MOSCOW INTRODUCTION Introduction

2:32

As you know, Moscow is Russia’s capital and most important economic hub, as well as the largest metropolis in Europe with over 12 million inhabitants. But above all it’s a beautiful city steeped in history, art, life and fun that will blow you away.

It was founded around 1100 and was capital of the Russian Empire from 1480 to 1705, until Peter the Great relocated the court to St. Petersburg. Moscow once again became one of the most important and influential cities in the world at the beginning of the twentieth century when it was made the capital of the Soviet Union.

The symbols of its power are undoubtedly the fortified complex of the Kremlin and the Red Square, but the city offers many other examples of majestic beauty such as St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Novodevichy Convent and the village of Kolomenskoye. You can admire reminders of Soviet grandeur such as the magnificent pavilions of the expansive Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy, otherwise known as VDNKh, the Ostankino Tower, and the Moscow Metro, built under Stalin and considered the most beautiful in the world.

You'll also find that Moscow is full of museums, including the Pushkin Museum and the Tretyacov Gallery. And don't forget to visit one of the most prestigious theatres in the world: the Bolshoi.

This incredible city, brimming with ancient buildings and churches, and the setting of the works of great writers such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pushkin and Bulgakov, will surprise and entice you at every turn, any time of the year.

Walks along the Moskva River that runs through the city and Moscow’s 120 picturesque parks, such as the famous Gorky Park, are sure to sweep you off your feet. While visiting this enchanting city, throw yourself into the daytime hustle and bustle along the city center's Arbat street, where Pushkin lived, or into the nightlife that lights up the entire city, in restaurants, traditional cafes, and trendy bars and discos.

 

An interesting fact: if you notice locals helping to clean the streets, it means that you happen to be in Moscow during subbotnik, a.k.a. communist Saturday. One Saturday a year, usually in April, Russians volunteer to do public service and community work.

 

So, get ready to visit the many wonders of this splendid city!

Enjoy your stay!

TravelMate recommends
Choose the option
that suits you
Buy Moscow
Permanently unlock the app with all content of Moscow for
€ 8,99
Buy
Promotion
Unlock audio content of all available cities for 3 years at the promotional price
€ 19,99
Buy
Don't miss out!
MOSCOW INTRODUCTION
1 Audio

MOSCOW INTRODUCTION

It was founded around 1100 and was capital of the Russian Empire from 1480 to 1705, until Peter the Great relocated the court to St. Petersburg. Moscow once again became one of the most important and...
THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE
1 Audio

THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE

There are many different appetizers. The most well-known is of course the famous Russian salad, here called Olivier salad, made with boiled vegetables and dressed with a generous helping of...
KREMLIN
10 Audio

KREMLIN

Did you know that the Moscow Kremlin is not the only Kremlin in Russia; "kremlin" is a generic term for a fortress, but the one you are about to visit is by far the most famous in the...
RED SQUARE
3 Audio

RED SQUARE

You should know that the name "red square" does not come from the fact that the buildings around it are mostly red, or from the connection between the color red and the communist ideology,...
SAINT BASIL'S
1 Audio

SAINT BASIL'S

A masterpiece of Russian art, the colorful cathedral is like no other in the world. It is actually a complex of nine churches and the highest tower reaches 46 meters high.The cathedral's architects...
PUSHKIN MUSEUM
7 Audio

PUSHKIN MUSEUM

By the mid-nineteenth century, many intellectuals had already begun to insist that a museum dedicated to fine arts be created, but it was thanks to Ivan Vladimirovich Tsvetaev, professor at the...
CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOR
1 Audio

CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOR

However, the building you see before you was actually built in 2000, a reconstructed copy of the original church that was blown up on December 5, 1931 by Stalin, who in its place wanted to build a...
TRETYAKOV GALLERY
3 Audio

TRETYAKOV GALLERY

You should know that this museum was founded thanks to the backing of the Muscovite financier Pavel Tretyakov, an important collector of Russian art who supported many artists of his time. In 1892, he...
METRO
2 Audio

METRO

It has been running since 1935, when the first 11-kilometer-long line connecting 13 stations was opened. Today, its routes stretch over 300 kilometers with 200 stations, and it is still expanding.The...
NOVODEVICHY CONVENT
2 Audio

NOVODEVICHY CONVENT

The following year, the Tsar had the precious icon "Our Lady of Smolensk" transferred here from the Kremlin to be kept in the main church of the monastery, the Cathedral of Our Lady of...
VDNKh
3 Audio

VDNKh

When it was established, VDNKh was supposed to represent the country's agricultural achievements, but from 1954, when it underwent a significant expansion, its focus shifted to showing the world...
KOLOMENSKOYE
1 Audio

KOLOMENSKOYE

Founded in 1237, the village became famous in 1532 when the Church of the Ascension, designed by Italian architect Pietro Annibale, was built to celebrate the birth of Ivan IV, the future tsar of...
GORKY PARK
1 Audio

GORKY PARK

This picturesque park, located in front of the Moskva River, was opened in 1928 and designed by Konstantin Melnikov, one of the leading architects of the time.This park’s full name is Maxim...
BOLSHOI THEATER
2 Audio

BOLSHOI THEATER

The theatre was inaugurated in 1825 but had to be rebuilt almost entirely in 1853 by the Italian architect Alberto Cavos after it was severely damaged by a fire. The result is the splendid...
TSARITSYNO PARK
1 Audio

TSARITSYNO PARK

In 1775, the empress fell in love with this green space and, after buying it, commissioned the architect Vasily Bazhenov to build her a palace. We don't know exactly what went wrong, but the fact is...
OSTANKINO TOWER
1 Audio

OSTANKINO TOWER

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union wanted to build something taller than the Empire State Building in New York, and so this futuristic reinforced concrete structure measuring 540 meters was...
TravelMate App
DOWNLOAD NOW
THE TRAVELMATE APP
Purchase your activation code, download the TravelMate App, and turn your smartphone into your personal travel companion!
Listen to audio guides about the wonders of the world with TravelMate.
HAVE FUN!