From Russia with Love
By Kasim Ali-Khan
I have never thought of Russia as being a romantic place but after 3 weeks touring, there is definitely some passion and you can see why. They have written their own history with a strong belief that Stalin was a “Great leader” despite the fact that he butchered 9 million of his own people. Talk about a stiff upper lip they have taken several upper cuts and that was the demeanour I expected. Whether dictated to by the powers above or their love of football the Russians were fantastic people across the 5 cities I visited.
The vast metropolis that was Moscow had the world’s most beautiful (and deep) underground stations that would never fail to amaze in the details the artisans of the various states invested in the stations. From intricate mosaics, to beautiful artworks and even a station of stain glass windows it was a true gallery and with trains every 60-90 seconds we have a lot to learn about mass transportation. The Kremlin was majestic and St Basil’s cathedral with its quirky coloured domes and a maze of little praying and reflective spaces had fantastic acoustics. Hearing an A Cappella choir bellowing out the chants in their low base sounds resonated deep in the soul and made the hairs on your neck stand to attention. Magnificent!
On to Kazan, more cathedrals, and the influence of the mogul leader Genghis Khan (apparently, I am a descendant) within the architecture and the ethnicity. The long Bauman Street provided entertainment with pubs and cafes along with a lot of French supporters cheering their team. ‘Détente Cordial’ for sure, as this was the first test of how supporters of 2 nations greet, and emerge as a happy collection of passionate supporters enjoying the spirit of sportsmanship, such was reflected throughout my trip. Boys done well, but not well enough as they lost to the French 2-1, the eventual winners of the tournament.
Next – Samara, the space capital of Russia and where the first man on the moon was managed from. We stayed with the Danish team in a FIFA approved hotel and enjoyed the best hotel food on the trip. We managed to hold the Danes to 1-1 and most of us feel this was the game we should have pushed to win. Still no Timmy Cahill!! Samara is on the vast Volga River, over a kilometre wide in parts and apparently freezes over in winter. They even created a beach along one side with volleyball and plenty of entertaining. In addition Stalin’s very deep Bunker in the event that it all turned to Borsch!!
