4312 This is the River Pier where the Viking ships Dock.
4327 This is the War Memorial at the Kremlin Wall.
4349 This is the Bolshoi Theater on Theater Square.
June 8 – Moscow, Russia. Today's going to be a low picture day as we are headed to the Diamond Fund Exhibition. This oddly named space in the Kremlin's Armory building holds the crown jewels of Russia, 19-20th century jewelry made from Russian stones, Russian jeweled military awards and a huge display of gold and platinum nuggets in their raw form. Diana has been wanting to see this for a long time and today's the day.
First we had to walk from the ship to the nearest Metro stop, Rechnoi Vokzal (River Terminal). It's the very last stop on the Green Line. It appears to be about 1.5 kilometers from the ship, that's almost a mile. It should be easy to find but we'll see. The walk was pleasant because the river and ship port is bordered by a large park. The ports pier is nicely designed but poorly maintained. Its concrete is crumbling and it looks pretty sad up close but from a distance it's a nice structure. There we turned right and walked to the port entrance. It's on a very wide and busy road, Leningrad Highway, but there's a tunnel under the street to the side that the Metro's on. Luckily, this side of the street borders on Druzhby Park. After crossing the large park we were in a little shopping center but the Metro entrance was not immediately evident. A large group of people were getting off busses and walking into the center like they were going somewhere so we followed them and sure enough they led us right to the Metro entrance. As I said before, this station is a long way down.
Since it's the end of the line there's no mystery about which side of the platform is the correct one. It's the one with the completely empty train. We hopped on and for a change got seats. I guess that the perk of getting on a train at the start of the route. According to my Metro app it's a little over 11 miles to our destination and it should take 27 minutes to get there. There's 11 total stations and we have to change to the Grey Line after 9 of them.
The trip was easy but when we got above ground I discovered a shortcoming in my plan. The station was very close to where we wanted to go, in fact we could see it. Problem was that it's on a huge three street intersection with no crosswalks and a constant stream of traffic whizzing by. I thought that there had to be a tunnel somewhere so we started walking around the intersection on the cross walks that were available. When we had crossed the two smaller roads there was still no clear way to cross the large one. That street crosses the Moscow River just before entering the intersection. So we walked out onto the bridge and sure enough about 30 yards out there were stairs that allowed you to go to the street below that crosses under the bridge and gets us to the other side of the large road. We went under and walked up the street on the other side to find a crosswalk that completed our trip to the Kremlin.
The Diamond Fund is inside the Armory which is inside the Kremlin. When we got to the Borovitskaya Tower, our entry point the guard asked for our tickets. I thought we were goners at that point but when I said we wanted to see the Diamond Fund he let us enter. The next obstacle was at the entrance to the Armory. Again they wanted my Armory ticket but I just said the magic words, Diamond Fund and in we went. The Diamond Fund has its own waiting area and ticket counter inside the Armory building. Security is very heavy. There's an entrance door to the vault that is only opened occasionally and a small number of people are allowed to enter. You go through a scanner and everyone's bag is physically searched. No photos are allowed; in fact you can't take a camera or cell phone into the vault. They have to be checked at the cloak room.
Inside the vault there are only two rooms, the largest is the Modern Exhibit, the smaller room to the rear is the Historic Hall. Each has numbered showcases. They give you a small guide when you get your ticket. It's a very brief summary of what each of the cases hold and some information on the more important items but very limited.
The Modern Exhibit room has a central case that has 360 degree displays and the lateral walls have 4 showcases each. Showcase 1 contains loose stones that have been cut. It's a dazzling display of aquamarines, topazes, emeralds, rubies, smoky quartz, amethysts, amazonite, agates, jasper lapis lazuli and chrysoprase. The stones are of varying size but the smallest is very large indeed. The color of the emeralds and rubies is exceptional. I guess you'd expect that for a country so rich in natural resoures.
Case 2 is not as visually impressive but the contents are probably as valuable as that of case 1. Case 2 is filled with 30,000 carats of rough diamonds from the three Russian diamond deposits, the Yukalt (the primary deposits consisting of two kimberlite pipes - the Aikhal and Peace) and the alluvial deposits of the Urals, The easiest diamond mining I've ever seen is in Namibia. These are alluvial deposits also where the diamonds are mixed in with the sand. The mining consists of sifting the sand and watching for diamonds. Not sure what the Ural deposits are mixed with but it's real easy to tell rough diamonds from sand. If the diamonds are mixed with rocky deposits you'd have to be a much better miner to pick them out. The only cut diamonds in this display were on a map of Russia made completely from brilliant diamonds. They used larger colored diamonds to mark the major cities.
Case 3 has over 900 extraordinarily large, natural uncut diamonds. They have names for the biggest ones, starting with "The 26th Congress of the Communist Party" weighing in at 342.57 carats and ranging down to the 232 carat "Star of Yakut". It's not dazzling because they are raw stones but the size of them in very impressive.
Case 4 has the bling, cut diamonds, all brilliants. They are grouped in piles, and I do mean piles of 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 carat stones. In the center are Russia's two highest military awards. The highest is 'The Order of Victory" each has 16 carats of diamonds. Needless to say only the highest ranking officers got this award, only 20 were presented. The next is "The Field Marshal's Star" weighing in at only 7.6 carats of diamonds. I don't know how many of these were presented but I'd be willing to bet no enlisted or noncom got one. The case is bathed in bright white light and you could almost hear the stones sizzling.
Cases 10-13 (Cases 5-9 are in the Historical Room) hold contemporary, meaning 19th-20th centuries, jewelry of platinum and Yakut diamonds and other precious stones make by craftsmen of the State Depository of Treasuries just for this exhibit. There are pins, broaches, necklaces, bracelets and a tiara or two. Diamonds set in platinum, yikes!!
Case 10 had two items that were extraordinary. A tiara named "Russian Beauty" made in 1987 with platinum and diamonds with 25 pearls. The central diamond has a bright white/blue cast and is at least 20 carats. "The Rose", a simple name for a beautiful and elegant pin. It's about 4 inches long and 2 or so across. It has one rose in full bloom almost two inches in diameter at the end of a stem with leaves. About half way down the stem is a small stem with three leaves and a rosebud. They used 1,500 diamonds to make it and it glows like there's a fire in each of them. I'm already running out of adjectives
In addition to many smaller items Case 11 has another tiara, "Russian Field". At its center is a 35.52 carat yellow diamond. I've seen some yellow diamonds and to me they are often not very impressive. This one had the color and sparkle of fine Champaign. The remaining items in the case were made with diamonds and amethysts from the Urals. Platinum, amethysts and diamonds melded by expert craftsmen, superb.
Oh, oh, my all-time favorite combination, platinum, diamonds and sapphires. Case 12 also contains other pieces where emeralds replace the sapphires. Did I say that sapphires are my favorite, well maybe… The usual suspects were present but the tiara of diamonds and sapphires immediately caught my eye. Coming in a close second was a brooch with a 150 carat aquamarine.
Oh no, here come the rubies. Just when I thought I had made up my mind Case 13 comes along with platinum, diamonds and rubies. I'm getting close to sensory overload. Ruby, sapphire or emerald, which to choose, which to choose.
Well, I couldn't make up my mind so we switched gears to look at the exhibits in the central case, giant platinum and gold nuggets and a couple of small exhibits. I've seen gold nuggets before including the huge one on display at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas. Some of these are way bigger than that. The largest gold nugget, called the Large Triangle, weighs in at 36 kg. That's over 79 pounds of pure gold. 1,264 ounces at today's market price is pretty impressive for one single nugget. Could be 1.8 million dollars if the price of gold is near its high. The smallest of the100 gold nuggets, "Mephistopheles" weighs 20.25 grams but most are over 20 kg.
I may have seen platinum nuggets before but I don't remember it. They have 20 of them in this case, the largest of which is 7.860 kg or almost 16 pounds. I can't remember what platinum is selling for but I know it's way more than gold. Just for comparison they had three standard gold ingots like they use at the Federal Reserve. They weigh about 26.5 pounds, tiny when compared to the Large Triangle.
Now it's time to move to the true stars of the collection in the Historical Hall. It has the insignia of state of Russia and other jewelry from th 18th and 19th centuries. In the beginning of the 18th century tsar Peter the Great donated the symbols of power and some important jewelry to the State Treasury. They were kept in the Diamond Room of the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, the capital at that time. They were only brought out on special occasions like coronations where they played an important role in the proceedings. When WWI started in 1914 they were moved to Moscow and placed in the Kremlin Armory. They were kept in locked boxes until 1922 when they were examined by a special commission of experts who gave the items of particular value to the State Depository of Treasures. Some of the collection was sold off in the 1930s but the most valuable and significant part remains here in the Diamond Fund.
Case 5 starts out slow with jewelry used by empresses in the middle of the 18th century. Most of the designs are Rococo, that is to say very elaborate using natural shapes and figures, flowers, vines, fruit and the like. The main item is called the Large Bouquet designed to be worn as a corsage. It's made of Colombian emeralds and Brazilian diamonds with colored foil. It is a large bouquet for sure, about five and one half inches across and very delicate and ornate. The tiara and earrings that go with it are flowers with bees on them. An object called 'Fountain' appeared to be designed to wear in the hair or maybe on a hat. The name pretty much describes the piece, a shower of jewels in multiple colors. The most unique piece was a gift from Gustav III of Sweden to Empress Catherine the Great in 1777. It's a remarkable tourmaline, over 260 carats, in the shape of a ripe strawberry. Beautiful.
Case 6 has items from the second half of the 18th century in the classical style. Much simpler and more elegant than Rococo. Here there are braids for formal dresses, an assortment of hairpins shaped like bows, baskets of flowers or cornucopia. One in particular was very unique, earings in the form of cherries but done completely in diamonds. The cherries were each a single stone about ½ inch in diameter suspended from stem of an unknown material with small leaves at the earlobe. Unique and gorgeous.
Case 7 gets to the heart of the matter, the Royal Russian regalia, the symbols of the power and glory of the Russian Empire. These artifacts were used for all the coronations from Catherine the Great in 1762 to the last tsar Nicholas II in 1896. The Grand Imperial Crown was made in 1762 and has 5,000 diamonds, 75 natural pearls and a unique spinel that weighs 398.72 carats. The spinel is at the very top of the crown and a jeweled cross set atop it. What a pity that the royal family couldn't have splurged on one that was a full 400 carats. The State Scepter is an unremarkable rod but at the end, again just before the cross, is the famous Orlov diamond. It's not huge at 189.62 carats but the clarity and brilliance are perfect. It's shaped a little like a football with the pointed ends truncated. The Imperial Orb is the traditional ball with bands around the equator and prime meridian but on top, again under the cross, is a beautiful sapphire of 200 carats. Off to the side was a much smaller crown still covered with diamonds that was identified as the Small Crown. It was made for the coronations of the Emperors' consorts. The tsar got to wear the huge Grand Imperial Chain of the Order of Saint Andrew the First Called. This is an important order in Russia.
Case 8 has jewelry made in the 19th century and stones of extraordinary size. The main artifact is a diamond tiara with a 13 carat pink diamond in the center. Usually with diamonds the color is pretty subtle, not this one, it's easily identifiable as pink. Other standouts are a round emerald of great color at 250 carats, a sapphire of 260 carats and a peridot of 193 carats. One smaller but unique stone is the Shah diamond. It's only 88.7 carats but it is rectangular cut with the short ends left natural. Inscribe on it are the names and dates of the rulers who owned the stone. Ever heard of a portrait diamond? Me either until now. There's a bracelet with an oval portrait of Alexander I that's about 3 by 2. The portrait is protected by a one-quarter inch slab of diamond cut to fit the oval exactly.
The last case, number 9, has a display of the Imperial Orders. It has two of the smaller Orders of Saint Andrew the First Called that would have been issued to those inducted. They are copies of the Imperial Grand Order but much smaller. There were also some badges of the order without the chains. Other badges include the Order of Saint Catherine, the Order of Saint Andrew Nevski, the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece and the Order of the White Eagle. Catherine the Great instituted the Order of Saint Andrew Nevski. They didn't issue many only about 4 and I can see why, it would cost a fortune to make.
It's easy to see why the experts put the Russian Diamond Fund as the equal of the other two great jewel collections, the Crown Jewels of Great Britan and the treasure of the Shah of Iran.
When we were done gawking at all the amazing jewelry we had to wait a few minutes for the exit door to be unlocked to let the small group that was gathered get out. Apparently they are not allowed to have the entrance and exit door open at the same time but coordinate the comings and goings of the viewers. In addition to multiple cameras inside the two rooms, the larger Modern Room has two guards and the Historical Room has one. They are dressed nicely in suits but they are large men and very alert to what's happening around them. I guess you would not want an object to disappear on your watch. Not sure how that would happen the cases are all boxes set into the wall with a glass side for viewing. However since all the security is not intrusive it's certainly ok with me.
Sorry about going on and on about this place but it really is that nice.
After exiting the Armory and the Kremlin we walked along the Kremlin Wall to get to the Theater Square where there's a collection of booths from all over the country with handicrafts and souvenirs for sale. On the way down the wall we passed several doors both personal and vehicular that are stark black in the red brick wall. I told Diana to pretend to knock on one and I'd take her picture. Now bear in mind that this is still photography not video. Nevertheless she started making knocking motions and misjudged the distance and actually knocked. The door was immediately opened by an armed guard who didn't look very happy. So much for me posing pictures. I wish it had been video to capture Diana's reaction when the door opened.
It's Russian Memorial Day this weekend and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier and its eternal flame are receiving extra attention from the crowd. It's right up against the Kremlin Wall. A very simple bronze showing a helmet setting on what appears to be a fringed flag with tassels. Hard to say what flag it is because it's all natural bronze. Two sentries flank the memorial holding old bolt action rifles and standing at strict attention.
We arrived at the Theater Square a bit hungry so we took a table at a square side café. I ordered a Russian beer, salted mushrooms (because I had no idea what they were) and Moscow borscht and Diana ordered a burger and fries. The mushrooms arrived with a salad of herbs (dill and parsley), onions and lettuce. They had been marinated in olive oil and spices and were delicious. Our main course arrived and I have to admit that the burger and the bowl of borscht were smaller than expected but I should have known because the portion size is given in grams or ounces for each entry. The borscht was delicious. Packed with beets and included some mushrooms and meat, beef I think, it was great. Diana took some onions from the mushroom dish to put on her burger and said it was good.
Downtown Moscow is targeted at the more affluent traveler. For example, there used to be some 3 and 4 star hotels downtown but the decision was made to tear them all down and now there's nothing but 5 star hotels in the downtown area, meaning near the Kremlin and most of the other attractions. Food is a different story. In the new underground shopping center near the Kremlin there are quite a few fast food places, KFC, McDonalds, Subway, etc. Sometimes when we are in full tourist mode we hit them to save time but today Diana's going to shop in the little craft market and I'm going to scout for photo ops.
I headed out to the center of Theater Square for some photos of the famous Bolshoi Theater known for their ballet company. When they named this place they weren't kidding. From my vantage point across the street from the Bolshoi I could see four other very large theaters. There are more in the immediate vicinity but not visible from my spot. I think there are 9 or 10 nearby.
At the craft market they had erected a small stage for the holiday weekend. I saw two singers both ladies, one was obviously singing a torch song, the other something more melodic, balad like. They were both pretty good. Just as the second girl finished singing the clouds opened up and a downpour began. Everyone on the square ran for the metro station. I had my umbrella in my pack so I just put it up and strolled there at a leisurely pace. The Theater Square station of the Green Line Metro is where Diana and I had agreed to meet. I got there a bit early had had fun watching people make a dash for it. Diana arrived and we hit the escalator to get to the train. Again a no brainer on this run, we just ride until the last stop when everyone has to get off.
When we arrived at the station and started up I was hoping that it would not be raining too hard for the mile walk to the ship. It was just dripping a bit, I didn't even put up my umbrella. Somehow the walk back seemed shorter than the walk out. Since I knew exactly where the station is now we did cut across the park on the diagonal or at least as close as the pathways would allow to diagonal. Could have cut a few hundred yards from the trip, the hypotenuse and all that geometry stuff. In the parking lot of the pier we encountered another bridal party in a unique limo. The front looked like an Excalibur, long hood with frog style headlights and a continental style spare tire built into the front fender. It was white on the top and slowly changed color to pink at the bottom.
It was a nice day and I'm glad Diana wanted to see the Diamond Fund or I would probably not have gone.
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