Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
155
Moscow Circus Named after Y. Nikulin
(Tsentralny Tsirk) The breathtak-
ing, ballet-like acrobatics are what set this circus apart from its counterparts outside
Russia, though many come to see the musical cats, gymnastic elephants, and clowns that
know tragedy as only a Russian can. On weekends there are three shows a day. The per-
formances are long: 2 hours, with an intermission.
13 Tsvetnoi Bulvar.
&
495/621-1403.
www.circusnikulin.ru. Tickets 350-2,300 rubles, depending on
seats, time of day, and who's performing. Free for kids 6 and under accompanied by an adult. Metro:
Tsvetnoi Bulvar.
New Moscow Circus
(Novy Tsirk) The quality here is just as good as at the cen-
tral circus, it's just farther out of town in a less picturesque setting. This venue offers more
varied performances and a bigger hall, meaning it's cheaper and easier to get tickets if the
central circus is full. It's right across from a metro station, meaning little legs don't have
to walk far to get from the circus tent to convenient transport.
7 Prospekt Vernadskogo.
&
495/930-2815.
www.bigcirc.ru. Tickets 200-1,500 rubles adults and chil-
dren 7 and up. Metro: Universitet.
Moscow Zoo
(Zoopark) This zoo in the center of town is divided into two parts con-
nected by a whimsical footbridge. The dolphinarium is packed in summer, and the pet-
ting zoo is a scramble of groping hands on weekends. Try a Tuesday or Wednesday
morning for leaner crowds.
1 Bolshaya Gruzinskaya.
&
499/252-3580.
www.moscowzoo.ru. Admission adults 150 rubles, children
17 and under accompanied by adult are free. Tues-Sun 10am-8pm May-Oct; 10am-5pm Nov-Apr.
Metro: Barrikadnaya or Krasnopresnenskaya.
7
Obrazstov Puppet Theater
(Kukolny Teatr) Half the fun of this performance
space is the enormous cuckoo clock on the facade that puts on a show of its own every
hour. The performances are in Russian but the repertoire includes well-known tales such
as “Puss in Boots,” “Pinocchio,” and “Jack and the Beanstalk.” The quality of the puppets
and the actors is superb. The performances run from 1 to 2 hours, which may be long
for the youngest guests.
1 Sadovo-Samotechnya St.
&
495/699-5373.
www.puppet.ru. Tickets 200-850 rubles. Metro: Tsvetnoi
Bulvar.
10
ORGANIZED TOURS
Most organized Moscow tours in English are unadventurous and overpriced, an unfortu-
nate remnant of Soviet days when only certain sites were open to tourists and only the
state tourist agency Intourist was authorized to escort them. One welcome exception is
Patriarshy Dom Tours
(
&
495/795-0927;
in the U.S. 1-650/678-7076; www.toursin
russia.com), which offers informative and unusual tours of Moscow that most tourists
don't see. Selections include metro tours, tours of Jewish Moscow, antiques tours, Easter
tours in medieval Orthodox towns, and tours of Bulgakov in Moscow. The tours run
from an hour to a weekend in length.
For general city tours and Kremlin tours,
Capital Tours
(4 Ilinka Ulitsa, inside Gos-
tiny Dvor;
&
495/232-2442;
www.capitaltours.ru) is the best-equipped and most
friendly. Its Kremlin tours include the Armory and run 6 days a week at 10:30am and at
3pm, for 500 rubles plus admission. City bus tours run daily between 10am and 6pm
for 500 rubles.
