The view of Moscow from Sparrow Hills (Воробьёвы го́ры)

View of Moscow from Sparrow Hills - Ivan Aivazovsky, 1848

It was three o’clock on Sunday morning that we stopped before the gates of Moscow and in the course of an hour afterward enjoying ourselves most luxuriantly in a place where we could kick an English bed, at W. Howards, the best hotel in Moscow (said to be so at least—though ‘tis making the others out to be most villainous.  ‘tis kept by an Englishman & wife, and a more parsimonious old couple I never want to see in the shape of Host & Hostess, however I have finished with them).  We arrived on Sunday Morning [24] greatly refreshed, and determined as soon as possible to finish our signt seeing in order to be again at the Capital for the Fête. Sundays in Russia are the same as in France, little or no distinction is made from other days. ---We took a carriage and four horses, abreast as usual (no carriage will leave the city with less than four horses), in order to go out to what is called Sparrow Hills, where we should be able to obtain a fine view of Moscow & also see the poor Convicts depart in chains for their long march to Siberia.  There is no English church we were told in Moscow, and in driving through the city we scarcely saw an English face, though I believe there are many there as in every city of the World.   And now we obtained the first view of the city of Mosques, and Tartars.  It was so late the previous evening when we arrived that one could get no view of it [25] all in passing through its streets, some here and there, some silvered dome would glisten in the starlight, and some tall steeple would shew itself from amidst the surrounding buildings.  Moscow is the most singular city in Europe—perfectly Oriental in its appearance, and carrying on at once to the times of the Prophet. Mosques, domes, minarets, & spires are on every side of you.  Look where you will and your eye will rest upon some edifice of worship called by what term you will presenting its half-a-dozen spires or domes, gilded, silvered, or spangled,  or of a deep blue, now a green and then one burnished like gold, the Greek Cross surmounting all, with here and there the Turkish Crescent beneath the cross.