A guide by PaoloT
Russia is famous for its winter, so why not enjoy it? Ice-skating is the best way of doing this, there are numerous places around Moscow where you can take part.
I recommend Le Futur, which comes complete with orange ice and a clubbing soundtrack from Megapolis FM. And, of course, there's also skating at Gorky Park.
Le Futur ice-skating rink: Petrovskaya str, 26
This is the "open grave" of the great Vladimir Ulyanov himself and it lies on the magnificent Red Square where all the greats of communism have been honoured. Lenin was the original revolutionary and gigantic statues of him abound everywhere, such is his iconic, saviour-like status.
The tomb itself is protects by the old red guard: a number of sullen-looking kite-hatted soldiers who order you to stop talking and remove hands from pockets.
Vladimir was looking very poorly when I saw him, his yellowing skin glistening under the halo of a single spotlight. He wears a permanent grimace of dark intensity and his double-breasted jacket is carefully kept in place by waxy, folded hands.
I took all this in as we all filed past, non-stop, hastened in our progress by the surly, threatening troops. We were clearly not considered true devotees and Lenin wasn't just a museum piece to be gazed at by a bunch of shallow, cashed-up unbelievers.
Of course you must go and see, just for a unique taste of modern Russia's recent, imposing past.
It's on Red Square, up from St Basil's, in front of the impressive Kremlin walls. You'll have to queue, though, but it's worth it
What do you mean you don't need a new hoover/microwave/home theatre? Okay, but luck will have it that your mobile's battery expires or your MP3 player packs up. Or you will need one of 30,000 titles in music or film or software. All of them can be found here.
Two-thirds are still fakes or pirated copies no matter what fancy banners may say. Still, the place offers the most complete selection of Russian music and films, latest Hollywood releases, should you miss home or peculiar tunes.
Bagrationovskaya metro, then walk. Check out the large food market on the way
Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo airports are both outrageous for the time and cost of getting into the centre of the city. But both have minibuses travelling to near the end of the metro (Domodedovskaya or Rechnoi Vokzal on the green line) for 50 roubles. From there, you can catch the metro anywhere for 13 roubles. Domodedovo also has a train like the Heathrow Express, but it only goes every hour and costs 120 roubles, but then you need either the metro or a taxi from Paveletskaya.
A taxi from both airports will cost around 1300 roubles, but can take from 90 minutes to three hours, depending upon traffic.
Don't bother with inflated prices and dressing up for a restaurant. Get yourself a kartoshka (baked potato) with a variety of fillings, a blini with smoked salmon and smetana (Russian sour cream), some tost (toasted sarnie) or a hot dog from any of the numerous and popular street stands.
You can just point and say “Da” if you don't speak the lingo, as the ladies in the stand will treat you like an idiot even if your Russian is perfect. Wash it down with a Baltika, Nevskoye or Zolotnaya Bochka beer. Beer is considered a non-alcoholic drink, although drinking vodka on the street may get you in trouble.
Find yourself a bench on ul Tverskaya, Alexandrovsky Sad, one of the beautiful bulvars, or Red Square itself (when the young guards let you). Sit on top of the bench rather than the seat, and watch the pink-clad Russian ladies and wannabe gangsters/movie stars/oligarchs wander past. Drinks and a meal, Moscow style.
Anywhere in this beautiful city. Most street stands are either in or near a metro station
An outdoor museum with many old buildings and churches, some of which have been moved here from elsewhere in Russia. Most are currently covered by scaffolding, but should be ready by the summer of 2006.
Excellent view of the Moskva River, pleasant river voyages in the summer. Nearby are lots of little places with shashlyk and beer at reasonable prices, but be prepared for long lines.
Nearest metro: Kolomenskaya, exit head of train, go left, then right. When you reach the surface and see the Orbit Cinema, you're in the right place. Keep going straight ahead to the park
Exactly what it says on the tin, but don't expect the user-friendly version popular in the west - no colourful boards for kids and no guessing games.
Neat rows of cabinets filled with all crystals and hidden metallic formations possible. None of the descriptions make sense even if your Russian is fluent. But it is endlessly fascinating just to watch the hidden lives of stones and cavities. In the summers there are table tennis courts for rent nearby.
Leninsky prospect 18; www.fmm.ru
Newly re-built (completed in 1997) after Stalin blew up the original in the thirties to make way for an open-air swimming pool. It's been faithfully re-constructed inside and out, and is a fantastic place to witness an Orthodox service taking place - the accoustics and the decor are fantastic. There's airport style security at the entrance and you're not allowed to photograph. By way of compensation, though, you can ascend to an observation platform for great views of the city.
Ulitsa Volkhonka. Nearest Metro: Kropotkinskaya
An enormous exhibition park, built to demonstrate the riches of the Soviet state. Filled with lots of huge Stalinist buildings, gigantic statues and grandiose water fountains. Within the park there are still sound speakers along the footpaths - probably used for pumping propaganda during communist times. Creepily, they now pump classical music.
The park is situated opposite the impressive Hotel Cosmos, built for the 1980 Olympics.
Must be seen if you want to get a feel of Stalinist Moscow.
Nearest metro: VDNKh metro station, one of the exits leads into the park
This is the main gallery of international art in Moscow and, while not quite on the scale of the Hermitage in St Petersburg, it still possesses an impressive collection. The surprise here is that there is so much Impressionist art. The main players are all present – there’s an entire gallery of Gaugins – and you begin to wonder how they all ended up here. The official line is that Impressionism became popular in Russia before anywhere else, but one can’t help recalling speculation of where WW2 plunder may have ended up. Whatever the truth, you could while away many an hour in here.
Ulitsa Volkhonka. Nearest Metro: Kropotkinskaya
Visit the large forest parks within MKAD, which is the equivalent of the M25. The parks give an experience of the real Russians and counteract the sensationalist drivel about Moscow that most people outside Russia read in their newspapers.
In Sokolniki (metro Sokolniki) on Sunday afternoons, you can see pensioners dancing outside. Here you can buy shashleeks (kebabs) and drink beer all at a reasonable price and realise that most Russians are neither oligarchs, mafiosi or poverty stricken.
The best park in my view is Bitsevsky Park. This is a large forested area at least 10 km by 4 km in the southern part of the city. It is easy to get lost amidst the trees and the ravines, but you’ll eventually emerge at the bottom of a downhill ski run, a cross county skiing area, or by a spring where Russians are collecting spring water. You’ll see ordinary Russians playing chess and volleyball or relaxing with a barbeque or picnic.
There are many more parks in Moscow. A tourist who has no time to explore at least one will miss an opportunity to get behind the headlines and see reality.
Bitsevsky Park’s size means it is accessible from a few metro stations. Bitsevsky Park metro is the closest, but it is also possible to see the horse-riding centre (metro Chertanovka). The ski slope is at metro Konkovo. Skis can be hired there
Built in the 16th century as a fortified monastery, this is one of the most beautiful sights in Moscow. The buildings are set in tranquil gardens and next to a small lake which affords some of the best views from its far bank. It's rumoured that the nuns prevented Napoleon from blowing the convent up by extinguishing the fuses with their bare hands. Adjacent is the cemetery which boasts the tombs of Kruschev, Chekhov and Gogol among other famous names.
Novodevichiy Prospekt, nearest Metro Sportivnaya.
A huge electronics market, Gorbushka is the place to get CDs, DVDs, and anything electrical, from iPods to TVs, in Moscow. Piracy is not illegal in Russia - the government itself reportedly uses pirated software on their computers.
Pirated CDs go for about 100 roubles, and MP3 CDs are common and cheap here. DVDs are about 100 to 300 roubles depending on the release, and you can find some real bargains if you shop around.
Go to Bagrationovskaya metro (four stops west from Kievskaya metro on the light blue line) and follow the crowds and big red signs
Tucked away among swathes of the bizarre Stalinist zoo, the NCCA is the hub of contemporary art in Moscow. It has an exhibition hall showcasing Russian and international art. Talks and recitals take place in the auditorium space upstairs and there is a nice bookshop.
There’s a resource centre too, so you can find out what's going on in the busy contemporary art scene across the city.
13 Zoologicheskaya Street, 123242; www.english.ncca.ru/;
nearest metro: Barraakadnaya and Krsnopresmenskaya
Take a boat on the river, past the Novodevichy monastery, Gorky Park and the Kremlin. They leave every 20 minutes between 12 pm and 8 pm from the pier at Kiev Station
The spiritual home of Bulgakov's masterpiece and Moscow's soul. A park in the city centre.
Nearest metro: Mayakovskaya
Twentieth-century Russian art. You will need several hours to marvel at the avant-garde and socialist realist masterpieces that bring to life what was happening on the other side of the Iron Curtain.
10 Krymsky Val; Tel: 095 951 1362; nearest metro: Park Kultury; www.tretyakovgallery.ru/english
Take The Scorpions' advice and follow the Moskva down to Gorky Park. Basically a big theme park, it's a bit rubbish, but there's a ferris wheel with a great view of the city. That's if you can keep your eyes open and ignore the dodgy looking Soviet engineering and the even dodgier looking guy who's operating it.
Get off the metro at Park Kultury station (Russians know it as Culture Park) and head for the impressive entry gates. After you’ve been on the wheel, go to Krimsky bridge and head for Sculpture Park, off Krimsky Val. This is where the Russian government decided to house the majority of Soviet era statues after 1991, and there are some wonderfully evocative works on show. They're all here - Lenin, Stalin, Dzerzhinsky, Brezhnev. A great place to wander, imagine or just get a few obligatory 'communism shots'. There's a small entry fee, and look out for the hideous/amazing statue of Peter the Great by the river.
Park Kultury Metro (on the brown ring / red line)
Tretyakovskaya is a magnificent gallery of Russian art (both in artists and subject matter). There are some fantastic paintings and sculptures dealing with several different parts of Russian, Ukrainian and Tatar cultures. A great way to spend an afternoon and enlighten yourself.
Metro to Tretyakovskaya and walk down Bolshiy Tolmachevskiy Per. Take your first right (towards the river) and you'll walk past the entrance
Dining in Moscow needn't be expensive - though wine almost invariably is - here are three good value bars/restaurants frequented by the young and attractive of Moscow:
Suzy Wong serves excellent cocktails and sushi in a New York-style setting, (11 Ulitsa Tiumra Frunze, nearest metro: Park Kultury).
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is open 24 hours and has great breakfasts and pizzas, (24 Ulitsa Bolshaya Lubyanka nearest metro: Lubyanka).
My favourite - Ugni is also open 24 hours and serves excellent steamed fish, borsch and good value wine, (8 Malaya Sucharevskaya Ploschad, nearest metro: Sukharevskaya).
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