JR Russell from Las Vegas had the opportunity to travel to Russia in April. While there he enjoyed a wonderful 2-hour visit with our sister coaches, Svetlana and Alla, at their office overlooking the Moscow Zoo. (We can't wait to host them here in Nevada!)

JR reports:

Nevertheless, we had a great time discussing coaching in Russia and U.S. They share our same challenges with the lack of awareness of coaching, although they seemed to have a different perception of the U.S. awareness."

If you want to explore Moscow, you should start from the very center, which is Red Square and, of course, visit all places nearby such as Kremlin and its main Spasskaya tower with the huge clock in the middle; St.Bazil's Cathedral which was built the 16th century to commemorate the victory of Russia over Kazan khanate; the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, the leaders of the home guards, that was constructed in 1818 on the project of sculptor I. Martos; the G.U.M department store covering most of the east side of the Square, opposite the Kremlin which really isn't a department store, but rather a mall with hundreds of separate shops.

The beautiful and ancient ensemble of the Moscow's Kremlin stands high on the hill towering over the left bank of Moskva-River. The Kremlin has always been perceived as a symbol of power and mighty of the Russian state, the national idea expressed in stone. Each era in the history of Russia left its significant architectural trace in the Kremlin. Late in the evening the brightly illuminated Kremlin ensemble presents a fantastic, majestic and sophisticated harmony. The story says that Moscow stands on seven hills. It was there, on Borovitsky Hill, where the first walls of the Kremlin were built long time ago.

Located in the town of Peredelkino, about 15 km. from the city, the village was established in 1936 during the Stalinist era and served as a writers' colony. Novelist Alexey Tolstoy, poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich and his wife, opera singer Galina Vihnevskaya, all have lived here. It was in Peredelkino that Rostropovich gave refuge to Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a Nobel Prize winner for literature.

Another world-class poet, Boris Pasternak, also lived there from 1939 until his death. Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for his "Doctor Zhivago," the epic tale that became an international best-seller translated into 18 languages. Pasternak was expelled from the Union Soviet Writers and "Doctor Zhivago" was not published in his homeland until 1987. Although he was disgraced by the Soviets, thousands came to Pasternak's funeral in 1960. He wanted to be buried near the pine tree here and his wish was granted.

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