Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7
Exploring Moscow
Moscow is less a beautiful city
than a collection of beautiful sights, many
of them hidden beyond the expansive
modern boulevards that successive Soviet
governments bulldozed through town.
The key to delighting in Moscow is to not
let it overwhelm you. Keep your eye out
for twisted gold cupolas peeking from
residential courtyards, turn your gaze
upward to admire the caryatids and atlan-
tes supporting the balconies of otherwise
unremarkable apartment buildings, and
stay cool when challenges come your way.
You'll be rewarded by the discovery of a
new world, one that daily news reports
from Red Square can't possibly convey.
Taking in even a few main sights can give
you an idea of the hardships that made
Ivan the Terrible so terrible, introduce you
to the nuances of icon painting, and help
you appreciate the motivations and mis-
judgments of the Soviet regime. All this is
essential to understanding why Russia and
the Russians are the way they are today.
The things to see in Moscow fall roughly
into four categories: church-related, art-
related, Soviet-related, and everything else.
Try to get a taste of each, regardless of your
interests. The Kremlin is a category unto
itself, representing every era of Russian his-
tory for the past 700 years and continuing
to emanate an aura of mystery and author-
ity as the seat of modern Russian politics. It
is the most logical starting point for any
glimpse of Moscow, providing a historical
and contextual frame for viewing the rest of
the city.
Moscow's art museums are often unfairly
overlooked and overshadowed by the mag-
nificent Hermitage Museum in St. Peters-
burg; try to squeeze in at least one of them.
Closing days for museums vary, and many
close 1 day a month for maintenance in
addition to their weekly days off. Many
museums adhere to the Soviet policy of
charging foreigners significantly more for
admission than Russians (see the box “For-
eigner Tax” on p. 102). The foreigner's fee is
usually equivalent to what you would pay at
a similar site in western Europe. In addi-
tion, admission fees, though posted and
paid for in rubles, are usually pegged to the
U.S. dollar and therefore change frequently.
Children 7 and under are always admitted
free, unless noted.
Roughly half of Moscow's buildings date
from the Soviet era, which spawned a range
of architectural styles and governing atti-
tudes despite its overall authoritarian bent.
Much of the Soviet legacy has been (rightly)
discredited in recent years, but ignoring
Russia's Soviet history gives you a half-pic-
ture of what the country is about. Brilliant
artists, writers, and architects managed to
produce masterpieces in the Soviet era
despite the pressure and whims of the state.
Moscow may not boast the literary tra-
ditions that St. Petersburg does, but many
of Russia's most famous writers lived and
worked here, and Muscovites are proud
enough of the country's literary heritage to
erect museums in their honor. Most of
these museums label their exhibits in Rus-
sian only, though I've listed some below
that offer printouts in English describing
room contents. Among other Moscow
highlights are the aristocratic estates
around the city's edges, which often host
festivals in the summer.
Many of the cathedrals listed here are
functioning churches as well as museums,
and services can be held almost any time
of day. That doesn't bar visitors; however,
you should follow local custom during
your visit (see the box “Visiting Churches,”
later in this chapter).
