The Many Sides of Moscow

People have explained Russia to me as home to the very very rich and the very very poor. Its something  that you hear over and over, the great divide between those with and those without. There is no such thing as the middle class, you either have money or you don't and the divide between is almost unbreachable.

Strolling around the tourist centre we explored the famed department store GUM. This is THE luxury centre of Moscow, marble floors, amazing bathrooms, every designer under the sun, security guards every 15 meters and a food hall that leaves Harrods for dead. You really can't comprehend the money that must be spent in a place like this. Everything is perfect, everything is pretty and everything is expensive. I just cant think of any better descriptive word than expensive!

Now that we have mastered the metro we are able to explore some of the less seen areas of Moscow not normally accessible to tourists. It seems bleak, obviously winter doesn't help the situation however it appears nothing has really been changed or no real construction has occurred since the 60's. For someone like me who is lucky enough to have a beautiful new home and the opportunities given to me to put add my personal stamp, this type of mass produced community makes me sad. 

Where is the individuality? Obviously this type of mass produced cookie cutter apartment complex suited the Soviet ideals but I can't help but think ... when are they going to step out from under the Soviet shadow and stop making houses as start building homes!