10 places in Moscow you should visit

1. 10 places in Moscow you should visit

2.

Tretyakov Gallery
The gallery bears the name of its founder Pavel
Tretyakov who began collecting works of art in
the mid-19th century and later donated his
collection to the city of Moscow. Artists whose
work are displayed at the gallery include
Kasimir Malevich, Ilya Repin, Ivan Shishkin, Vasily
Surikov, Viktor Vasnetsov, Vasili Vereschagin,
Mikhail Vrubel and others. Ancient icons are
also represented including work by masters
Andrey Rublev and Dionisius and the revered
Our Lady of Vladimir Icon.
Tretyakovskaya station

3.

All-Russia Exhibition Centre at VDNKh
The centre was officially opened in 1939 as
the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition, but after
the Second World War it was reconstructed
and in 1959 the whole centre was reopened
as the Exhibition of the Achievements of the
National Economy of the USSR. The centre
was envisaged as a showcase for the
achievements of the Soviet Union in various
spheres and for this purpose many
extravagant exhibit halls were built each
dedicated to a different branch of science
or technology, or to a different area or
republic of the USSR.
VDNKh station

4.

Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve
The palace and park ensemble was founded in
1776 by the order of Empress Catherine the
Great
Empress of Russia from 1762 until 1796 to replace
the old mansion of the 16th century.
Currently, in Tsaritsyno there are a history and
architecture museum, a landscape park with an
adjacent forest, an art museum, the Biryulyovo
dendropark, and a cascade of the Tsaritsyno
ponds. It is managed by the Tsaritsyno Museum
Reserve, founded in 1984.
Tretyakovskaya station

5.

Gorky Park
Gorky Park which was established
along the bank of the River
Moskva in 1928 and named in
honour of the author Maksim
Gorky in 1932. In 2011 the park was
given a new lease of life following
a large-scale renovation. Many of
its avant-garde buildings were
restored and its tacky out-dated
amusement rides were removed
with the park being transformed
into a modern, eco-friendly
recreational area with many areas
for sports and activities.
Oktyabrskaya station

6.

Old Arbat
The pedestrian street of Ulitsa Arbat, which is
commonly called Old Arbat to distinguish it
from Ulitsa Novy Arbat (New Arbat Street), is
one of the most famous streets in Moscow.
The street has existed since at least the 15th
century and became Moscow's first
pedestrian zone in the 1980s. Since then it
has become a favourite spot for both locals
and tourists. In addition to Old Arbat's book
and souvenir stalls, street performers also
gather here. Located on the street are many
bars, restaurants and fast-food
establishments, as well as the Vakhtangov
Theatre.
Smolenskaya station

7.

Kolomenskoe Estate
One of Moscow's most popular estates and one of
the most popular sights outside of the city centre is
the Kolomenskoe Estate. During the reign of Tsar
Alexis, Kolomenskoe became a royal residence and
a grand wooden palace was built here. The palace
had fallen into disrepair by the time of Catherine the
Great who had it demolished, but a modern
recreation of it can be found in the south of the
estate. Other buildings of the Tsar's Court have
survived and on the neighbouring Voznesenskaya
Ploschad is the Ascension Church which was built on
the orders of Grand Prince Vasili III to celebrate the
birth of his son - Ivan the Terrible. Several wooden
buildings from various parts of Russia have also been
brought to the estate for preservation including a
cabin of Peter the Great, who was born at the
Kolomenskoe Estate. The estate covers a very large
area and you could spend most of the day here if
you want to see everything.

8.

Winzavod-Contemporary Art Center
One of the best modern art galleries in
Moscow, this features many European
artworks along with contemporary Russian
artists, and those from further afield. Often
featuring photography exhibitions it is an
interesting gallery space housed in a
converted winery. There are also a
number of small studios where artists
arrange more low-key exhibitions of their
work and hold question and answer
sessions on occasion. Some exhibitions
charge an entry-fee but the majority are
free and you could spend hours
wandering through the galleries making it
an excellent rainy-day outing for art-lovers
visiting Moscow.
Kurskaya station

9.

Pushkin State Museum of art
The largest foreign art museum in
Moscow comprises three
branches housing a collection of
incredible works by masters of
ancient civilisations, the Italian
Renaissance and the Dutch
Golden Age. The main building
contains masterpieces by
Botticelli, Tiepolo, Veronese and
Rembrandt, some of which have
never been displayed before. The
Gallery of European & American
Art, located next door, stores an
incredible collection of
Impressionist and postImpressionist paintings.
Kropotkinskaya station

10.

Museum of Soviet Arcade Games
Preserved by a few Russian students in the
basement of a technical school, the
Museum of Soviet Arcade Games features
about 60 machines from the Soviet era
including video games, pinball machines,
and collaborative hockey foosball.
Although only 50 to 55 of the games are
playable, each of the machines paints a
picture of life and entertainment behind
the Iron Curtain.
The museum has plans to expand as more
machines are discovered and restored in
the basement. Many of the machines have
been sitting idle since the 1980s, when they
were built in secret.
Kuznetsky Most station

11.

Red Square and the Kremlin
Okhotny Ryad station
No visit to Moscow is complete without
visiting its two most famous sights: St Basil's
Cathedral on Red Square and the
neighbouring Kremlin, both of which are
UNESCO World Heritage Sites and located in
the very heart of Moscow. Also situated on
Red Square is the Lenin Mausoleum, the
State History Museum and the GUM
department store. Tickets must be bought to
visit the territory inside the Kremlin where you
will see the Archangel Michael, Dormition
and Annunciation Cathedrals, several
churches and palaces and the Tsar Bell and
Tsar Cannon. The Kremlin has two other
popular museums: the Armoury which is a
veritable treasure trove of Russian history and
the Diamond Fund where you can see
collections of precious stones and the
imperial crown jewels.