Moscow
Introduction
Moscow has changed more in the past decade than over the previous half-century. Once-empty shops have become expensive restaurants, designer boutiques and 24-hour convenience stores. Nightlife, which used to be restricted to cheesy singers at bad restaurants, has exploded into one of the most vibrant and decadent party scenes in Europe. Yet the most surprising thing about today’s Moscow is its normalcy—after 10 years of massive upheaval, it has transformed itself into something resembling a typical European capital city. True, the city still has more than its fair share of venal expatriates, foxy young adventuresses and thuggish mafiosi in Versace suits. But you’re just as likely to see young Russian professionals driving Volkswagens, reading the Russian-language Cosmopolitan and Newsweek ordering goat-cheese-and-basil pizza on their mobile phones. Crime—once the most worrisome aspect of the post-Soviet era—has been curtailed, and the notorious mafia has become more subtle in its dress and business methods. Many former crime lords have gone into legitimate businesses or even joined the government.
That said, a visit to Moscow isn’t simple. A lot of bureaucratic red tape remains from the days of the U.S.S.R., and those who don’t speak Russian will be challenged by communication difficulties—even deciphering the Cyrillic signs can be a chore. We think these hassles are worth tolerating, however. There’s something invigorating about observing the city’s breakneck sprint toward the future, especially while visiting its famous landmarks of the past.
History
Moscow was founded in 1147 by Prince Yury Dolgoruky and, thanks to its position along some major trade routes, became prominent among the independent states that battled for dominance in medieval Russia. Ivan III (also known as Ivan the Great) secured the pre-eminence of the region in the late 1400s and built much of the old Kremlin area that still dominates the city’s skyline. His grandson, Ivan IV (the notorious Ivan the Terrible), crowned himself Russia’s first czar, a Russianized version of “Caesar,” after conquering the Tartars who had terrorized Russia for three centuries. In honor of his historic victory, he built St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square in 1568, still the city’s most famous landmark.
The fortunes of Moscow—and the Russian nation—changed markedly with the ascension of Peter the Great in 1685. Peter had studied shipbuilding in Holland and London; when he returned to his native Moscow, he was determined to bring Russia up to date with the West. After a long campaign against Sweden, Russia’s powerful northern neighbor, Peter captured a foothold on the Baltic Sea and ordered a vast capital to be built from scratch on a marsh on the Neva River. He named the new city St. Petersburg and decreed it the capital of his empire. Moscow fell into disfavor among the fashionable new aristocracy.
Moscow suffered further during Napoleon’s invasion of 1812. By the time the French conqueror arrived, most of the population had fled, leaving only some partisans who set fire to the city soon after the French occupied it. The fire burned for three days, destroying the medieval wooden town and leaving intact only stone buildings—mostly churches. Napoleon was forced to retreat from the gutted city through the bitter Russian winter, losing most of his troops to frostbite and partisan raids. In the 1820s and ’30s, the city was rebuilt along its present lines: Wide boulevards were laid out, and handsome colonnaded palaces were built.
In the late 1800s, Moscow became the center of a new manufacturing elite. The city gradually filled with grand apartments, gaudy mansions and lavish shops. A flowering of the arts mirrored the city’s prosperity. Alexander Stanislavsky produced Anton Chekhov’s then-new realist plays at his Moscow Arts Theatre, and the architect Vladmir Shekhtel pioneered art-nouveau architecture.
In the wake of the bloody Bolshevik revolution of 1917, the nation’s capital was moved back to Moscow, and the Kremlin was again made the seat of power. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Joseph Stalin put his permanent stamp on the city by punching large arterial roads through old Moscow alleyways, demolishing city landmarks and erecting ugly skyscrapers. During World War II, German troops got within 4 mi/7 km of the Kremlin but were eventually beaten back by the Red Army. The 1960s and ’70s saw Moscow disfigured by the heavy hand of Brezhnev-era modernism, which littered the city with dour, drab (and now crumbling) concrete buildings.
Since the collapse of communist rule and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990, Moscow has struggled economically, and its infrastructure has not always been well maintained. Nonetheless, the city’s current mayor, Yury Luzkhov, has overseen a major program to rebuild and refurbish historic Moscow, including the magnificent restoration of Christ the Savior Cathedral. He has also decreed that Moscow be made “more lively” by the liberal use of Western-style accoutrements such as neon signs.
Geography
Moscow’s heart and soul, as well as its geographic center, is the Kremlin, a triangular, walled citadel on the Moskva River bordered by Red Square and Alexander Gardens. Inseparable from the Kremlin as part of the historic and spiritual center of Moscow is Red Square. Its name has nothing to do with communism but comes from the old Russian word for “beautiful.”
Surrounding Red Square are such attractions as the Historical Museum, GUM (Russia’s biggest department store), Christ the Savior Cathedral, the reconstructed Resurrection Gates, St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Lenin Mausoleum.
The Kremlin is circled by three ring roads. The first is the Boulevard Ring, only 1 mi/2 km from the Kremlin—a semicircle of leafy boulevards lined with 18th- and 19th-century buildings. It’s charming, dilapidated and a traffic nightmare during business hours. The ironically named Garden Ring, slightly farther from the Kremlin, is in fact an eight-lane, traffic-choked highway lined mainly with massive Stalin-era administrative buildings and apartment blocks. It roughly marks the boundary of pre-Stalinist Moscow—all the buildings outside it date from his rule or after. (The exact center of the circle created by the three rings is the Belltower of Ivan the Great, inside the Kremlin walls, once the tallest structure in the city.)
The outer ring road, the Moscow Ring Road or MKAD, is the approximate boundary of the city of Moscow, although to the south and southwest, high-rise apartment buildings spill out into the surrounding farmland and forest. Major arterial roads radiate from the Kremlin to this outer ring road and then become highways to all the cities of Russia. In the countryside around the city are small clusters of vacation cottages, or dachas, where Muscovites retire to escape the concrete and heat of Moscow in high summer and to plant their potato crops for the next winter.
If you plan on getting around Moscow on your own, learning the Cyrillic alphabet is a must. All metro and street signs—and every other kind of sign—are in Cyrillic.
Must See or Do
Sights—The Kremlin, including the 15th-century churches and other marvels of Russian architecture; Christ the Savior Cathedral; the stunning gold cathedral at the Novodevichy Convent; St. Basil’s Cathedral.
Museums—The coronation gowns, coaches, crowns and Faberge eggs in the Kremlin Armory; ancient art and impressionist paintings at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts; the icons at the old Tretyakov Gallery; the Park of Statues next to the new Tretyakov Gallery.
Memorable Meals—Hot chocolate, blini and caviar at Cafe Pushkin; borscht, caviar-stuffed trout and pelmeni at Boyarsky Zal at the Metropol Hotel; garlic chicken and cheesy bread at Tamada.
Late Nights—Mayhem and live rock at the Hungry Duck; ultra-beautiful people at Ministerstvo.
Walks—Through Gorky Park; along Varvarka Street off Red Square; through Alexander Gardens by the Kremlin; by Patriarch’s Pond on Malaya Bronnaya Street; along the old Arbat pedestrian street.
Especially For Kids—Ice skating or riding the roller coaster in Gorky Park, and, of course, a trip to the Moscow Circus.
SEE AND DO
Sightseeing
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.
Be sure to visit the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, especially the shimmering gold-roofed chapel. Another must-see is Christ the Savior Cathedral, which has been totally rebuilt. (Stalin had the original destroyed.)
The city’s top museums include the Pushkin Museum and the Tretyakov Galleries. (We like the old Tretyakov better than the new one.) A tour guide is useful if you do not speak Russian—few museums cater to English speakers. Note: Most museums charge extra if you take photographs.
Landmarks and Historic Sites
Christ the Savior Cathedral
This magnificent cathedral, prime restoration project of Moscow’s Mayor Luzhkov, was rebuilt from the ground up between 1995 and 1997. The original 19th-century cathedral at the site (commemorating Russia’s victory over Napoleon) was dynamited in 1931 on Stalin’s orders to make way for a gigantic skyscraper topped by a 10-story statue of Lenin. When the ground at the site was found to be too soft for such a project, the area was turned into a giant swimming pool. The gold-and-white exterior of the rebuilt, onion-domed structure is especially impressive. Daily 10 am-6 pm. A tour of the cathedral, including entrance to a sightseeing platform at the top, is available for 20 rubles.
4 Volkhonka Ulitsa (a few blocks south and west of the Kremlin, near the Kropotkinskaya Metro station)
Moscow
Phone: 095-201-4565
Kremlin
The name means “fortress” in Russian. It’s the heart of Moscow. The first fortress was erected there in AD 1147, but today the buildings include everything from spectacular 15th-century churches to the modern Palace of Congresses, an ugly construction from 1961. The Cathedral of the Assumption, the Belltower of Ivan the Great and the Cathedral of the Annunciation are marvels of Russian architecture and art. Consider taking an English-language tour with one of the freelance guides who wait outside the Kremlin ticket booth. Most are respectable and well-qualified and offer tours of the Kremlin, cathedrals and Armory. You can usually negotiate a price of about 500 rubles, not including entrance tickets. The entrance to the Kremlin is on the east side of the complex, via a footbridge over the Alexander Gardens. You can buy entrance tickets to the Kremlin and five Kremlin churches and museums from a booth at the start of the bridge. The admission booth is open Friday-Wednesday 10 am-4:30 pm. The basic admission charge is 350 rubles; some of the sights require an additional fee.
On Red Square, Moscow
Phone: 095-202-0347
Kremlin Armory
Don’t miss the Armory inside the Kremlin (separate admission required). It contains—besides armor—fabulous imperial carriages, gowns (including the tiny-waisted wedding dress worn by a 14-year-old Catherine the Great) and jewel-encrusted chalices and icons. A highlight is the Faberge eggs, of such clever and intricate construction that photos can’t adequately capture them. An egg that Faberge presented to the imperial family contains a tiny golden replica of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, complete with a train that moves when a gold key is turned. You can enter Friday-Wednesday at 10 am, noon, 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm. 450 rubles.
On Red Square, Moscow
Phone: 095-202-3776
Kremlin State Treasury Diamond Fund
This exhibit is inside the Kremlin Armory but requires a separate admission fee. On display is a collection of imperial jewels, including the 189-carat Orlov Diamond. Friday-Wednesday 10 am-1 pm and 2-5 pm. 350 rubles.
On Red Square (inside the Kremlin Armory), Moscow
Phone: 095-921-8620
Lenin’s Mausoleum
The guards no longer goose-step in front, and the very long lines of people waiting to enter have disappeared. All that’s left now are Lenin’s mummified body—brightly illuminated in an otherwise pitch-black room—and a guard who shushes you if you speak. (It’s considered disrespectful to talk or put your hands in your pockets as you observe the body.) Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 10 am-1 pm. Closed Monday and Friday. Free. On Red Square, Moscow.
Novodevichy Convent
One of the most spectacular sights in Russia. The 16th-century convent was once home to noblemen’s inconvenient female relatives (such as Peter the Great’s half-sister Sophia, who was sent there against her will). The convent’s Smolensk Cathedral, with its stunning frescoes and gold iconostasis, is truly one of the most beautiful churches in Russia. On the convent grounds (around the corner to the right of the convent entrance) is the cemetery where Prokofiev, Chekhov, Khrushchev, Gogol and the bodies of other famous Russians lie. Wednesday-Monday 10 am-6 pm. Closed Tuesday and the first Monday of each month. Tickets to the monastery, including the museum, are 40 rubles; cemetery tickets cost an additional 30 rubles.
Bolshaya Pirogovskaya (Sportivnaya metro stop, to the southeast of the city center), Moscow
Phone: 095-246-8526
Red Square
The first place to go in Moscow is Red Square, a former marketplace in the center of the city. St. Basil’s Cathedral dominates one end, and Lenin’s Mausoleum and GUM department store are also on the square. The square is closed to traffic, but there are always enough tourists around to keep the area from feeling empty. Try to imagine the square full of Russians at one of the periodic military parades during the Cold War, when the nation’s arsenal of nuclear missiles rolled through for all the world to see.
St. Basil’s Cathedral
You know it from all the popular postcard and TV news images of Moscow: the fantastical and quintessentially Russian cathedral on Red Square with the colorful onion-shaped domes. Ivan the Terrible ordered the church built in the 1500s and then allegedly blinded the architect so he could never build anything so beautiful again. Inside, there’s a small museum that explains the church’s history. Wednesday-Monday 11 am-5:30 pm. 100 rubles adults.
On Red Square, Moscow
Phone: 095-298-3304
Museums
Gorky House Museum
One of the city’s art-nouveau treasures. Designed by Fyodor Shektel, it boasts the most extraordinary staircase in the city, as well as the personal belongings of the modern Soviet author Maxim Gorky, who lived there. Wednesday and Friday noon-7 pm; Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 10 am-5 pm. Closed the last Friday of the month. Free.
Ulitsa Malaya Nikitskaya 6/2 (near Pushkinskaya/Chekhovskaya metro stop, just off the Boulevard Ring)
Moscow
Phone: 095-290-0535
KGB Museum
This museum can be difficult to visit. It’s open only by appointment, and you must arrange your visit through a tour group or travel agency. It’s a relatively small museum, but there are some memorable artifacts from the Cold War, including tiny spy cameras and listening devices that look like props from a James Bond film. The displays emphasize the art of espionage more than the KGB’s bloody role in Russian history. Open by appointment only.
Ulitsa Bolshaya Lubyanka 12/1
Moscow
Phone: 095-926-5690 (Patriarshy Dom—a tour company that arranges visits).
Kolomenskoye
The former residence of the czars is now an open-air museum that’s one of the city’s favorite weekend spots. The palace is gone, but the park on the banks of the Moskva River still boasts lovely churches, Peter the Great’s wooden cabin (relocated from Arkhangelsk), and other examples of traditional Russian wooden architecture. The grounds are open Tuesday-Sunday 8 am-10 pm. The buildings are open Tuesday-Sunday 9 am-6 pm. 40 rubles.
Prospekt Andropova 39 (Kolomenskoye metro stop)
Moscow
Phone: 095-112-5217.
For tickets, phone: 095-115-2713
Web site: http://www.museum.ru/Kolomen
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
Not far from the Kremlin, this museum is one of Moscow’s main attractions. The impressionist paintings are especially good, but don’t overlook the collection of Egyptian antiquities. Many of the displays are in English. The Pushkin Museum of Private Collections, in an annex to the left of the main museum, often exhibits drawings and sketches from the museum’s collections. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday-Sunday 10 am-6 pm; Thursday noon-7 pm. The museum is closed the last Friday of each month. 220 rubles.
Ulitsa Volkhonka 12
Moscow
Phone: 095-203-9578
Web site: http://www.museum.ru/gmii
Tolstoy House
This is the residence where the famous author of War and Peace lived between 1882 and 1901. Visitors can tour the simple wooden home and garden and see displays of Tolstoy’s private effects. (Look for his dumbbells and monogrammed athletic socks.) In the family dining room, you can listen to a rare, scratchy tape recording of Tolstoy’s voice.
Ulitsa Lev Tolstogo 21 (near Park Kultury metro station)
Moscow
Phone: 095-246-9444
Tretyakov Gallery (New)
In the Central House of Artists—the huge white building across from Gorky Park—the new version of the Tretyakov hosts a variety of exhibitions of Soviet and post-Soviet art, including paintings by Chagall, Malevich and Kandinsky. Perhaps the best part of the museum is outside—the Statue Park, where larger-than-life statues of Stalin, Brezhnev and other Soviet luminaries were exiled after being removed from their prominent perches around the city after the fall of communism. Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-6:30 pm. 225 rubles.
Krymsky Val 10 (near Oktyabrskaya metro station)
Moscow
Phone: 095-238-1378
Web site: http://www.tretyakov.ru
Tretyakov Gallery (Old)
Recently restored, this is Moscow’s top museum. The gallery houses a lovely collection of icons and Russian classic portraits. The best pieces are from the 19th century, with stunning works by Repin and his contemporaries—watch for the haunting work of Mikhail Vrubel. Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-6:30 pm. 225 rubles.
Lavrushinsky Pereulok 10 (near the Tretyakovskaya metro station)
Moscow
Phone: 095-230-7788
Web site: http://www.tretyakov.ru
Neighborhoods and Districts
Arbat
Take time to walk down the Arbat, once home to the finest artists and writers in Russia, including Alexander Pushkin. Lined with beautiful pastel-colored houses, the Arbat is now a popular place to stroll. The souvenir shops and stalls are the best places in the city to shop for goodies to take back home. Don’t be afraid to haggle with the street vendors and artists. Off the Boulevard Ring, running in a V-shape away from Ulitsa Novy Arbat (close to the Arbatskaya metro station—a 15-minute walk from Red Square).
Parks and Gardens
Alexander Gardens
In the shadow of the Kremlin, Alexander Gardens is a great place to stroll or to sit on a bench and read. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is at one end. At the other end is a slope that’s a favorite sledding hill for children in winter. In between is Manezh shopping mall, which has (in addition to shops) a food court and an Internet cafe. On Manezh Square, Moscow.
Gorky Park
The most famous park in Moscow—famous in the West because of Martin Cruz Smith’s thriller of the same name. It’s southwest of the Kremlin and across the river. Approximately 300 acres/120 hectares encompass an assortment of carnival rides, cafes, beer gardens and buskers. In the summer, kids come to skateboard to the music blaring over the loudspeakers, and families rent paddleboats to splash around the small lake. In the winter, there’s an ice-sculpture competition and the pathways are flooded to make a giant skating circuit, complete with piped martial music, just like in the novel. On a nice day at any time of year, it’s a wonderful place to walk, with miles of unkempt but pleasant paths. Open 9 am-10 pm because it has restaurants within its perimeter, but don’t walk there after dark. Admission is about 15 rubles.
On Garden Ring Road (between the Oktyabrskaya and Park Kultury metro stations)
Moscow
Phone: 095-237-0707
Patriarch’s Ponds
This park offers good people-watching, and the area around the ponds—relatively traffic-free and pleasant for walking—boasts some of Moscow’s best examples of late-19th-century architecture. Made famous as the place where the devil first appeared in Michael Bulgakov’s fantastical novel The Master and Margarita, Patriarch’s Ponds is a favorite spot for locals walking their dogs, strolling with their babies or just socializing. In winter, people clear the snow off Patriarch’s Pond and skate to popular music played over loudspeakers. The Cafe Margarita across the road offers cheap meals and snacks. The cafe is open daily 1 pm-midnight.
Ulitsa Malaya Bronnaya (two blocks inside the Garden Ring)
Moscow.
Sokolniki Park
A good place to cross-country ski in winter and to walk in summer. On summer Sundays, there’s a concert at 5 pm. Near the Sokolniki metro station, in the northern part of the city. Weekend admission fee is 25 rubles.
Other Options
Central Chess Club
Match wits with Russians at the Central Chess Club—or just observe the play. Saturday and Sunday 11 am-10 pm, Monday and Wednesday 5:30-10 pm. 40 rubles-80 rubles to play, free if you just want to watch.
Gogolevsky Blvd. 14 (near Kzopotkinskaya metro station)
Moscow
Phone: 095-291-8627
ENTERTAINMENT
Nightlife
Moscow’s nightlife has undergone a dramatic revolution over the past few years: It’s now one of the wildest, most decadent cities in Europe with a wide range of clubs, discos and bars. It’s also surprisingly sophisticated. There are a few mafia-infested, super-expensive casino/strip joints around, which are worth a visit for their historic interest. But the real style gurus hang out at “excluzivny” techno clubs and yuppie bars, students go to pulsing rave clubs, and the bohemian crowd flocks to underground squats and smoky dive bars. At the trendy clubs, be ready for heavy-duty “face control”—beautiful people are let in and others are turned away.
For live music, try B.B. King’s (blues) or Bunker (rock). If you want to dance, check out Tsepelin (popular with Moscow’s young and rich), Propaganda (student-infested) or the trendy Ministerstvo. Rosie O’Grady’s is an Irish pub, often crowded at night, for those who just want to quaff some suds.
Most nightspots are open during the day but don’t get busy until midnight or 1 am. Many don’t close until sunrise.
Bars, Taverns and Pubs
O.G.I. Club
The haunt of Moscow students and intellectuals, O.G.I. is a bookshop with a great bar attached to it (or is it the other way around?). The atmosphere is relaxed and a bit grungy, with good music and cheap beer. Great place to kick off an evening of barhopping. Daily 6-11 pm.
8/12 Potapovsky per.
Building 2 (through the arch, off the courtyard)
Moscow
Phone: 095-927-5609
Phlegmatic Dog
This place sounds a little surreal—an Internet pub in a shopping mall within staggering distance of Red Square. But it’s popular and packed on weekends with a young and unpretentious crowd. You can order drinks online from your table. Daily noon-3 am.
Manezh Mall
Aleksandrovsky Sad entrance
Moscow
Phone: 095-995-9545.
The Real McCoy
Easily Moscow’s most happening bar, the Real McCoy serves the meanest mojito (a Cuban rum drink) and Long Island iced tea in town. It’s packed on weekends with twentysomethings and expats. Daily 24 hours. No cover.
1 Kudrinskaya Ploschad
Moscow
Phone: 095-255-4144
Rosie O’Grady’s
This is a centrally located Irish pub that’s often packed in the evenings. Guinness on tap. Daily from noon.
Ulitsa Znamenka 9
Moscow
Phone: 095-203-9087
Dance Clubs and Nightclubs
The Boar House
Packed and sweaty, the Boar House is always hopping. The crowd is typically composed of Russian teenagers and foreign students. Cheap beer and theme parties. Daily from noon. 100 ruble cover on weekends.
On Sadovaya Kurskaya (opposite Kursky Station)
Moscow
Phone: 095-287-1340
Cabaret
One of Moscow’s super-”elitny” nightclubs, with tough face control, beautiful clientele and a sea of Mercedeses and SUVs outside the door. Snooty and stylish, with cutting-edge DJs, this a great place for watching the new rich of Moscow strut their stuff. Thursday-Saturday 11:30 pm-6 am. No cover. Strastnoi Bulvar 8-A, Moscow. Phone 095-789-8315.
Chance
This is the oldest and most relaxed gay club in town, with two dance floors and three bars. The crowd is a mix of both gay and straight people. Nightly from 11 pm. Cover is 50 rubles for men, 100 rubles for women.
Ulitsa Volocharskogo 11/15 (inside Dom Kultury Serp I Molot—the nearest metro station is Ploshchad Ilyicha)
Moscow
Phone: 095-298-6247
Hungry Duck
Be forewarned: The Hungry Duck is not for the faint of heart. On Tuesday and Friday nights, only women are permitted before 9 pm, and all drinks are free. Then the men are let in and, predictably, mayhem ensues. It can be hard to get a drink because the bar is crowded with girls dancing on it. Loud, sweaty and hormone-charged. Popular with expats. Daily from noon. Cover is about 35 rubles, 50 rubles on Tuesday and Friday.
Pushechnaya 9 (near Kuznetsky Most metro station)
Moscow
Phone: 095-923-6158
Karma Bar
Weekend hot spot with booming music and a nice mix of students, stylish (but thankfully not “elitny”) twentysomethings and expats. If it gets too frenzied for your taste, there’s a relaxed room where you can eat Southeast Asian food for very reasonable prices. Wednesday-Sunday from 9 pm. Cover 150 rubles.
Ulitsa Pushechnaya 3
Moscow
Phone: 095-924-5633
Ministerstvo
Ultra-hip disco, ultra-cruel face control. This is where the cool crowd gathers on weekends to dance and to be seen. Some of the world’s top DJs have been known to stop in. Thursday-Sunday from 11 pm.
Malaya Nikitskaya 24
Moscow
Phone: 095-222-0158
Propaganda
Hip North American-style bar/disco that’s unpretentious and relaxed. DJs play funk, dance classics and trip-hop. Two crows’ nests for people-watching. Friday and Saturday from 10 pm. Cover 70 rubles.
Bolshoy Zlatousinsky Pereulok 7 (behind the Polytechnical Museum)
Moscow
Phone: 095-924-5732
Sad Imeni Frunze
Ballroom dancing under the stars in the summer. Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday 6:30-9:30 pm. Admission 15 rubles.
In Sad Imeni Frunze Park (near the Renaissance Moscow Hotel and the Prospekt Mira metro station)
Moscow
Phone: 095-275-1756
Shambala DJ
Moscow’s best party terrace, full of super-rich young “biznismen” and their model girlfriends. Great (though expensive) cocktails and prime people-watching from the bar area. Tough face control at the door. Daily 9 pm-8 am. No cover
Kuznetsky Most 3
Moscow
Phone: 095-927-8727
Tseppelin
Moscow’s trendiest club, now renovated with glass walls and other features popular among James-Bond villains. It even has a sauna upstairs. The hangout of the ultra-fashionable crowd and visiting celebrities. You’ll feel like you’re in a martini ad. Daily 10 pm-6 am.
Ulitsa Gilyarovskogo 8
Moscow
Phone: 095-207-2392
Live Music
B.B. King’s
Blues and rock acts, including some bands from abroad. Good selection of Cajun food and beer, casual atmosphere. Daily from noon. Cover varies.
Sadovaya Samotechnaya 4/2
Moscow
Phone: 095-299-8206
Bunker
Probably the hottest live-music venue in central Moscow. (Its larger sister club, B2, is also busy.) Bunker has an intimate stage and plenty of room for drinking, eating and, occasionally, karaoke performances. Daily from 10 am. Cover varies.
Tverskaya 12
Moscow
Phone: 095-200-1506
Performing Arts
Russia has produced more than its share of famous dancers, composers and musicians—and it’s still producing them. You can hear classical music at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall and the Moscow Conservatory, attend ballet performances at the Bolshoi and watch theater at several venues, including the Kremlin Palace Theater. And there are not one but two circuses: the Old Circus (mainly for children) and the Grand Moscow State Circus (high-wire and trapeze acts).
Tickets to performances are absurdly inexpensive for almost everything except the Bolshoi Ballet. Performances almost always begin at 7 pm.
Music
Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
Usually performs at the Moscow Conservatory. On occasion, they also perform at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. Season runs September-June. Phone 095-229-7795.
Theater
Kremlin Palace Theater
Hosts quality touring acts, though its own productions are pretty mediocre. The ticket office is opposite the Kutafya Tower in the Kremlin. Season runs September-June. Ticket prices vary widely, depending on the performance: 10 rubles-5,000 rubles. Phone 095-929-7901.
Vakhtangov
Good classical repertoires in Russian. Season runs September-June. Tickets 20 rubles-120 rubles.
Arbat 26
Moscow
Phone: 095-241-0728
Web site: http://www.vakhtangov.ru
Ticket Brokers
IPS
Your hotel can usually help with tickets, but the best broker is IPS, in the Hotel Metropol. It’s best to book in advance—tickets can then be picked up on the day of the performance. Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am-3 pm. They accept only rubles for low-priced orders but will take most major credit cards for orders of more than 600 rubles.
Teatralnaya Ploshchad 1/4
Moscow
Phone: 095-927-6982
Venues
Bolshoi Theater
One of the most famous theaters in the world, and rightly so. Inside the pink colonnaded hall, the Bolshoi company stages some of the world’s most celebrated operas and ballets (though its ballet company has been eclipsed in recent years by the Kirov in St. Petersburg). Try to get to one of the performances during your visit, but be aware that tickets for Swan Lake are always hard to come by, and probably not worth it if you are a serious ballet connoisseur—most of the audience will be tourists.
Note: Ticket scalpers stand outside the Bolshoi every evening pushing tickets on unwary tourists. Some do offer reasonable deals, and if a performance is sold out, a high price may be worth it to you. But a common scam is selling standing-room or restricted-view tickets for exorbitant prices. Beware—and keep in mind that the real cost is printed on each ticket in large type, so you can see how much the markup is. Season runs September-June. The ticket office is open noon-3 pm and 5-7 pm. Tickets cost 12 rubles-150 rubles. Teatralnaya Ploshchad 1, Moscow. Phone 095-292-9986. http://www.bolshoi.ru.
Other Options
There are two circuses in Moscow. Tickets can be purchased through a ticket agency for 50 rubles-120 rubles or at the theaters themselves (although they often sell out quickly). There are always scalpers outside selling tickets, but unless you read Russian, you may find you’ve been sold tickets for something completely different.
Grand Moscow State Circus (New Circus)
Previously known as the New Circus (and also called the Bolshoi Circus), this outfit is famous for spectacular high-wire and trapeze acts. Circus lovers of all ages will enjoy this show. Shows Monday-Friday 7 pm, Saturday 3 pm and 7 pm, Sunday 11:30 am, 3 pm and 7 pm. Prospekt Vernadskovo 7, Moscow. Phone 095-930-2815. http://www.bolshoicircus.ru/index_en.html.
Old Circus
Has shows mainly for kids, with plenty of acrobats, clowns and animal acts and a strong emphasis on humor. Wednesday-Friday at 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 and 6 pm. Tsvetnoy Blvd. 13 (in the city center), Moscow. Phone 095-200-6889. http://www.circusnikulin.ru/eng.
SHOPPING
Moscow is still far from being a shopper’s paradise, but it is improving and you can find some distinctive gifts. On Tverskaya Street, just off Red Square, you’ll find a mix of Russian and foreign stores and shops. Tverskaya leads to Pushkin Square, one of the liveliest squares in Moscow. The pedestrian mall on Arbat Street has become a bit of a tourist trap, but it’s interesting nonetheless. An excellent place to buy gifts and antiques is the Izmailovsky Flea Market. And, of course, there’s GUM, right on Red Square. Now it’s a three-story mall selling mostly Western goods. The Manezh shopping mall, in front of the Kremlin, is a three-story underground mall that tries to imitate its Western counterparts but doesn’t quite succeed. Don’t bother with it unless you want to use its Internet cafes.
Favorite gifts are nesting wooden matrioshka dolls (some are painted as successive Russian leaders) and rabbit-fur hats.
Note: Russian customs officials are strict, and if you try to get an antique samovar, old books or icons past the officials, they’ll confiscate them on the spot. Make sure you can get the correct export documents before you buy something valuable.
Shopping Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 am-7 pm.
Antique Stores
Bukinist
One of several antique shops along the Arbat, a beautiful old street worth a trip in itself. (Bukinist is the name of about 10 establishments in Moscow—a holdover from Soviet times, when shops were given generic names.) Lots of maps and prints. Not cheap. Monday-Saturday 10 am-2 pm and 3-7 pm. Ulitsa Stary Arbat 36 (near Arbatskaya metro station), Moscow. Phone 095-241-3387.
Bookstores
Angliskaya Kniga
Heaven for book-starved expats. Has a good selection of English-language classics and guidebooks at reasonable prices. Monday-Saturday 10 am-7 pm. Kuznetsky Most 18 (near the Lubyanka), Moscow. Phone 095-928-2021.
Dom Knigi
This is the biggest bookstore in Moscow, but you can’t always find what you’re looking for. It does have some English-language titles. Good selection of maps, CDs, art books, science textbooks and the occasional antique book. Monday-Saturday 10 am-7 pm. Ulitsa Novy Arbat 26, Moscow. Phone 095-290-3580.
Shakespeare & Co.
Stocks a fine selection of English-language materials in a comfortable basement-level shop. Run by an American professor and some friends. It’s difficult to find—call ahead for directions. Monday-Saturday 10 am-7 pm, Sunday noon-6 pm. Pervy Novokuznetsky Pereulok 5/7, Moscow. Phone 095-951-9360.
Department Stores
GUM
One of the most famous stores in the world because of its large size (the biggest shopping arcade in Moscow), age (more than 100 years old) and location (on Red Square). It’s really more significant for its architectural interest than as a shopping mecca, though. It’s not really one store but three rows of small shops on two floors, selling everything from clocks to blankets to cameras. The first two rows of shops are mainly foreign companies, such as Galeries Lafayette and Estee Lauder, but there are still some Russian stores with an eclectic selection. (If you need a break, there’s a great cafe with a sweeping view of Red Square on the ground floor.) Monday-Saturday 8 am-9 pm. On Red Square (opposite the Kremlin), Moscow.
Markets
Cheryomushkinsky Market
A big, bustling market south of the city. Lots of fresh flowers, potted plants and apricots from the former southern republics, as well as such traditional Russian dairy products as tvorog, a kind of cottage cheese. Daily 9 am-6 pm. Lomonosovsky Prospekt 1 (directly between Universitet and Profsoyuznaya metro stations), Moscow.
Gorbushka
The famous market of pirated CDs and software has finally been moved indoors and cleaned up—though the products it sells are still pirated. Most CDs cost 30 rubles-50 rubles, software a little more—far below their cost in the West. You’ll also find DVDs and a massive selection of electronics. Daily 10 am-9 pm. Ulitsa Barklaya 8 (near the Bagrotionovskaya metro station), Moscow.
Izmailovsky Park Flea Market
A must for all those people who promised to bring home a Russian nesting doll, a matrioshka. This is the place for souvenirs. You can find everything from army hats to carpets to medals, and bargaining is expected. Take the metro out to Izmailovsky Park in the northeast and follow the crowds toward the stadium. Saturday and Sunday—in winter from dawn till dusk or whenever it gets really cold, in summer 9 am-5 pm.
Shopping Areas
Petrovsky Passage
A beautifully renovated prerevolutionary arcade of shops, most of which sell imported goods. Some souvenirs are available, and there are nice cafes for a quick lunch. Ulitsa Petrovka 10 (near the Bolshoi Theater), Moscow.
Specialty Stores
Centre Juveliz
The place to go for amber from the Baltic region. Monday-Saturday 10 am-2 pm and 3-7 pm. Gruzinsky Val 14 (near the Belorusskaya metro station), Moscow. Phone 095-254-0577.
SECURITY
Personal Safety
Pickpocketing and robbery are concerns in Moscow, St. Petersburg and a few other big cities. Be especially careful on public transportation and at popular tourist attractions. Take the usual precautions and be aware of your surroundings. Don’t carry all of your money or credit cards in your purse or wallet: Keep some stashed in a money belt or in your hotel’s safe. Several race-related crimes against foreigners have also occurred (those targeted were of African or Asian ancestry).
Major recommendations: Don’t walk alone at night, don’t get drunk, be cautious of the police, keep cell phones and passports in a safe place, but carry copies of documents with you (it’s legal for police to check your documents in the streets), keep your backpacks closed and keep an eye on your belongings.
Avoid prostitutes, groups of begging children and Roma (gypsies).
For the latest information, contact your country’s travel-advisory agency.
Canadian Travel Advisory Line—Phone: 613-944-6788. Toll-free: 800-267-6788. http://www.voyage.gc.ca.
U.S. Department of State, Overseas Citizens Services—Phone: 202-647-5225. Toll-free: 888-407-4747. http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html.
Health
Generally speaking, medical care is not up to standards of most industrialized countries—in fact, health care has been in a state of crisis for some time. Hospital conditions are nightmarish. Doctors and nurses are among the country’s worst-paid professionals, and some common medications are regularly in short supply. Take ample supplies of everything you might need. Those in poor health are advised not to visit the country. If, once there, you need medical care, ask hotel personnel or your tour guide to direct you to the proper facility. Be aware that methods of treatment and facilities often differ from those in North America and other parts of the world.
Several travel insurance and credit-card assistance companies have set up networks in Russia to provide medical help for travelers; if you don’t currently have such coverage, it’s advisable to get it. You might also want to make sure your personal health insurance covers emergency medical evacuation so you can be transported to another country or home in case of serious accident or illness. (Travel insurance companies also offer this coverage.)
A number of Western (American, British) clinics has recently opened in the cities of St. Petersburg and Moscow. See city guides for more details.
Most hot, freshly cooked food should be safe (especially on packaged tours). Avoid food that may have been sitting out for any length of time, and be particularly cautious if you’re considering buying food from street stalls. Ice cream, both Russian and imported, is sold at street stands year-round and is safe. Avoid fresh salads and don’t drink the tap water (Russians don’t drink it either). In St. Petersburg, you shouldn’t even brush your teeth with the tap water (most St. Petersburg residents are immune to it).
If staying long in the northwestern region, make sure you take some extra iodine (there’s not enough iodine in water and food products in the region). Stick with bottled or boiled water or prepackaged or boiled drinks. Food served at first-class hotels and reputable restaurants is generally considered safe.
Be very careful of cars—in Russia, motorists drive dangerously and don’t pay enough attention to pedestrians.
For the latest information, contact your country’s health-advisory agency.
Health Canada—Phone: 613-957-2991. http://www.travelhealth.gc.ca.
U.S. CDC International Travel Information—Toll-free: 877-394-8747. http://www.cdc.gov/travel.
Dos and Don’ts
Don’t forget to remove your coat indoors: It’s considered rude not to. And make a note of which cloak room you’ve left your belongings in when attending a concert or ballet or visiting a large museum. There are often many, scattered over several floors.
Don’t be surprised at the amount of pushing, shoving and elbowing in subway stations and in other crowded places.
Do take along a gift of wine (preferably red) or flowers when invited to someone’s home—but make sure there is an odd number of flowers (a Russian superstition).
Do be prepared to remove your shoes when invited to a Russian home (you’ll probably be furnished with slippers).
Do dress appropriately when visiting religious sites. A woman should cover her head with a scarf and wear a long dress or skirt; a man should wear long pants and a shirt with sleeves and should remove his hat as a sign of respect.
Don’t neglect to declare all electronic equipment on your customs form when entering the country. Simple consumer electronics like laptop computers are usually allowed in without problems, but more sophisticated equipment may be subject to restrictions or more detailed documentation. Inspectors may seize equipment if all the appropriate paperwork is not in order. Contact a Russian embassy for more information.
Do try to learn the Cyrillic alphabet before visiting. It’s not as hard as it looks, and it’s essential if you plan to travel independently.
Do take along some toilet paper or tissues in case you’re faced with using a public toilet or restroom.
PRACTICALITIES
Geostats
Official Name: Russian Federation.
Passport/Visa Requirements: Passports, visas and proof of onward passage are needed by Canadian and U.S. citizens. If you arrange your trip through a tour agency, the agency will handle visa arrangements for you. If you are traveling independently, you’ll need an official letter of invitation from a Russian citizen or company, and you’ll have to apply for a visa through a Russian consulate. If you’re traveling on a ferry (cruise ship), you receive a special kind of visa, allowing you to spend only a certain period of time in a certain place. After entering the country, the visa must be registered within three days. Make sure you get a migration card at the airport and have it stamped (they’ll also put down your registration details in it)—you will need it when leaving the country. Your hotel will usually take care of this for you, but you may be charged a small fee. Expect the process to take at least a day, and be sure to pick up your documents from the hotel (they don’t necessarily return them to you until you ask). Reconfirm travel document requirements with your carrier before departure. Note that in some cases you might also need to have an exit visa as well as an entry one—please consult the Russian embassy or your local travel agent.
Capital: Moscow.
Population: 143,246,000.
Languages: Russian, many regional languages.
Predominant Religions: Russian Orthodox, Muslim.
Time Zone: 2-12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+2 through +12 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed March-October.
Voltage Requirements: 220 volts.
Telephone Codes: 7, country code; 095, Moscow city code; 812, St. Petersburg city code.
Money
Currency Exchange
No shops, restaurants or hotels are allowed to accept U.S. dollars, though a few will do so. Credit cards are not always accepted (your best bet is Visa or MasterCard; American Express is rarely accepted). Traveler’s checks are difficult to cash. Most large cities and towns have ATMs. Therefore, we recommend that you always carry enough Russian rubles to handle what you plan to do that day. You may change the money at numerous Money Exchange Bureaus (they’re usually located within bank offices), and sometimes you’ll need to show your passport in order to make such a transaction. Don’t change money at the airport (high rates) or with private agents (might be dangerous).
Currency Exchange Rates
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Tipping
Tip 10%-15% in better restaurants and hotels, 5%-10% elsewhere. Taxi drivers usually aren’t tipped.
Weather
In general, the best time to visit is May-September, when the day temperatures are in the 70s-90s F/23-35 C and nights are in the 50s-70s F/10-23 C. Spring and early fall, however, are unpredictable: Snow flurries and temperatures in the mid 20s F/-5 C are possible in May and September. Be sure to take waterproof shoes and umbrellas for spring or fall visits—there’s a lot of mud. There are a few reasons someone might want to go during the winter: In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the leaves have fallen and the striking architecture can be seen much more clearly; it’s also easier to get tickets to see the Bolshoi and Kirov (Mariinsky) ballets and operas, and there are no crowds at other tourist attractions. Those visiting in winter will want to take along their warmest clothes, boots and hats: It’s bitterly cold (Moscow is as far north as southern Alaska) and quite dry. We recommend a long, insulated coat—the best you can afford.
Transportation
International carriers serve Sheremyetevo II International Airport (SVO), which is about one hour by car north of Moscow; Domodedovo airport, which is about one hour south of Moscow; and Pulkovo II International Airport (LED), which is about 30 minutes south of St. Petersburg. Both cities have separate domestic airports, but given their current safety record, we don’t recommend using Russia’s domestic airlines. Taxi drivers at the airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg are notorious for overcharging foreign visitors. If possible, arrange for someone to meet you at the airport.
Decent train service is available within the country and enters Russia from throughout Europe, China and Japan (partially via ferry). There are only minimal differences between first- and second-class compartments. Although second class isn’t quite as comfortable (or as private) as first class, it does offer a better chance to meet Russians. Also, take food with you on the train: Sharing with your fellow passengers is an easy way to strike up friendships. Still, however nice your fellow passengers may seem, keep an eye on all your money and personal belongings—or one morning you may find your wallet missing. We recommend the Trans-Siberian Railway—which runs from Moscow to Vladivostok—only for those who don’t mind spending a long time on a train (the trip takes at least nine days). We also recommend scheduling stopovers along the way to break up the trip and give you a chance to see the countryside. An offshoot of the Trans-Siberian is the Trans-Mongolian Railway, which diverts from the main line at Lake Baikal, crosses Mongolia and ends in Beijing.
Various cruises and ferry services are available from the Black Sea or northern Europe and along several Russian rivers (the Volga River cruises are quite nice).
Renting a car is becoming more and more popular in Russia with both international and local companies promoting the service. Trust the well-known names (such as Hertz). Car-and-driver packages are also readily available in major cities and a much better option, given the crazy traffic, undermaintained roads and notoriously crooked traffic cops (known as the GAI). The GAI like to stop foreign-made and (especially) foreign-registered cars for “document checks.” If an officer points a striped baton at you, pull over immediately; otherwise the officer may fire at your car to make you stop. You may be charged a “fine”—the amount depends on how rich you look. Most Russians just pay the bribe on the spot, rather than endure a trip to the police station and a Kafkaesque morass of red tape. We suggest you do the same. In general, don’t mess with the traffic police—they’re also known for impounding cars, which mysteriously disappear.
To drive, you must have the following documents with you at all times: valid driver’s license and a notarized translation of it, or an international driving permit; passport and visa; the car’s registration certificate; and the customs certificate from where you entered Russia (unless the car was rented within the country). Failure to have proper documentation could cause many problems with the GAI.
Another tip for driving: Try to top off the tank whenever you see gas available. Gas stations are fairly common in cities, but they remain fairly sparse in the open country. Highways also tend to be dangerously dark at night, and bandits disguised as road police are not unheard of. In short, Russia is not the best place for an extended road trip.
Cars are driven on the right side of the road. Speed limits are posted in kilometers. Be aware that it’s illegal to drive after having drunk any alcohol, and GAI officers may insist on blood analysis (carry your own clean syringes in case this situation arises). Use of safety belts is mandatory.
Subways are available in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and buses ply the streets of most cities (although in most cases they don’t stick to the schedules). Taxis aren’t too difficult to find, though they tend to give new meaning to the word overcharge. Meters are used a bit more frequently than they were in the past, but if one isn’t used you should settle on a price before entering the cab. Drivers generally speak only Russian except to ask your destination and what currency you’ll be using to pay. All things considered, it’s cheaper to pay in rubles than foreign currency. For safety reasons, travel only in official cabs and do not get in a cab that already has another passenger. If you’re with your Russian friends, don’t be surprised when they try to stop any car (not only official taxis) and agree on a price with the driver—such practice is very common in Russia. “Private cars” usually charge less than taxes. Don’t try to do that when you’re on your own, because it might be dangerous.
For More Information
Tourist Offices
Tourism Department, Russian Federation Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Myastnitskaya Ulitsa, 47, Moscow. Phone 095- 208-2937, 095-207-3949. http://www.russiatourism.ru/eng/default.asp.
U.S.: Russian National Tourist Office, 130 W. 42nd St., Suite 412, New York, NY 10036. Phone 212-575-3431. Toll-free 877-221-7120. Fax 212-575-3434.
Canadians should contact the tourist office in the U.S.
Russia Embassies
Canada: Embassy of the Russian Federation, 285 Charlotte St., Ottawa, ON K1N 8L5. Phone 613-235-4341. Fax 613-236-6342. There is a consulate in Montreal.
U.S.: Embassy of the Russian Federation, 2650 Wisconsin Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20007. Phone 202-298-5700. Fax 202-298-5735. There are consulates in New York, San Francisco and Seattle.
Foreign Embassies in Russia
Canadian Embassy, Starokonyushenny Pereulok 23, Moscow. Phone 095-105-60-55. Fax 095-105-6025. There are consulates in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok. http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canadaeuropa/russia/menu-en.asp.
U.S. Embassy, Bolshoy Devyatinskiy Pereulok 8, Moscow. Phone 095-728-5000. Fax 095-728-5203. There are consulates in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg. http://www.usembassy.ru.
Additional Reading
The Icon and the Axe: An Interpretive History of Russian Culture by James Billington (Random House).
The Twelve Chairs by Evgeni Petrov (Northwestern University Press). This satirical view of Russian society is a classic of Russian humor.
Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert Massie (Ballantine Books).
Berlitz Russian Phrase Book (Berlitz). An excellent primer to the language.
Natasha’s Dance: A Cultural History of Russia by Orlando Figes (Metropolitan Books).
Putin’s Russia by Lilia Shevtsova (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace).
Black Earth: A Journey Through Russia After the Fall by Andrew Meier (W.W. Norton & Company).
The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad by Harrison Salisbury (Da Capo Press).
The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold by Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy (Brookings Institution Press).
Copyright (c) 2004 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Intelliguide Professional.
This Intelliguide Professional report has been prepared for you by FRIENDLY PLANET TRAVEL.
No single factor in any report should be the determining factor in your decision to visit a destination. Northstar Travel Media can make no representation or warranties regarding the accuracy of any media report.
We recommend that you contact your travel consultant, at the number located at the beginning of this report, about the availability of a good travel insurance policy for each and every trip. Travel insurance protects you against any number of mishaps, from lost baggage and unexpected cancellations to sickness or injury. Remember that your own medical insurance may not be valid outside of your home country.
Travel is by its very nature an adventure into the unknown. In all instances, no matter how safe you may perceive a destination, any destination, use your good judgment. Take precautions. The more information you have, the better. The destination intelligence in this report is supplied and monitored by Intelliguide Professional. While we make every effort to be as thorough and accurate as possible, mistakes can and do occur. Please use the information provided as a basis for further research and not as a definitive report on your destination. All information is provided “as is” and without any representation or warranty.
