To the Sky

Vostok launcher like the one used for Yuri Gagarin's flight at National Exhibition Center.

Posted by Artem

First Snow

First snow in Moscow. It delayed for one month and hopefully, it will not punish us for that by extra winter days in April.
In the beginning it feels so nice - fresh air, bleached buildings and trees, monochrome palette. In the beginning))

I did this photo at VVC exhibition complex on Sunday. It was quiet, empty and ready for the winter.

For Luis!

Posted by Irina

VDNH

This is is the Stone Flower fountain, built in 1954. It's one of the large fountains at VDNH (now called VVC - Vserossiskiy Vystavochniy Centre, All Russian Exhibition Center in English). VDNH is a large park and exhibition center. Originally it was made to be a large trade center, but in the present day it's a place for leisure more than trade. The whole territory is quite large, with many fountains, wonderfully ornate buildings, and even a botanical garden! The building in the background is the Ukrainian Pavilion, which is my favorite building from the whole park.
I'll post pictures of that on Wednesday.
posted by Ashira

Cosmos Hotel

Cosmos in Russian means space. The hotel (semicircular building on the background), open in 1979, was intended for Olympic Games of 1980. Facing Space Explorers monument (in the right part of the picture) and vast VVC grounds, for a long time Cosmos was something like 'elite' hotel. Its facilities were also used for all kinds of conferences and exhibitions. During PERESTROIKA period many rooms were let for offices but later most part of them was returned to original purpose.
Nowadays Cosmos is one of the most popular hotels with foreign visitors due to acceptable lebel of comfort and reasonable prices.

VVC

Once I promised to tell you more about VVC (former VDNH), and today I'll prove that I keep my word :)
As I already told you, VVC is an official abbreviation for All-Russia Exhibition Center. It was open in 1939 as agiricultural exhibition but later the complex was extended and in 1959 it was re-open by the name of Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy. After Soviet Union ceased to be, VVC was given its modern name. There are about 400 building, including over 80 pavilions, in its territory and great many of famous pieces of art as well as technical objects.

The picture presents a 'Friendship of Nations' fontain, built in 1954 as a symbol of Soviet Union: it contains 16 sculptures of girls, each representing one of the former Soviet Republics. It's been nearly 15 years since there is no more USSR but fontain is still there.

One the most famous pavilion is Space one (Cosmos in Russian). There are real rocket and aircrafts (I showed them earlier) which, no doubts, the most favourite show-pieces with public. Unfortunately, I've got bad news regarding them: the TU-154 plane was barbarously destroyed last weekend. Here is an article on a news site (it's in Russian but you can see the photos). Officials explained their action as 'the only possible way to get rid of potentially dangerous and unservicable artifact'. But why, in the first place, did they let it come to such non-repairable condition?! This question officials couldn't answer. And as for visitors, most of them remembering that aircraft these last 40 years (or since their childhood), they are left but with memories of a great museum-plane they loved so much.

More VVC photos

The same rocket but with plane now (there is a boy posing but I didn't mean to photograph him :))

Rocket at VVC

This picture was taken at All-Russia Exhibition Center (Russian abbreviation: VVC), former Exhibition of National Economy Achievements (VDNH). I will tell more about this place a little later, but today I'd like to present you a photo of one of the showpieces. This is a real rocket and, I believe, it was used before it has been installed here. But don't ask for more detailed information! I really don't know.

P.S. Another photo on my extension site.

Mounted Patrol