Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8
buildings, two are hotels, and one is
Moscow State University. See p. 53.
•
Kolomenskoye Museum Reserve
(Moscow): The towering tented spires
of the 16th-century Church of the
Ascension share this reserve with the
quirky wooden house in which Peter
the Great once stayed, among other
architectural treasures. See p. 153.
•
Moscow's Metro Stations
(Moscow):
The spotless marble and granite floors
of the subway are as remarkable as the
intricate artwork and regal columns
that adorn the stations. Favorites
include the bronze statues at Ploshchad
Revolutsii, the aviation mosaics at May-
akovskaya, and any stop on the opulent
Circle Line.
7
BEST MUSEUMS
•
State Hermitage Museum
(St. Peters-
burg; 1 Palace Sq.;
&
812/710-9079
):
The museum holds one of the world's
best and biggest collections of fine art,
from Egyptian carvings to Rembrandt
to Impressionist masterpieces. A con-
troversial hall holds so-called trophy art
seized from the Germans after World
War II. The museum is located in the
Winter Palace, stormed in 1917 by
revolutionaries arresting Czar Nicholas
II's government. See p. 247.
•
Armory Museum
(Moscow; Kremlin;
&
495/921-4720
): Fabergé eggs, coro-
nation robes, royal carriages, and jewels
have filled what was once the czarist
weapons storehouse. The Armory, the
Kremlin's main museum, also holds an
impressive collection of armor and
weaponry. Admission is limited to four
sessions per day. See p. 138.
•
Tretyakov Gallery
(Moscow; 10
Lavrushinsky Pereulok;
&
495/230-
7788
): The largest collection of Russian
art, this museum is treasured by locals
but underappreciated by visitors. Cha-
gall and Kandinsky share space with
penetrating medieval icons. Vrubel's
Style Moderne and Levitan's smoky
landscapes are pleasant discoveries. See
p. 148.
•
Peter and Paul Fortress
(St. Peters-
burg; Hare's Island or Zaichy Ostrov):
This island fort holds the cathedral
where the remains of Russia's last royal
family are interred, as well as a former
mint and several small galleries. It was
here that Peter the Great started his
project to build this northern capital.
See p. 252.
•
Museum of Cosmonautics
(Moscow;
111 Prospekt Mira;
&
495/683-7914
):
Housed beneath a sculpture of a rocket
shooting off into the cosmos, this
museum traces the formidable industry
that put the Soviets head-to-head with
the United States in the Space Race.
Exhibits include moon rocks and the
evolution of spacesuits. See p. 146.
•
Literary Museums:
Moscow and St.
Petersburg have wonderful small muse-
ums devoted to Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dos-
toyevsky, Bulgakov, Gorky, and scores
of other Russian writers, though sig-
nage is often in Russian only. See
p. 153.
1
8
BEST GIFTS TO BRING HOME
•
Linens:
Delicately embroidered table-
cloths, pillowcases, and women's or
children's traditional tunics made from
local linen are great buys.
•
Lacquer Boxes:
Different schools pro-
duce different styles of boxes, usually in
black wood decorated with images from
Russian folk tales.
