Kolomenskoye – Коломенское
On Monday, Russians had the day off for their Labor Day, which means we didn’t have class. So Micah, Violet and I decided to go sight seeing since the weather was nice. It was a little cooler, but still sunny. We went to Kolomenskoye Park which used to be a village. Here is some history for you:
“The village of Kolomenskoe was founded in 1237 by refugees from Kolomna, although archaeological traces have been found here of pre-Slavic civilizations dating back over 2,500 years. In the 15th-17th centuries the village became first a Grand Prince’s and then the Tsar’s estate. Peter the Great was brought here for his own safety during the streltsy insurrection of 1682, and began his studies here. His daughter, Elizabeth, was also born here. Later, Alexander I studied here on his way to Moscow with his grandmother, Catherine the Great.”
green grass and lots of pretty planted flowers
outside the Stone gates
Church of Our Lady of Kazan
part of the Colonel Palace
Ascension Church - one of the tallest church buildings in Moscow
“It was constructed in 1529-1532 by order of Tsar Vasily III to commemorate the birth of his son and heir, Ivan the Terrible. Its unique blend of architectural styles has been attributed to the copying of much older wooden ecclesiastical architecture and to early influences from Italy.”
George bell tower
the other side of Colonel Palace
Moscow River
Bee keeper's house
checking out an ant on the pole
* quotes taken from this site
Fun in the sun
Yesterday Violet and I went outside to the playground, and while we were out there we met up with our American neighbors who live a few floors above us. And even though in these pictures the people are wearing coats, it was almost 70 degrees Fahrenheit outside. It seems like unless its really warm outside, they like to stay covered, especially with the children here. If it was a bit cooler outside, we would need to have some kind of hat on Violet or else we would get scolded by a random grandma.
I wasn't the only one taking pictures
watching some Sesame Street afterwards
Visa Update
Hi Friends!
Awhile ago we had asked for your thoughts for our upcoming visa renewal process because there was a chance that we would not have enough time to complete it and therefore, have to leave the country.
We are pleased to tell you that we do NOT have to leave!! We received word yesterday that things will be completed in time so we can renew our visas here, in country. We are very thankful for these developments, now we will not have to interrupt our language studies to leave for 3 weeks.
In other news, the weather here is finally nice. It has been sunny and in the 60’s for the whole past week. Here is a picture from our window.
Thanks to those of you who are faithful to think about us!
Six Sandowiches 