Moscow
The Armoury dates to 1511, when it was founded under Vasily III to manufacture and store weapons, imperial arms and regalia for the royal court. Later it…
Must-see attractions in Moscow
Moscow
At the southern end of Red Square stands the icon of Russia: St Basil’s Cathedral. This crazy confusion of colours, patterns and shapes is the culmination…
Moscow
The apex of Russian political power and once the centre of the Orthodox Church, the Kremlin is the kernel of not only Moscow, but of the whole country…
Moscow
Although Vladimir Ilych requested that he be buried beside his mum in St Petersburg, he still lies in state at the foot of the Kremlin wall, receiving…
Moscow
Immediately outside the Kremlin’s northeastern wall is the celebrated Red Square, the 400m-by-150m area of cobblestones that is at the very heart of…
Moscow
All the things that have improved Moscow parks no end in recent years fill this small, charming garden to the brim. Today, it is possibly the most…
Moscow
On the northern side of Sobornaya pl, with five golden helmet domes and four semicircular gables, the Assumption Cathedral is the focal church of pre…
Jewish Museum & Centre of Tolerance
Moscow
Occupying a heritage garage, purpose-built to house a fleet of Leyland double-deckers that plied Moscow's streets in the 1920s, this vast museum, filled…
Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines
Moscow
Growing up in 1980s USSR was a peculiar, but not necessarily entirely bleak experience. Here is an example – a collection containing dozens of mostly…
Central Museum of the Armed Forces
Moscow
Covering the history of the Soviet and Russian military since 1917, this massive museum occupies 24 halls plus open-air exhibits. Over 800,000 military…
Moscow
Palaces for workers! There is no better place to see this Soviet slogan put into practice than at VDNKh, which stands for Exhibition of Achievements of…
Moscow
The Archangel Cathedral at the southeastern corner of Sobornaya pl was for centuries the coronation, wedding and burial church of tsars. It was built by…
Moscow
The Annunciation Cathedral, at the southwest corner of Sobornaya pl, contains impressive murals in the gallery and an archaeology exhibit in the basement…
Moscow
The entire battlefield – more than 100 sq km – is now part of the Borodino Field Museum-Preserve, its vast fields dotted with dozens of memorials to…
Moscow
Moscow's first new park in 50 years, Zaryadye was inaugurated in 2017 and occupies a prominent site along the Moscow River, wedged into historic Kitay…
Moscow
This glass-dome pavilion was the first element of Park Zaryadye to open to the public. A creation of Sergei Kuznetsov, the pavilion was designed as an …
Moscow
A pet project of the ubiquitous artist Zurab Tsereteli, this museum is housed in a classical 18th-century merchant’s home, originally designed by Matvei…
Museum of Decorative & Folk Art
Moscow
Just beyond the Garden Ring, this museum showcases centuries-old arts-and-crafts traditions from around Russia and the former Soviet republics. Of the 40…
Moscow
With its two golden domes rising above the eastern side of Sobornaya pl, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower is the Kremlin's tallest structure – a landmark…
Moscow
At the northern end of Red Square, the State History Museum has an enormous collection covering Russian history from the time of the Stone Age. The…
Abramtsevo Estate Museum-Preserve
Moscow
In 1870 Savva Mamontov – railway tycoon and patron of the arts – bought this lovely estate 45km north of Moscow. Here, he hosted a whole slew of artists,…
Moscow
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier contains the remains of one soldier who died in December 1941 at Km41 of Leningradskoe sh – the nearest the Nazis came to…
Moscow
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…
Moscow
When the Ostankino TV Tower was built in 1967, it was the tallest free-standing structure in the world (surpassing the Empire State Building). At 540m, it…
Moscow
In 1810, the wealthy Prince Nikolai Yusupov purchased this grand palace on the outskirts of Moscow, and turned it into a spectacular estate. Now his…
Church of the Trinity in Nikitniki
Moscow
Hidden between big government blocks, this little gem of a church is an exquisite example of Russian baroque. Built in the 1630s, its onion domes and…
Saviour Church ‘Not Made by Hand’
Moscow
The prettiest building in the grounds is Saviour Church ‘Not Made by Hand’ (Khram Spasa Nerukotvorny). The structure epitomises Mamontov’s intentions…
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Putinki
Moscow
When this church was completed in 1652, Patriarch Nikon responded by banning tent roofs like those featured here. Apparently, he considered such…
Moscow
Stalin's genocide is a subject many Russians prefer to forget rather than reflect on, but this modern multimedia space serves as both a learning centre…
Glinka Museum of Musical Culture
Moscow
This musicologist's paradise boasts over 3000 instruments – handcrafted works of art – from the Caucasus and the Far East. Russia is very well represented…
Moscow
If the Armoury hasn’t sated your lust for diamonds, there is more in the Diamond Fund Exhibition. The fund dates back to 1719, when Peter the Great…
Moscow
The Kremlin’s ‘official’ exit onto Red Square is the stately red-brick Saviour Gate Tower. This gate – considered sacred – has been used for processions…
Moscow
A reopened palatial building sporting an elegant glass cupola, Space Pavilion is packed with rockets, landing capsules and entire space stations, some of…
Moscow
Built in 1873 by Victor Gartman, the ornate Russian-style wooden studio is notable for the carved art nouveau detailing on the exterior. It contains an…
Moscow
Complete with stone lions, this opulent mansion was built to host the English Club – a venue favoured by Anglophile gentlemen and native Brits in tsarist…
Moscow
The gated walkway of Tretyakovsky proezd (originally built in the 1870s) leads from Teatralny proezd into Kitay Gorod. Nearby, you can see where…
Moscow
At the northwestern corner of Red Square, Resurrection Gate provides a great vantage point for your first glimpse of the square. With its twin red towers…
Moscow
The soaring 100m titanium obelisk outside VDNKh is a monument ‘To the Conquerors of Space’, built in 1964 to commemorate the launch of Sputnik. In its…
Moscow
The Upper St Peter Monastery was founded in the 1380s as part of an early defensive ring around Moscow. The main, onion-domed Virgin of Bogolyubovo Church…
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…
