St. Patrick's Day Parade was held at Novyi Arbat yesterday (Sunday). I'm not good with dates now, but from LJ user nl, I learned that, for some reason, the parade in Moscow was one day late.

It was over when I got there, and my camera's battery died soon after, so please visit nl's blog for awesome pictures and comments (in Russian), and also Darkness at Noon, who was there as well.

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They all moved to Staryi Arbat after the parade was over, writes nl, and it was fun there, but I missed that, too, because I had to spend some time walking back and forth along Novyi Arbat, looking for a replacement battery, with no luck. Then I felt thirsty and decided to go to Rosy O'Grady's on Znamenka - but it was no longer there!!! The building it used to be in is being rebuilt, damn it. I ran into a group of fun-looking foreigners there - on a scavenger's hunt or something - and the lead guy told everyone that this was a very special spot because Rosy O'Grady's used to be there - and then they all bowed in that direction, in mock grief. Very sweet and very funny.



(Later that day, I stopped at T.G.I. Friday's on Pushkinskaya, still hoping for a Guinness - but it's been two weeks since they had it last. Incredible.)

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The craziest thing about the parade was all the police and soldiers that they assembled there.



And even though the soldiers were dressed in green, it was depressing. Especially after one cop barked at me and a bunch of others, ordering us to step back - "How many more times am I supposed to tell you? STEP BACK! NAZAD!" Here's the jerk:



But there's always an antidote, right? So I also saw a cop playing some Celtic music real loud on his cell phone - he must've recorded a video of the parade and was reviewing it. That was cute.

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I also saw one of the anti-war guys from the March 8 rally - he stood by the movie theater not far from the Ministry of Defense, giving out anti-draft leaflets that no one seemed to be eager to take. Not even I.

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In general, I would've preferred to be in New York City that day. (And on other days, too.)

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My 29 pictures are here.