Moscow

It was already dark when I arrived at Moscow-Vnukovo on a Saturday evening. I took the airport express train to Kievskaya station (RUR 100 or EUR 2,70) from where I walked down the lively old Arbat street towards my pre-booked accommodation in the Hostel Moscow, conveniently located in an apartment building near the Arbatskaja metro station. I stayed there for three nights (dorm bed EUR 22 per night) and found the staff friendly and helpful and the rooms and facilities modern and clean.

Kremlin and Red Square

I bought a ticket for 10 metro trips (RUR 140 or EUR 4) early the next morning and took the metro to Aleksandrowski Sad from where I walked along the Kremlin walls towards the Red Square.

The Red Square is the most famous city square in Moscow. It was originally covered with wooden buildings, but cleared in 1493 and subsequently became Moscow's primary marketplace. Later, it was also used for various public proclamations and ceremonies - including the coronation of Russia's tsars. The uneven cobblestone square is around 330m long and 70m wide and surrounded by Moscow’s most important and most famous buildings:

The State Historical Museum at the northern end of the Red Square was opened in 1894 and its exhibition is dedicated to Russian history. Next to it the picturesque Resurrection Gate gives access to the Red Square.

The magnificent façade of the GUM - Glavnyi Universalnyi Magazin - extends for 240m along the eastern side of Red Square. It is a large shopping mall with some 200 stores, open daily from 10am to 10pm and very expensive.

Lenin’s mausoleum is the final resting place of Vladimir Lenin. His embalmed body has been on public display there since he died in 1924.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is a multi-tented church that also features distinctive onion domes. The cathedral is seen as symbolic of the unique position of Russia between Europe and Asia and is one of the best-known Russian buildings.

The Moscow Kremlin (RUR 300 or EUR 8,50) is a historic fortified complex next to Red Square and overlooking the Moskva River. It includes four palaces, three cathedrals, some churches and the enclosing, Italian-style Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. It serves as the official residence of the President of Russia. The Kremlin walls and towers were actually built by Italian masters at the end of the 15th century. The impressive walls are 2235m long and between 5 and 19m high. The Armoury (RUR 350 or EUR 10) was established in 1808 and is one of the oldest museums of Moscow. It boasts a priceless collection of art, including diamonds, golden and silver tableware, imperial carriages, weapons, armour etc.

Next to the Armoury is the Cathedral Square, located in the heart of the Kremlin and surrounded by no less than three cathedrals: The Cathedral of the Annunciation was completed in 1489 and features nine golden cupolas. Some 20 years later the Cathedral of the Archangel was built next to it. Russian tsars and grand princes were buried within the cathedral until the 17th century. The oldest of the Moscow Kremlin cathedrals is the Cathedral of the Dormition; it was completed in 1479. The Ivan the Great Bell Tower has a total height of 81 meters and adjoins the Assumption Belfry. Tsar Kolokol - the world’s largest bell - was cast in 1733 however during a fire a huge slab weighing more than 10 tonnes cracked off while it was still in the casting pit. Nearby Tsar Pushka is a huge cannon, commissioned in 1586 and decorated with reliefs. The bell was never rung and the cannon was never fired.

Around Moscow

After visiting the Kremlin I walked to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour - the tallest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world. I crossed the river and walked towards the Statue of Peter I, located on the bank of the Moskva River and one of the tallest outdoor sculptures worldwide. Here I found the entrance to Sculpture Park (RUR 20) - an oasis of peace and tranquillity. Narrow wooden walkways and gravel paths are lined with various types of sculptures, of both an artistic and political nature. Most of the statues have been removed from their original positions in and around Moscow and relocated to this park. Nearby, Gorky Park (RUR 50) is a big amusement park offering a number of joy rides with different sickness grades.

I took the metro from Park Kultury to Sportivnaya from where I walked to the Novodevichy Convent and the Novodevichy Cemetery. The convent was founded in 1524 and has remained virtually intact since the 17th century. The cemetery was inaugurated in 1898. Under Soviet rule, burial in the Novodevichy Cemetery was second in prestige only to burial in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.
After visiting the cemetery I returned to Sportivnaya and took the metro to Universitet which is actually half a kilometre away from the Moscow State University. However, this gave me the chance to appreciate the size of the university main building - built in 1953 and 280m tall. I managed to get past the grim-looking guards in the main building and made my exit at the other end, ending up in the university gardens. I walked north and arrived on Sparrow Hill, one of the highest points in the city. Here, an observation platform on a steep bank 85 m above the river offered a panoramic view of the city. After enjoying the vista for a while I walked down towards the Vorobyovy Gory metro station to catch the train back to the centre.

One thing which is definitely not to be missed is to visit the numerous beautifully designed Moscow Metro stations. The Moscow metro transports as many passengers as the ones in London and New York combined (some 9 million per day) however it has retained a splendour that is second to no other metro worldwide. The metro is well known for the ornate design of many of its stations, which contain beautiful examples of socialist realist art.

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