 St. Basil's Cathedral in the background
 A warm welcome from our twinning school
Paintings of YOG 2010by students from the Secondary School of Humanitarian University
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Back at JJ!  JJCians painting the mural based on Olympic values, showcasing their efforts for YOG 2010. The Olympic rings, representing the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.   The Olympic values - Excellence, Respect & Friendship. The 26 sports that will be competed in Singapore during YOG 2010. "Swifter. Higher. Stronger." - one of the quotes of the Olympic Games.
Jurong Junior College in Russia 5:23 PM
Sunday, October 11, 2009 At Lenin Museum  Despite its location at the heart of bustling Red Square, the sanctity of Lenin’s Mausoleum is strictly maintained as all visitors to the site had to remain extremely quiet when passing by Lenin’s body, which was housed in a beautiful glass case. In addition, as a mark of respect, we were not allowed to wear our gloves nor put our hands in our pockets during the entire time! by group 2: huiyi, yoongzhen, weiyang, benjamin, wira  The iconic St. Basil’s Cathedral seen in a different light - against the morning sun  Even the security camera in the History Museum is designed to blend in with the architecture  Platform where the Tsars (past rulers of Russia) made public appearance and speeches At Pushkin Museum  The Pushskin State Museum of Fine Arts  Our Russian tour guide, Ms Alexandra, explaining the history of the museum  Children: Look! These students are having their history lessons in the museum, which is more engaging & interesting as learning takes place beyond the classroom.  Cosmetic box: Do you know the function of this item? Let us tell you the answer. This is a cosmetic box which was excavated from Egypt. People in those times believed that there was life after death. Hence, the deceased were buried with their accessories so they could still use them in the afterlife.  Mummy: Although this artifact is called a mummy, this is not the type which would get a mother’s day card because wrapped under the many layers of linen was a 3000 year old corpse.  David is the beautiful and unique sculpture by Michaelangelo: Though we were in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the presence of Michaelangelo’s famous statue made us feel like we were in the Lourve Museum in Paris where the original statue is. This allowed aspiring Russian artists to use the masterpieces as a means to study art. by group 4: philp, uyen, an, alan, teeyang, mengyao
 This installation is found in the museum’s Hall of Sorrow. The entire ceiling of the hall was covered completely by these crystallized tears, signifying the tears shed by the relatives of the victims of the war. This illustrated very clearly the tragedy of war for all those who visited the museum  This painting depicting the fall of Berlin in the last stages of World War 2 was brought to life with the use of a diorama- a mixture of both 2-D paintings and 3-D props to enhance a feeling of actually being at the battle site. We felt that we were able to share the joy of the Russian soldiers at the defeat of Hitler’s Germany. by group 3: jianhui, xiejing, nirmal, boonkang, zhihao  At the peak of the war memorial is Goddess Nike, flanked by two angels, singing glory to the victory of Russia after WWII  Saint George, patriot saint of Moscow city  A 122m tall war memorial erected outside the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow  The War Museum showcases several dioramas (large paintings with actual props) to enable visitors to visualize the harsh conditions of Russia during WW2. This diorama features the bombing of Moscow city during the war.  Soldiers at one of Russia’s collective farms, “ Sovetskuy”, cheering over a small victory.   The diorama depicts “The siege of Leningrad”. This siege was an unsuccessful military operation by the Axis powers to capture Leningrad (now known as St. Petersburg) during WWII  Battle at the Octyabrsky collective farm. Notice how the army tank in the foreground blends in seamlessly with the painting in the background  This "Battle of the Lower Dnieper" took place in 1943. It was one of the largest WWII operations, involving almost 4 million troops on both sides and stretching over a 1400km long front Exchange Rates  Exchanging currencies is convenient in Moscow. We bought the Rubles at US$1= R30 when we began the trip on Day 1. Since the selling rate of USD now is US$1=R29.65, we have in fact saved R35 (equivalent to the price of 1 can of drink) for every US$100 being changed.  This was the last day of our trip and we were changing our excess Russian Rubles back to USD. Celebration
Jurong Junior College in Russia 10:49 AM
Saturday, October 10, 2009 At GuLag Museum
Done By Group 4: Philip, Uyen, An, Alan, Tee Yang, Meng Yao  Replica of a concentration camp at the Gulag Museum. Behind the watch tower are the famous political figures who were killed in the camps.  Barbed Wires align the entrance of the museum, serving as a somber reminder of the harsh reality of the camps.  A newly arrived prisoner reporting to the NKVD (Stalin's Secret Police) officer awaits in anguish for his sentence.  This oil painting in the museum depicts the climate of fear then - where prisoners get dragged out in the middle of the night, to be either killed or brought to concentration camps.  "Point No. 9". - an assembly point before Stalin’s prisoners are dispatched to the different concentration camps.  Stalin and the Head of NKVD (Stalin's Secret Police), Ezhov. This painting highlights the millions of people who were persecuted under their rule. Izmailovsky souvenir market   This is the entrance of the Izmailovsky souvenir market and the entrance fee is 10 Rubles (about S$0.50) We are amazed with the elaborate and unique architecture, which is distinctive from all other flea markets in russia. These flea markets are similar to Singapore's 'Pasar malam'.  Matryoshka dolls  Ushankar hats  Russian dolls  Toys  CCCP products  Crystals with famous Russian icons  Weapons  Russian watches  Russian folk costumes This market sells traditional russian products ranging from the famous Matryoshka dolls, Ushankar hats to the Russian folk costumes. Prices here are reasonable and best of all, negeotiable. A must-go for Singaporeans to exercise their bargaining skills!  This is a typical bargaining scene in Russian flea markets. which is not a common sight in Singapore's "Pasar malam". Unfortunately, bargaining is not extended to Russian food. By Group 1: Randy, Wenqi, Zhen Yuan, Michelle, Pei Qin  All that glitters really is gold! Autumn leaves in Moscow transform the city into a lovely golden hue.  Guns store at the Izmailovsky Souvenir Market – James Bond you’d better watch out!  Machine guns and artillery are a common sight in Russian flea markets – a testament to their long history of war.  No matter how the spelling differs, there's always a KFC or McDonalds around – a clear sign of Globalisation.  Fruits Stalls at Pushkin Sqaure  Juicy and succulent Russian Grapes from Pushkin Square!  This was our daily experience while in Moscow. It came to a point when we did not ask our tour guide how far was the next destination but how long it would take us to get there. Generally the less time spent on the roads, the better. Although Certificates of Entitlement (COE) and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) may not be welcomed by motorists in Singapore, we understand why these measures are implemented in ensuring smooth traffic before Singapore roads become mega-carparks like Moscow.
Jurong Junior College in Russia 9:10 AM
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