Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
145
Visiting Churches
Moscow and its environs boast hundreds of beautiful Orthodox churches, many
reopened in the 1990s after decades as storehouses, offices, or abandoned lots.
Don't hesitate to wander into any church that appeals to you, as long as you do
so respectfully. Dress codes are rarely enforced, but men are expected to remove
their hats, and women should keep their heads covered (a hood or small scarf is
enough to deflect critical glances). Both genders should wear clothing covering
legs and shoulders. You will be rewarded by a hushed hall covered in frescoes
and illuminated largely by candles. If you enter during a service, you're likely to
hear the pure, hypnotic melodies of the priest or a choir, always a cappella. Serv-
ices are held frequently throughout the day but attendance is generally low;
believers often prefer to come and pray individually.
Spaso-Andronnikov Monastery
Founded in 1360, this monastery on the east
bank of the Yauza River was slated for demolition in the Soviet era. Instead, it became a
museum of early Russian art. Today the museum shares the site with monks who are
again using the monastery for its original purpose. While simpler and less well-preserved
than the Kremlin's cathedrals or Novodevichy, this monastery feels more authentic. Tour
groups usually ignore it, making it calmer and less souvenir-heavy. Andrei Rublev, per-
haps Russia's greatest icon painter, spent his last years in this monastery and died here in
1430. You can see many of his works here—if you have any interest in Orthodox icons,
this is
the
place to visit. Andrei Tarkovsky's film
Andrei Rublev
is a chilling and gripping
journey through medieval Russia that took years to make it past Soviet censors, and
provides a great context for visiting this monastery. It's rather out-of-the-way, so give
yourself at least an hour once you get here.
10 Andronyevskaya Ploshchad.
&
495/678-1467.
www.rublev-museum.ru. Admission to grounds free,
icon exhibit 150 rubles, applied art museum 120 rubles. Thurs-Tues 11am-5pm; closed last Fri of the
month. Metro: Ploshchad Ilicha, then a 10-min. walk toward the Yauza River.
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SOVIET SIGHTS
Although many monuments of Socialist realism around town have been deposed, a few
remaining examples are worth viewing if you're in the neighborhood.
The Gagarin Monu-
ment
is a sweep of steel rocketing toward the cosmos, topped with a sculpture of the first
man in space, Yuri Gagarin. Gagarin remains a cult figure in Russia, seen as the man who
made the world finally take Russians seriously (Gagarinskaya Ploshchad; metro: Leninsky
Prospekt).
The Lenin monument
on Oktyabrskaya Square shows the Soviet founder with
a crowd of enthusiastic followers at his feet preparing to build a nation (Oktyabrskaya
Ploshchad; metro: Oktyabrskaya).
The Worker and Collective Farmer
is the best and
biggest of the collection, but was under renovation at press time. It's an oversized statue of
a man and woman reaching boldly toward the sky; he's holding a hammer and she, a sickle
(at the entrance to the All-Russian Exhibition Center; metro: VDNKh).
