Moscow Sights by Areas

area: tverskaya area • kuznetski most • kitai gorod • zamoskvorechie • arbat



moscow / north center / tverskaya area

THE KREMLIN.
The Kremlin is the stronghold of Moscow and its historical center. Most of the city had been inside the Kremlin walls until the 16th century. Afterwards, the Kremlin became the official Tsars residence with just several most powerful nobles and a head of the Orthodox church, who lived inside. Italian architects built the present Kremlin fortifications at the end of the 15th century. Moscow Kremlin fortress was one of the most fortified in Europe, even more than the ones in Milan and Krakow. The red brick walls with 20 towers were never captured by the enemies.
'Kremlin' doesn't only mean 'fortifications'; this term is used to describe the whole area of the city inside the Kremlin walls. There are three main ancient Moscow cathedrals inside: Arhangelskiy (Archangel cathedral), Uspenskiy (Assumption cathedral), Blagoveshenskiy (Annunciation cathedral) – open for the visitors.
Also, there is Palace of the President inside the Kremlin - a 19th century white and yellow classical palace, it's closed for visitors.
There's an old, Russian style Tsars palace, Russian style Palace of the Patriarch (the head of Russian church), Armory museum. There are also Tsar-cannon (huge cannon), and Tsar-bell (huge bell), which are standing outside.
Nowadays Kremlin palace is an official residence of the President of Russian Federation. So, you can visit just part of the Kremlin territory. To visit it you should buy ticket in the ticket office which is in the Alexander's Garden, western side of the Kremlin.

NOVODEVICHY MONASTERY
One of the best lesser-frequented sightseeing options in Moscow is the Novodevichy monastery and cemetery double. The monastery was built in 1524 and comprises of a number of beautiful churches, towers and old buildings. The centerpiece is the white Smolensk Cathedral which dates from 1525. The inside of the church is quite dazzling, decorated with 16th Century frescoes and an array of icons. The monastery’s exquisite bell tower dates from the end of the 17th Century while the numerous other churches on the grounds were all built in the 16th and 17th centuries. A peaceful site that is not overrun by tourists, the Novodevichy monastery will amaze by its serenity and sense of history. Entry to the grounds is free but there is a small admission charge to enter the Smolensk Cathedral.
Directions: Sportivnaya metro (Red line), exit last carriage from center. Outside take the small lane on your right and go straight through the park in front of you after the lane ends. On the other side of the park you will see the red walls of Novodevichy Cemetery. To get to the monastery just follow these walls to the right.

NOVODEVICHY CEMETERY
The Novodevichy Cemetery holds the graves of some of Russia’s most famous people. The major drawcard is probably the resting place of former Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev but there are numerous other noteworthies buried here. Literary types should be overjoyed to find the graves of such acclaimed Russian authors as Nikolai Gogol, Anton Chekhov, Vladimir Mayakovsky and Mikhail Bulgakov, while lovers of the arts can track down the resting places of composers Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitry Shostakovich and Aleksandr Skryabin or famous director Sergei Eisenstein. The technically minded can satisfy themselves with the grave of Andrei Tupolev while the politically minded should be excited by the graves of Vyacheslav Molotov, Pyotr Kropotkin (an anarchist considered the father of modern terrorism), Raisa Gorbacheva (wife of the last Soviet leader) and Nadezhda Allilueva (the second wife of Josef Stalin). The graves of the famous aren’t signposted so, unless you want to spend all day at the cemetery, buy the map on sale at the entrance which shows the location of a huge number of notable graves. Admission to the cemetery is effectively free since no one checks tickets but apparently you can buy them if you are so inclined.
Directions: Sportivnaya metro (Red line), exit last carriage from center. Outside take the small lane on your right and keep going straight through the park after the lane ends. On the other side of the park you will see the red walls of Novodevichy Cemetery.Sportivnaya metro (Red line), exit last carriage from center. Outside take the small lane on your right and keep going straight through the park after the lane ends. On the other side of the park you will see the red walls of Novodevichy Cemetery.

VOROBYOVY GORY
As long as the Ostankino Tower remains closed to visitors the best view of Moscow you will find is from Universitetskaya Ploshchad at Vorobyovy Gory. In a city as flat as Moscow it’s a real treat to find some hills, so it is well worth walking to the top from Vorobyovy Gory at the foot of the hill. The Moscow skyline isn’t all that impressive and any photos you take will have the ugly Luzhniki stadium in them, but it’s always worthwhile to see a city from above. Try to spot all the seven sisters, look for the distant spires of the Kremlin or just go for a walk through the peaceful hills below. The lookout is quite a lively place, especially in summer when many students from nearby Moscow State University choose to drink here at night. During the day there is a good chance you’ll see a bride or two and there are souvenir stalls here on weekends.
Directions: Metro Vorobyovy Gory, last carriage from center. Outside the metro take the winding path to the right and keep walking in this general direction towards the large ski jump. It takes about 10-15 minutes to reach the lookout.

MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY
Established in 1755, Russia’s foremost university is over 250 years old. The university was originally situated in and then near Red Square but the main faculties moved to the university’s present location in 1953. The main building is one of Stalin’s seven sisters. Built in 1953, it has 36 floors, is 236 meters high and has four huge wings making it the largest of the seven. It is also one of the most impressive and was the tallest building in Europe when it was built. Inside there are said to be over 5000 rooms and 33 kilometers of corridors. Unfortunately you probably won’t get inside without a student pass. There is not a whole lot else of interest to the tourist on the massive 200 hectare campus, but it is definitely worth walking to the main building from Vorobyovy Gory lookout for a close-up view.
Directions: From Vorobyovy Gory lookout you will have no trouble locating this building. From metro Universitet (red line), cross the road to the block that has a long fence lined with trees behind it. Walk along the fence on either side until you come to an entrance. Once in the campus grounds you’ll be able to see part of the main building, so just keep walking towards it.

PARK OF SCULPTURES
Another lesser-known sightseeing gem, Park of Sculptures is a must-see for anyone with an interest in Soviet history. After the fall of Communism, many of the unwanted relics of the Soviet era were laid here to rest. And the park almost has the eerie feeling of a graveyard. One of the first sights you will see is the statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the KGB’s predecessor the Vecheka, which stood for many years on Lubyanka square outside the KGB headquarters but was toppled in 1991. In the park you’ll also find an array of Lenins, a few Marxs, a couple of Brezhnevs and Stalins, quite a few authors and an assortment of other Soviet-era monuments. One of the most striking statues is of Stalin in front of a wall filled with heads, which is meant to represent his purge victims. The park also features a number of new works of sculpture, a small cafe and has a great view of the Peter the Great monument. The equivalent park in Budapest is smaller and less interesting but attracts more tourists because it is heavily advertised. The Moscow park is a real treat but doesn’t attract the same crowds. Entrance costs 100 rubles ($3.70) or 20 rubles ($0.70) if you can pass yourself off as Russian.
Directions: Park of Sculptures is located directly across the street from the entrance to Gorky Park and behind the New Tretyakov Gallery. From Metro Oktyabrskaya (circle line or orange line) walk straight down Ulitsa Krymsky Val and the park is on your right hand side.

KARL MARX MONUMENT
In Teatralnaya Square directly across the road from the Bolshoi Theatre stands Moscow’s most prominent statue of Karl Marx. The statue was carved on the spot where it stands from a 200 ton block of granite and was unveiled in 1961. The inscription on the front translates as “Workers of the world – unite!” Today teenagers like to skateboard in front of the monument and pigeons like to rest on top of Karl’s head.

ALL-RUSSIA EXHIBITION CENTER (VVTS OR VDNKH)
Founded in the 1930s and expanded in the 1950s and 1960s, VDNKh was conceived as a showcase for all the great achievements of the Soviet Union. The numerous pavilions once housed exhibitions on the latest technology, agricultural techniques and the different cultures of the Soviet Union. These days there are very few exhibitions and most of the pavilions are filled with shops. But the real reason to go here is because it looks so impressive. The pavilions are strikingly designed in varying architectural styles and the grounds are dotted with numerous impressive fountains. The entrance gate, with Orlov’s statue “Tractor Driver and Collective Farmer” on top, is very striking as is the main pavilion which looks like a miniature version of one of the seven sisters, enhanced by a lovely Lenin statue in front of it. Other attractions include the launcher that sent Yury Gagarin’s rocket into space as well as small Tupolev and Yakovlev planes which you can board (all are outside the Cosmos pavilion). There are also a few nice restaurants towards the back of the grounds and there is a shabby little theme park at the front. You might want to combine your visit with a trip to the Cosmonautics Museum (link to museums page).
Directions: From VDNKh metro turn left and walk through the market alley (of Day Watch/Night Watch fame). Soon enough the imposing entrance gate will become visible.

MOSCOW ZOO
Actually a pretty decent zoo, although if you’ve been to a zoo in any major city you probably won’t find too many new things here. That said, some of the Russian animals, such as the Siberian owl, are truly amazing. There is also a good range of wild cats and an assortment of weird and wonderful African creatures, some of which a cynic might accuse of not being real animals. Summer is the best time to visit although a winter sojourn would be interesting just to find out what happens to those poor kangaroos when the temperature reaches minus 20 degrees. Entrance costs 100 rubles and there is another 50 ruble charge to enter to the “exotarium”. Apparently that’s where you can watch the sea animals.
Address: Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Ulitsa, #1, metro Barrikadnaya. Website: www.moscowzoo.ru. Open Summer: 10:00-20:00, Winter: 10:00-17:00. Closed on Mondays.

ST BASIL’S CATHEDRAL
In the middle of the Red square there's St. Basil’s Cathedral, which is the world renowned Russian architecture masterpiece. When it was built in 1561 to celebrate Russian victory over Kazan kingdom it was called Pokrovsky cathedral. Later it was renamed after a saint who was close to Ivan the Terrible tsar - Basil (hence - St Basil’s). There is a legend that Ivan had its architects eyes removed so that they could never create something of comparable beauty. Its also said Ivan was especially fond of the cathedral because the domes reminded him of Tartar heads on sticks. St Basil’s was and still is an unusual cathedral: the architects built 8 small churches around the main dome and made the paths from one church to another. Every church is devoted to a separate saint. The cathedral was being rebuilt over and over, so what you see now is in fact about 200 years old. It's really strange how such a chaotic mix of architecture and colors can look so beautiful, but it does.

YURY DOLGORUKY MONUMENT.
If you walk up from the Kremlin along Tverskaya street, on your left you'll see an ordinary equestrian statue devoted to the founder of Moscow - prince Yury Dolgoruky, was built in the 1954, to celebrate Moscow's 800th anniversary. There are no pictures of this prince, so the architect just made a statue of a typical mid century Russian knight.

MOSCOW TOWN HALL.
Just in front of the monument to Yury Dolgoruky there is Moscow Townhall. The first palace was build here in 1782. It was general Chernichev, who built palace for himself. Later this building was bought by the Empire to install the official residence of Moscow Governors there. All the governors of Moscow lived in this palace, so it was known as the Palace of the Governor.
After the 1917 revolution Moscow Soviet Government installed there. So this building was called "MosSoviet". When Tverskaya street was rebuildt, the building of MosSoviet was moved about 14 meters back (to widen Tverskaya street) and two more floors were added on the top. Nowadays, the administration of the Moscow mayor is working there.

PUSHKIN MONUMENT.
Pushkin is considered to be the best Russian poet. So, there is Pushkinskaya square in Moscow where the monument to Pushkin is installed. It's on the opposite side from McDonalds. The monument was built in 1880. The money for the monument were donated by the thousands of Russians who participated in subscription. It was the first monument to a poet in Russia.

THE ENGLISH CLUB (Museum of Contemporary History of Russia).
This red and white classical palace was built in 1780. When Napoleon captured Moscow in 1812, most of the city was completely destroyed by fires. This building burnt also. The palace was rebuilt in the same year. This empire style palace was one of the best buildings in the city. For dozen of years several nobles owned it, until a group of the richest foreigners (who lived in Moscow then) bought it.
They organized an English club in it, a place where they could rest and speak their native language. Later, The English Club became popular among Russian nobles. From the end of 19th century the English club members were only high-born nobles.
After the revolution tje communists placed here "the museum of revolution". Nowadays, it is "the museum of present history of Russia".
Open: tue-sat 10-18.00, sun 10.00-16.30

BELORUSSKI RAILWAY STATION.
This station was built in 1909, and is considered to be one of the nicest Moscow railway stations (there are 9 in all). In 1945 the trains with Russian army, which captured Berlin, arrived to this station. Nowadays most of the trains to Europe departs from Belorussky station.

moscow / east centrum / kuznetski most area & kitai gorod

TEATRALNAYA SQUARE.
One of the main Moscow squares. It is called 'Teatralnaya' after the two theatres that are on this square: Bolshoy and Maly theatres. There are several sights in this square:

BOLSHOY THEATER.
Bolshoy means big, so this is a big theatre. Built in 1824, this theatre was the second biggest theater in the world after Milano's "La Scala". Besides, it is one of the best opera theaters in the world. It is hard to buy ticket, but if you manage to do this, you will like the show.

MALY THEATER.
It was built in the same year as Bolshoy. If there is a "big" theatre on the square, the other theatre will be "small"; it happens they built second theatre and called it "Maliy", which means "small". This dramatic theatre was very important for Russian culture - the best artists and editors preformed there in the best Russian plays. There is a monument in front of Maly theater to Ostrovsky - Russian play writer of the 19th century.

THE RED SQUARE
The Red Square is a large square next to the Kremlin, there's Lenin's mausoleum. In middle ages this square used to be the main place in Russia, that has witnessed many events: from coronations of Russia's Tsars, to enemies' attacks. Also it was the main trading place in Moscow, and the place where the Tsars' were addressing the people. In the Soviet times, it was the place where the Soviet government would address the people, and where Soviet military was showing its strength and power at the Victory Day's parades. Now it is on of the main attractions in Moscow.
In the middle of the Red square there's St. Basils Cathedral, which is the world known Russian architecture masterpiece. When it was built in 1561 to celebrate Russian victory over Kazan kingdom it was called Pokrovsky cathedral. Later it was renamed after a saint who was close to Ivan the Terrible tsar - Basil (hence - St.Basil).
St Basils was and still is an unusual cathedral: the architects built 8 small churches around the main dome and made the paths from one church to another. Every church is devoted to a separate saint. The cathedral was being rebuilt over and over, so what you see now is in fact about 200 years old. It's really strange how such a chaotic mix of architecture and colors can look so beautiful, but it does.

MININ AND POZHARSKI MONUMENT.
Built in 1818 this monument is devoted to the citizen Minin and the prince Pozharsky, who were the leaders of patriotic war against Polish invaders in 1612.

SPASSKAYA TOWER.
The main tower of the Kremlin (just near the St. Basis cathedral) with chimes on it.

LENIN'S MAUSOLEUM.
The Mausoleum was built in 1930 to put Lenin's dead body inside (you know, like they did in Egypt). The body lies in there, but few people, tourists mostly, visit it and there are talks that Lenin will be buried soon. Also, there's a story that under the mausoleum there's a hidden underground railway, that'll evacuate the body of Bolsheviks' leader in case there's nuclear war or something.
Open: 9.30-13.00 tue-sun. Cover: 0 to 100 R.

MUSEUM OF HISTORY.
Built in 1881, this is one of the biggest museums in Russia. The architects wanted the building to symbolize all the best from Russian traditional architecture.

The GUM.
Just in front of the Kremlin walls, there is a long building of GUM. Gum is a short for a State Department Store. Actually built as a store in 1893 this building was called Upper Trade Rows. It was the biggest store in Russia before the revolution, and the most popular after.

FORMER KGB.
The former KGB buildings (now - FSB) will be just in front of you if you come to the Lubyankaya square from the Red Square. The main building is grey and brown Stalin's style building. There's no more KGB, it was renamed in FSB (Federal Secure Service). So, there are headquarters of FSB inside this building nowadays. Some people say there's a special prison under one of the buildings.

POLITECHNICAL MUSEUM.
On the south-east side of the square there is a huge building of Politechnical museum. It was built for about 30 years, from 1874 in old Russian style. There were many expositions and free lectures took part in it. So it was a kind of institute for poor people.

MONUMENT TO SOLDIERS.
If you walk along the Politechnical museum from Lubyanka square you will come to the small square with unusual belllike building in the center of it. This is a church-monument to the soldiers who died in Russian-Turkey war in Bulgaria.
This place is popular among Moscow gays, it's one of the meeting places.

moscow / west centrum / arbat area

THE CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOR.
Is the main church in Moscow. Opened in 1883, in a memory of Russian victory over Napoleon in 1812, this building was the biggest cathedral in Russia. But communists didn't like it and planned to build a Palace of the Soviets on it's place. So the Cathedral was destroyed. Meanwhile, communists couldn't manage to build the Palace so they place an open swimming pool there.
Nowadays, Moscow Mayer decided to rebuild the Cathedral. He spent fortune to build Cathedral again.

THE WHITE HOUSE.
Russian white house is a house of the government. It is ordinary office building built in 1981.

moscow / south centrum / zamoskvorechie

PETER THE GREAT MONUMENT.
Built in the middle of 90th this monument arised strong discourses in Moscow. People do not like this monument saying it is ugly and pretensious. Moscow government defends it, because the architect of the monument is a close friend of the Mayor.