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Published: August 4th 2017
It was ten years ago your intrepid travel journalist paid an inaugural visit to Russia, making the journey from Helsinki, before crossing the Finnish border and journeying on to St Petersburg. Prior to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, this glorious city was the capital of Russia. After his rise to power, however, Lenin had security concerns as St Petersburg is geographically close to rival European powers, and made the decision to move the capital to Moscow. Ever since that visit to St Petersburg in 2006 I've dreamed of visiting Moscow, a European powerhouse and by far the largest city on the continent. The official population of the city is 12 million people, however with illegal immigrants surging to the capital in search of work it's estimated there may be up to 15 million people living in greater Moscow.
I flew out of Sydney on a Friday evening to commence five weeks travel in Eastern Europe. The cheapest fare to Paris on offer is with Cathay Pacific, and I enjoyed a stopover in Hong Kong for the first time in twenty years. I rocked up to my usual hostel in the glorious French capital on a Saturday evening at the end
of a gruelling long haul flight, only for the staff to advise me I didn't have a booking. I've been busy at work lately, and incredibly neglected to book accommodation for my stay. Nevertheless the hostel team got me sorted in a sister hostel nearby with a minimum of fuss. The next morning the onward journey to Moscow included a transit in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. I look forward to getting back to Minsk for an explore towards the end of August. The flight landed in Domodedovo airport 40 kilometres south of the Russian capital, and even though it was approaching midnight there was still heavy traffic on the highway to Moscow. During the summer Russians head out to their Dachas for the weekend, leading to a lot of traffic as people head back to the capital to prepare for another working week.
Comrade Hostel is immaculate, with friendly English speaking staff and comfortable beds. It never ceases to cause a thrill after arriving at a chosen destination, and dumping bags in the room in preparation to see the attractions of a new city. After a good sleep I woke to discover just how central the hostel location
is. Red Square and the Kremlin are less than ten minutes walk, and it's one of life's great experiences to lay eyes on the magnificent heart of Moscow for the first time. Saint Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's mausoleum, the eternal flame, the palace, and the walls of the fortified city are a joy to behold. Although there was torrential rain overnight the weather cleared to a perfect day with the temperature reaching the mid twenties. The locals argue there are two seasons in Moscow, the winter season and the construction season! Due to the length and severity of Russian winters the city is a hive of building activity during the summer months, especially this year as Russia counts down to hosting the World Cup in 2018. Interestingly, football fans won't have to go through the usual visa requirements if they come to Russia for the tournament next year, you can sort it out at the airport upon arrival in the country.
The next day I signed up for the free walking tour, and our guide Elena did a terrific job showing us the major tourist attractions, providing plenty of information on the history of this magnificent city. There's so much
to see and do in Moscow, it will take several days to make the most of the many attractions on offer. I headed back to Red Square the next day, and joined the lengthy queues to purchase a ticket to visit inside the walls of the Kremlin. The President works within the Kremlin, and commutes to and from the Presidential office by chopper to avoid throwing Moscow traffic in to further chaos. There are beautiful churches within the fortified city, and the armoury also provides accommodation for the Kremlin guards. Tourists should ensure you stick to the designated walking areas during the visit, or the police will be blowing their whistles vigorously to get you back on the straight and narrow! The entry fee to the Kremlin is ten dollars and the queues are lengthy, but it's well worth the wait to see this world famous travel attraction.
The next day I signed up for the communist walking our, with the tour kicking off opposite the former KGB headquarters. Our knowledgeable guide took us to historical places in the city during the height of the Bolshevik revolution, including Revolution Square. There's still a statue of Karl Marx in central
Moscow prominently placed opposite the famous Bolshoi theatre. Moscow was the capital of the huge Soviet empire that dominated Eastern Europe for nearly fifty years after the second world war, and the city seems to ooze an effortless power and presence. A separate tour that comes highly recommended is the Metro tour. Part of the Soviet era thinking included building magnificent stations as 'palaces for the people'. As well as being one of the most comprehensive metro systems in the world, the Moscow metro is by far the most beautiful, and there are over forty stations on the metro that have become tourist attractions in their own right. The locals go tearing by, but seem curious to see groups of tourists with an English speaking guide lurking in the bowels of the metro. The tour is a unique travel experience as I've been riding metros around the world, but never thought I'd visit stations as a tourist attraction! I recommend visitors to Moscow check out the metro stations next time you visit the city, some of them are out of this world!
It goes without saying Moscow is a huge city blessed with a wealth of world class travel
attractions, and fortunately I have more time to explore the city. So for the time being at least, I'll be enjoying the delicious Piroshki pastries, the friendly and hospitable welcome of the locals, and the magnificent attractions of the Russian capital. When I think about it everything Moscow has to offer as the locals gear up to host the greatest sporting competition in the world next year, basically all of you should be here now!
Russia is a ridde wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Winston Churchill
As I continue my travels, until next time I'm signing off for now
Tom
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Robin
non-member comment
Enjoy this wonderful city
I love Moscow, been many, many times, and we still have an apartment on the outskirts. It's a truely great and imposing and diverse city... in every aspect. Enjoy your time there!