Moscow is a suprising place, a weird blend of historic Russia, disco and the 21st Century. I visited the Kremlin on my fourth trip there.

The Tsar Cannon is the world’s largest cannon. Behind is the Cathederal of the Assumption

Perhaps there is nothing that symbolizes Russia better than the Kremlin in Moscow. If you are like me, it brands Russia as a repressive state and reminds Westerners of Russian dictators like Stalin, the KGB, a nuclear arms race and the rest of the Cold War mix that many Baby Boomers remember.

So, that mindset was with me when my Russian wife took me to the Kremlin for my first official visit. And so much for that mindset.

What I discovered instead was a tourist location that is definitely worth putting on  your bucket list.

Visitors cross the bridge leading to the Kremlin entrance

The streets leading up the Kremlin resemble walking through Central Park in New York City. Large sidewalks, trees, lots of landscaping and shops. Of course, you purchase your tickets at the ticket office and walk across a bridge to get into the Kremlin compound itself.

The Kremlin is actually pretty docile now. I imagine that when Price Yury Dolgoruky built it back in the 12th Century as a citadel (Kremlin means citadel), he had good reason– like invading Monguls and other unpleasant types who invaded the city on a regular basis.

The fact that there are five beautiful old Russian Orthodox Churches on the Kremlin grounds doesn’t fit the picture of the Kremlin as being a place where dissidents came to die (although that is in the Kremlin’s dark history).

The churches were built in the 12th and 13th centuries, mostly as tributes to the reigning czar at that time. I guess you need something like this to get rid of the guilt one might feel after repressing a few thousand of your countrymen, eh?

I thought it was interesting that the Russian government really doesn’t do its daily business in the Kremlin anymore. You can tour the government offices if you like and only a handful of official-looking Men In Black were hanging around their limos the day I visited.

Part of the old government building is now a museum, filled with fascinating artifacts from the days of the czars, including clothing the women of the time wore. I tried, but I couldn’t get into the dresses, even with holding my breath.

If you take a cruise through Russia and the Kremlin is on the visit list, take a day and do the tour. I think you’ll find it fascinating.