Back in the USSR

Description:

This is possibly the most famous central square in the world. It is a humbling sight both day and night; beautiful in winter— regally dramatic all the year round. Originally an expanse of nothing more than mud, and populated by a ragged collection of hawkers, beggars and outcasts, Red Square acquired its present grandness gradually. Nowadays, the square and its surrounds positively exude the drama of Russian past and present. The walls of the Kremlin loom on one side, their blood-red height belittling the pale GUM department store opposite. At the southern end of the square towers, is the onion-domed exuberance of St Basil's Cathedral.

Description:

Architect Alexei Shchusev (who built this imposing mausoleum on Red Square in 1930) modeled it on the ziggurat terraced temples of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians. Inside, visitors file round the embalmed body of the leader of the Russian Revolution, Vladiamr I. Lenin. The material used for the exterior is mostly dark-red granite and grey and black labradorite. The colors are in perfect harmony with the red bricks of the Kremlin Wall that looms in the background. It measures 12 meters in height and 24 meters in length. Admission is free.

Description:

Here you will find themed exhibitions dealing with the Russian Empire such as the takeover by the Bolsheviks, the Civil War (the Reds versus the Whites), the emergence of Stalinism and the history of the Soviet Union from its creation in 1922 to its dissolution in 1991. There is also a lot of hardware on display: period small arms, a World War I armoured car, a 6-inch artillery gun used by Bolshevik insurgents to shell the Kremlin and pieces of Moscow's barricades from 1991. A separate exhibition features gifts which have been presented to Soviet leaders from Stalin to Gorbachev.

Description:

Built by soviet architect Alexey Dushkin and opened in 1930, this glamorous station is one of the most well-known in the world for its pre-Stalinist design. The station, which is part of the Zamoskvoretskaya Line on Moscow's metro system, features gorgeous architecture and design. Dushkin's art-deco concept is in full swing as the entire place is covered in ornate marble, pink rhondite, stainless steel and glass mosaics. Inspired and named after poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, due to his descriptions of the Soviet future, this station is certainly one to check out. Marvel at its grandeur and beauty before jumping on a train to your next destination.

Description:

Russian hockey has gone into something of a decline since the days of the Soviet Union, when the KGB sponsored Dynamo, but the team remains a force in the Russian Elite League. Many of the younger players will one day be NHL stars in North America. The schedule runs throughout the winter (December-March) at the Luzhniki Sports Palace. Tickets are very affordable.

Description:

This former training center for Soviet 'Young Pioneers' (the Soviet Union's youth organ) has transformed into quite a commercial enterprise. There is an upscale restaurant at the entrance and a parking lot inside. Kids under 12 can enter free of charge. It is a well-tended indoor skating rink with comfortable cloakrooms, and they offer excellent Bauer skates that look brand new. The sports complex also has a sweat room, an athletic hall, a soccer stadium, and basketball and tennis courts.

Description:

This unique exhibition is situated on the Frunze Central Airfield, and displays more than 60 airplanes and helicopters built in the various military-industrial locations of Russia. Some of the most interesting exhibition pieces include Mig (models from 17 to 29) and Su (models from 7 to 27) military airplanes, Mi (models from 1 to 6) helicopters and spy apparatus, constructed on a massive scale at the beginning of the 1950s. Some of the planes still have military equipment attached. The territory around the musuem is often used for airshows and international aviation projects.

Description:

Gorky Park (traditionally referred to as Park Kul'tury i Otdykha or Park of Culture and Recreation) stretches along 3 kilometers of the Moskva river to the southwest of the city center. The park became known to the Western public thanks to a blockbuster movie based on Martin Cruz Smith's best-selling book, 'Gorky Park,' and the Scorpions' famous song. Laid down in 1928, the original ornamental gardens are now accompanied by an entertainment zone, hosting everything from science lectures to rock concerts in its auditorium.

Our Local Expert Says:

If you only get one shot at Georgian, go to Mama Zoya, an excellent restaurant with the added attraction of being housed on a boat in the Moscow River. There’s so much to look at, from intricate wooden furniture (some of the bigger tables are themselves shaped like boats) to live musicians to the hearty Georgian clientele that frequent the place. The menu is the size of the Bible, so ask the waitress what to order.

Description:

The family of Mama Zoya started with a rudimentary cafe, then expanded to an out-of-the-way cellar restaurant, and now boasts a multistory boat-restaurant moored along the Moscow River across from Gorky Park. The latest location is less intimate but more accessible and successful. The food is just as homey even if the service is not quite so familial. This is an atmospheric and decently priced way to sample the rich and underappreciated pleasures of Georgian cuisine. The grilled lamb -- cubed and skewered, ground and skewered, or grilled by the leg -- is a specialty, and it's divine. Also try adzhapsandal, an eggplant-and-tomato based ragout; or pkhali, spinach, garlic, and walnuts ground to a rich paste. Ignore the weird decor of gnomes, palms, and mannequins, and look out at the river instead.

Description:

The modern FSB security service is the modern incarnation of the KGB, and this museum in the heart of the imposing Liubianka complex is devoted to the great and notorious history of the mysterious organisation. There's a collection of spy gadgets garnered from those who have fallen foul of the organisation, including mini-bombs and venom-tipped umbrellas. The history of spying is illuminated by the documented biographies of various big catches among of foreign spy networks. Finally, a rogue's gallery of former KGB heads includes Stalin's infamous henchman Lavrentii Beria, the controversial founder Felix Dzerzhinksi, and current Russian president Vladimir Putin. Entry is in groups on a pre-arranged basis only.

Description:

Largely referred to by its soviet-era acronym of V-D-N-Kh, this sprawling exhibition site was once host to a complex of exhibitions showing off the economic and technological fruits of the Soviet world. Nowadays the 68 pavilions are full of pretty ramshackle stores with all sorts of household goods. The centre boasts some 40,000 square meters of outdoor space and nearly 130,000 square meters of indoor exhibition space. It hosts some 350 exhibitions each year and 40 to 50 of them are international. The annual visitor influx is close to 10 million. Admission is free.

Description:

Even before the arrival of communists, this place was a favorite hangout of Moscow's elite. Its website waxes lyrical about the university professors, conservatory teachers, musicians, artists and writers who frequented the place around the beginning of the 20th century. In Soviet times the place was a favorite celebration haunt of the upper echelons of Moscow society, and more recently, it was officially reopened by none other than Mayor Luzhkov. The cuisine is Russian and international, offering more than 100 main and vegetable dishes. Its drink menu offers vintage wines, and fine cognacs and vodkas.

Description:

The White House was main witness to two of the defining moments of post-Soviet history. The first was the August coup of 1991, when Gorbachev was ousted by hardliners and a Yeltsin-led democratic alliance took the White House as their rallying point. Muscovites formed a human shield round the building in full expectation of a militarized clampdown that was never to materialize. The coup and the Soviet Union with it collapsed in disarray. In 1993, the White House once again played host to political drama. Yeltsin shelled the leaders of Russia's parliament into submission when they refused his order of dissolution.