Moscow Tourist Attractions Guide
Hello and welcome to my Moscow Tourist Attractions page.
A city with a stored past and promising future, Moscow Russia offers a wealth of museums, historical sites and landmarks for travelers who crave culture.
Moscow’s core is mercifully compact. The city radiates out from the Kremlin, its geographic and cultural heart, and almost everything of interest, from ancient onion domes to strikingly contemporary skyscrapers, is located nearby. In Moscow, a city of constant change, every day is different.If Moscow is the center of Russia, the hub of Moscow is the Kremlin and Red Square. The Kremlin’s towers are still topped by red stars, symbols of revolutionary Soviet power. But right next door on Red Square, the ornate Iberian Gate is topped with two-headed eagles, a traditional czarist symbol. For those who is looking for another Soviet symbol, can lined up to see the mummified leader of the Russian Revolution, Vladimir Lenin. His mausoleum is in the center of Red Square, next to the Kremlin walls.The St. Basil’s Cathedral is also located on the Red Square. The onion domes, intense colors and unlikely textures of this magnificent cathedral add credence to the legend that Ivan the Terrible had its architect blinded so that he could never make anything else as beautiful. Almost every tourist who comes to Moscow tends to be photographed with St. Basil in the background – I am unlikely making a mistake by calling Moscow Red Square with St. Basil Cathedral the most photographed places in Moscow, Russia.
Antique lovers will relish a stroll along Moscow’s Arbat, while traveler who prefer more modern finds won’t want to miss another historical landmark – GUM department store on Moscow Red Square, which has been refashioned into a premier shopping mall. It retains the charm of its 100-year history with a vaulted-glass ceiling, etched-glass storefronts and wrought-iron railing.
Virtually every Moscow sightseeing tour stops at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, destroyed by the Communists, and rebuilt only recently. This is a real treasure of Orthodox Russia architecture.
If you ask, where is in the first place to go when you are in Moscow, most people will answer – you defiantly should visit Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. What exactly is attraction of the Bolshoi? You would get multiple replies for this question! Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater sits astride Teatralnaya Square, a stone’s throw from the Kremlin. It is one of the most visible and famous landmarks in the Capital of Russia.
Take a ride on the most incredible subway on earth! The Moscow Metro may be among the busiest systems in the world, but it’s not just a utilitarian means to an end. Stalin’s regime declared that Moscow Metro stations should be “places for the people”, and what the regime said was law. No expense was spared filling the stations’ soaring vaults with marble, mosaics, chandeliers and sculptures.
MOSCOW SIGHTS and MOSCOW TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Moscow Kremlin
Biblioteka Lenina or Borovitskaya or Arbatskaya metro station
Moscow Red Square
Krasnaya Ploschad – Ploschad Revolutsii or Ohotny Ryad or Kitay-Gorod metro station
St. Basil Cathedral
Krasnaya Ploschad, 2 – Ploschad Revolutsii or Ohotny Ryad or Kitay-Gorod metro station
Lenin’s Mausoleum
Biblioteka Lenina or Borovitskaya or Arbatskaya metro station
Moscow GUM
Krasnaya Ploschad, 3 – Ploschad Revolutsii or Ohotny Ryad or Kitay-Gorod metro station
Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Volhonka Street, 15 – Kropotkinskaya metro station
Bolshoi Theatre and Theaters in Moscow
Teatralnaya Ploschad, 1 – Teatralnaya or Ohotny Ryad metro station
Moscow River Cruises
Moscow Zoo
Bolshaya Gruzinskaya, 1 – Barrikadnaya or Krasnopresnenskaya metro station
Moscow Cat Circus
Kutuzovskiy Prospekt, 25 – Kutuzovskaya metro station
VDNKH or All-Russia Exhibition Centre
Prospekt Mira, 119 – VDNKH metro station
Gorky Park
Krymskiy Val, 9 – Oktyabrskaya metro station
Moscow is really worth a walk through its narrow streets of the old center.
MOSCOW STREETS and HISTORIC QUATERS
Tverskaya Street
The Moscow’s trendiest street is a showcase where luxury shops and restaurants are displayed. It is also Moscow’s main street. It runs uphill from opposite the north end of Red Square. It was originally the main road out of the medieval Moscow running to Tver and Novgorod, and became the most important thoroughfare in 1713 when the Tver road was extended to St. Petersburg. Tverskaya Street appearance was fundamentally changed during large-scale reconstruction in the 1930’s. Many buildings were demolished and moved back in order to widen and straighten Tverskaya Street. During Soviet time it was renamed to honor the writer Maksim Gorky, however the original name of Tverskaya Street was restored in 1990. Tverskaya Street’ eclectic mix of architecture combining medieval side streets and twenty first century buildings, Angliskiy Klub, Yeliseev’s food emporium and Hotel National remind visitors of Tverskayas glorious past and present.
Myasnitskaya Street
Myasnitskaya Street is a symbol of Moscow. In terms of symbolism it is at the same line with Tverskaya, Arbat and Zamoskvorechye. Suffice to say one of those words, and no longer need to ask the city name. In the entire 500-year history on Butcher always something is changing: changing direction, character building, street name, its status as residents. Studying its history can be seen such names of Myasnitskaya, as May Day in 1920, Kirov street from 1935 to 1990. Myasnitskaya is the first street name. This street is named after the small butchers’ shops that were located here is sixteenth century. Some of the sights include Perlov Tea House and Le Corbusier’s Tsentrosoyuz building.
Pokrovka and Maroseyka
Maroseyka and its extension Pokrovka Street are commonly called one name for both streets – Pokrovka. In the beginning of the nineteenth century the street was named after the church Pokrova Bogoroditsy (Protection of the Virgin). Formerly one street, these streets are today a model of Moscow style. The designs of architects M. Kazakov, D. Ukhtomskiy, V.Stasov and V. Shervud can be found there.
Prechistenka and Volkhonka
Prechistenka Street, which runs from square Prechistenskie vorota (Prechistenskie gate), had diametrically opposed to the name – Chertolskaya. In medieval times, on the site of the modern Gogol Boulevard, there ran turbulent stream in the bottom of deep ravines into the Moscow River. It cost a lot of trouble to Muscovites when it spilled in spring floods. Devil dug it! – they grumbled, struggling along the narrow wooden ferrying bridges. The creek became known as Chertoroy (has two roots: Chert (Devil) and roy (dig), and the nearest street named Big Chertolskaya Street. Pious Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich considered sacrilege to make a procession down the street with so inappropriate name. In 1658 he ordered to rename a Big Chertolskaya in to Prechistenka after the Icon of the Prechistaya Bozhaya Mater (Blessed Mother of God).
Both of these streets, Prechistenka and Volhonka have been the choice of Moscow’s elite for years. The side streets carry the names of aristocrats such as Lopukhinskiy, Vsevolzhskiy. Today this area is a concentration of museum and galleries.
Eeach Muscovites and visitors tend to be associated Petrovka with the legendary building on Petrovka 38 (MUR) and Petrovsky monastery, which was founded in fourteen century. Street was named after the monastery. Petrovka is one of the oldest Moscow streets. In medieval times, this street was a deserted road leading from the monastery to the Kremlin. Since the eighteen century the Petrovka street was chosen by Moscow nobility, in the nineteen century it became one of popular places among the merchants, traders, and local artisans, here opened numerous shops, manufactures, accessories, jewelry shops.In nowadays, Petrovka is still one of the main trading streets in Moscow, its name has never been changed. It is famous for the Bolshoy Theatre, TSUM and the legendary MUR (Moscow Criminal Police) at Petrovka 38.
Kuznetskiy Most
This Moscow street runs from behind the Bolshoi Theater along to the headquarters of the former KGB at Lubyanka. The street’s name translates as Blacksmiths’ Bridge. , and it once ran alongside the Neglinka River to the bridge that lead to the Cannon Court – the largest forge in the medieval Moscow. Later, this area distinguished itself with fashionable shops. One of the main reasons for tourists to visit Kuznetsky Most is the House of Foreign Books. There is a large selection of English-language literature, with a number of other languages well represented and plenty of maps and guidebooks.
Boulevard Ring
Moscow sits on the banks of the Moskva River and its road system is centered around its heart, the Kremlin. The road system is an intricate circular system of roads, which forms rings around the Kremlin. The first, innermost ring is known as the Bulvarskoe Kol’tso (Boulevard Ring). The Bulvarskoe Kol’tso was built on a sixteenth century city wall. However, it creates an arc shape. Its arc ends go from Cathedral of Christ the Saviour to the Yauza River. North of the Bulvarskoe Kol’tso is a hugely varied and rolling area encompassing many of Moscow’s main sights and attractions, including the Bolshoi Theatre. Chain of Moscow’s boulevards stretch up to 9 km, here one can get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
Arbat and side streets
A pedestrian street known from fifteen century runs between the Garden Ring and the Boulvard Ring roads. Also know as Old Arbat. Buildings from the nineteen and early twenty century, in Empire and Art Nouveau style. The haunt of Moscow bohemians mentioned in numerous poems and songs, this place remains the soul of Moscow. In its quit side streets cozy homes are still preserved, many of them associated with the names of poets, writers and artists.
Kitay-Gorod
Long ago it was a district of craftsmen and merchants with their outlets. By and large a thriving commercial area, Kitai-Gorod incorporates the broad area east of Red Square. Kitai is encircled by reconstructed medieval walls and separated from the Kremlin by the Red Square. The area is a unique demonstration of architectural history. It’s a mix of traditional, art noveau and monumental Soviet-era architecture. Today it is a cultural Mecca filled with vivacity; here the old shops of GUM and the Gostiniy dvor are featured attractions.
Zamoskvorechie
This locality along the Moscow River was once busy with communities of fletchers, leather workers and sheepskin tanners. In the twenties century, part of this region was declared a protected historical area.
Luzhniki and Observation Point
The people here named the meadows which were spring-flooded “luzhniki”. This lowly populated are lends itself to quite strolls. An observation point is located at the peak of Vorobievy Hills.
Moscow has so many faces that everyone will find something special and unique. Feel the spirit of this city, and then it will become for you a real discovery.
Your Moscow Russia Travel Guide.
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