Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
151
will shake you up a bit in a blastoff simulation. Some of the other rides are in dodgy
condition. Note the Lenin carving over the park's columned entrance.
Krymsky Val. Admission 60 rubles. Daily 9am-9pm. Metro: Oktyabrskaya or Park Kultury.
Victory Park
(Park Pobedy) The Great Patriotic War, as Russians refer to World War
II, is a crucial part of Russia's collective memory, and this park seeks to pay tribute to
those who brought the Soviet Union victory over the Nazis. The crushing cost of the
war—27 million Soviet lives, more than was suffered by any other country—remains a
painful and defining memory even today. Children frolic on tanks parked along the
park's lush lanes, and newlyweds pose in front of its various monuments. In a post-Soviet
gesture of religious tolerance, the park now houses a synagogue, a mosque, and an Ortho-
dox chapel. The stirring images of the Victory Museum are worth viewing, though be
prepared for a jolt when you exit into crowds of carefree in-line skaters. Don't miss the
collection of World War II aircraft along the back road.
Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Daily sunrise-sundown. Metro: Park Pobedy. Victory Museum
&
495/148-5550.
www.poklonnayagora.ru. 120 rubles adults. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm.
Izmailovsky Park
Most tourists only make it as far as the enormous souvenir
market in the park's corner (p. 168), but the park itself is well worth deeper investigation.
Take the metro to the next stop (simply called Izmailovskaya) past the market, and
stumble off the train into a maze of trails that wind among dense forest, hidden ponds,
and gurgling streams. Wooden pavilions scattered through the park house picnickers or
clusters of chess players in heated play. It's a superb spot for cross-country skiing half the
year if you have your own equipment, or for biking or hiking in summer.
Izmailovskoye Shosse. Daily until sundown. Metro: Izmailovskaya (not Izmailovsky Park).
Patriarch's Ponds
(Patriarshiye Prudy) This patch of green in central
Moscow is a great getaway from the buzz of nearby Tverskaya Street and the Garden
Ring, and an unmatchable spot for lazy people-watching. Mikhail Bulgakov made the
7
The Silvery Islet (Serebryanny Bor)
This unusual island in northwest Moscow is a surprising refuge of oak-lined
paths, silky dunes, and even beaches. It's well upstream from the factories and
other pollutants that make the Moscow River so murky in the center of town. The
island's relatively clean air and parkland, and its proximity to the Kremlin, made it
a prime spot for
dachas
(country cottages and gardens) for the Soviet elite, and
its well-protected cottages are still prized real estate. Several small beaches line
the two shores, some more secluded than others, including sections preferred by
nudists and gays. Water equipment such as pedal boats and canoes are available
for rent, beach volleyball games are common, and a few rides have been set up
for children. On hot summer weekends the island gets crowded, but summer
weekdays, or pleasant weekends in spring or autumn, are great times to enjoy a
break from traffic-clogged streets and watch Muscovites unwind.
To get to the island, take the metro to Polezhayevskaya; then take trolley bus
no. 20, 21, or 65 to the last stop, on the island. A taxi ride from downtown Mos-
cow takes about 15 minutes, except during rush hour.
