#colourmemockbaski

There’s a different kind of happiness you experience every time you turn your eyes skywards. Airplanes passing by, a sunset palette, rain on your face, fluffy clouds. Everywhere I go, I make it a point to look up for magic. From Vienna’s Anker clock between two buildings, vintage inn hangings on London streets, Istanbul’s towering minarets, sculptures hanging mid air in Prague, unique carvings on the chattris of Jodhpur’s forts, Amsterdam’s snow, to Bombay’s gargoyles at CST. In Russia, I looked up and saw...the courtyard wells of St. Petersburg, the seven Kremlin stars of Moscow sparkling atop skyscrapers, Kazan’s stained glass mosaics on the ceilings reflecting the Siberian sun in an almost-Harlequin-esque way! The Hermitage Museum is a treasure trove of wonders. Once you get over the brilliant architecture and head inside, don’t forgot to also look up. For me, the Hermitage served up these dazzling views. The uniformity only added to the beauty, leaving the symmetry fanatic in me oh-so-delighted! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is #ColourMeMockbaSki; stories of imperial intrigues, white nights, rooftop escapades, war, and peace. Of grim-faced Tsars to pink-cheeked Matryoshka dolls. Of wishes granted by courtyard wells and bronze guard dogs. Of Kremlin stars to the Siberian sun. Stories fanned on by onion flames as the Swan Princess pirouetted down the street. (at Hermitage Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEJT-36jXJ5/?igshid=tce1h5ooez6a

There’s a different kind of happiness you experience every time you turn your eyes skywards. Airplanes passing by, a sunset’s palette, rain on your face, fluffy clouds. Everywhere I go, I make it a point to look up for magic. From Vienna’s Anker clock between two buildings, vintage inn hangings on London streets, Istanbul’s towering minarets, sculptures hanging mid air in Prague, unique carvings on the chattris of Jodhpur’s forts, Amsterdam’s snow, to the gargoyles of Bombay. In Russia, I looked up and saw...the courtyard wells of St. Petersburg, the seven Kremlin stars of Moscow sparkling atop skyscrapers, Kazan’s stained glass mosaics on the ceilings reflecting the Siberian sun in an almost-Harlequin-esque way! The Hermitage Museum is a treasure trove of wonders. Once you get over the brilliant architecture and head inside, don’t forgot to also look up. For me, the Hermitage served up these dazzling views. The uniformity only added to the beauty, leaving the symmetry fanatic in me oh-so-delighted! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is #ColourMeMockbaSki; stories of imperial intrigues, white nights, rooftop escapades, war, and peace. Of grim-faced Tsars to pink-cheeked Matryoshka dolls. Of wishes granted by courtyard wells and bronze guard dogs. Of Kremlin stars to the Siberian sun. Stories fanned on by onion flames as the Swan Princess pirouetted down the street. (at Hermitage Museum Государственный Эрмитаж) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEFPgxJjp4F/?igshid=1betasiwpc9o6

Moscow Metro aka The Palaces of the People felt me completely fascinated. As an Indian, we have a default premise that anything shared with the masses will ultimately not stand the test of time; and a more prudent path to displaying anything beautiful to the public - is to have gated access. To see a public metro station built in the early 1940s still maintaining its baroque features & gilded ceilings, bronze chandeliers still intact - only goes to prove that there’s hope yet for all of us. Maybe a little more faith and a shared sense of cultural pride is needed. On a lighter note, this is a glimpse of the platform, from where I have tried to capture as much of Komsomolskaya station’s beauty, all in one small frame! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is #ColourMeMockbaSki; stories of imperial intrigues, white nights, rooftop escapades, war, and peace. Of grim-faced Tsars to pink-cheeked Matryoshka dolls. Of wishes granted by courtyard wells and bronze guard dogs. Of Kremlin stars to the Siberian sun. Stories fanned on by onion flames as the Swan Princess pirouetted down the street. (at Komsomolsk, Kaliningradskaya Oblast', Russia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD8a_fej41B/?igshid=1jl0w30epgqjf

Moscow Metro is often listed as a must-see on most travel itineraries. While it might leave you a little nonplussed, keeping a whole day to joyride around the various Moscow metro lines is completely and highly recommended! My initial idea of taking in the stations whilst on my way to wherever, was scrapped almost immediately after my first metro ride. I found myself wanting to get out at each station, to see the Cyrillic typography, the stained glass panels, the murals, the statues, the frescoes. I was even more amazed by the themes that each station was designed with - dancing figurines at Teatralnaya (which leads to the Bolshoi Theatre) to Komsomolskaya (which is inspired by ancient church architecture). The myths, conspiracy theories and urban legends that went with each - from hidden bunkers to secret Zodiac signs to ghost trains - only served to further fuel my fascination! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is #ColourMeMockbaSki; stories of imperial intrigues, white nights, rooftop escapades, war, and peace. Of grim-faced Tsars to pink-cheeked Matryoshka dolls. Of wishes granted by courtyard wells and bronze guard dogs. Of Kremlin stars to the Siberian sun. Stories fanned on by onion flames as the Swan Princess pirouetted down the street. (at Komsomolskaya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD7bo8Gjwwk/?igshid=zwajlnp2devx

Moscow Metro is colloquially called The Palaces of the People for a reason. Each station on any metro line holds a place in history, each station representing an evolving design - from evolving architecture to the evolving mindset of the people. Not to forget, these People’s Palaces are among some of the deepest in the world, and going down that vertigo-inducing escalator to see this subterranean marvel is totally worth it! As lavish metro stations go, Komsomolskaya Station is probably the queen of all. The first thing I noticed was its rich gold and butterscotch ceilings. Vaulted, and holding huge bronze chandeliers. Komsomolskaya station's theme is one that depicts scenes from Stalin's famous 1941 speech. With marble columns, larger-than-life frescoes and a huge portico, it felt almost bizarre to see a train whoosh past me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is #ColourMeMockbaSki; stories of imperial intrigues, white nights, rooftop escapades, war, and peace. Of grim-faced Tsars to pink-cheeked Matryoshka dolls. Of wishes granted by courtyard wells and bronze guard dogs. Of Kremlin stars to the Siberian sun. Stories fanned on by onion flames as the Swan Princess pirouetted down the street. (at Комсомольская площадь) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD7Pweej9lB/?igshid=1ng2l6zipxumu

Moscow’s fabled sights that are on very traveller’s must-see list also hide some of the best Russian experiences! Whether it is rubbing shoulders with a ballerina or two at an opera, or walking Russian military march past you at the Kremlin, or even travel the train routes that Tsars took to shuttle between Moscow and their summer palaces in St. Petersburg! Here, I decided to spend an evening taking in Russian opera. I finally settled on watching a classic - Swan Lake at one of Moscow’s oldest theatres. As the swans glided across the stage to Russian music, lighting effects and pyrotechnics, I was transported back in time to see Odette and Siegfried’s love story unfold in front of me! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is #ColourMeMockbaSki; stories of imperial intrigues, white nights, rooftop escapades, war, and peace. Of grim-faced Tsars to pink-cheeked Matryoshka dolls. Of wishes granted by courtyard wells and bronze guard dogs. Of Kremlin stars to the Siberian sun. Stories fanne (at Московский академический театр сатиры) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDq0MuLDa9E/?igshid=ygbbhcgebays

Moscow’s fabled sights that are on very traveller’s must-see list also hide some of the best Russian experiences! Whether it is rubbing shoulders with a ballerina or two at an opera, or walking Russian military march past you at the Kremlin, or even travel the train routes that Tsars took to shuttle between Moscow and their summer palaces in St. Petersburg! Seen here is the insides of the fabled ‘Red Arrow’ train. I decided to ditch the domestic flight to St. Petersburg and opted to travel by train instead. The iconic Red Arrow comes with its own history - from taking Russian elite to (then) Leningrad, to the theme song it still plays as it pulls into the station, to the blazing red colour it still sports. This retro-train’s interiors drip with luxury, looking no less than a movie set. I could only imagine this as Christie’s Orient Express and half-expected Poirot to be my cabin-neighbour! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is #ColourMeMockbaSki; stories of imperial intrigues, white nights, rooftop escapades, war, and peace. Of grim-faced Tsars to pink-cheeked Matryoshka dolls. Of wishes granted by courtyard wells and bronze guard dogs. Of Kremlin stars to the Siberian sun. Stories fanned on by onion flames as the Swan Princess pirouetted down the street. (at Ленинградский вокзал) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDqpZZoDGMr/?igshid=1x85fehhbvhpn

Let me tell you a story about St. Petersburg. A city that thrums with magic, and no wonder! As I always do before visiting someplace new, I read up a bit on things to do in St. Pete’s. What I did not expect to see as a must-do, was go rooftop hopping! Rooftop hopping is basically what the locals used to do, a lot! Owing to a lot of her colourful history, St. Pete’s changed hands quite a bit over the last few millennia. The city was broken down and rebuilt so many times, today the soviet-styled buildings are just a hop away. Terraces and rooftops are within touching distance of each other. And drinking in a paranomic view of this breathtaking city from these heights was exhilarating. From Nevsky Prospekt I entered an old, musty building, climbed up 9 really steep floors which I was told later was actually an old escape route during WW2, and finally up a rickety rusty ladder in what looked like an old attic. Head-first, I clambered onto one of the many sloping rooftops of the city! “My” rooftop also had a nifty little tower. While it is painted gaily as Tardis today, its history is a grim one. Women would operate out of here as the city’s air defence, relaying battle positions and waterfront movements to the military. There are around 180+ such towers scattered across St. Pete’s rooftops, and played a major part during the infamous siege of Leningrad and WW2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is #ColourMeMockbaSki; stories of imperial intrigues, white nights, rooftop escapades, war, and peace. Of grim-faced Tsars to pink-cheeked Matryoshka dolls. Of wishes granted by courtyard wells and bronze guard dogs. Of Kremlin stars to the Siberian sun. Stories fanned on by onion flames as the Swan Princess pirouetted down the street. (at Saint Petersburg, Russia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDChT5mjupu/?igshid=1n2p4pypou4ag