The heart of the motherland sits on the Moskva River, and is filled with the agreeable balance of European and Siberian influences that makes the Russian way especially unique. Moscow experiences a delectable mixture of architectural designs that seems to give merit to the city as one of the cultural treasures of the country, and of the world. As the most populous European city, Moscow has plenty of everything to entice the visitor.
Long an influential player at the table of global affairs, Moscow is a city of historical significance that stretches back into the ages. From the tsars to the Russian Revolution, when Lenin brought Marx's theories into practice, and from the Second World War through the Cold one and into a new age of democracy, Moscow seems to have seen it all. With winters as brisk as any, but summers pleasant despite its extreme northern location, it offers a great variety of climates in which to experience it.
UNESCO seems to have exhausted itself in this Russian metropolis. In addition, the huge city is seething with secrets you've yet to uncover. Moscow has seen its unfair share of wear and tear, but the royal prestige of the tsars, or the development in the name of the glorious motherland have made their not so insignificant marks upon the city in the form of massive architectural projects.
Moscow's urban growth has spread out from is heart at the infamous Red Square. You might have seen military parades pass over the expansive square, or maybe you're just keen to pick out some of the more noticeable points of interest along its periphery. With such long winters, it almost seems right to experience Moscow in that season, pulling the iconic
ushanka down over your ears as you trudge across the Square.
Red Square is itself a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the buildings around it each have their own historical significance. Getting to know the city begins and ends with a bus from this central point. Moscow is globally recognizable by its St. Basil's Cathedral (known in Russian as PokrovskySobor). The Russian Orthodox cathedral was built in the 16 th century, and the colorful candy-drop domes that shoot into the air offer a beautiful sight once lit during the night.
Moscow residents know that Red Square is their city's beating heart. You will realize that once you take in it periphery. From St. Basil's to Kazan Cathedral, with its history of destruction by Stalin and reconstitution at the fall of the Soviet Union, the square is not want for dominating edifices.
As the capital city of Russia, Moscow is also home to the burial grounds of important figures. Visitors will find at Red Square the Russian Patriarch himself, who was embalmed and put on display in the Lenin Mausoleum. His body has been on public display since the 1920's, and was fiercely protected during the war.
Russia sacrificed the most human life of any allied country during WWII. Visitors can pay tribute to the millions of soldiers who fell at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which sits in Alexander Garden behind the Kremlin.
Alas the center of the center of Moscow boasts one of the most infamous and glorious of presidential residences, the Kremlin. Moscow's transit system is essentially based on principle streets that all seem to span out from the old citadel. Indeed, "Kremlin" is the Russian word for "citadel" Inside the old armory houses a museum that totes an incredible collection of treasure and artifacts that has steadily expanded ever since the 15 th century.
Once arriving in Moscow, visitors are not long in waiting to be enchanted by the city's past, including the more recent past. Straddling the length of Red Square's sides, for example, visitors will find the GUM Department Store (in Russian: GlavnyUniversalnyMagazin). The gorgeous façade hides within hundreds of shops of all kinds. During the Soviet Era, the place could not have boasted such glamour.
For visitors who prefer an outdoor stroll, Moscow is filled with them. Old Arbat Street, a 15 th century kilometer-long pedestrian-only avenue, is today home to some very important residents; a reflection of not only the prestige of holding residence there, but also of the price it costs to do so!
Moscow entices visitors out of the center with a variety of other sites. Apart from the possibility to walk around any of dozens of Moscow neighborhoods, there are a few places that are must-see. Getting to and fro is part of the historical experience, as visitors get to board the world's second-most transited metro system, which has been declared world heritage because of the architectural diversity of its stations.
Russian architecture is unique, as is Russian art. Art enthusiasts will find Tetyakov Gallery, where 130,000 exhibits of Russian fine art await. The museum is so well organized and has such a variety of exhibits that a stroll here doubles as a Russian and Moscow history lesson. For a taste of Moscow's performing arts, the Bolshoi Theatre houses the world-renowned Russian Ballet and Opera. The incredibly lush interior and tall ceiling dazzle the imagination.
For a view over the entire city, the metro brings visitors to the continent's tallest structure, the Ostankino TV Tower. From this height visitors might feel vertigo, but it's really just a desire to see
more . Perhaps checking out the parish Church of the Ascension, or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk will suffice. Eventually, the ancient religious site that will best convince of Moscow's beauty is the Novodevichy Convent.
Moscow's brush with antiquity is undeniable, but it has also played a key role in humanity's flirtation with the future. The Space Monument and Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics brings visitors walking down Cosmonauts Alley to admire the statues, arriving at the monument's museum to read up on Russian space history.
With so much to do and see, it is surprising that anyone can ever feel
done with Moscow. Seeing it in the summer is a completely different experience from experiencing it in the winter. Both are recommended, and lucky for you that if you head there in the winter, you'll have pure Russian vodka to keep your joints lubricated for the visit!
