Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
93
4
THE BEST OF MOSCOW IN 3 DAYS
The luxury of a third day in Moscow is best enjoyed at a more leisurely pace. Spend the
morning at Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery, a secluded spot that feels miles from
the downtown rush. Then take a car or the metro to Gorky Park. After lunch, head to
the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and spend the evening on a bus tour that hits sights
farther afield and wraps up the Moscow experience.
Start: Metro to Sportivnaya, then a
10-minute walk to the convent.
1
Novodevichy Convent & Ceme-
tery (Novodevichy Monastyr)
This complex, nestled on a leafy peninsula
overlooking the Moscow River, was built
in the 16th century and housed many
exiled or self-exiled royal wives, daughters,
and lovers. Its cathedrals form a stunning
window onto Russian architecture. The
cemetery below holds the intricate and
unusual graves of many of Russia's most
famous and talented literary, artistic,
musical, and political figures. See p. 143.
2
Gorky Park (Park Kultury i
Otdkykha Imeni M. Gorkovo)
This is not Moscow's prettiest park or its
greenest, but it is the most famous and the
most lively. Ice sculptures and iced-over
alleys for skating offer pleasure in winter, and
concerts and children's festivals keep things
lively in summer. The small amusement park
along the river includes a real Buran space
shuttle that now offers riders a chance to feel
like they're blasting off. See p. 150.
4
Pushkin Museum of
Fine Arts
This impressive collection of international
art from the ancients to the present is
often overshadowed by the Hermitage
Museum, but the Pushkin is a masterpiece
of its own. Don't miss the Impressionists
and the controversial “trophy art”—works
taken from European Jews by the Nazis,
then later seized by victorious Soviet
troops. The Museum of Private Collec-
tions across the street shows rotating
exhibits of top quality and varying tastes.
You can walk here from Gorky Park down
picturesque Ostozhenka Street, or take the
metro one stop from Gorky Park to Kro-
potkinskaya. See p. 149.
5
Christ the Savior Cathedral
This dominant feature of Moscow's sky-
line has a history as striking as its facade.
First built over several decades in the 19th
century, the massive cathedral was razed
by Stalin in the 1930s and became a public
swimming pool. Muscovites were cha-
grined when the popular pool was gutted
in 1994, due to the mayor's decree that a
bigger, better Christ the Savior Cathedral
be erected in its place. Its newness is pal-
pable, especially after the mystical and
musty St. Basil's. See p. 143.
6
Peter the Great Monument
You don't have to cross the river to get
a good look at this bronze tribute to
Peter the Great; it's so enormous you can
study it from the platform of Christ the
Savior Cathedral. The oddly proportioned
4
3
MAMA ZOYA ON THE
WATER
This kitschy-looking boat-restaurant
boasts some fine Georgian cuisine and a
surprisingly homey atmosphere. Mama
Zoya's original basement cafe was so pop-
ular that she branched out to this dock
across from Gorky Park. Try Georgian spe-
cialties such as grilled lamb shashlyk or
ground-beef kebabs, or the hearty red-
bean-and-garlic
lobio
stew. On the docks
across from 4/6 Frunzenskaya Naberezh-
naya;
&
499/242-8550.
