the same. It will be better. It was very difficult to make the choice. But few things I learnt and reconfirmed for myself: i) listen to your heart; ii) do not be afraid - 'worrior is not afraid, because he is already dead' iii) never burn the bridges - leave bad behind but take good things with you (e.g. keep in touch with friends) iv) everything that happens is for better. Obvious things, but if I followed these rules first place - I would be back in Ukraine at least 6 months earlier. Moscow ! I will return. As a tourist .... When I will see the rest of the world. |