Slavic Men and the Trail They Leave

Russia loves statues and gravestones of its leaders, heroes, and great contributors to its culture.  Here are a few that we have seen so far. 

Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) was a great Russian novelist, humorist and dramatist.  A couple of his famous writtings are "Dead Souls" and "The Inspector General."  He is buried in the Novodevichy Convent Cemetery in Moscow.

Alexander II was Tsar of the Russian Empire from 1855 until his assassination in 1881.  He was also the King of Poland and Grand Prince of Finland.  This statute is in front of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.  

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a famous Russian short story writer, playwright, and physician.  Two of his famous plays are "The Cherry Orchard" and "Three Sisters" where the famous line "...next year in Moscow..." comes from.  He is buried in the Novodevichy Convent Cemetery.

Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917.  As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its itnitial years (1917-1924), as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a socialist economic system.  His mausoleum is at Red Square.

Fyodor Chaliapin (1873-1938) was a famous Russian opera singer and is buried in the Novodevichy Convent Cemetery in Moscow.

Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) was a Soviet politician and head of the state who served as the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953.  After the death of Lenin in 1924, Stalin rose to become the leader of the Soviet Union, which he ruled as a dictator.  He is buried at Red Square.

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was a great Russian composer, pianist and conductor.  Two of his famous works are "Peter and the Wolf" and the ballet "Romeo and Juliet."  He is buried in the Novodevichy Convent Cemetery in Moscow.

Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971) was the First Secretary of the Commuist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953-1964 and Chairman of the Council of Minister, or Premier, from 1958-1964.  He led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War.  He is buried in the Novodevichy Convent Cemetery.

Below are two Slavic men here in Moscow into whose hands we've regularly committed our lives. 

Alexander Shtaltovny is our full-time driver.  He is great!  He is a former MIG pilot in the Soviet Air Force and drives like he's back in the cockpit of the old MIG.  We always feel safe with him as he weaves in and out of the cars on the busy Moscow roads.

Vyacheslav Ferensky was our substitute driver for a month this summer when Alexander was on vacation.  He is a former policeman/detective, military man, and a lawyer.  He's great also.  I laugh now, but one hot summer afternoon after he took me to the grocery store, we rode with the windows down because the air conditioner was broken, I felt like I looked like Cruella DeVille.  What a sight!