Got locked in the Kremlin today for three hours!!

I came to Russia with preconceptions that had evolved over the years, even though I had heard there had been big changes; I still expected austerity and stoicness, a communist presence and a population that is disheartened and controlled. I expected Red Square and the Kremlin a military building to be heavily guarded and generally closed to the public.
I expected to be aware of KGB agents watching and suspicious military police everywhere.
All wrong!!!   In fact there is no communism here any more, the public happily enjoy capitalism and a free economy.  One whole side of Red Square is GUM which is the most exclusive, enormous chic designer clothes and goods shops imaginable. Think Harrods.



And of course, the Kremlin is a wonderful tourist attraction. It has a palace (being refurbished) a theatre, gardens, walks and a museum and three wonderful Russian Orthodox cathedrals to wonder at. It took us well over two hours to be guided round it all.
The Kremlin is surrounded by a high red brick wall, and yes, we had to go through security to get into it. And there are lots of soldiers about but it's more like the presence at Buck Pal.
And I am beginning to understand.



St Basils is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Red Square and is the most beautiful I have ever seen.

Went to see Comrade Lenin too.  He is dressed in his best suit and looks good enough to get up and walk away.

I am on the train to Irkutsk for over 3 days now, next stop Lake Baikal, then Mongolia.