MOSCOW - Moscow and St Petersburg - page 16

Patriarch's Ponds
One of Moscow's most exclusive neighbourhoods, Patriarch's Ponds (Tverskaya) is a
pleasantspotforasummerstrolloranice-skateonitsfrozenwatersinthedepthsofwinter
- note that there's just one pond, despite the name. The area is also known for being the
location of the opening scene of Mikhail Bulgakov's magical realist novel The Master and
Margarita.
Novodevichiy Convent
A cluster of domes shining above a fortified rampart belongs to the lovely Novodevichiy
Convent (Wed-Mon 10am-5.30pm, closed first Mon of month; R150, student R60;
shm.ru ; Sportivnaya), founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1524. At its heart stands the white
Cathedral of the Virgin of Smolensk. In its cemetery lie numerous famous writers, musi-
cians and artists, including Gogol, Chekhov, Stanislavsky, Bulgakov and Shostakovich.
The Tretyakov Gallery
Founded in 1892 by the financier Pavel Tretyakov, the Tretyakov Gallery at Lavrush-
inskiy per. 10 (Tues-Sun 10am-6pm, Thurs & Fri until 9pm; R360, student R220;
tretyakovgallery.ru ; Tretyakovskaya)displaysanoutstandingcollectionofpre-Revolution-
ary Russian art. Icons are magnificently displayed, and the exhibition continues through to
the late nineteenth century, with the politically charged canvases of the iconic realist Ilya
Repin and the Impressionist portraits of Valentin Serov, including The Girl with Peaches ,
one of the gallery's masterpieces.
The Tretyakov Gallery at Krymskiy Val
OppositetheentrancetoGorkyParkatKrymskiyVal10,the TretyakovGalleryatKrym-
skiyVal (Tues-Sun 10am-7.30pm, Thursuntil 10pm; R360,student R220; tretyakovgal-
lery.ru ; Park Kultury) takes a breakneck gallop through twentieth-century Russian art,
from the avant-garde of the 1910s and 20s to contemporary artists. Full and illuminating
commentary in English is a bonus.
Gorky Park
Gorky Park on ul. Krymskiy Val (Park Kultury) is a large park occupying an area of 300
acres along the river. In the winter the frozen-over paths become one of the city's largest
ice rinks, while in the summer Muscovites stroll the area savouring an ice cream. The park
underwentmajorrenovationsin2011andnowhostscontemporaryartprojects,designfairs
and even has free wi-fi access. You can rent bikes, rollerblades and paddle boats in the
warmer months.
VDNKh
To see Soviet triumphalism at its most prolific, visit the Exhibition of Economic Achieve-
ments,or VDNKh ( vvcentre.ru ; VDNKh),withitsstatueuponstatueofordinaryworkers
inheroicposes.Addingtothesceneisthepermanentexhibitioncentre-hosttoeverything