Государственный Исторический музей

State Historical Museum, Moscow Russia

The State Historical Museum (Государственный Исторический музей) is my second favorite building on Red Square. My favorite, of course, is St. Basil's. The museum was built between 1875-1881, and opened in 1894. While this building was not demolished during the Soviet regime, like the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was, its beautiful interior was painted and plastered over. The building went through major restoration in the late 1990s,
and is now restored to its original state. The interior is as beautiful as the exterior.
What I love the most about the exterior is how it looks as if it's covered in snow -
even in August, when this photo was taken!

Olympia Eissport Zentrum

Ice Skating Rink in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics.
This rink is still used for skating and hockey events, and many future Olympic hopefuls train there as well. I think that the building fits so well into the beautiful mountain landscape with its weathered exterior. It must look fantastic when the mountains are covered in snow!

Кунцево

Kunstevo Train Station

Кунцево (Kuntsevo) is a train stop that I would pass on the way to my Metro station.
I love the building - it certainly stands out!

Храм Христа Спасителя

Храм Христа Спасителя, Moscow Russia

The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was the first church I saw in Moscow.
It's huge, and beautiful! The original church was completed 1860, but unfortunately it didn't even stand to be 100 years old. Stalin had it demolished in 1931 so that he could build a monument honoring Communism. That was never built, but the site sat empty until it was turned into the world's largest swimming pool. Luckily, it was decided that a church was much more important than a swimming pool! This new church was completed in 2000.
The bridge I'm standing on while taking this picture is a new addition, and quite an excellent one, I might add! It allows for people to be able to take photos like this one :)