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Moscow Maps & Attractions Guide
Moscow maps & Attractions - Things to do
in Moscow
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Moscow
Attractions - Things to do
1. The Kremlin
www.kremlin.museum.ru |
What is it? The oldest part of Moscow dating back to the
city's foundation in 1147, and situated at the very heart of the
city on top of a hill, the Kremlin is a fortress surrounded by a
thick red wall interspersed with 20 towers. The complex consists of
a number of glittering, golden-domed churches and palaces, museums,
residences, offices, assembly halls and monuments. It was the royal
regime during the Tsarist rule and from 1918, the seat of the
Communist government. Cathedral Square is the religious centre of
Moscow and the historic heart of the Kremlin, and is home to
numerous churches. The attractive Annunciation Cathedral was set
aside for the private use of royalty and contains beautifully
painted murals and icons on the interior walls. The throne of Ivan
the Terrible can be found in the Cathedral of the Assumption, which
was used for the coronation of tsars; most of the leaders of the
Russian Orthodox Church were buried here and their tombs line the
walls of the spacious, richly coloured interior. The Belfry of Ivan
the Great is the tallest structure within the walls and a visible
city landmark. At its foot lies the world's biggest bell, broken in
a fall from its bell tower in 1701, and nearby is the world's
largest cannon, the Tsar Cannon. Also within the Kremlin is the
Armoury Palace, the richest and oldest museum housing a staggering
collection of treasures gathered over the years by the church and
Russian state, including jewel-studded coronation capes, thrones
encrusted with diamonds, royal coaches and sleighs and the renowned
jewelled Fabergé Easter eggs, each containing an exquisitely
detailed miniature object of precious metal inside. The Diamond
Fund Exhibition in the same building contains the 180-carat diamond
given to Catherine the Great by Count
Orlov.
Hours of Operation: Daily except Thursdays from 10am to
5pm
Phone:(095) 202 3776 |
2. Red Square
Krasnaya Ploshchad
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What is it? Red Square is a dramatic open cobbled space
in the centre of Moscow, originally the city's market place that
served as a public gathering place to celebrate festivals, listen
to government announcements or to witness executions, especially
common during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The Soviet state
turned it into a memorial cemetery, and constructed Lenin's
Mausoleum to one side - a crystal casket containing the preserved
body of the founder of the Soviet Union that is still open to
public viewing today. The communist government destroyed several
ancient buildings around Red Square, including the Resurrection
Gate and chapel, to make space for and to allow easy tank access to
the demonstrations and military parades that frequented the area.
The current Resurrection Gate and chapel are replicas that were
built in the 1990s. Its most impressive parade involved the
gathering of thousands of Russian soldiers ready to march to war
against the Nazis in 1941, the rumble of tanks a demonstration of
Soviet might during the Cold War. The word 'red' doesn't apply to
the colour of the brickwork, neither is it a reference to
communism. The meaning of the word 'krasny' originally meant
'beautiful' in Old Russian, referring to St Basil's Cathedral at
the southern end, but over the centuries the word changed to mean
'red' too, thus the square's present name. St Basil's Cathedral is
the city's most well known building and is crowned by the bulbous
multicoloured domes that have made it an instantly recognisable
landmark.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
3. St Basil's Cathedral
Krasnaya Ploshchad 4
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What is it? St Basil's Cathedral with its multicoloured
domes is the most famous image of Russia, standing on the edge of
Moscow's Red Square, a striking design that was commissioned by
Ivan the Terrible to commemorate his victorious military campaign
against the Tartar Mongols at Kazan in 1552. Legend has it that
Ivan was so overwhelmed by its beauty that he had the architect
blinded to prevent him from creating anything to rival it. It
comprises a central chapel surrounded by eight red brick tower-like
chapels, each crowned with a different coloured and uniquely
patterned onion-shaped dome. The church escaped demolition many
times during the city's turbulent history and with the beginning of
the Soviet regime the cathedral was closed and later turned into a
museum. The interior is a dimly lit maze of corridors and
delicately decorated chapels, one of them housing a priceless 16th
century screen decorated with icons that shields the inner
sanctuary. In comparison to the exquisite exterior, the interior
can seem disappointing.
Hours of Operation: Daily except Tuesdays between 11am and
5.30pm
Phone:(095) 298 5880 |
4. Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre
Teatralnaya Ploshchada
www.bolshoi.ru |
What is it? Moscow's oldest theatre, the Bolshoi dates
from 1824 and is Russia's most famous theatre, with its
world-renowned opera and ballet companies in residence. Completely
rebuilt after a fire in 1856, the grand building is a masterpiece
of Russian neoclassicism, including an eight-columned entrance
porch topped by a horse-drawn chariot of Apollo, patron of the
arts. The glittering five-tiered interior is richly adorned with
red velvet furnishings, gold decoration and chandeliers, and the
size of the auditorium makes it the largest theatre in the world.
The Bolshoi Theatre has hosted some of the world's most celebrated
premieres and performers, including Swan Lake, Spartacus and
concerts by Richard Wagner, and an evening performance at the
Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre constitutes one of Moscow's best
nights out.
Hours of Operation:
Phone:095) 292 9270 (ticket outlets) |
5. Tretyakov Gallery
Lavrushensky Pereulok 10/12, and 10 Krymsky Val
www.tretyakovgallery.ru |
What is it? The Tretyakov Gallery houses some of the
great masterpieces of traditional Russian art from before the
Revolution and has the world's finest collection of Russian icons
from the 11th to the 17th centuries. The gallery's collection of
paintings, graphics and sculptures covers Russian art from the 18th
to the 20th century. The gallery was named after its founder, Pavel
Tretyakov, an art collector who donated about 2,000 works of art
from his private collection to the city of Moscow, forming the
basis of the collection to which state acquisitions were later
added. He also donated his own house, which became the original
site of the art gallery. Two separate buildings at different
locations house the works selected for
display.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 7.30pm
Phone:(095) 951 1362, 238 1378, 230 9766; recorded message:
230 7788 |
Moscow Holidays guide
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Transport -By far the easiest and most pleasant way
to get around Moscow is on the underground metro.
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