Day 10: Alexander Gardens and Lunch

After visiting Lenin’s Tomb and Red Square, we made our way to the Alexander Gardens which are located on the west side of the Kremlin.  These gardens became one of the city’s first public parks, built 1819-1822.

The Alexander Gardens

Immediately after walking from Okhotny Ryad, you will find the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on your left, guarded during the day with hourly changing of the guard ceremonies.  Two soldiers flank the eternal flame while a third overwatches them and blows his whistle when tourists do things like sit on the monument or are acting in an improper manner.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow.

Along a walkway stretching to the south are the names of the various Hero Cities from World War II and this is the path that the replacement guard marches down.

The next guard shift approaches the tomb.	Two soldiers go to relieve their comrades.

The garden has a variety of other things – open spaces for people to relax and picnic on, ice cream stands, flower beds, and equestrian fountains.  Overall, it is a nice place to relax.

Decorative flower beds with Jasper jumping in puddles in the foreground.	Equestrian fountain with an exhibition hall in the background.

After going through the gardens, we found a Belorussian restaurant for lunch called the Belaya Rus.  Belorussia (modern-day Belarus) is inhabited largely by “White Russians” – ethnically distinct from the Great Russians (who largely inhabit Russia) and the Ukrainians.  Russia and Belarus maintain close ties whereas relations with Ukraine are a bit more varied than that (the Ukrainians still are resentful of the Russians due in part to the starvation and forced collectivization in the Ukraine back in the 20s and 30s).

Lance, Liz, and Jasper at the Belaya Rus.	Dad and I at the Belaya Rus.

I’m not very well versed in the specifics of Belorussian cuisine, but I can tell you that the food was absolutely amazing.  We enjoyed some more Morst that we had first tasted at Lake Baikal, and I tried a Belorussian drink called “Kvas” which tastes a bit bitter and takes about half a glass or so to get used to it.  I don’t recall the names of the other dishes, but we had a variety ranging from stuffed baked potatoes to chicken fillet.

A tasty spread of food!

Refreshed and recharged after lunch, we returned to the Alexander Gardens to get tickets for the Kremlin itself!