Tuesday, 19 April 2016
Riga, Latvia and Moscow, Russia - April 2016
Judge as you find is a mantra handed down to me by my open
minded mother, a woman who can't help but see the good in the majority of the
people she meets.
When I announced my intention to travel East to behind what
was formerly the Iron Curtain and into Russia I was greeted with choruses of
"are you mad", "you'll get killed" and "what do you
want to do that for".
Barely a week at home goes by without news beamed across the
BBC network of Russian leader Vladimir Putin either flexing his political
muscles distancing himself further from the west in what is increasingly
becoming a throwback to the Cold War era, a probe into a poisoned spy, or
brutal military intervention in Syria.
I must confess that I did have some reservations (although
not enough to put me off coming) and thought that we would have to watch our
step a little, but in truth what I've discovered during my own personal time
spent in Moscow is that the people living in the city are friendly, warm,
welcoming, helpful and speak surprisingly good English, contrary to my one word
Russian vocabulary of spaseeba.
We warmed up with a day and night in the charming Latvian
city of Riga, a quaint cobbled city typical of so many other smaller Easter
European outposts.
Again, the locals were a friendly bunch and couldn't do
enough for us. Riga itself is relatively small in size (a population of well under a
million and is easy to navigate on foot) its picturesque old town packed with
bars, restaurants, stunning architecture, grand church spires and bustling
market stalls.
However as nice as Riga was, it was far from the main event.
After touching down in Moscow we hopped in a cab and headed past nondescript
Soviet high rise blocks and into what quickly became a smart, clean and awe-inspiring city.
We wasted no time in hitting the town for a Friday night in a place which is as famous for its nightlife as it is its historic landmarks
marking poignant moments in Russian history and boy, did it not disappoint.
Our destination of choice for an unexpected two night stay
was a nightclub named Gipsy.
Gipsy, as is the case with many Russian clubs, exercises a
strict face control policy whereby only people deemed good looking or rich
enough are allowed to enter.
Fortunately for us, our English accent was detected in the
sizeable queue which had already seen people turned away who would probably
considered in the more attractive proportion of the population back in the UK.
After a quick pat down we were allowed to enter what turned
out to be an absolute assault on the senses. Two large rooms made up the vast
majority of the complex which was packed with Russia's glamorous, wealthy and
powerful clad in some of the swankiest get up I've ever seen.
Face control ensured the club was never over crowded as the
DJs spun their tunes until the time that my alarm would usually sound for work.
A combination of adrenaline, vodka and red bull and knowing the fact that we'd
blagged our way into a club that never in our wildest dreams would we be able
to enter back home, ensured we were among the last to leave two nights in
succession.
A walk around Gipsy sees an impressive plethora of services including a tapas bar, restaurant, ball pool and even a kebab shop to combat late night/ early morning cravings.
The two indescribable vodka-fuelled nights proved to not be
enough to spoil our days however and we also wolfed down some tasty culinary
treats provided by the courteous, polite and attentive waiting staff, to help power us through our sightseeing itinerary.
Moscow itself is so clean that it almost glistened in the April
warmth which ensured chills the icy that we'd been told to expect would never trouble
us during our stay.
The sights need little introduction or description but must be seen to be
believed. The Kremlin, St Basil's Cathedral and Red Square are all rightly marvelled at
by all those who stop by to snap iconic pics immediately uploaded to social
media (guilty).
The buildings provide a reminder as to the world superpower
that Russia has proved to be throughout history. Nearby hawkers pedal fluffy hats, as well as t-shirts and fridge magnets depicting comical images such as Putin riding a bear holding a
shotgun, a gentle reminder of the god-like worship and cult of personality that
surrounds the leader.
Being lucky enough to take in a top flight football match
and potential title decider between CSKA and Lokomotiv Moscow was an experience
that I will never forget and one that trumped matches I've seen across England and Spain.
The game itself was an end to end 1-1 draw which featured no
shortage of goal mouth action and drama.
However, despite the entertainment on the field played out
by 22 gladiators from around the world, it was the fans off it and particular
the ultras that stole the show.
A non-stop 90 minute barrage of ear shredding noise from
both sets of fans included flares, fireworks and curiously mosh pits, with no
sign of any hooliganism, perhaps to do with the fact half the Russian army
looked to have been deployed to maintain order.
Comparing Moscow to other parts of the geographically largest country in
the world would be unfair and unrealistic as poverty and famine still hold a
vice like grip in some of the more isolated rural areas, whilst Moscovites live
lives of flash cars and Louis Vutton bags. However, even as Ferraris zip around the wide
boulevards, the recent crash of the rouble still means that drinks are cheap
and a slap-up meal totals around £10 a head.
Speaking from my own experience I can say that
Moscow was undoubtedly worth the considerable hassle of organising a visa and
my only regret is not being able to travel further and deeper into a
fascinating country which has now captured not only my imagination but also my
heart.
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