The Mysterious Land of Russia: Moscow

There are so many wonderful things to do and see in Moscow that would be a shame to miss! Red Square, The Kremlin, Pushkin Museum, Poklonnaya Gora (WW2 museum),VVTs All Russian Exhibition Center, Gorky Park, and Moscow State University just to name a few. My most memorable event ever in Moscow was having the opportunity to perform at the Military Review on Red Square on Victory Day. My high school marching band listened to Yeltsin deliver his Victory Day speech and we proceeded to perform for him. An extremely small number of foreigners have been allowed to both be present and/or participate in this historic event.

Quick Tips:

If you are invited to a Russian's home, GO! Usually this means they want to cook for you. This is well worth the visit! Russians take pride in their homes, families, and food! It is an honor to be invited into a Russian's home!

Another tip that is easy to do is to simply pay attention to the streets. You will find gorgeous Cathedrals pop up out of nowhere. Usually these will not be pointed out to you simply because they are just part of everyday life in Russia. To a foreigner however, they are a work of art.

Don't forget a VISA is required to enter and exit the country of Russia. It is easier than ever to obtain a VISA. If you are traveling with a tour group or have a travel agent, they will take care of this for you. If you are planning to travel without these do not worry! I used this internet based company. Go To Russia

I would recommend this company to anyone! They will get your VISA and provide all the necessary documentation to do so.

Best Way To Get Around:

The Moscow Metro is one of the largest and efficient metros in the world. You will find the entrance to the metro station with a clearly marked "M" atop the stairs to walk down. A car arrives every two minutes. If you barely miss one, not to worry! Another will pull up shortly. And to pass the minutes just let your eyes wonder around the beauty found in the Metro Station. For Pictures check out the official Moscow Metro Web site. www.metro.ru The site is in Russian, but if you would like to see pictures, click on the link on the bottom of the page that looks as if it begins like this:CTAH... This will lead you many links of pictures.

If you don't speak any Russian beware of taking a taxi. Sometimes foreigners get taken advantage of, but that depends on the taxi driver!

There are 4 parts to this hotel. We stayed in the Vega area. We checked in downstairs and they gave us the room number we would be staying in, but did not give us a key. We were to go to the floor get a key there. After reaching the floor there was a lady in an office straight off the elevator. She would check out the key to us. Every time we left the hotel we were suppose to give her back the key. Sounds strange and confusing, but it was interesting.

The room was composed of 2 beds very close to the floor, a TV and a 2 small tables. Also we had no curtains. The bathroom had simply a toilet, sink and tub. Every morning we would eat breakfast in a large room downstairs. The food was not great but it was edible. Also located in the hotel lobby were a bar and a place to get pizza. This hotel is tall and so we got a good view of the city. The other 3 sections of this hotel are supposed to be more modernized and renovated.

Just a short walk away is the very popular Izmailovo Fair. There is a fee to enter the fair, but it is small. Once you are in you can do all the shopping, browsing and bargaining your heart desires. The fair is large and resembles a flea market. You can find many of the tradition Russian gifts here. Occasionally the prices are a little high, but bargaining with the sellers is quite easy. Sometimes they will even trade stuff with you so be sure to bring some pins or even cheap sunglasses with you! On the far left side of the fair there are a couple buildings that have some more expensive and larger items.

Like Arbat Street be aware of what you can leave the country with. Many things are forbidden to leave the country. Usually this refers to antiques made before 1945. I would recommend the fair for an easy find for souvenirs and a great place to practice your bargaining skills

This is a large strip consisting of many shops, sellers, musicians, and actors. You can find any tradition Russian gift you are looking for here. Matryoshka Dolls, Shawls, Fuzzy Russian Hats, Black Lacquer Boxes, Painted Eggs, and much more is available here. There were venders walking the streets selling mostly t-shirts and hats. I believe we saw dancing and singing in the street were Hari Krishna’s. They were fun to watch. We also saw a monkey sitting on top of an easel and a bear cub sitting with a vendor.

The shops were filled with some beautiful Russian items. It was nice to look at some of these items. Of course, before purchasing larger items remember to find out if you are able to take it out of the country. There are many things that are forbidden to take out of Russia. Many of the older and even larger items have this restriction.

Absolutely one of the most entertaining events I have ever attended. The performers were absolutely amazing and did things I did not even realize were possible. Animals of all kinds were included. Dogs, Cats, Elephants, Lions and even Bears on Bikes were among the performers. There were acrobats doing all sorts of tricks. A high wire act kept me at the edge of my seat. The wire was tilted upward and a group of guys were walking up while doing tricks, whew, they all made it to the top! Jugglers, Clowns and most other things associated with a circus can be seen here. If you have some spare time on night, it would be something fun to check out! You will leave smiling with your eyes wide open and your jaw dropped to the ground after watching these talented performers.

This is a museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. More commonly known as World War 2. The Russians have a huge passion for this event, as it is an important part of their history.

Approaching the museum you will walk past stone/marble markers that represent the years of the war. On the right hand side of the path is a haunting memorial dedicated to the suffering victims of the prison camps. A line of prisoners thin, naked, and frightened slowly get smaller and simply disappear into the shadows on the back wall. As you get even closer you will find yourself at the base of a large monument stretching high into the sky. At the base St. George and the Dragon is depicted.

Once inside the museum there are many things to see. My favorite is what I call the diamond room. Hanging by a string is a diamond for every Russian who lost his/her life in World War 2. It was breathtaking to actually see how many people lost their lives. There is a lot to see here. After leaving I felt I had a whole new understanding and appreciation of the of the effects of the war on the Russian people.

What person could ever forget the first time they stood on this piece of historical ground? Many people still associate Red Square with the vision of Soviet troops marching through displaying its power and might, as the current leader would watch from above.

Red Square is filled with all sorts of historical images and symbols. St. Basils Cathedral sits on the southern end of the square. It is by far the most recognized building associated with Russia today. Its colorful onion domes and brilliant detail make it a wondrous site for anybody. If at I possible I advise viewing the interior, as it is just as beautiful inside as its exterior. Also located on Red Square are Lenin's Mausoleum, Gum Department Store, A History Museum and even a Pizza Hut! A trip to Moscow could never be complete without stepping foot on Red Square.

Originally opened as the All-Union Industrial Exhibition, its main purpose was to display major science achievements and industry advanced experience exhibits. Today it is used for many festivals, fairs and exhibitions. It is a long stretch of land that keeps surprising you with one beautiful thing after another. There are 2 large fountains. This first one on the path is called "Friendship of Peoples", the second is called, "Stone Flower." Take time to look up at the buildings and admire the fountains. The park was decorated with many flowers and was very green. As we were leaving the VVTs a camel was walking around being shown off, and there were a group of young Russian boys street dancing on a large mat. It looked like they were having a good time.

If you have some spare time and especially if you are looking for good, cheap souvenirs it is a must! Not many foreigners know this little hidden place exists.

Tchaikovsky Hall is a world-renowned concert hall. Many famous composers have conducted and played on this stage at some time in their career. I was lucky enough to both see many performances by various artists and perform myself in this great hall. Two young musicians about the ages of 8-10 performed solos with a military orchestra. They were absolutely amazing. One played the Flute and the other the French Horn. I was in complete shock at how talented these young musicians were. Among some of the other performers there was an opera singer performing "The Marriage of Figaro", a group making music by simply be-bopping, and a man playing a wooden pipe type of thing. My high school band and the military band joined each other for a performance in the evening. What a wonderful feeling to be conducted by a Russian General and an American band director together while playing Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" in Tchaikovsky Hall.

Every year there is a large jazz festival held here. During the winter months there is guaranteed to be performances taking place very often. The culture of Russia is rich. If you are looking to get a taste of the culture this would be a good place to go.

The GUM department store is by far the most famous and popular department store in Russia. It is the State Department Store. Its appearance from the inside makes you feel as you are actually walking outside. Or at least that’s how I felt. There were many familiar stores located here. I saw Clinique, Estee Lauder, and Nike just to name a few. You can find almost anything you are looking for here. Make-up, shoes, cloths, computers, and electronics are easily found. If you find yourself in Moscow in the midst of winter I would advise looking here for a warm jacket! You are guaranteed to find a brand you trust. I did not bother purchasing anything as I can get most of it in the States. It was an absolutely a beautiful building with a glass ceiling. There were many people inside and I noticed a lot of other people taking pictures besides me. Most likely you will find yourself on Red Square at some point, as long as you are there, step into GUM. Just look at it from the inside. It just takes a few minutes to get a glance at the place and it is well worth it.

The Space Obelisk is a large monument depicting a rocket taking off with a trail of flames following behind. It represents the rocket that won the Soviets the Space Race. Soon after this event Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space.

Under the Space Obelisk is a space museum. Though not a very big museum it contains some interesting items. It has original documents written both to and from Gagarin. You can also view his uniform and other space gear. Many Soviet propaganda posters are on display. In the back room there are several TV's showing videos about Soviets and space. Different Space equipment can be found in this back room also.

For a small fee you can take as many pictures as you wish wearing an actual Cosmonaut suit. Originally I was not interested on putting it on, but the person I was with insisted, so there I found myself walking around this museum getting pictures taken in a space uniform. Now looking back at the pictures, I’m glad I gave in. It makes for a good story and some funny pictures.

Being a college student at the time of my most recent trip, I found visiting the campus of Moscow State University very enjoyable. Simply walking around the campus you are sure to meet people from around the world. The campus is very green and for some reason I felt the large number of apple trees growing here gave it a nice touch. The buildings on the campus were absolutely beautiful and really tall!

Behind the main building is a strip that goes directly to a wall where you can look right upon the 1980 Olympic Stadium. The path is aligned with memorials to Russians who are well known that studied at Moscow State University. I was very excited when on I read in Russian "PAVLOV" on one of these memorials. While looking over the wall at the Olympic stadium you could also get a nice view of the city as well. I think if you are a college student or involved in the academic field it is definitely worth a visit.