Yes, plan on dressing up a bit. She will, and you do not wish to embarrass her by under-dressing.
(Bolshoi Theatre, centre, and the Tsum Shopping mall to the right. Photo: The Mendeleyev Journal)
One could spend days just at and near Red Square. Across the plaza is the famous and massive
GYM ("ghoom") shopping centre. At the entrance is the
Revolution plaza with the
Russian State Historical museum . Also at the entrance is the
Manezhnaya Plaza with the glass copulas and state of Saint George. At that location are the
Alexander Gardens just outside the Kremlin walls, the monuments to Russia's hero cities from WWII and the
Tomb of the Unknown soldiers.
Underneath that plaza is the large four-level underground shopping mall, the statues and fountains along the mainly underground
Neglinnaya River with its fantastic sculptures and fountains, and across the street is the tall Russian Duma (parliament) complex.
(Neglinnaya River, just outside the Kremlin's Alexander Gardens. Photo: The Mendeleyev Journal)
At the entrance to Red Square are the
Resurrection Gates , and to the immediate left is the rebuilt
Kazan Cathedral . The side street that runs there leads to Chinatown, but more importantly--the closest Krispy Kreme donut store to Red Square! You will see that Red Square really isn't square at all (the correct term would be "beautiful plaza" from Russian to English), and at the end there is the magnificent
Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat , or as we incorrectly call it, Saint Basil's Cathedral. You simply must tour this church--a once in a lifetime experience for most visitors.
(St Barbara Street. Photo: The Mendeleyev Journal)
Behind St. Basil's is an area that most visitors miss, and that is something that should be changed, since
Ulitsa Varvarka (Saint Barbara street --the oldest existing street in Moscow) is filled with some of the most beautiful but forgotten churches, homes and museums. Moscow's first foreign embassy, the old British Embassy called the "
English House " still stands there. So does the
Romanov Boyar's museum (the family of Tsars), and several grand old churches. It is also behind St Basil's that leads to the bridge where Boris Nemtsov was murdered recently.
("English House" the first Embassy in Moscow, was a gift to England from Ivan the Terrible. Photo: The Mendeleyev Journal.)
Other places one cannot fail to visit:
- The
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour , and the pedestrian bridge over the Moscow river. This is the national cathedral of Russia and definitely worth touring. It also offers great views to other parts of Moscow.
-
Old Arbat street : a pedestrian street filled with over-priced souvenirs, street artists, the home of Alexander Pushkin, the first McDonalds in Russia, and loads of great Restaurants. Good location for banks and ATMs.
-
New Arbat street : see this bustling area at night for the best experience.
-
Victory Park : take the Metro as it is the second deepest Metro station in the world. Go in the afternoon as the views into Moscow from this hill are great, and stay way past dark as the scene of 1,418 fountains running blood red at night (one fountain for every day of the war) is emotionally moving.
- Each of the main railroad stations are almost museum quality in and of themselves, and you should especially see the
Kievskaya Rail station and Metro station. The Metro is undergoing renovations inside so it isn't as stunning as usual, but it still quite dramatic. At the Kievskaya there is the multi-level and very upscale
European Mall , which by the way has a Krispy Kreme donut kiosk, and a food court that offers some of the most popular food chains in Russia. The stores are high-end, mostly European and American brand outlets.
- Outside
Kievskaya (this is the rail station featured in the
Bourne Supremacy movie) is the
Plaza of Europe . While there, walk across the pedestrian
Bogdan Khmelnitsky bridge. Take your camera as you walk because this bridge offers stunning views of the
Moscow river , riverboats on the river, and toward the city centre you will have amazing views of the
Russian White House , where the government is officially housed. If you want, there is a pedestrian walkway along the riverbank on the side opposite the rail station. It is well kept, safe, and on one side is the river and to the other side of the walkway are important Embassy locations and diplomatic compounds.
(Moscow river from the walkway near the bridge. Photo: Then Mendeleyev Journal.)
-
New Maiden's Monastery (Novodevichy Convent) is stunning. Dating to 1524, the walls are massive and impressive. You must buy a ticket to tour, and it is worth it. There are several ancient churches and chapels, the most famous being the
Smolensky Cathedral (Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk). Outside is a huge park with a lake. You camera will be used non-stop here as the views are breathtaking. There was a fire last year and one of the towers is being rebuilt, but everything else is functional. The
Novodevichy cemetery is one of the most famous in Russia as folk like Anton Chekhov, Nikita Khrushchev, and Boris Yeltsin are buried here.
(Park just outside the Novodevichy Convent. Photo: The Mendeleyev Journal.)
- The best place to buy souvenirs is at the
Izmailovo Kremlin . Located near
Izmailovsky Park , this Kremlin (means "fort") is an exhibition of Russian culture and architecture. There is a massive hotel complex that was built here for the 1980 Olympics. Stay one night just for the experience of staying in a truly Russian hotel ($40-100 depending on which hotel), and they will do complete the visa registration for you.
(Small part of the large Tsaritsino Park complex. Photo: The Mendeleyev Journal.)
-
Tsaritsino Park is the restored summer home of Catherine the Great (built by Empress Irina). At that period it was located outside the city limits of Moscow, and was sort of a "rest stop" for Catherine to rest from her journeys before entering Moscow. The Soviets let it go to ruins as they had no interested in the Tsars, however it has been completely restored. Simply striking! You will need at least 4+ hours to see everything.
(Wooden Palace at Kolomenskoe. Photo: The Mendeleyev Journal.)
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Kolomenskoe Park is in southeastern Moscow, and overlooks the Moscow River. There are three beautiful areas here: first, the park itself with the collection of churches that are a part of Moscow's UNESCO World Heritage designation. Second, the elaborately restored wooden palace here was where Empress Elizabeth was born, and it was the boyhood home to Peter the Great. Take the tour! Third, below the palace area is a recreated Russian "village" with little shops and cafes. Definitely worth stopping for tea and something to each in an antique setting. The entire area surrounding the park is one of the nicest and attractive places for normal middle-class Russians to live.
- The Moscow Metro has over 200 stations and is the second largest in the world (behind Tokyo). Depending on the day, average ridership is between 9 and 11 million riders daily. Stations you simply must see are
Komsomolskaya ,
Novoslobodskaya and
Kievskaya on the ring line,
Kropotkinskaya on the red line,
Kievskaya ,
Arbatskaya and
Ploschad' Revolyutsii (Plaza of the Revolution) on the dark blue line, and
Smolenskaya on the light blue line.
(Metro station Plaza of the Revolution. Photo: The Mendeleyev Journal.)
Depending on the time of day, Metro trains arrive between every 90 seconds to 4:30 minutes. A bell tone signals the arrival of each train.
Here is an interactive map of the Metro. Click on a station, then click on your destination and the map will show the time for traveling from one station to the other.
http://engl.mosmetro.ru/flash/scheme01.html