Top 10 Things To Do in Moscow

The best way to introduce yourself to the capital of Russia is to head straight for Red Square, in the very center of Moscow. There you'll find three of the most enduring symbols of Russia: onion-domed St. Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin (the centuries-old seat of Russian rulers) and Lenin's Tomb, in which the embalmed body of the Soviet Union's founder lies.

The oldest part of Moscow dating back to the city's foundation in 1147, and situated at the very heart of the city on top of a hill, the Kremlin is a fortress surrounded by a thick red wall interspersed with 20 towers. The complex consists of a number of glittering, golden-domed churches and palaces, museums, residences, offices, assembly halls and monuments. It was the royal regime during the Tsarist rule and from 1918, the seat of the Communist government. Cathedral Square is the religious centre of Moscow and the historic heart of the Kremlin, and is home to numerous churches. The attractive Annunciation Cathedral was set aside for the private use of royalty and contains beautifully painted murals and icons on the interior walls. The throne of Ivan the Terrible can be found in the Cathedral of the Assumption, which was used for the coronation of tsars; most of the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church were buried here and their tombs line the walls of the spacious, richly coloured interior. The Belfry of Ivan the Great is the tallest structure within the walls and a visible city landmark. At its foot lies the world's biggest bell, broken in a fall from its bell tower in 1701, and nearby is the world's largest cannon, the Tsar Cannon. Also within the Kremlin is the Armoury Palace, the richest and oldest museum housing a staggering collection of treasures gathered over the years by the church and Russian state, including jewel-studded coronation capes, thrones encrusted with diamonds, royal coaches and sleighs and the renowned jewelled Fabergé Easter eggs, each containing an exquisitely detailed miniature object of precious metal inside. The Diamond Fund Exhibition in the same building contains the 180-carat diamond given to Catherine the Great by Count Orlov.

Red Square is a dramatic open cobbled space in the centre of Moscow, originally the city's market place that served as a public gathering place to celebrate festivals, listen to government announcements or to witness executions, especially common during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The Soviet state turned it into a memorial cemetery, and constructed Lenin's Mausoleum to one side - a crystal casket containing the preserved body of the founder of the Soviet Union that is still open to public viewing today. The communist government destroyed several ancient buildings around Red Square, including the Resurrection Gate and chapel, to make space for and to allow easy tank access to the demonstrations and military parades that frequented the area. The current Resurrection Gate and chapel are replicas that were built in the 1990s. Its most impressive parade involved the gathering of thousands of Russian soldiers ready to march to war against the Nazis in 1941, the rumble of tanks a demonstration of Soviet might during the Cold War. The word 'red' doesn't apply to the colour of the brickwork, neither is it a reference to communism. The meaning of the word 'krasny' originally meant 'beautiful' in Old Russian, referring to St Basil's Cathedral at the southern end, but over the centuries the word changed to mean red too, thus the square's present name. St Basil's Cathedral is the city's most well known building and is crowned by the bulbous multicoloured domes that have made it an instantly recognisable landmark.

In 1947 Stalin determined that Moscow suffered skyscraper shortage vis-à-vis Western capitals. So his government dropped seven massive Empire State-like buildings into different Moscow neighborhoods. Today these edifices are known collectively as Stalin's Seven Sisters. They're different from the Empire State Building in that they spread out, as well as up. So their construction wiped out entire blocks of the neighborhoods in which they're located. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason regarding the uses for which they were constructed: one is the Ministry of External Affairs; another is a hotel, a third an apartment block. The inspiration for their being seems to have sprung solely from a need to compete with the West. These seven buildings are really awe-inspiring when viewed on the horizon (their design quality erodes up close). But they violate the physical context into which most were inserted. The combined effect is jarring at best. Erected in the late 1940 and early 1950 in compliance with a special resolution of the Council of Ministers adopted in 1947. The sites for them were selected on elevation - the "seven Moscow hills" in order to emphasize the natural features of the terrain and the radial-circular structure of the city plan. The tall buildings were intended for Moscow University, a palace for science and youth, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, an office and residential building in Smolenskaya Square, residential complexes in Kudrinskaya Square and on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment, and the Ukraine and Leningradskaya hotels.

Other example of Soviet architectural kitsch is The All-Russia Exhibition Centre, which was formerly known under its Soviet title VDNKh. Under the Soviets the area used to be a display of the achievements of Socialism including Stalinist architecture. Wide avenues connect grandiose, Roman-like, pavilions glorifying every aspect of Socialist construction.  There are huge fountains embellished with lurid gold socialist statues. Nowadays the area is used as a large recreation park with a funfair. In the former exhibition pavilions all kinds of shops and stalls can be found.

Moscow is rightfully called one of the most remarkable cities in the sphere of arts. Here you will find bright and memorable events and famous names in all genres of classical and modern theater, music, cinema and fine arts.

One of the biggest and most spectacular venues of its kind in the world is Bolshoi Theatre. Built in 1824, after a fire destroyed the previous incarnation, it is a masterpiece of neo-classical design. Six tiers of seats over two thousand spectators in a world of chandeliers, gold stucco decoration and lavish red velvet furnishing. It's simply impossible not to be moved by a visit to the Bolshoi - and that's before the performance has even begun! Their ballerinas, actors and opera singers may tour the world, but there's no better place to catch the Bolshoi Theatre Company than right here in Moscow.

Founded by patron and collector, Pavel Tretyakov, in the 19th Century, the State Tretyakov Gallery has grown exponentially to become one of Moscow's most important museums and an unparalleled treasury of Russian arts. No fewer than 130000 works have been amassed in total, ranging from 11th Century to the 20th Century. The main gallery on Lavrushinsky side-street has 62 rooms full of evocative and beautiful oils by artists you've never heard before (and whose names you can't pronounce). Equally interesting are the exhibits in the new building at Krymskiy Val, where avant-garde art of the early 1900s is offset by some kitsch socialist-realism.

Famous for its impressive collections of impressionist and post-impressionistic paintings, the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum also houses works by some of the old masters such as Rubens, Rembrandt and Botticelli, and excellent exhibitions of Eygptian and Hellenistic art. Classicists amongst you can come over all moist in Room 7, where the legendary Treasures of Troy are on display. These ancient artifacts were excavated by the German, Schliemann, in the 19th Century, smuggled out of modern day Turkey to Berlin, and subsequently appropriated by the Russians in 1945. What we want to know though, is how come there were any treasures left if Brad Pitt and co. nicked them all in the Trojan War...? Definitely a conspiracy theory waiting to happen!

One of the more relaxing ways to enjoy the sights of Moscow is to take a river cruise tour on the Moskva River, which runs through the centre of the city. The Moscow river cruise navigates some miles of river, taking around 3 hours for a round trip. The tour takes the visitor past some of Moscow’s most famous and historic sights as Novodevichy Monastery, Moscow University, Gorky Park, the Kremlin and Red Square. There is an open air top deck and an enclosed bottom deck with a snack bar. You can embark and disembark from any number of docks along the way.

Arbat is a street of many songs. It is busting with activity at any time of day and it is in Arbat Street that artists, musicians, lacers of poetry and amateur songwriters like to get together.

At first this street accommodated regiments of streltsy (soldiers of the regular Russian army in the 16 – 17C) and tradesmen. Later Arbat became a street of merchants and tradesmen. From the middle of the 17C Arbat is one of the most aristocratic streets of the city.

In the years of 1974 – 1986 the street was reconstructed into a pedestrian-walking street with numerous cafes, shops, restaurants, galleries, souvenir shops and jewelry shops. Now Arbat street is often called Moscow Montmartre.

One of the great pleasures in Moscow is a long leisurely walk along the city’s leafy boulevards.  The pedestrian-friendly boulevard ring is part of the city’s lore, immortalized in art, literature and film.
A brisk walk around the ring takes about an hour and a half, and it is like a walk through Moscow’s history.  It starts with Gogolevsky Boulevard, which passes by the gold-domed Cathedral of Christ the Savior and ends at Yauzsky Boulevard, one of the least busy and most charming boulevards.   

The boulevards were laid out in the beginning of the 19th century in place of the obsolete defensive boundary of Moscow, the 16th century white-stone fortress wall. Beautiful mansions of Moscow aristocracy lined up the boulevards.

The picturesque boulevards immediately became a favorite place for high society people to take walks along.

Today the Boulevard Ring remains one of the most popular places for spending leisure time: taking a walk or having a cup of coffee in the nearby cafes.

Shopping in Moscow is quite rewarding. This previously deprived nation loves shopping and Moscow's city centre has numerous malls and upmarket boutiques, offering all the big name brands and some pricey local produce.

Taking up the entire East side of Red Square, and looking more like a palace than a shopping centre, the GUM building offers designer shopping like few before will have experienced. Built at the turn of the 19th Century the complex boasts an elegantly-decorated interior, comprising of three parallel arcades, centred around a fountain and roofed by a splendid glass ceiling. It’s magnificent! Whole afternoons can easily be wasted browsing through flagship stores of the likes of Christian Dior, Hugo Boss and Puma.

Other Moscow’s famous shop is Yeliseevsky Store, which many consider the world's fanciest grocery store.Open since 1901, the gilded Yeliseevsky Store, dripping with chandeliers and stained glass, remains one of Moscow premier destinations for fine caviar, French champagne, and Danish candies. And if you want traditional meat, mushroom, cabbage and piroshki, that's here too!

An absolute must visit during a Moscow weekend break is the lively Izmailovsky Flea Market. This bustling open air market runs on the weekends from 9am - 6pm and is an endless hub of entertainment. The market is jam packed with interesting stalls selling; souvenirs, Russian handicrafts, books, original paintings and Soviet memorabilia. It’s a fantastic tourist attraction and a great way to spend the afternoon. If you get tired of haggling, fulfilling your quota of holiday knick-knacks and Matryoshka dolls, then take a look at the nearby royal residence of Izmailovo or simply stop for a coffee and watch the street performers.

You haven’t seen Moscow until you’ve taken the metro! Stations of the subway called as underground palaces, make one of the main sights of a city. They are distinguished by a really palatial magnificence of vestibules and underground halls.

Over twenty kinds of marble, labradorite, granite, porphyry, rhodonite, onyx and other breeds of building stone were used in Moscow Metro construction. Underground complexes are decorated by statues and reliefs, monumental and decoration compositions (painting, mosaic, stained-glass windows and lists) of art directors of the country. Architects and builders of Moscow underground aspired to create not only comfortable conditions for passengers, but also to give an individual shape to each station.

The most recommended stations for visiting are Mayakovskaya built in 1938 and featuring beautiful mosaics, Novoslobodskaya opened in 1952 with back-lit stained glass and Ploshchad Revolutsii with bronze soldiers depicting different types of socialist workers.

After eventful days sightseeing then it may be a good idea to take in some of the natural beauty of Moscow parks. Russians take their parks and gardens very seriously - there are more than 110 protected nature preserves in Moscow alone. That’s why many consider the city to be one of the greenest capitals of Europe.

The largest and most famous is The Russian Academy of Sciences' Main Botanical Gardens, located in the northwest part of the city. This 360-hectare (890-acre) park, which spans the valleys of three small rivers, was officially founded in 1945. After World War II, an enormous collection effort brought plants and seeds from all across the Soviet Union and further afield, and the garden is now a botanist's treasure trove, with a rose garden containing 2500 varieties including an ancient green Bengali rose. There is also an arboretum whose highlight is a glorious oak grove (home to squirrels who are tame to the point of impudence), a delightful Japanese rock garden, and a vast glass-covered orangery with a wide collection from the tropics and sub-tropics including numerous rare orchids and carnivorous plants.It's hard to believe that you're close to the centre of Europe's biggest city, and it's a wonderful place to come to get away from the noise and stress of urban living.

Other garden – Gorky park – is one of the most famous places in Moscow. The park stretches along the banks of the Moscow River, and is divided into two parts. The first is primarily of interest to children or those trying to entertain them, as it contains a range of funfair rides and roller coasters - some safer looking than others, although they are being upgraded all the time. You can also hire boats or horses, go bungee jumping, and there's a sports club with tennis courts. In winter the whole area becomes a vast skating rink with skate hire, disco lights and music to match. In summer the "beach" area is hugely popular with sun-worshippers, and becomes an open air club in the evenings.

The other, older, half of the park is considerably more restrained, consisting of formal gardens and woodland that combine the former Golitsynskiy and Neskuchniy Gardens, names that crop up regularly in Russian literary classics. There are a number of fine old buildings dating from the late 18^th and early 19^th Centuries, including two summerhouses by the great Moscow architect Mikhail Kazakov (who designed the Senate Building in the Kremlin), and the first City Hospital. Nearby is the enormous Green Theater, an outdoor amphitheater that hosts various gigs and concerts in the summer months.

National park Elk Island straddles the boundary between Moscow proper and the suburbs of the north-west of the city, and is home to an amazing variety of animal and plant life. Historical documents say that Elk Island was a favorite place for Ivan the Terrible to enjoy falconry and bear-hunting. The name Elk Island was recorded in the early 17^th century, when documents say that the place was used for hunting "all manner of game birds, and especially elk". From the turn of the century come documents banning hunting "around Moscow", without exception - punishments included hefty fines and banishment to far-flung regions of Russia. Organized forestry on Elk Island began in 1842, when fire-breaks were cut through, dividing the area up into separate sections. In 1983 Elk Island was declared a state national nature park.

Finns are crazy about sauna, the Japanese praise sento and Orientals boast about Turkish baths. Russians have their own national pride - russkaya banya or the Russian steam bath.

Russians have used banyas for eons. They are used not only for cleaning, but also for socializing.  Banyas are an intricate part of Russian culture.  To have a true banya experience is to look deeply into the Russian soul.

The banya experience is approximately as follows.  There are separate areas for men and women. You clean yourself in a shower or at a bench with a bucket of water.  You then proceed to a steam room. You typically stay in the steam for 8 to 12 minutes or until sweat comes from your nose.  There are different levels in the banya – the highest level is the hottest and usually only the hearties of Russians go there. Frequently somebody will pour a ladle of water onto the hot stones to bring forth more steam – beware that you are not too close to the blast.  Russians also love to pour a little beer on the hot stones to add some flavor to the steam. A very Russian tradition is a take a branch of leaves called venik and lightly beat the back of a fellow bather in the steam room.  This is believed to open up the pores. After getting out of the banya, Russians will usually jump into a pool of cold water. It feels great after the heat and closes the pores.

Some 50 banyas remain in Moscow, down from 120 in 1946.  50 years ago many apartments did not have their own bathrooms so it was a daily ritual.  Nowadays only the largest and most comfortable banyas remain.

One of them is Sanduny Baths existed already in 18^th century. It is a veritable palace, with huge halls, tall ceilings, sculpted decorations, marble staircases, exquisite gold frescos, and statues. Every room of Sanduny baths has its own unique interior, there is a spacious general hall in Gothic style, comfortable and impressive due to its decoration Turkish hall, Antique swimming-pool and the Hairdressing salon almost unique in its decor. The guests always can use carefully selected birch, oak, fir and eucalyptus besoms and such necessary for bath accessories as felted hats, mittens, rugs etc. and also various extracts to give to the bath the unique fragrance.

For the traditional Russian bath experience, don a sheet and felt hat, spend as long as you can bear in the scalding steam room while being gently whipped with birch twigs, and then dive into a freezing plunge pool before finishing off with a shot of vodka or an icy beer and a plate of zakuski – Russian drinking snacks – in one of the bathhouse bars or the upmarket Sanduny Restaurant.