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April 10, 2005
sleeping in a train, socialism meets capitalism
My trip to Denmark and Sweden has just become more exciting now that I found a more interesting place to stay in Lund. Forget the cheap pan-European hotel chain at the edge of town by the highway: I found a hostel in an old train! Oh yeah—I guess I'm also excited to have an opportunity to meet lots of important people doing electronic publishing in libraries in Europe.
Today I toured ВВЦ (an acronym for the All-Russian Exhibition Center), formerly known as ВДНХ (the All-Soviet Exhibit of the Achievements of the People's Economy). Quite a bizarre place: an open-air park with pavilions dedicated to all the wonderful people of the Soviet Union and their achievements, now more of an amusement park and marketplace. Most of the exhibit halls now have shops and flea markets of sorts. But I did take a few pictures to capture the monumental spirit of the place.
The Brandenburg Gate? Oh no—it's just the entrance to ВДНХ.
On the left side (behind the pine tree) it says it's the Assembly of the Peoples [as in "ethnic groups"] of Russia and on the right it says it's the House [as in "Hall"] of the Peoples of Russia. Maybe it's like Oriole Park at Camden Yards—a compromise of a name.
A fountain that looks more impressive once they turn it on during the summer.
I just realized that today would have been a perfect opportunity to take photos of Moscow's fairer sex (as requested) without being too obvious. I blew it. Guess I'll have to go back.
Posted by kshawkin at April 10, 2005 10:31 PM