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Durov Animal Theatre
Dedushka Durov, or Grandpa Durov, founded this zany theatre for kids as a humane alternative to the horrible treatment of animals he saw at the circus. His shows feature mostly domestic animals, including cats and dogs, many different farm animals, and the occasional bear. His most popular show is called 'Railway for Mice' .
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Ecclesiastical Residence
Across the road south from Novospassky Monastery is the sumptuous Krutitskoe Podvorye , or ecclesiastic residence. It was the home of the Moscow metropolitans after the founding of the Russian patriarchate in the 16th century, when they lost their place in the Kremlin.
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Entrance Towers
The Kutafya Tower ( Kutafya bashnya ), which forms the main visitors' entrance today, stands away from the Kremlin's west wall, at the end of a ramp over the Alexandrovsky Garden. The ramp was once a bridge over the Neglinnaya River, which used to be part of the Kremlin's defences; it has flowed underground, beneath the Alexandrovsky Garden, since the early 19th century. The Kutafya Tower is the last survivor of a number of outer bridge towers that once stood on this side of the Kremlin.
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Glazunov Gallery
The elaborate empire-style mansion opposite the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum houses a new gallery dedicated to the work of Soviet and post-Soviet artist Ilya Glazunov. Apparently this gallery was a long time in coming, due primarily to the artist's own insistence on moulded ceilings, marble staircases and crystal chandeliers. But now it is open and the interior is impressive: three floors filled with fanciful illustrations of historic events and biblical scenes.
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Glinka Museum of Musical Culture
Musicologists will be amazed by this massive collection of musical instruments from all over the world. The museum boasts over 3000 instruments - handcrafted works of art - featuring cultures from the Caucasus to Mongolia to the Far East. Recordings accompany many of the most rare instruments, allowing visitors to experience what they actually sound like.
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Gogol Memorial Rooms
The 19th-century writer Nikolai Gogol spent his last, tortured months here. The rooms - now a small but captivating museum - are arranged as they were when Gogol lived here. You can even see the fireplace where he infamously threw his manuscript of Dead Souls . An additional `reading room' contains a library of Gogol's work and other reference materials about the author.
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Gorky House-Museum
This fascinating 1906 Art Nouveau mansion was designed by Fyodor Shekhtel and gifted to Gorky in 1931. The house is a visual fantasy with sculpted doorways, ceiling murals, stained glass, a carved stone staircase, and exterior tile work. Besides the fantastic decor, it contains many of Gorky's personal items, including his extensive library. A small room in the cupola houses random, rotating exhibits of contemporary or quixotic art.
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Gorky Park
Stretching almost 3km (1.8mi) along the river, Gorky Park is full of that sometimes rare species - the happy Russian. Officially the 'Park of Culture', named after Maxim Gorky, it's the original Soviet park - part ornamental and educational, part funfair and amusement park, and a good place to escape the hubbub of the city.
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Government Buildings
The lane to the right (south), immediately inside the Trinity Gate Tower, passes the 17th-century Poteshny Palace ( Poteshny Dvorets ) where Stalin later lived. Poteshny Palace was built by Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich and housed the first Russian theatre. Here Tsar Alexey enjoyed various comedy performances; however, in keeping with conservative Russian Orthodox tradition, after the show he would go to the banya (Russian bathhouse), then attend a church service to repent his sins.
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Great Kremlin Palace
Housing the Armoury and much more, the 700-room Great Kremlin Palace was built from 1838 to 1849 by Konstantin Thon as an imperial residence. It is now an official residence of the Russian president, used for state visits and receptions. However, unlike Russian emperors, the president doesn't have living quarters here.
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GUM
The elaborate 19th-century facade on the northeastern side of Red Square is the Gosudarstvenny Universalny Magazin (State Department Store). GUM once symbolised all that was bad about Soviet shopping: long queues and shelves empty of all but a few drab goods. A remarkable transformation has taken place since perestroika and today GUM is a bright, bustling place with over 1000 fancy shops.
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Hall Of Facets
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 the reign of Ivan III. Its upper floor housed the tsar's throne room, scene of banquets and ceremonies.
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Hermitage Gardens
Gravitate toward the Hermitage Gardens during the summer months for relaxed beer drinking amid the greenery.
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Hotel Metropol
Sculpted stone, tiled mosaic and wrought iron distinguish the fantastic facade of this luxury hotel - one of Moscow's finest examples of Art Nouveau architecture. The mosaic on the western side, the Princess of Dreams , is a masterpiece by Mikhail Vrubel that depicts a Russian fairy tale. The interior is no less exquisite, and tourists are usually not discouraged from going inside to look around. Don't miss the spectacular stained glass ceiling in the restaurant.
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House Of Friendship With Peoples Of Foreign Countries
The 'Moorish Castle' studded with seashells, was built in 1899 for an eccentric merchant named Arseny Morozov, who was inspired by a real one in Spain. The inside is sumptuous and equally over the top. Morozov's mother, who lived next door, apparently declared of her son's home, 'Until now, only I knew you were mad; now everyone will'. This place is not normally open to the public, but sometimes exhibitions are held here.
Read more about House Of Friendship With Peoples Of Foreign Countries
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House Of Unions
The green-columned House of Unions dates from the 1780s. Its ballroom - known as the Hall of Columns - is the famous location of one of Stalin's most grotesque show trials, that of Nikolai Bukharin, a leading Communist Party theorist who had been a close associate of Lenin. Next door is the seat of the Russian parliament, the State Duma. This glowering building was erected in the 1930s for Gosplan (Soviet State Planning Department), source of the USSR's infamous Five-Year Plans.
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Ivan The Great Bell Tower
With its two golden domes rising above the eastern side of Sobornaya ploshchad, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower is the Kremlin's tallest structure - a landmark visible from 30km away. Before the 20th century it was forbidden to build any higher in Moscow.
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Izmaylovo Country Estate
Izmaylovo is best known for its extensive arts and crafts market, held every weekend. After shopping, however, Izmaylovsky Park and the crumbling royal estate are nice for a picnic or more serious outdoor activity.
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Kazan Cathedral
The tiny Kazan Cathedral, opposite the northern end of GUM, is a 1993 replica. The original was founded in 1636 in thanks for the 1612 expulsion of Polish invaders (for two centuries it housed the Virgin of Kazan icon, which supposedly helped to rout the Poles). Three hundred years later the cathedral was completely demolished, allegedly because it impeded the flow of celebrating workers in May Day and Revolution Day parades.
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KGB Museum
This four-room museum is devoted to the history, propaganda and paraphernalia of the Soviet intelligence services. The museum is not open to casual callers but Dom Patriarshy occasionally takes groups there. Security is super tight: an FSB agent leads a small group, room by room, recounting Cold War era espionage anecdotes.
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Kitay Gorod
This 13th-century neighbourhood was the first in Moscow to grow up outside the Kremlin walls. While its name means 'China Town' in modern Russian, do not expect anything Chinese - the name derives from an old Russian word meaning 'wattle', for the supports used for the walls that protected the suburb. This is the heart of medieval Moscow and parts of the suburb's walls are visible.
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Kuklachev Cats Theatre
Kuklachev Cats Theatre features a troop of talented felines performing astounding acrobatic feats. The cats dance, walk tightropes, balance balls on their noses, do pawstands, jump from great heights, and unerringly negotiate complex mazes. The theatre is the brainchild of Yuri Kuklachev, a former circus clown.
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Lenin Funeral Train
The wide square on the Garden Ring is dominated by the Paveletsky Station, terminus for trains to the Volga region. The finest loco in the neighbourhood, however, stands idle in an air-conditioned pavilion just east of the station. It is the funeral train which brought Lenin's body to Moscow from Gorki Leninskie, where he died, in January 1924. The old steam engine is in beautiful condition, but does not receive many visitors these days.
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Lenin's Tomb
Whether for the creepiness value or an interest in mummification, the granite tomb of Lenin is a must-see, especially since (if some people get their way) the former leader may eventually end up beside his mum in St Petersburg. For now, the embalmed leader remains as he has been since 1924 (apart from a retreat to Siberia during WWII).
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Lermontov House-Museum
`Till I live I swear, dear friends, not to cease to love Moscow.' So wrote the 19th-century poet Mikhail Lermontov about his hometown. The celebrated author of A Hero of Our Time lived in this little pink house on a small lane off Novy Arbat ulitsa. Here, he was raised by his grandmother; and here he wrote poetry and prose in the primitive office in the attic. Today, the cosy bungalow evokes the family's everyday life, displaying the poet's books and artwork and other hobbies.
