Journey to Russia

The Catholic Cathedral in Moscow

30th September, 207

On September 21st, 2017 I began the first leg of my sabbatical. So far I have travelled to Hong Kong, St Petersburg and Moscow.

Spending time in Russia has been an eye opener. The extent of the presence and influence of the Russian Orthodox Church surprised me. In the Kremlin, for example, there are two Orthodox Cathedrals.  While President Putin has his offices there, the majority of the Russian government works beyond the Kremlin.

As we know all too well, when Lenin stormed the Winter Palace in St Petersburg on 25th October 1917 initiating the Russian revolution, the country changed for ever. Today, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, people have begun to grow more hopeful for the future. 

Three million people now live in St. Petersburg and seven million in Moscow. In both these cities, the people seem to take great care of each other.  They love their art, music and dance and welcome visitors warmly. I’m told President Putin has earned the great respect of 80% of the Russian people. They like his calmness and his affection for the Russian people.

London is my next stop where I hope to catch up with colleagues and friends from the early 1990s.  I look forward to sharing the ongoing journey with you.

John McMahon