Moscow
The original building of Moscow’s main mosque dates back to 1904, but it was demolished in 2011 and rebuilt from scratch. Unlike many religious…
Must-see attractions in Moscow
Moscow
The first public park in Moscow, Alexander Garden sits along the Kremlin’s western wall. Colourful flower beds and impressive Kremlin views make it a…
House of Friendship with Peoples of Foreign Countries
Arbat & Khamovniki
Studded with seashells, this ‘Moorish Castle’ was built in 1899 for an eccentric merchant, Arseny Morozov, who was inspired by a real Moorish castle in…
Moscow
A statue of the founder of Moscow, Yury Dolgoruky, presides over this prominent square near the bottom of Tverskaya ul. So does Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, as…
Zamoskvorechie
Named after the swamp it used to be, Bolotnaya has a lot to tell about those who rebelled against the Kremlin, which views it warily from the other side…
Moscow
From the Kutafya Tower, walk up the ramp and pass through the Kremlin walls beneath the 1495 Trinity Gate Tower. At 80m it's the tallest of the fortress…
Arbat & Khamovniki
One of the Stalinist skyscrapers known as the 'Seven Sisters', the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building is a 27-storey landmark that was completed in 1953.
Moscow
This grandiose complex was founded in 1656 near the picturesque Istra River (renamed the ‘Jordan’ by Patriarch Nikon). Unlike other Moscow monasteries,…
Moscow
Built for Patriarch Nikon mostly in the mid-17th century, the highlight of the Patriarch’s Palace is perhaps the ceremonial Cross Hall (Крестовая палата),…
Moscow
Named for its Italian Renaissance stone facing, the Hall of Facets was designed and built by Marco Ruffo and Pietro Solario between 1487 and 1491, during…
Moscow
Viktor Vasnetsov was a Russian-revivalist painter, who drew inspiration from fairy tales and village mysticism. In 1894 he designed his own house in…
Museum of the Great Patriotic War
Arbat & Khamovniki
The Museum of the Great Patriotic War is the centrepiece of Park Pobedy (Victory Park). The massive museum has hundreds of exhibits, including dioramas of…
Zamoskvorechie
The big ‘House on the Embankment’ on Bolotny Island is a historic building, once home to many old Bolsheviks and Civil War heroes, as well as artists,…
Moscow
Occupying the entire block of Novaya pl, this giant museum showcases the history of Russian science, technology and industry. Indeed, it has claimed to be…
Rublyov Museum of Early Russian Culture & Art
Meshchansky & Basmanny
On the grounds of Andronikov Monastery, the Rublyov Museum exhibits icons from days of yore and the present. Unfortunately, it does not include any work…
Moscow
Though this renowned Russian author is more closely associated with St Petersburg, Fyodor Dostoevsky was actually born in Moscow, where his family lived…
Gorki Leninskie Museum-Reserve
Moscow
In Lenin’s later years, he and his family spent time at the Morozov manor house, set on lovely wooded grounds, 32km southeast of the capital. The estate…
Moscow
Part Russian Revival, part neo-Renaissance, this red-brick beauty was built in the 1890s as the Moscow City Hall and later served as the Central Lenin…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
Novospassky Monastery, a 15th-century fort-monastery, is about 1km south of Taganskaya pl. The centrepiece of the monastery, the Transfiguration Cathedral…
Arbat & Khamovniki
Next door to the main building of the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, this smaller museum shows off art collections donated by private individuals, many of whom…
Moscow
Dominated by the infamous KGB compound, Lubyanskaya pl made adults shiver in Soviet times, but children dreamed of coming here, because another stately…
Moscow
Beside (not inside) the Ivan the Great Bell Tower stands the world’s biggest bell, a 202-tonne monster that has never rung. Bas-reliefs of Empress Anna…
Zamoskvorechie
In the mid-17th century, Tsar Alexey built a palace so fabulous it was dubbed ‘the eighth wonder of the world’. This whimsical building was famous for its…
Presnya
Moscow’s most prolific artist has opened up his ‘studio’ as a space to exhibit his many masterpieces. You can’t miss this place – whimsical characters…
Arbat & Khamovniki
The permanent history exhibit here demonstrates how the city has spread from its starting point at the Kremlin. It is heavy on artefacts from the 13th and…
Moscow
The huge 'new' New Jersalem Museum is a modern, state-of-the-art museum, located across the river from the eponymous monastery. Exhibits draw on the…
Exposition of Military Equipment
Arbat & Khamovniki
Tucked into a corner of the vast Park Pobedy, this exhibition displays weapons and military equipment from the WWII era. There are plenty of Red Army…
Arbat & Khamovniki
Leo Tolstoy’s winter home during the 1880s and 1890s now houses an interesting museum dedicated to the writer’s home life. While it’s not particularly…
Church of St Nicholas in Khamovniki
Arbat & Khamovniki
This church, commissioned by the weavers’ guild in 1676, is among the most colourful in Moscow. The ornate green-and-orange-tapestry exterior houses an…
Church of the Deposition of the Robe
Moscow
This delicate single-domed church was built between 1484 and 1486 in exclusively Russian style. It was the private chapel of the heads of the Church, who…
Zamoskvorechie
Russia’s foremost stage museum, founded in 1894, is in the neo-Gothic mansion on the north side of Paveletskaya pl. The museum exhibits all things…
Museum of Russian Impressionism
Presnya
Few Russian artists embraced the Impressionist moniker, but many were influenced by the movement's style and techniques. At Moscow's newest art museum,…
Moscow
This museum is an excellent place to start when you arrive in Borodino. You can study an interactive diorama of the Battle of Borodino before setting out…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
A branch of the Central Museum of Armed Forces, Stalin's Bunker was built under a sports stadium in the late 1930s in anticipation of the conflict with…
Moscow
Now housing the Russian State University for the Humanities, this elaborately decorated edifice is where Ivan Fyodorov reputedly produced Russia’s first…
Church of St Nicholas in Tolmachi
Zamoskvorechie
Within the grounds of the Tretyakov Gallery, the gallery's founder Pavel Tretyakov regularly attended services here. The church was transferred to the…
Moscow
About the holiest of Soviet icons, this powerful monument designed by Vera Mukhina depicts a fierce-looking couple raising the hammer and sickle,…
Moscow Museum of Modern Art Tverskoy
Presnya
This small exhibition space, known as the ‘Zurab Gallery', was formerly the studio of sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. As such, the space has seen many talented…
Arbat & Khamovniki
Part studio, part museum, the Burganov House is a unique venue in Moscow, where the craft goes on around you, as you peruse the sculptures and other…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
Built between 1837 and 1845, the Church of the Epiphany in Yelokhovo has been Moscow’s senior Orthodox cathedral since 1943. With five domes in a Russian…
