October 11, 1995
Web posted at: 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 GMT)
From Correspondent Siobhan Darrow
MOSCOW (CNN) -- Dull, drab, dreary: For many people, that's what comes to mind when they think of Moscow. But the former capital of Communism is making an effort to improve its image by putting up new buildings, making repairs, even trotting out all its finest cultural icons on a recent day the mayor devoted to celebrate the city itself. (500K QuickTime movie)
The city's makeover has a broad foundation, said architect Alexander Kudryavtsev. "The mixture of trends, mixture of tendencies, the mixture of cultures is normal for Moscow. It could assimilate everything being between east and west, north and south. So many invasions."
From polishing up past splendors to putting up new ones,
Moscow's building boom is changing the face of the city. Most
of the activity can be traced to Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. "No
wonder people of different ages, politics and professions are
united in their love for their home town," the energetic
leader gushed. "It's not without reason that we call this
city the heart of Russia."
Luzhkov's right-hand man when it comes to Moscow's new look,
Zurab Tsereteli, has designed some of the capital's most
notable new additions. Now the artist and architect is
proposing a Russian version of Disneyland. "We have put
together an army to work on this park of miracles," Tsereteli
told CNN. "The Americans have Mickey Mouse as their hero
(and) we have our own, although I'm not yet prepared to
reveal the name."
While the secret project is still on the table, a plot of
land just outside Moscow already has been picked out, and
local residents are thrilled. "It's a great idea," said one
man. "There aren't too many places that our children can
have fun and play. All the camps are too expensive." Having
fun is exactly what Tsereteli has in mind. "It's very
important to teach people here to enjoy themselves for the
development of a new generation and to create a society of
happy people," he said.
If he can pull it off, it would be an accomplishment that could make Moscow's new image more than just skin deep.
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