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| MOSCOW TRAVEL GUIDE Moscow is the financial and political center of Russia and its biggest ?ity. The city has a population of around 13 million, and covers an area of around 1080 km². Moscow is located on the Moskva River, which bends its way through the city. Most of the main sites are on the northern bank of the river. The other major waterway is the Yauza River, which flows into the Moskva east of the Kremlin. Much of Moscow's geography is defined by the numerous 'Ring Roads' that circle the city at various distances from the center, roughly following the outline of the walls that used to surround Moscow. With Red Square and the Kremlin forming the very center, the innermost ring road is the Boulevard Ring, built in the 1820's where the 16th centuries walls used to be. It runs from the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in south-west central Moscow, to the mouth of the Yauza in south-east central Moscow. The next ring road, the Garden Ring, derives its name from the fact that landowners near the road in Tsarist times were obligated to maintain gardens to make the road attractive. In Soviet times the road was widened. Moscow is rated as a beta world city for its global influences in media, politics, education, entertainment and fashion. It also remains a major economic centre and is home to a large number of billionaires; in 2007 Moscow was named the world's most expensive city for the second year in a row. It is home to many scientific and educational institutions, as well as numerous sport facilities. It possesses a complex transport system that includes the world’s busiest metro system, which is famous for its architecture. Moscow is the largest city in Europe. Historically, it was the capital of the former Soviet Union and the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the pre-Imperial Russian state. It is the site of the Kremlin, which now serves as the ceremonial residence of the President of Russia. The city is named after the river . The origin of the name is unknown, although several theories exist. One theory suggests that the source of the name is an ancient Finnic language, in which it means “dark” and “turbid”. The first Russian reference to Moscow dates from 1147 when Yuri Dolgoruki called upon the prince of the Novgorod Republic to “come to me, brother, to Moscow.” Nine years later, in 1156, Prince Yuri Dolgoruki of Rostov ordered the construction of a wooden wall, which had to be rebuilt multiple times, to surround the emerging city. After the sacking of 1237–1238, when the Mongols burned the city to the ground and killed its inhabitants, Moscow recovered and became the capital of an independent principality in 1327. Its favourable position on the headwaters of the Volga River contributed to steady expansion. Moscow developed into a stable and prosperous principality for many years and attracted a large number of refugees from across Russia. The 17th century was rich in popular risings, such as the liberation of Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders (1612), the Salt Riot (1648), the Copper Riot (1662), and the Moscow Uprising of 1682. The plague of 1654–1656 had killed half the population of Moscow. The city ceased to be Russia’s capital in 1712, after the founding of St. Petersburg by Peter the Great on the Baltic coast in 1703. When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, the Muscovites burned the city and evacuated, as Napoleon’s forces were approaching on 14 September. Napoleon’s army, plagued by hunger, cold, and poor supply lines, was forced to retreat and was nearly annihilated by the devastating Russian winter and sporadic attacks by Russian military forces. In January 1905, the institution of the City Governor, or Mayor, was officially introduced in Moscow, and Alexander Adrianov became Moscow’s first official mayor. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, on March 12, 1918, Moscow became the capital of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Soviet Union less than five years later GENERAL INFORMATION Country Russia Political status Federal city Federal District Central Economic Region Central Area 1,081 km² Population 10,462,424 Density 9,678.5/km² Charter Charter of Moscow Founded 1147 PLACE TO VISIT Red Square - The heart of Moscow and the first destination of most visitors to the city. Surrounded by St. Basil's Cathedral, the State History Museum, Lenin's Mausoleum and one of the Kremlin's long brick walls. Suprisingly, the cobbles that make up the square are black and not red. Lenin Mausoleum - Walk past the embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin, but it's open to debate if it is still him. You must leave all cameras, phones and bags in the luggage office. Free admission. St Basil Cathedral - Built 1555-61. Inside is a museum, although it looks best from the outside. The Kremlin - Must not be missed. The Diamond collection in the Armoury is worth a visit on its own. If you get a chance, the ballet in the Conference centre has some very cheap matinee performances. (And you can change seats in the interval). Tickets are 300 rubles Old Arbat Street - Walk down this kitschy street full of souvenir vendors, tourist cafes, lousy restaurants, artists, etc. The prices of the souvenirs vary from reasonable to ripoff. Many of the vendors offer a very high price but can be talked down if you speak Russian. The stores tend to offer the same stuff but with fixed high prices. Bolshoi Theater - Sit in front of the famed theater near the fountain, or catch a show inside if you can. Currently under renovation. Tickets start at around 1000 rubles. Tretyakov Gallery - One of the world's great museums, this is probably the one to choose if you only want to visit one museum in Moscow. In contrast to the worldwide collection of the Pushkin Museum, the Tretyakov is mostly a collection of Russian art. It has the best collection of Russian icons, and many of the most famous pieces of modern Russian artists like Ilya Repin. Metro: Tretyakovskaya Pushkin Museum - is dedicated to Western art and has one of the world's most significant Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections and some Old Masters. The Impressionists and Post-Imppressionists were rather unfortunately relocated to an annexe in 2007 across the street from the main building. Metro: Kropotkinskaya Novodevichy Convent - Both a convent and a fortress, Novodevichy was built in the early 1500s and has remained nearly intact since the 17th century, making it one of the best preserved historical complexes in Moscow. The adjacent Novodevichy Cemetery is one of Russia's most famous cemeteries. Famous people buried here include Anton Chekhov, Nickolai Gogol, Konstantine Stanislavski, Nikita Khrushchev, Raisa Gorbachev (the former president's wife), and Boris Yeltsin. Metro: Sportivnaya New Arbat Street - Located near Old Arbat Street, this street offers a contrast from the touristy pedestrian-only thoroughfare. New Arbat is perhaps where Moscow's rich are the most visible, as some of Moscow's most expensive restaurants and nightclubs are located here. There are some reasonably priced cafes however. The street is lavishly lit up at night and is always very lively. Also, check out Dom Knigi (House of Books) on New Arbat-not as impressive as the St. Petersburg store, but probably the best bet for books in Moscow. Tverskaya Street - This street starts from the Kremlin itself and runs Northwest in the direction of Tver (hence the name) and Saint Petersburg. For that reason the road was a very important thoroughfare in Tsarist Russia. It is now Moscow's most fashionable street, with several prestigious boutiques, and is also lined with cafes, restaurants, coffeehouses, a couple of theaters, and several hotels, including two locations of the Marriott. Most of the street's architecture doesn't actually have much history to it, though along the way you will find Russia's first and the world's busiest McDonalds. The statue of Pushkin at Pushkinskaya Square, near the KFC is a very popular meeting point. Walk its length-from Red Square to Belorusski Train Station-about 1 hour and a great way to see the most famous street in Moscow. At least look in the Yeliseev Grocery Store, to see an interior which is far more ornate than most grocery stores. Gorky Park - Easily the best known of Moscow's many parks, Gorky Park is packed with a number of theme-park rides, cafes, places to stroll, and a quaint-looking pond, all straddled alongside the Moskva river. Gorky Park is a very popular place for Muscovites of all ages. In winter it's a popular place to ice skate, and it hosts an ice sculpture competition. Kolomenskoye - This former imperial estate is now a very popular weekend destination for Muscovites. It is a vast collection of churches and other buildings from the 16-17th centuries, including some wooden architecture that was transported here by the Soviet government from Karelia. Kolomenskoye is located in the south-east of Moscow near a metro station of the same name. Victory Park - This massive memorial to WWII was built for the 50-year anniversary of V-E day in 1995. On weekends, it is very popular with newlyweds. The park now has its own metro station of the same name. There is also a museum to WWII worth visiting if you like military history. Vorobyovy Gory - 'Sparrow Hills' in English, this the best place for a view of Moscow from the ground. Right near the main Moscow State University building, there is a popular lookout point. You can see much of the city on clear days. The most spectacular views can be enjoyed in the dark period of day. Metro: A walk from either metro Universitet or Vorobyovy Gory. VDNKh - aka VVTs. The Russian acronym "VDNKh" stood for "Exhibit of the People's Economic Achievements". It has been since renamed "All-Russian Exhibition Center" ("Vserossiyskiy Vystavochniy Tsentr"). However, it is popularly known by the Soviet abbreviations. Previously this was a massive exhibit of the advances and progress of the USSR. Now it is largely a marketplace for everything from computers to bicycles. However, many of the monuments and fountains here make the area a nice place to stroll. You can also visit the adjacent Botanical Gardens. VDNKh is at a metro station of the same name. Christ the Savior Cathedral - This cathedral, the highest Orthodox church in the world (the largest being the Temple of St Sava in Belgrade), was blown up after orders from Stalin in 1931, then rebuilt in the mid-nineties. There is an extensive museum beneath the cathedral documenting its history (the original was first started in 1839 and consecrated in 1883). Garden of Fallen Monuments - Where many infamous statues in Moscow were placed after the Soviet Collapse. See Dzherzinsky, Stalin, Brezhnev, and others. Adjacent to the New Tretyakov Museum, which houses 20th century art. After the Pushkin Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery, this is worth seeing. WHAT TO DO Moscow has two circuses, the Nikulin circus on Tsvetnoi Bulvar (metro Tsvetnoi Bulvar), and the new circus near the University. Tickets can be bought for as little as 200Rbs, and even these seats are good. Touts may be selling tickets outside and can save you a lot of queueing, and they'll speak more English than the ticket office. Sometimes they are selling tickets at the cover price, and sometime at double price - just ask and make sure before parting with your cash. The Obraztsov puppet theatre at the very north part of the Garden Ring has performances during the winter in the evening. Everything is in Russian and meant for children, but the stories are simple and quite understandable even if you don't understand Russian. The building has a large clock on its front with a box at each hour from which a puppet appears on the hour for a little performance. At 12 midday all of the puppets appear for a short but entertaining appearance. The Novy Opera (new opera) in the Hermitage gardens features operas mainly in Russia most evenings, starting at 7PM. Tickets are normally available from 200Rbs. Ticket office is open from noon-3PM and then again from 4PM-7PM. HOW TO REACH By plane - Moscow is, by far, the main air traffic hub of Russia and will continue to be as both Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo are undergoing major development plans (both are due to build brand new and large terminals in the next years) and Domodedovo plans to more than double terminal space to 225,000 m² in 2006 and to invest a further $300 million into construction and upgrades in 2007-2008. In the past, nearly all international flights from outside the former USSR landed at Sheremetyevo International Airport, commonly called Sheremetyevo II. Sheremetyevo I is actually Terminal I of the same airport; however, it is located across the runway from Sheremetyevo II and for practical purposes is a separate airport. Sheremetyevo I handles mostly domestic flights. However, Domodedovo is increasingly competing for international flights, and several international carriers, including British Airways, have switched to Domodedovo and so it by 2005 that Domodedovo ended up as Russia's leading airport in number of passengers, both domestic and international. If you prefer to go to the airport by car, it is best to call a taxi agency and book a cab. There are many agencies that can provide this service, and the cost ranges from $30-40 or more. All airports have taxi kiosks where you can get yourself a driver at a fixed price. Don't listen to people offering you a taxi around the terminal, it will all end up in a major rip-off. For public transportation see below: By train - Moscow lies at the western end of the Trans-Siberian Railway from Beijing, Ulaanbaatar and Vladivostok. You can reach here from almost anywhere in Europe and Central Asia. Moscow is also the main railway hub of Russia. You can buy tickets to any long-distance train by Internet from JSC Russian Railways, but you need to formalize it before trip in manned booths within the stations ("kassa"). Now it's working in Russian language, but JSC Russian Railways promise the English interface by the end of 2007. Moscow has nine train stations, each (except Savyolovsky one) offering long-distance and local train services. Savyolovsky Station offers local train service only. All are located relatively in the center of Moscow and have metro stations nearby. By car - The direct way to drive from Germany, Poland, or Bielarussia is along E30 road. However EU or American citizens have to get Belarussian visas to pass through Belarus, so it could be more convenient to go via Latvia (the nearest border crossing between EU and Russia on this direction) using E22 road (starting in Riga). Easy access from Finland through St. Petersburg and Novgorod is along E18 road. Road from St. Petersburg to Moscow is also known as Russian Federal Highway M-10. Traffic on M-10 is heavy and driving less relaxing. Foreign cars – especially expensive ones – might attract unwelcome attention, and there is cumbersome paperwork involved. By bus - Eurolines, Operate coach services into Moscow. Typical fares would be £10 (one-way) to Riga, Latvia, or £60 to London in the United Kingdom. Intercity busses to Russian and some former Soviet Union cities depart from the intercity bus station (??????????) at Shelkovskaya Metro station (the last station of the dark blue line, in northeast Moscow). This is the only place in Moscow from which public transportation is available directly to Suzdal. Also, some intercity buses depart from Komsomolskaya, Tushinskaya, Yugo-Zapadnaya, Vykhino, and Domodedovskaya Metro stations By ship - Moscow is also served by passenger ships. Most of them are used for river cruises, but there are still some that serve as ordinary public transport, like train. There are two river terminals in Moscow. |