Date travelled: 23-25 August 2008
Despite its past differences of opinion with the West, the Russian capital, Moscow, is one of most historical, and incredibly fascinating places to visit in Europe.
All visitors to Russia must have a visa, and you must get it before you arrive in Russia, else you will be refused entry. Obtaining a visa can be a complicated and somewhat frustrating obstacle to your visit, as you need a letter of invitation from a Russian tour operator before you can apply for a visa. Luckily, help is at hand. Real Russia offers a superb, comprehensive visa service. All you need to do is fill in a simple online form, send your passport and photos to them, and in a matter of days, your passport is returned to you with your visa inside. They will also keep you fully updated with the progress of your visa application through their website. Prices for United Kingdom passport holders start at £90.
Also, be aware that the climate of Russia varies greatly depending on what time of year you visit. If you arrive in winter, expect bitterly cold temperatures, and plenty of snow. If you arrive in the summer, expect potentially boiling temperatures. Spring and autumn make the best times of year to visit, as it is neither too hot or too cold, and there is generally little rain.
From Domodedovo airport, take the Aeroexpress train to Paveletsky station. Single tickets cost 200 roubles (about £4.50). From there, you can use Moscow's extensive Metro system, with stations to virtually every major landmark in the city. Grab yourself a 10-trip ticket for 155 roubles (about £3.50). All the station signs and most maps are in Cyrillic, so try and get familiar with the alphabet and stations you require beforehand. Some interchange stations are named different depending on what line they are on, which makes things considerably tricky! However, even if you do end up lost on the network, you can still enjoy the beautiful architecture in pretty much every station you come to. To make it a little easier for you, I have written the names of important Metro stations in English and in Cyrillic.
I stayed at the Kalinka Hotel, which is a short walk away from either Elektrozavodskaya (Элeктpoзaвoдcкaя in Cyrillic) or Semenovskaya (Ceмeнoвcкaя in Cyrillic) Metro stations.
To start your tour of the city, I recommend taking the Metro to Ploshchad Revolutsii (Плóщaдь Peвoлю'чии in Cyrillic) Metro station, which is the best station for all the main sights of Moscow. Have a look at the souvenir stalls, selling items such as t-shirts, Russian dolls and other soviet memorabilia (most of it fake). You will then come to the Gosudarstvenny istorichesky muzey (State Historical Museum). The museum was opened in 1894 by Tsar Alexander III.
The State Historical Museum.
Next to the State Historical Museum is Iversky vorota (Resurrection Gate). The original gate was destroyed by Stalin in 1931 to allow heavy military vehicles to pass onto Red Square. The present day gate was rebuilt between 1994 and 1996.
Resurrection Gate.
Walk through Resurrection Gate. On your left will be Kazansky sobor (Kazan Cathedral), which is a lovely Russian Orthodox Church, again destroyed by Stalin in 1936. The Church was rebuilt between 1990 and 1993.
Kazan Cathedral.
You are now in the heart of Red Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most famous squares in the World (though the square itself is not red at all)! Directly ahead of you is perhaps Moscow's, and indeed Russia's famous landmark, Khram Vasiliya Blazhennovo (St Basils Cathedral). The church, with its distinctive onion domes, was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible during the 16th century, to commemorate the capture of the Khanate of Kazan.
St Basils Cathedral.
Next to St Basils Cathedral is the Kremlin, the heart of power in Moscow and Russia. The fortified complex includes four palaces, four cathedrals, and of course the presidential residence. Also situated here is spasskiye vorota (Saviours Gate) is perhaps the most well known tower of Kremlin.
Saviours Gate.
Continuing in a clockwise direction around Red Square, you will now see Lenin's Mausoleum (or Lenin's tomb). Since his death in 1924, the body of former leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, has been situated. Visitors can visit the tomb 5 days a week between 10am and 1pm. However, there are always massive queues, full of pilgrims from all over the former Soviet Union. No cameras are allowed inside the tomb, and all bags are to be left in the luggage room at the entrance. The body is in super condition considering he died over 80 years ago, which leads to the question, is it really him?
The Tomb of Lenin.
Opposite Lenin's Tomb is the Gum department store (spelt ГУМ in Russian). This is Moscow's oldest shopping centre, and is full of designer shops and boutiques. There is also a nice coffee shop inside for you to buy lunch.
Gum Department Store.
Even if you don't plan on buying anything, have a look at the splendid architecture inside the building.
Inside the Gum Department Store.
You can view a video of Red Square on the videos section of my website.
From Red Square, head back onto the Metro, and travel West to Park Pobedy (Пaрк Пoбeды) station (at 84 metres underground, it is the deepest Metro station in Moscow, and contains the longest escalator in Europe, taking three minutes to travel top to bottom!). Just outside the Metro station is the Triumphal Arch, built to celebrate the Russian victory over Napoleon's forces in 1812. If you're like me, the classic melodies of Tchaikovsky may come to your head!
Triumphal Arch.
Also situated here, just across the road from the Triumphal Arch, is Victory Park. The park, a favourite for all Moscovites, is not only a relaxing way to watch the world go by, but also features the church of the intercession, and a moving monument commemorating wars gone by.
Victory Park.
During your visit to Moscow, you may recognise a very similar set of buildings. These are known as the Seven Sisters, which were built during the Stalin era, between 1947-53. The Seven Sisters were built to show the world that Russia was not damaged beyond repair by the Second World War. Today, the buildings have many different uses, including office space, living accommodation, a hotel and even part of a university!
Seven Sisters.
Our next stop on the Metro is Kropotkinskaya (Кpoпoткинcкaя). Situated here is Christ the Saviour Cathedral, which is the tallest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world, located on the banks of the Moskva River. The Cathedral was built after the Napoleonic Wars of the 19th century, under the orders of Tsar Alexander I, "to signify Our gratitude to Divine Providence for saving Russia from the doom that overshadowed Her". Stalin destroyed the original Cathedral in 1931, but it was rebuilt by Boris Yeltsin between 1994 and 2000. Yeltsin himself lay in state here after his death in 2007.
Christ the Saviour Cathedral.
If you're like me, and like sampling the local beer, then Baltika (Бaлтикa) is the best choice. The brewery, the largest in Eastern Europe, features many different varieties of drink, along with different alcoholic strengths, and you can pick up a big bottle for around 25 rouble (60p) in a supermarket. Expect to pay at least double in a restaurant. As for the Russian cuisine, cuisine, try the dark rye bread, fantastic meat and cheeses. If you are not feeling adventurous, there is plenty of restaurants featuring international dishes, along with a few McDonalds dotted around the city. If you're looking for a nice souvenir to bring back with you, consider buying one of the Russian dolls (known as a Matryoshka doll, a Babushka doll or a Russian nested doll), a bar or two of excellent Russian chocolate, or of course the Russian drink, authentic vodka.
It may not be the cheapest place in the World to visit, and simply getting there can be difficult, but with a little common sense, and by utilising the excellent Metro system, Moscow makes for a pleasant city break.
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