Last Days in Moscow

Monday 27th

As friday was the last day of the summer school, and not everybody came on the weekend trip to Valdimir and Suzdal, many people on the course had already left by the end of the weekend. Today most of those that remained would be making their departure.

In the morning Ulf, Natacha and I decided to take the last opportunity to do some more exploring of the imposing university building in an attempt to find a way to the upper levels in an attempt to see what sort of view it afforded.
The building is a bit of a maze, which many lifts ascending to different levels and parts of the building. Here, at 10:24am, Natacha is going for the top floor in a lift with one of the more impressive arrays of floors on offer.
At one point we found a dinosaur museum, which gives you an idea of how big this building is. Unfortunately it seemed deserted except for one particularly rude dinosaur, judging by Natacha's translation of the way she had indicated that we were not allowed inside...
Sadly we never did find the rumoured view point on the upper levels..

At 11:00 we were with Sandjar in the car park to bid Ulf farewell as he was about to be driven to the airport.
Sandjar stayed with Natacha and I till it was time for Natacha to leave later in the afternoon, after which I went back to the faculty to check my email and prepare for my last two days in Moscow.

Tuesday 28th

A large part of Monday was taken up with seeing off people that were leaving, and tomorrow I had to leave time for my own departure, so this would be my only completely free day in Moscow.

Natacha and Ulf had recomended the Space/Cosmonautics museum which they had visited the previous week when they had taken some time off from the course, and as the gift shop had been closed, Natacha had made me promise to pick up some posters she had wanted if I managed to get there. So after finishing my earlier errands, I made my way on the metro to station VDNKh.

The museum is located in the base of this impressive rocket monument, the Space Obelisk. The monument consists of a rocket nearly 100m in the sky atop a stylised plume of exhaust clad in titanium.

Again there was a charge for taking pictures inside the museum, so you will have to go yourself to see what is inside - unless I get some donated from someone else in our group...
For now all I can show is the image on my ticket, which shows the sculpture which is the centrepiece of the exhibits.

As well as the Space and Cosmonautics museum, this metro stop was also surrounded by a sprawling market where, amoungst other things, one can obtain DVDs at a fraction of the price they sell for at Bagrationovskaya. Sandjar tells me that that is because this is where the pirate DVDs are sold.
At the end of the market area is All Russia Exhibition Centre VVT, which is a permanent cross between a trade fair and a shopping centre. The name of the station (VDNH) comes from the Soviet title of the centre - the Exhibition of Economic Achievements.
This is the main gate to the VVTs, with the spire of the central pavilion behind the wall to the left.

Through the main entrance looking down the 'valley of fountains' toward the central pavilion inside the VVTs.

A view off to the side at 17:47, with the TV tower visible in the background.

Wednesday 29th

This was my last day in Moscow, and in spite of my extra couple of days I still find I had a long list of last minute shopping I wanted to do before it was time for me to check out of my room and head for the airport at around 16:00.

This was a last picture from a window of the univerisity dorm at 10:00am, just before heading out toward the electronics supermarket at Bagrationovskaya. Moments after I returned to the university Sanjar arrived to assist me with the checkout procedure and to see me on my way to the airport, and before I knew it I was on my way back to London.

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