I have been riding the metro for almost 4 years now and just yesterday I have seen a brand new train at Smolenskaya station. At first I thought Moscow is finally catching up and modernizing its subway, but a little Internet research shows that these “new” Rusich trains have been in service since 1998 and are operating on the older lines of the Moscow metro. Anway, loosing the old trains would be a pitty. They are loud, hot, stinky, but still very beautiful in their old way. I would hate to see a modern Munich style U-Bahn replacing them.

You can read more about the Moscow metro on Wikipedia. Be sure to read the article about the Metro2. A secret deeper hidden system for the evacuation of the government and military officials.

Here is the official Moscow metro website: http://www.metro.ru/
Its in Russian, but you can use an online translator such as babelfish or just look at the photos. Check out the section with the metro maps. It show old maps starting in 1931 until now. Its amazing to see how the metro has developed. There is also a very interesting section about the different metro cars.

Here is a collection of some Moscow metro photos. Some of the photo descriptions are pretty stupid, but some of the photos worth looking at, especially the one’s about the metro cops and the drunken people. Check it out: http://www.englishrussia.com/?p=252

As a comparision one of the older metro trains. Seen and photo by Michael Pütz

Last… check the video I took on the metro. Last train for that night… about 1:30 AM: Watch the video here.

Its the end of summer and soon we’ll have ugly times again. Until then enjoy these shots I took today. Still 23 C and sunny in Moscow, but it will change next week. Then temperatures are supposed to drop to below 10 C and at night even below 0 C for the first time. Summer will be gone and so I ignored my heavy workload and I went out to enjoy one of the last warm days with sun before the rain, fog and snow are coming again.

Riverside near the White House and there are still some nice flowers…

The Hotel Ukraina

Hotel Ukraina - Close Up

The US Embassy from the backside

Lots of people at the Moscow Zoo

Looking for the devil and his helper at the Patriarch Pond.

Promenade at the Patriarch Pond

A Jewish Ceremony

Sunset at the Patriarch Pond

Will these Swans survive the birdflue?

Patriarch Ponds. Even busy at night.

Lets get some Pizza at Correas on the way back home.

The Riverside across Hotel Ukraina, near White House.

In fashion as elsewhere. Fancy rims even in Moscow.

I know, I know, it has been quiet about me. Sorry. I had a lot of work and have been travelling to New York, Paris and Berlin recently. There are many stories I have to post here, but I just didn’t have the time, because of 15 hour workdays since mid July. Anyway, here is a start.

Flying over Moscow is prohibited and its even rare that you cut the outskirts of Moscow when you fly into one of the 3 airports. When I came back now, I have been just on the right place in the right moment. Here are some arial shots of the South West of Moscow at close to sunset. I have ignored the “please turn off all your electronic devices” for once to get these nice shots, while we were in the short final to Domodedovo. As you can see, Moscow is a huge city and it always surprises me to see just how many people live here.

Vnukovo Airport

The South West