Weekend in Moscow

No trip to Moscow is complete without a trip to Red Square. We walked from our hotel to Red Square. Even at night we never felt uneasy. I was awestruck when I walked on the same cobblestone court that once was an avenue for parading Russian troops.

Moscow has two circuses. I highly recommend going to the "old circus." It is not like an American circus. It is in a small arena and every seat is close to ringside. The acrobats are more like classical ballerinas than circus performers. The arena is spotless even after the crowd buys typical concessions like popcorn, etc.

It you need to travel within Russia try their passenger train system. We took a 36 hour train ride to southern Russia. It was relaxing and much more reliable than their airline system. If you do decide to travel this way insist on a "lux compartment." This will give you a private sleeping compartment. The train has fold down jump seats by the windows so you can sip your Russian tea (which is very good) and watch the scenery go by. This is a mode of travel which is sadly missing in America.

Quick Tips:

Izmaylovsky Park is a fabulous flea market. You can buy authentic Russian china, staking dolls, Soviet era keepsakesd and a host of other things. You can get a good price but you have to haggle. It is best to buy bottled water. It is plentiful in hotel shops and street vendors. They say the water is safe but I saw inside a Russian hospital and I wasn't willing to take a chance.

Go to Gum department store right off of Red Square. It is actually a mall not just one store and it is huge. It is worth seeing for the architecture alone. It was built in the late 1800's. It is three storeys tall and has hundreds of shops.

If you do take the train take your own food with you. Train food has a reputation among Russians for being horrible. They have attendants knock on your compartment door selling food but you would be hard pressed to figure out what the items were.

Watch your belongings at all times, especially in crowded places. Groups of Gypsy children are notorious pick pockets.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around for most sites is walking. Make sure you have a comfortable pair of walking shoes.

The Metro is their subway system and it is reliable, safe and a great way to get around. Most Russians do not own a car so this is how they get everywhere. The subway stations themselves are each a work of art. Each was designed to be a "museum for the common people".

Taxis are an easy form of transportation too. Even though it costs slightly more, it is safer to arrange a taxi ahead of time at the hotel. You pay ahead of time at a ticket window but it is less risky.

Buses are also common and very cheap but you would need someone who speaks Russian to help you figure out the schedule.

We stayed at hotel Rossiya on each of our four trips. It is a hit and miss experience. Three out of the four times we received rooms that had not been renovated since, literally, the 1960's. The furniture and bedspreads were worn and dated (This is a gross understatement). The bathtub was an old pedestal style with rust stains in the bottom. On one trip we stayed in a newly renovated room which was modern and comparable to any in the United States. It even had a shower stall. We found out later that you can request to be put in the newly renovated section and they will but it will cost a little extra. I highly recommend paying a little more for the increased comfort.

All the rooms have two twin size beds. Each time the rooms were clean and well maintained.

This hotel is huge (over 5,000 rooms). There is a cafe on every other floor. Since we don't read a word of Russian and speak only a few words it was somewhat a challenge to order. They did have a lot of recognizable things like fruit, yogurt, etc. that you could point to.

The hotel did have a night club at the time. But we noticed between visits that a lot of the shops/restaurants came and went. The hotel had several kiosks selling bottled water, cokes, chips, ect. There was also a small pharmacy which we were able to get a bottle of infant tylenol for our daughter.

The view from our rooms each time was spectacular. The old style architecture had the type of windows that you could open, feel a summer breeze and look out at a skyline of amazing onion domed cathedrals.

Even though the accomodations were usually old and dated I still recommend this hotel because of its unparalleled access to Red Square. You can walk there in five minutes. On one trip we just missed the "White Lights of St. Petersburg", which is when St. Petersburg is light for 24 hours a day. Even though Moscow doesn't experience 24 hour a day light, it didn't get dark until about 12:00 midnight and even then it was only a dusk type darkness. We walked through Red Square by ourselves at 11:00 p.m. Because of our location we were able to spend a lot of time at the Kremlin, G.U.M., Red Square and the Armory.

If staying in a modern, Western style room is important to you then don't try it. But if you are a bit adventurous and cleanliness, location, a good price and a great view are more important then you would love it. (I would still spend a little extra and ask for the upgraded room.)

The Kremlin is an absolute "must see" attraction. Allow yourself as much time as possible for a tour. I have been there 4 or 5 times and still have not seen it all. The Kremlin is a walled compound somewhat like a fort. The admission for the Kremlin is relative inexpensive. You can buy individual admission for the cathederals at the door if you want to go inside. The individual cathederal admission is inexpensive as well. In the center of the Kremlin is Cathederal Square. Most of the buildings on the square are, as you may have guessed, cathederals. Each of the cathederals are unique. The intricate frescoes and paintings date back centuries in most cases. Over the years the monks had painted over the the paintings to protect them from damage when the Kremlin was under seige from foreign intruders. Much of the late 20th century was spent uncovering the artwork and restoring it. Some of the cathederals are small and, quite frankly, do not house anything but patriarch's tombs.

The most interesting sight at the Kremlin for me was the State Armoury. It is the oldest museum in Russia. The entrance fee was around 10 dollars. This museum holds Russia's national treasures. The Armoury was fascinating because of the variety and the outright priceless nature of the items displayed. Russian art, centuries old armour and weapons, spoils of war, gifts presented to the Tsars, thrones used by the Tsars, riding equipment(one entire room is dedicated to carriages and coaches), gowns and crowns worn by the royalty are just some of the treasures housed there.

You can also see the Emperor Cannon which was built in the 1500's and is the world's largest cannon. It is worth a quick look and makes a good place for a snapshot.

Also located in the Kremlin is the Emperor Bell. The bell is the world's largest bell (20 ft. tall.) It was built in the 1700's. It is worth a quick look and is also a good place to take a snapshot.

The residence of the president of the Russian Federation is also there (no public admission.)

At the entrance to the Kremlin (where they sell tickets) is also a good place to buy t-shirts from street vendors.

Arbat Street is a great place to shop. It was only window shopping for us because the prices are astronomical.

It is the best place we found in Russia for people watching. There were people there from all walks of life. We saw a group of off duty sailors with blood alcohol levels that were off the chart. They were wearing traditional Russian sailor uniforms (they looked like Popeye - quite entertaining).

Arbat Street is the artist district as well. In good weather you will find portrait artists lined up in the streets. In inclement weather they set up their easles in the passageways under the street. The artists all have samples of their work displayed. This has got to be the best bargin in all of Russia. You can have a charcoal portrait drawn for $25 - $35. A mall near our house has a similar Russian artist who charges over $200 for a small picture. They can also make a high quality drawing from a photo.

Restaurants and bars line the streets as well. We ate at an "Italian" restaurant. We ordered a small pizza and a calzone and paid over $50. We were there on a Saturday night and we had to walk a long time to find a restaurant that was open. (Russians don't quite get capitaliam yet. They close when they want to and didn't take the throngs of people looking for somewhere to eat into consideration.)

Novodevichy Convent is one of the most unique experiences we had in Moscow. Some of the buildings date back to the 1500s. They sell tickets to foriegners for a couple of dollars (Russians are free). It is located in a loop of the Moskva. The architecture is fascinating, but the best thing about the visit here is the absolute calm and peace.

Even though we are not Orthodox, we enjoyed seeing the monastery, complete with monks and nuns. Being Protestant, we may have enjoyed it more because it was a completely unfamiliar and interesting sight. Don't come with an intent to hurry your way through--enjoy the beauty and tranquility.

Be sure to see the Smolensk Cathedral. The interior has beautiful frescoes that date back the the 1500s. There is a five-tiered iconostasis from the late 1600s.

Also see the Cathederal of the Dormition. At the time we visited, daily services were held.

Above the main enterance is the Gate-Church of the Transfiguration. Next to it, you can see Lopukhn Palace.

There are two cemeteries. Of particular interest is the new cemetery. Some of the graves include Nikita Khrushchev, Nadeshda Allilujeva (Stalin's first wife), and Anton Chekhov. Also buried there are a number of writers, musicians, and politicians.