Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
92
4
Zamoskvarechye (Land South of
the Moscow River)
This awkward name applies to the hump
of land across the river from the Kremlin,
a neighborhood where Ivan the Terrible
sent his best guards to live while fending
off threats from the south. The one- and
two-story architecture is uncluttered by
office blocks and high-rises, making the
area feel intimate and accessible even
though it's at the center of modern Mos-
cow. Pyatnitskaya Street boasts the most
commerce, with plenty of cafes and some
less touristy craft shops.
5
Cathedrals of Kitai-Gorod
Heading back across the Bolshoi Moskva-
retsky Bridge toward Red Square, you'll
arrive at the neighborhood of Kitai-Gorod.
Once a bustling community of traders and
nobles, its top sights today are the churches
and merchants' houses along Varvarka
Street, a showcase of Russian architecture
from the 15th to 17th centuries. The adja-
cent streets house government ministries
and agencies. See the walking tour in
chapter 7; the first five stops of the tour
take you through the Kitai-Gorod neigh-
borhood.
6
Lubyanka
No Russian responds indifferently to the
dull yellow building overlooking Luby-
anka Square—the headquarters of the
KGB in Soviet times, and its successor, the
FSB, today. Foreigners need not fret any-
more, however. The imposing statue of
Soviet secret police founder Felix Dzer-
zhinsky was torn down in 1991, and the
KGB museum was even open to tourists
for a while. The bald-looking plaza in
front of the institution livens up a few
times a year, when it hosts New Year's Eve
concerts and other events. Take note of the
small plaque off to the side of the square
honoring those repressed by the Soviet
regime (see stops 7 and 8 on the walking
tour in chapter 7).
7
Pushkin Square (Pushkinskaya
Ploshchad)
Alexander Pushkin is Russia's favorite
poet, and even though he died in 1837,
his likeness oversees Muscovites' favorite
meeting spot. Though Pushkin Square
throngs with activity all day, year-round,
the statue of Pushkin himself retains an
atmosphere of reverence. The McDonald's
on the square was the world's largest when
it opened in 1989, but it still wasn't big
enough to accommodate the endless lines
of people curious about the capitalist Big
Mac. It's a good source of reliable rest-
rooms. You can get here by taking the
metro one stop from the Lubyanka to the
Pushkinskaya station.
8
CAFE PUSHKIN
This is a prime way to treat yourself after a
long day, while remaining in the mood of
bygone Russian aristocracy. A three-story,
post-Soviet creation made to look a cen-
tury older, this Russian restaurant has
cuisine as elegant as it is satisfying.
Dressed-up versions of Russian staples
such as sturgeon and
bliny
share the
menu with more innovative items such as
shellfish and avocado salad. 26a Tverskoi
Bulvar;
&
495/229-5590.
4
9
Tverskaya Street (long version)
Evening is a great time to experience Mos-
cow's main drag in full. Wrought-iron
street lamps, monstrous TV screens, and
neon signs advertising a planet of interna-
tional brands illuminate the dark sky. On
ground level, shops are open late, and
sushi bars, coffee shops, and top-scale eat-
eries—many of them busy 24 hours a
day—line Tverskaya. You'll pass the col-
umned red facade of City Hall, the statue
of city founder Yuri Dolgoruky (a 12th-c.
prince), the former Revolution Museum,
and plenty of plaques indicating where
Soviet-era dignitaries once lived. See chap-
ters 6 and 9 for restaurant and nightlife
options along Tverskaya.
