26 June 2018, Tuesday
The day I had been eagerly waiting for was finally here. It was match day! I would be watching my first FIFA World Cup match between Denmark and France at the Luzhniki Stadium later at 5pm. But first, there was more exploring to be done.
I woke up at around 8am, all ready for my last day in Moscow. After having my breakfast at the hostel, I hopped on the Metro and alighted at Kropotkinskaya station. From there, it was a short walk to Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
By the way, with my match ticket and Fan ID, I could ride the Metro for free today because it was match day. This was another example of how well-organised the FIFA World Cup in Russia has been. They really went to great lengths to make sure that every fan had a great experience.
The Cathedral of Christ the Savior has a similar appearance to the Kremlin cathedrals that I visited yesterday – a stone façade and white marble with golden domes. However, it is much more massive, with a capacity of around 10,000 people. I learned that the cathedral has quite a storied and fascinating history.
The present cathedral was only opened quite recently in 2000, and it is the second to stand on this site. The original cathedral was built to commemorate the 1812 victory over Napoleon’s French army, in honour of those who fought and died in the war. However, it took more than 40 years to construct and it finally opened in 1883.
Unfortunately, the cathedral didn’t last very long as the Russian Revolution of 1917 resulted in the end of imperial rule followed by religious persecution. Communist leader Joseph Stalin ordered the demolition of the cathedral and it was destroyed with explosives in 1931. In its place, Stalin planned to build a mega building called the Palace of the Soviets. It was set to be the tallest building in the world at 415m, including a 100m-tall statue of revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin perched atop the building. However, the plan never saw the light of the day due to lack of funds and the outbreak of World War II. Only the foundations were laid.
In 1958, the foundations of the mega building were converted into Moskva Pool, the world’s largest open-air swimming pool. The heated pool was open all year round with the water kept at 27 degrees Celsius. The pool was closed in 1994 and reconstruction of the cathedral commenced. The new cathedral was consecrated and opened in 2000. What an interesting history!
Entry to the cathedral is free. Like the other churches I had visited in Russia so far, Cathedral of Christ the Savior was very beautiful and grand. The first thing I noticed was how voluminous it was. The entire building stood at 103m tall and it had a cavernous interior. The second thing I noticed was how shiny its marble floor was. Not surprising since the cathedral opened less than 20 years ago.
Even more impressive was its crypt. It was gloriously covered with frescoes and bathed in a luxurious, golden glow. It reminded me a little of the crypt at the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade, Serbia.
I then paid 400 RUB (S$9.30) to visit the cathedral terraces. The terrace is located 40m above ground and I climbed 249 steps to get up there. It was a beautiful sunny day and I had a good panoramic view of the Moskva River, the Kremlin and the surrounding area.
To commemorate my visit, I bought a souvenir coin for 200 RUB (S$4.65) and also bought some magnets and postcards for 810 RUB (S$18.60) from the gift shop. In all, I spent about an hour visiting Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
I had lunch at a quiet restaurant and spent over an hour writing postcards to send to my family and friends back home. I enjoy writing postcards because I feel that they make thoughtful gifts. However, it does take quite a lot of effort to pick nice postcard designs, write them, find a post office or a retail shop to buy stamps, then finally locate a post box to mail them out. I felt satisfied with my stack of 14 postcards as I left the restaurant and made my way to Luzhniki Stadium for the match.
I reached the vicinity of the stadium at around 3pm. There were strict security checks of course, and I had to deposit my water bottle at the left baggage counter before I could proceed further. As I followed the throng of fans towards the stadium entrance, I could feel the excitement rising with every step I took.
Many of the French and Danish fans came with their entire families and they were all dressed in their national football jerseys. Others came with their friends, many sporting their country’s flags on their faces. Some brought footballs along and were having a kick-about, displaying nifty tricks and trying to outdo one another.
I stood transfixed as I watched an amazing drumline performance by a group of young and energetic drummers and cheerleaders. Here is a video of their incredible performance:
As I was early, I managed to buy an official match scarf as a memento. I also bought a beer so that I could keep the cup as a souvenir. Even though the kick-off was only at 5pm, I entered the stadium 1½ hours early so that I could check out my seat and soak in the atmosphere.
It was wonderful to finally be here at the FIFA World Cup after many months of planning and 57 days of travelling. Luzhniki Stadium was extra special because it was where Manchester United beat Chelsea to win the Champions League title in the pouring rain in 2008. It was surreal to be here in the flesh after watching that unforgettable final on television.
I was seated in an area with predominantly French fans. Many of them brought along French flags and waved them in the air. I also saw a few Danish flags. At about 4pm, the players came onto the pitch for their final warm-ups.
When the pre-match proceedings started at 4:50pm, the noise level went up a notch as huge flags of both countries and the World Cup logo were carried onto the pitch. Everyone got on their feet and applauded, before the national anthems of both countries were played.
And finally, at 5pm sharp, the match kicked off. It was not my first time watching a football match overseas – I had been to Old Trafford three times before – but the atmosphere here was even more electrifying and contagious. Everyone was determined to have a good time and they cheered non-stop for the entire match.
However, as hard as we tried to cajole both teams into scoring, it seemed that the strikers had left their scoring boots at home as the match ended 0-0. Actually, it was because this was the third and last match of the Group stage and both teams had already advanced to the Knockout stage, so there was not much incentive to over-exert themselves. In fact, this was the only goalless match of the entire 2018 FIFA World Cup and I was “lucky” enough to watch it.
Nevertheless, despite the tepid score line, I enjoyed myself tremendously. Nothing beats the feeling of being in a huge stadium with 78,010 other fans and doing the Mexican wave together. This is why live sports can never be replaced and why fans all over the world are willing to travel across oceans to experience it in person. Hope I will get the chance to watch another World Cup in the future.
As I walked out of Luzhniki Stadium, I was still feeling very high from the whole experience. I took the free shuttle bus back to the city but decided to hop off prematurely when I saw a big bridge across the Moskva River. As I walked closer, I saw that there were many people standing on the arch of the bridge. I had no idea what they were doing or where the bridge led to, but I acted on my gut to check it out.
The bridge is called Pushkinskiy Bridge and it is a pedestrian bridge linking Luzhniki to Gorky Park. The central part of the bridge had an arch and many people climbed over the railing to get onto the arch. They sat at the highest point of the bridge with their legs dangling, and they enjoyed a marvellous view of the river and the city. It was one of those things that locals love to do, and I enjoyed seeing that. Even though it was close to 8pm, the sky was still very bright and it was really a very fine summer’s day.
After crossing Pushkinskiy Bridge, I reached the southern edge of Gorky Park. I saw people dancing under the bridge, cyclists and in-line skaters zipping along the dedicated cycling lane, and locals enjoying an evening stroll or jog along the riverside.
As I walked into the park, I saw gardens with beautiful roses, lakes with people boating in them, people playing at the basketball courts and even beach volleyball courts. It was a fantastic insight into the everyday life of Muscovites and I really enjoyed that. Once again, it was proof that despite our cultural and language differences, humans are really all the same and we desire the same things in life.
I witnessed a splendid sunset as I crossed Krimskiy Bridge back to the other side of the river. With the help of Google Maps, I located a post office nearby and proceeded to mail out my postcards. I then took the Metro back to my hostel, wrapping up yet another great day in Russia.
