July 12, 2002

We spent the first night of our adventure at the Ukraine Hotel It is one of seven look-alike gothic skyscrapers of Moscow. The designs were conceived in the 1930s but the last weren't completed until after Stalin's death in the 1950s. The "wedding cake" design is known as "Stalinist Gothic."
The 1980 Soviet Encyclopedia describes "Stalinist Gothic." as follows:

These are the tall buildings of Moscow, 26 to 32 storeys high, built towards the end of the 1940s and the beginning of the 1950s as part of the unitary plan for the reconstruction of Moscow which was adopted by the Soviet Government in 1947.

The seven buildings were situated at the most important parts of the City.  Viewed from a distance they emphasize the picturesque hilly backdrop and the radial-ring layout of the City panorama.  
Guess where they got the idea for the 1980 Moscow Olympic's logo?
In the evening we took a walk past the White House to the Moscow Zoo which unfortunately was closing.
Walking back to the hotel we approached a series of memorials. Casualties, I expect, from the violent events of October'93
For background on:
Next day