Старая Россия (Old Russia)

Streets of Moscow
Originally uploaded by fuego_de_la_cabeza.

I recently visited my parents in Russia this winter (yes, I'm a foreign service brat). This was the first time I had ever seen Russia and was really impressed. This is a nation not afraid of its history. Where many other nations with similarly dramatic revolutions and regimes tend to downplay elements of their past, Russia shows all, from the beautifully exhibited Tsarist palaces to Stalin's tomb with fresh flowers, one feels an honest continuity throughout the place.

This picture of the old market street in Moscow and the one of the new one in a later post illustrates this as well. The old street is about one block away and runs parallel to the new and dramatically different market street.