Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine November 2016 | Page 127

Travel | Moscow
© Wich Kitisuponpan; Idea Studio / Shutterstock; © ITAR-TASS Photo Agency / Alamy

A decorative snowman
on Red Square.
Decorations for
Christmas and New Year
on Red Square with the
walls of the Kremlin in the
background.
Russian nesting dolls.

rink, the world’s largest and surely the best
located, right under the Kremlin’s turrets.
There are plenty of historic sights, monastery
complexes and excellent museums scattered
all across Moscow. Avoid the horrendous
traffic and take the metro, not just a means
of getting around but an attraction in itself.
Some of its Soviet-era stations, deep in the
earth’s warm bowels, down seemingly endless
escalators, are spectacularly decorated with
beautiful mosaics, busts of Lenin, art deco
panelling and grand frescoes. Among the best
stations are Komsomolskaya, Mayakovskaya
and Revolution Square. Make sure you stop
at Revolution Square anyway: it hosts
a Christmas village with stalls selling tree
ornaments, handicrafts and mulled wine.
If Jack Frost is nipping at your toes, you can
buy valenki boots, the must-wear item
of the Russian winter.
Gorky Park is best known for its summer
strolls and amusement-park rides, but in
winter the park floods its paths to create
wonderful ice-skating lanes along the
Moscow River. There are also fabulous
ice sculptures of animals and famous
monuments, and locals sometimes

cross-country ski here after heavy snow.
Though much further out of town,
Izmailovsky Park also has an ice rink and
a sledging zone for kids. Concerts and folk
dancing are a lot of fun here, and the
traditional seasonal characters Father
Frost and the Snow Maiden often make
an appearance. The most magical activity
is a ride on a troika, a sleigh from imperial
days drawn by three horses.
In truth it can be frigid outdoors, but if the
cold starts to seep into your bones you only
need to head inside. Shopping is surprisingly
overlooked by visitors to Moscow, yet the
city is bursting with high-end malls, street
markets and everything in between, and all
especially browse-worthy over Christmas.
Quite apart from traditional souvenirs such
as matryoshka dolls, you can find lovely
textiles, handicrafts, unusual Siberian
jewellery and fashions from across Europe.
A good place to start is the Red Square
area, with two shopping centres (the partly
underground Okhotny Ryad and famous
GUM department store) and plenty of variety
along Tverskaya Street, which tempts
with fashions, high-end delis and top
jewellery stores.

125

5 Senses – Sight
IMPERIAL PORCELAIN
Founded in 1744 as Lomonosov
Porcelain under Empress Elizabeth, this fine
porcelain factory was the supplier to royals
and aristocrats until the revolution, and
remains one of Europe’s oldest porcelain
manufacturers. Styles range from the
traditional to avant-garde; the signature
design is the cobalt-blue-patterned tea and
dinner sets, making wonderful Christmas
presents or upmarket souvenirs. There are
nine outlet stores in the city centre, including
inside GUM on Red Square. www.ipm.ru
Ditemukan di tahun 1744 dengan
nama Porselen Lomonosov di bawah
kepemimpinan Ratu Elizabeth, pabrik dari
porselen indah ini adalah pemasok untuk
bangsawan dan aristokrat hingga revolusi
dimulai, dan pabrik ini tetap menjadi salah
satu pembuat porselen tertua di Eropa.
Gayanya berkisar dari tradisional hingga
avant garde: ciri khas desainnya ada pada pola
biru kobalt pada set alat makan malam dan
minum teh, menjadikannya hadiah Natal
yang memikat atau suvenir yang berkelas.
Ada sembilan toko di pusat kota, termasuk
di dalam GUM di Red Square.