The breathtaking view of the St. Sergius Posad Monastery - one of the oldest monasteries in the whole of Russia. The iconic architecture and the combination of blue and gold overwhelmed us with a mysterious feeling and a sense of appreciation for its great history.

Flocks of believers entering the monastery. It is amazing to witness how religion can unifiy people from all walks of life.

We saw crowds of people gathering outside this building and we realised that today was one of their sacred days. These worshippers united the moment the bell rang, which made us realise the amazing power of belief.

We were told that there is a holy spring inside this pink building for the Patriarch (the head of the Russian church) to pray. We are very impressed that through generations, people are still praying at this very same place and that the centuries old Eastern-Orthodox tradition still continues today.

A lot of effort and money have been put in to maintain and reconstruct the Monastery over the years. People are willing to sacrifice unconditionally for what they believe in.

Souvenir Market outside St. Sergius Posad Monastery



The grand entrance of the Russian souvenir market where passionate buyers and sellers flock together to participate in various exchanges.

The bulk of the souvenir market - a lengthy stretch juxtaposed paradoxically with the serenity of nature and bustling people.

Arbat Street View


No, that’s not a dead raccoon on her head! To battle the cold weather, we need to protect our ears! Hats like these are common in Russia. Just imagine our plight being away from Singapore’s warm climate!



These Russian dolls are iconic of Russia. They are everywhere and a standard doll contains between 5 to 10 mini dolls within them. At Arbat Street, we even saw one that contained 26 smaller dolls within the mother doll!


We saw this tribute to a Russian artiste on a public wall in Arbat Street. It’s not illegal to set up altars like this in Moscow though we are not sure if we could do the same back home


It seems even though we are far away from home, there is always McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks to remind us of home. Though we may not recognize the spelling, we can always spot the ‘M’!

Hurray! Finally we get a chance of relief after 3 hours in the infamous Moscow jam! Well, at least we get to train our bladders and make us appreciate the convenience of modern sanitation!


If you think this is giant protractor, you are mistaken! This sundial is found at the palace within the convent used to imprison the wife of one of Russia’s rulers- all because she was childless. Talk about baby blues!


Look! This beautiful chapel was built in the 19th century. Even though it looks like a romantic venue to get married, it is actually built by a loving father to house the remains of his beloved daughter who died at a young age.