Elbrus Expedition Dispatch

June 22, 2009 – A Grim and Patriotic Holiday in Russia

Our train rolled into Leningrad Station in Moscow at exactly 08:35 this morning.

We were met by a driver from the Ararat Park Hyatt and quickly had our giant duffels loaded into the hotel mini bus. Just after 9:00 we were sitting in the Lobby of the hotel. Jackie was very eager for that first cup of coffee and organized a table full of strong, fresh “Americano” coffees for the team.

Later we enjoyed the buffet breakfast.

Our rooms were not ready so early in the morning of course, so after we met our Moscow City Tour guide, Alexander, we decided to move out to the street and begin to see Moscow.

Our first goal was to just go stand in Red Square, which is just a short walk from the hotel. We had not known until we arrived what a special day in Russian history and about the commemorations that would be underway.

To recap in more detail from yesterdays dispatch and share with you our experience of this historical day: Sixty eight years ago this morning, at 4:00 AM was when the first German bombs fell on the Soviet Union beginning what all Russians know as their most defining historical period of modern times, The Great Patriotic War, in which at least 27,000,000 Russian people lost their lives. We’d seen Russian flags flying at half mast on the way in to the city center. Now we knew why. This will happen every June 22 in Russia. Much of the rest of the world my not realize it, but it is true that as our guide told us, The Great Patriotic is the event that Russians consider their defining period, even more that the revolutions of 1917 and 1991.

So we walked the streets with processions of military, Russian Orthodox clergy, lines of black official looking cars and many normal citizens recognizing the day. Red Square was closed, so we know we would have to try to visit there later. We wanted to get inside the Kremlin and finally on the third attempt we found an entrance where the guards were letting a few people walk in. It was the most peaceful and quiet trip to the Kremlin that I’d ever made and extremely enjoyable.

It was fascinating to watch clergy and soldiers walk together in somber and purposeful manner as they went about the day’s ceremonies.

Later we rode the metro and Alexander showed us the beautiful bronze statues from the 1930’s that the soviets had built to honor men and women of the Soviet Union. Today citizens who passed us in the metro gestured proudly at the figures and spoke to us about who they were. Change comes, but pride remains in the heart of Russian people, the most patriotic people I have ever been around.

This team had it with museums by the time we got out of the Kremin’s Armory however. Back at the Hyatt we found John Bank, who arrived from Chicago today to join up with us, our last team member to arrive in Russia, now all 10 of us are together.

Evening found some of the team back out on the street and a few of us enjoying a meal and drinks at Park Hyatt’s rooftop Conservatory restaurant, high above Moscow’s center.

Tomorrow will be an update from the team as they leave Moscow and head for the mountains.