DESTINATION:
Moscow
Russia's capital city has witnessed the entire country's history from the rise of Muscovy and the Tsars to the Soviet period and beyond, and is today is one of the world’s busiest administrative, business and tourist centres. Located on the banks of the river from which it derives its name, Moscow is mentioned for the first time in chronicles of 1147. The city can trace its origins to a wooden fortress (Kremlin) on the banks of the Moskva River, and through the centuries it became in turn the imposing capital of Russian, Imperial and Soviet power. Today Moscow is the heart of modern Russia and its importance as a political and economic power is constantly gaining momentum as it moves from being an industrial giant to a service economy.
The city’s eventful and turbulent past has resulted in an eclectic cultural legacy. Whereas St Petersburg’s palaces, boulevards parks and squares drew their inspiration from European tastes of the day, Moscow has developed over a period of one thousand years. The iconic onion-shaped domes of St Basil’s 16th century cathedral stand in stark contrast to the monumental style of the Soviet era, whilst Baroque and Neo-classical houses and churches vie for attention alongside early 20th century Constructivist buildings. The city’s museums meanwhile offer a kaleidoscope of the history and culture of its people, ranging from smaller house-museums of important cultural figures through to the world-class collections to be found in state museums such as the Tretyakov and Pushkin.
Recommended duration – Moscow can be visited as a single destination in a minimum of 3 nights/4 days, or it can be combined with a visit to St Petersburg
KEY VISITS (Recommended)
- ORIENTATION TOUR (by coach) – the vast scale of Moscow’s architectural footprint can be a little overwhelming to the first-time visitor, and this tour will provide a welcome introduction to the city. Most of the sights are concentrated within the area bounded by the Garden Ring and the Boulevard Ring, and will give an overview of Moscow’s central districts, ending up at RED SQUARE.
- TRETYAKOV GALLERY – founded in 1856 by textile merchants and art collectors Sergey and Pavel Tretyakov to house their extensive private collections, it now contains works of outstanding quality and serves as a guide to Russian art history, beginning with the 11th century Kievan icons. The fabulous collection of icons includes works from Novgorod, Suzdal, Vladimir and Pskov, as well as a number of icons by Rublev, Theophanes the Greek and Dionysius. Other halls in the Gallery are devoted to portraits, sketches, and landscapes from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
- PUSHKIN MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS – housed in a purpose-built neo-classical building constructed at the end of the 19th century, it is one of Russia’s largest museums and displays a fine collection of Western-European, ancient Oriental, and classical Greek and Roman art. Most of the paintings are pieces confiscated from private owners after the revolution of 1917.
- KREMLIN – the great red walls and towers of Moscow’s fortress enclose an area of some 69 acres within which the golden domes of half a dozen churches and cathedrals symbolise the heart of Russian Orthodoxy. Visits within the Kremlin will include the following:
- Three great cathedrals built during the 15th and early 16th century, each serving a specific purpose: the Tsars were crowned in the majestic five-domed CATHEDRAL OF THE DORMITION; baptized and married in the CATHEDRAL OF THE ANNUNCIATION; and buried in the CATHEDRAL OF ARCHANGEL MICHAEL. The architecture, icons, frescoes and treasures of the cathedrals are genuinely astonishing in their richness and beauty.
- DIAMOND FUND and the ARMOURY – founded in 1511 and one of the oldest museums on the Kremlin grounds. Together with richly adorned arms, it displays other unique applied art items from the 12th to the 19th centuries, including an immense collection of jewellery, rare fabrics, beautiful thrones, royal carriages, and gifts from many foreign governments. The museum also houses the Fabergé eggs, furniture, and the coronation crowns of the Tsars and Tsarinas.
- THE METRO – Moscow’s metro houses monuments of astonishing artistic merit, and its platforms and concourses are reminiscent of mini palaces replete with sculptures, mosaics, and chandeliers. Highlights include Park Kultury with its striking marble medallions, Belorusskaya with its mosaics depicting rural life and Teatralnaya, which celebrates the different cultures of the former Soviet Union.
- ST BASIL’S CATHEDRAL – officially called the Cathedral of the Intercession. A symbol of Moscow architecture, it was constructed in 1560 on the order of Ivan the Terrible to commemorate his victory over the Tartar city of Kazan on the Volga. The two architects from Pskov, Barma and Postnik, were instructed to build something new and astonishing on the Red Square, and in a strikingly original way the architects incorporated all the features of Russian wooden churches and translated them into masonry. The result was stunning and beautiful. Later onion domes, each with distinctive facets and patterns, were added, as were tent roofs over the staircases. It was painted in rich colours and in the 17th century coloured tiles were added for decoration. With its eight cupolas and eleven steeples, its domes like pineapple tops and coloured spirals, it is a structure that enchants the eye. Today, the Cathedral is a museum. It contains an exhibition relating to the history of the building and the story of its construction. The Cathedral also contains the iconostasis of the Trinity Church, the famous Entry into Jerusalem
ALTERNATIVE VISITS
- CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR – once the largest cathedral in Moscow. In 1934 Stalin called for the demolition of the cathedral to make way for a colossal tower for the Congress of Soviets, but this was never completed, and in 1997, following a huge reconstruction project, the cathedral was re-opened.
- NOVODEVICHY CONVENT – a beautiful fortified religious institution, including the glorious Cathedral of the Virgin of Smolensk, with its five-tier iconostasis and delightful frescoes, and the Bell Tower, one of the greatest examples of Russian Baroque to be found anywhere in Moscow, and the cemetery – the final resting place of a large number of famous Russians.
FURTHER AFIELD
- SERGIEV-POSAD (some 75 kilometres outside Moscow) – one of Russia’s oldest cities of the Golden Ring. During the Communist era it was known as Zagorsk, but in 1991 the city reverted to its original name (meaning ‘settlement of Sergius’). This is an important place for pilgrims and visits will include the TRINITY MONASTERY, one of the most revered Russian Orthodox fortress monasteries. It was founded in 1340 and is still in use today. The Trinity Cathedral houses the tomb of St Sergius, who founded the monastery, and a panelled iconostasis called Old Testament Trinity by Andrey Rublev, Russia’s most famous icon painter. The monastic complex of buildings includes the Assumption Cathedral, with its spectacular blue domes, and examples of many different architectural styles. The Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993.