Moscow, part 4 / St. Petersburg, part 1

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The city of Moscow is pushing "sexy advertising" to encourage people to ride the Metro more often. (Much better than the MTA info boards for sure!)
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On the subway platform, a group of passersby pause...
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...before an incredible ensemble of classical performance!
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Emerging from the undergound, I encounter this absurd depiction of Marx. (Really, how cool would it be if the NYC subway had stone engravings of, say, Chomsky or even of Adam Smith?!?!?)
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Military tributes abound in the style of Socialist Realism.
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The neo-Hellenic style is opulent and simply breathtaking.
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This subway platform has a variety of vaulted domes...
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...depicting the success of the Soviet Space Program...
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...and, of course, Lenin.
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Patriarch's Pond was made famous in Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. The beginning of the novel presents the Devil's emergence in Moscow... where he "plots" the murder of a Communist literary figure for not believing the Devil exists (because, of course, he's an atheist).
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Across the street is a trendy cafe dedicated to the novel. (Bulgakov fans: note the invisible devil and the black cat!)
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Later, I pass through a cool subway station that stops above the river!
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On the way to the famous Sparrow Hills (formerly Lenin Hills, of course), I encounter what would have been an excellent view of Moscow River... except for this stupid non-sense wall!!!
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After figuring out which direction to go, I discover this ski jump from the Moscow Olympics still standing!
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At the height of Sparrow Hills emerges one of Stalin's "Seven Sisters," which are spread throughout the city.
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It is a meeting place for all the locals...
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...and affords great views.
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An evening view of the Vorobyovy Metro.
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A typical Russian experience awaits me upon return to the Metro...
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It's closed!!! (Though it is still well before official closing time.) Onward to the "let's rip the tourist off" Russian taxi service then!
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I make my way to the train stations.
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The time is 10:27 pm, according to this crazy clock.
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The inevitable Lenin statue makes its appearance in Lenin Station.
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A typical scene...
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...before my overnight trip to St. Petersburg.
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The next morning, I awake to the train station in St. Petersburg. How disappointing a Peter statue has replaced Lenin!
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My friend Carolyn arrives to visit for a few days.
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The canals of Peter make the city feel similar to Venice or Amsterdam...
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...except with the onslaught of weddings everywhere!
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A minor annoyance in a city of such beauty.
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We both prepare...
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...for the intensely sweet Russian champagne.
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We enjoy a nice evening stroll...
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...with beautifully lit buildings everywhere in the night.
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This is the only black person I will see in all of Russia. Ironically or unironically, he works for the Chocolate Museum.
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Inside, I find chocolate busts of... guess who?
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Walking down the famous Nevsky Prospect.
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The impressive Kazan Cathedral was built by Czar Paul and reflects his desire to combine Catholicism and Russian Orthodoxy.
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An Orthodox service takes place before the tremendous altar.
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The women respectfully wear headscarves and dresses.