Tourist Attractions & Monuments Moscow (Москва)

Opened in 1808, the Palace of Armor includes not only a military collection, but also all the treasures accumulated by tsars from the 12th century until the revolution of 1917. Among them are the famous Vladmir Monomaque's hat worn by the Tsars, the wedding dress of Empress Catherine II and rare (and fabulous) examples of Fabergé Eggs. The rest of the collection includes gifts from foreign ambassadors, icons, jewelry and even furniture.

The Annunciation Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Russian religious architecture, influenced by the Italian Renaissance. It served as the family church of the tsars, hence its more intimate character. The iconostasis is said to have been decorated by two of the greatest Slavic icon painters: Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev. The door of the southern facade was added by Ivan the Terrible who, excommunicated, could only attend services behind this gate.

You may have seen a few statues of Lenin when you first came to Moscow? Well, you will have the opportunity to see that the man is smaller in life size. Especially since the famous intellectual, revolutionary and leader, already not tall in his lifetime (1.65 m), was shrunk during his mummification. The result is therefore not so impressive and it is often a vague impression of disappointment that we feel at the end of this agonizing journey constituting the visit of the mausoleum. Still, we recommend this pilgrimage, although it has not been de rigueur since the late 1980s, as it is captivating to have access to this piece of world history, preserved after a century of morbid fascination.

The mausoleum itself has a history : it dates back to 1929 and was built after nearly 500,000 Soviet citizens rushed to pay their respects to the remains of the (not-so-)great man, a week after his exposure to the general public in a temporary structure had begun. Lenin had to share his spot for eight years with an even smaller (1.62m) man, Stalin, before he was removed during de-Stalinization and relocated to the Kremlin walls. Since then, Lenin has been alone again as nostalgic, fanatical and mocking people pass by. Today, there is more and more talk about the possibility of paying him a last trip to St. Petersburg in the family vault: a solution that is requested by many, but never voted.

This museum (ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЙ МУЗЕЙ) houses a rich collection of objects and documents from the history of the peoples of Russia from prehistoric times to the 20th century: there are coins, medals, jewellery, pagan idols and Christian crosses, manuscripts, works of art. Among the most interesting objects are the clothes of Ivan the Terrible, a coach of Peter the Great, a portrait of Emelian Pugachev, the leader of the peasant war of the 18th century, a sword and Napoleon's rolling kitchen.

The third basilica of the Kremlin (АРХАНГЕЛЬСКИЙ СОБОР) benefited most from the contributions of the Italian Renaissance. The decoration is martial: frescoes depict great battles in Russian history; a 10 m high golden iconostasis (1681) supports the icon of the Archangel St. Michael attributed to Andrei Rublev. It is in this building that the princes and tsars of Moscow up to Peter the Great are buried: there are 46 gravestones, including the tomb of Ivan the Terrible.

The Manege Square commands the entrance to the Red Square from Tversakaya Street. It overlooks the Manege building itself and a large Stalinist building in which a shopping mall was installed in the 1990s. The underside of the square also houses the galleries of an underground shopping mall, which explains the many small glass pyramids seen on the surface.

It is a favourite meeting place for Muscovites and was also the site of the 2010 anti-police uprising.

The Radisson Hotel fleet is one of the most modern you can find on the Moskva. Its boats of four different ranges, all luxurious, are equipped with a cloakroom, air conditioning, have free wifi and audio guides are available on the "Radisson Cruise on the Moskva river" app. A real professional chef works on board and prepares food for you on the spot in the ship's kitchens.

Tickets are available on site and at the ticket offices on the Ukraina Pier and in Gorky Park.

Built by architects from Pskov, it was to serve as a counterpoint to the Italian influence. The church (ЦЕРКОВЬ РИЗОПОЛОЖЕНИЯ) was that of the patriarchs, before becoming in the 17th century that of the great princes. There are beautiful frescoes and a remarkable iconostasis by the painter Nazari Istomine (1627). Today it is possible to visit it and admire its iconographic treasures. In addition, the north gallery of the church is used as an exhibition space.

An indispensable walk among the 7 Stalinist sisters. It took Serguei Tchernychov and Lev Roudnev almost 4 years to complete in 1953 this 240 m high Stalinist building, which was (inevitably) raised by the Soviet star. Its architecture, in the shape of a cross, is perfectly symmetrical. The building houses the Lomonosov Moscow State University, where lectures are given in its amphitheatres and nearly 6,000 students are housed. To be admitted to this university is to belong to the cream of the crop of students in the Russian Federation, since Lomonossov is at the top of all university rankings in the country. The interior is a veritable anthill, a city within the city, with all the necessary facilities to satisfy the needs of its students: there is a post office, a swimming pool, sports halls, several canteens, a few associations, paper mills, etc. The administration is located on the upper floors, while the rooms are in the lower parts.

Visitors are not normally allowed to enter. However, it is strongly recommended that you go and have a look around. You will then have to go through the guards' nose and beard. Try to pretend to be a student in the middle of the crowd: don't smile and pass without stopping. Or take advantage of one of the many conferences that are held on a regular basis. Avoid Sundays when part of the compound is closed.

On Victory Hill, with its plunging view of the capital, one celebrates the victories of the Russians over the Nazi army as well as the French (ПАРК ПОБЕДЫ НА ПОКЛОННОЙ ГОРЕ), for it was on this same hill that Napoleon in 1812 waited in vain for the keys to Moscow after his troops had encircled the city. In commemoration, a statue of St. George slaying the dragon and a 142 m high obelisk with a bronze statue of the Greek goddess Niké (Goddess of Triumph) have been erected.

The Theatre Square is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and central places in Moscow. Muscovites are very demanding when it comes to shows, ballets and operas. It must be said that there are many good theatres here. There are no less than three theaters in this square. The architect Ossip Bové was the one who designed it. It is also him who drew the plans of the Bolshoi, the Maly and the children's theatre before it was rebuilt by B. Freidenberg (as well as the TSOUM). A picture with the fountains overlooking the Bolshoi is a must.

This small church at the corner of Red Square and Nikolskaya Street was built in 1636 to celebrate the victory of the Russo-Polish war (1612). It was destroyed by Bolshevism in 1936 and rebuilt identically in 1993. If your stay in Moscow is very short, we recommend this church to get acquainted with the orthodox culture because if its architecture is not exceptional, its icon is very famous and it is a very authentic church.

This garden opened in 1823 and runs along the western wall of the Kremlin. It is dotted with several points of interest. In its northern part stands an obelisk, built in 1913 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov family. Sad memory since it lost the throne 4 years later. To the south, there is the flame of the unknown soldier in front of which some newlyweds are photographed, near the buildings of the presidential guard. Opposite, marble steles list the 15 heroic cities, which resisted the Nazi invasion in 1942 with the greatest determination.

The Ivan the Great bell tower is hard to ignore. It is enthroned, royal, in the middle of the Kremlin. Following the Italian tradition of its architects, it is a campanile, detached from the church on which it depends. At 81 m high, it was for a long time the highest point of the capital, as the tsars forbade building any higher. This makes it an ideal panoramic point to see the old city from above. The ground floor has been converted into an exhibition hall. Among its bells, the Assumption bell (64 t) has rung three times for centuries to announce the death of a tsar.

This gigantic cannon located on the Ivanovskaya square was ordered in 1586 by Fyodor I who had his effigy engraved on it. Whatever the czar wanted to compensate, he would not find any more success in this undertaking since this cannon never fired a single cannonball. Moreover, those exposed at its side weigh a ton and are slightly too big to fit in its barrel: the legend tells that it was an initiative of the founders of Saint Petersburg to make fun of Moscow. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the largest howitzer ever built.

This domain with its castle, the caprice of the empress which was never finished before its rehabilitation in 2007, and its museum, is one of the strangest and most seductive places of the capital. Don't hesitate to spend an afternoon there, in summer as well as in winter when the snow offers a magnificent landscape (and in the period of illuminations, it becomes simply exceptional). The history of this domain is quite interesting. One day, during her visit to Moscow, Catherine II was amazed by the beauty of this place and took possession of it. A year later, in 1776, V. Bajenov, one of the best architects of the time, began the construction of a palace and a park. All the buildings were to be built in the oriental style and the work lasted ten years. The day Catherine wanted to see her new estate... it displeased the empress so much (possibly because of the masonic signs on the facades) that she ordered everything to be demolished. Once the Bajenov palace was demolished, the construction of a new palace was ordered to M. Kazakov. It was almost finished when Catherine died in 1796 and it remained unfinished. Other buildings were erected in the park during the following centuries, without ever touching the huge structure in its center. It wasn't until the 19th century that work began to finally complete the huge imperial palace that Catherine wanted.

Today, it is a mixture of all these heritages that can be admired in the park.

As with Tolstoy, Moscow has several Pushkin museums. The Arbat Museum is located on the second floor of this modest turquoise blue house, where Pushkin lived for 5 years. It exhibits the objects and manuscripts dear to the writer. It is less interesting than the large Pushkin Literary Museum located on the Prechistenka, but as it is on the Arbat, one can stop there for half an hour to get an idea of the Russian interiors of the time.

This beautiful square was designed in the 14th century and is the heart of the Kremlin. The square owes its name to the three cathedrals facing it: the Dormition Cathedral, the Archangel Cathedral and the Annunciation Cathedral, reminding us of the historical links between power and the Church in Russia. On the square there are also the Palace of Facets, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe and the Church of the Twelve Apostles. Ivan's great bell tower still dominates the square, as it did when it was the tallest building in the kingdom.

Patriarch Nikon, famous for his reforms of the Orthodox Church in the 17th century, had this palace and the attached Church of the Twelve Apostles built between 1652 and 1656. Their beauty will amaze you even before you set foot on the Cathedral Square. Today, the palace houses the Museum of Applied Arts of the 17th century with the reconstructed apartment of a boyar, a powerful nobleman of the Tsarist Russia. In the church, the iconographic history of the Russian school of the same period is presented.

Built between 1487 and 1491 by Italian architects Marco Rouffo and Pietro Antonio Solari, the palace is the oldest public building in the Kremlin. It owes its name to its east side facade, with white limestone bosses. Its huge central hall, called the Golden Hall, is decorated with religious paintings mixed with scenes of both history and everyday life: today it is used for official presidential ceremonies. Restored in 2012, the Palace of Facets can be visited only with organized groups.

At the end of the inner courtyard of the great Kremlin palace and adjacent to the Faceted palace, there is the surprising Terem Palace commissioned by Tsar Michael I Feodorovich. Here you can visit a succession of intimate rooms (terams are small rooms), inspired by the traditional Russian wooden isba, including the golden room of the Tsarina, with painted ceilings and period furniture. The window in the center was called Chelobitnaya (of the Supplication): a box driven by a pulley was supposed to transmit the people's supplications to the tsar.

Those who appreciate the art of photography will be fulfilled in this exhibition room. It's impossible to tell you what you're going to stumble upon, since the different exhibitions change regularly. What is certain is that Russia, with its Slavic aesthetics, its wild nature, its deprived cities and its Soviet monumentalism gives a lot of subjects. Finally, you can see all the art school students and Moscow's avant-gardists strolling around.

Painting and graphic art of Russian painters, realism and impressionism in abstract art.

The gallery of contemporary Moscow painters and Russian painters residing abroad: AEC group (Arzamassova, Evsovitch, Sviatsky), Dimitri M, Anatoly Jouravliov, Guy Rigvava, Igor Kaminnik, Valery Kochliakov, Vladimir Doubossarsky and Alexandre Vinogradov, Alexandre Rötburd, Vitaly Komar, Alexandre Melamide, Avdey Ter-Oguanian, Andrey Bassanets, Arsène Savadov, Arsène Savadov, Youri Khorovsky, Groupe group, Bogdan Mamonov etc.

If you've read Metro 2033, you'll remember it. This park is absolutely huge, it looks like the jungle of Ostankino. There are plants and trees of all kinds, including the most exotic ones. You might enjoy a walk through a small Japanese garden designed by landscape architects Ken Nakajima and Adachi Takeo, or, if you're conservative, through a birch wood. Don't forget to take some nuts for the squirrels which are very numerous there. Please note that it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages.

The museum's exhibition traces the life and work of the writer in an alternating manner in order to interweave the two and to grasp the author's universe. Thus, a room devoted to the life of the writer follows another room devoted to one of his outstanding works(Eugene Onegin or The Queen of Spades). In the latter, you can see the author's handwritten manuscripts, embellished with drawings. The visit takes about one hour. Admission is free on the third Sunday of every month.

The 17 museum rooms present unique collections (750 000 exposed units) of the world of animals and plants, the evolution of man… Some exhibitions are adapted for Children.

It is the former building of the first English inspired Gentlemen's Club, which met there from 1831 to 1917. After the revolution it housed the Museum of Contemporary History of Russia (Музей современной истории России). The place is embellished with many pieces (letters, cars, statues, etc.). It has undergone a refurbishment of its presentation which should in principle make it accessible in English. B flat: its Putinian propaganda can tire history lovers.

It is one of the oldest cultural institutions in Moscow and is part of the Moscow Museum complex. It was established in 1896 as the Museum of City Economy and moved to its present huge building. Today, the museum uses all this space to organize numerous temporary exhibitions and to constantly renew the one million pieces that make up its permanent collection! The collection is particularly instructive, tracing the history of Moscow's development back to the 17th century.

A unique opportunity to visit a vodka factory (МОСКОВСКИЙ ЗАВОД " КРИСТАЛЛ ") with of course tasting and zakouski. The price is undemocratic, as they say in Russian, but enthusiasts will find the visit worthwhile. Visits are possible from 5 people, reservation is mandatory. Please note that there are no French or English speakers on site. During the visit you will see the factory, the production and the Vodka museum as well as a shop.

This mansion, also called Teremok, is one of the subsidiaries of the Tretyakov Gallery. Built in 1894 according to the plans of its owner, the famous painter Viktor Vasnetsov, it looks as if it has come out of Russian fairy tales (one of its great inspirations). The master's paintings are the main attraction for visitors, but you will also find a considerable collection of Russian costumes and antique objects, which he carefully studied for his works.

Originally outside the city, Vagankovskoye is associated with the Moscow plague epidemic of 1771, which killed thousands. This cemetery is off the beaten track, but is a regular walk for Muscovites. There are graves of many idols: Vladimir Vyssotsky, Bulat Okudzava, Sergei Essenin and many other famous Soviet musicians, poets and actors. On the other side of the street is the Armenian cemetery with its shimmering colors and soft blues. It is worth a visit.

It was founded in the middle of the 14th century and belonged to the Narychkin boyars. The Vyssokopetrovskiy Monastery (ВЫСОКОПЕТРОВСКИЙ МОНАСТЫРЬ), i.e. St. Peter's Monastery, is linked to the name of Tsar Peter the Great. When he was born, the Narychkin family, to which the Czar's mother belonged, offered rooms in the monastery, where the Czar's grandfather lived. The history of the monastery is also linked to the war with Napoleon. It must be said that the monastery suffered a lot from the marauders. In the church of Our Lady of Bogolyubovo, French Marshal Mortier condemned Muscovites accused of setting fires in the streets of Moscow. The abbey church of the monastery was built in 1514-1517. Next to the Cathedral is the Church of Our Lady of Bogoliubovo (1684-1687) and the tomb of Ivan and Afanassy Narychkin, who were killed during the Strelet Revolt.

To the south, the church of Saint-Serge-de-Radonège (1690-1694), built in memory of the support given to Peter the Great during the revolt against the Tsar organized by his sister Sofia. Note a beautiful bell tower at the entrance and the Church of the Intercession (Pokrovskaya, 1690-1694). Within the monastery grounds, your attention will be drawn to the Church of Our Lady of Tolga (Tolgskaya). Near the southern gate stands the church of St.akhomiVeliky (1754-1755). The beautiful proportions and fine decoration of this church allow to attribute it to the architect D. Oukhtomsky.

As you leave the metro station that bears his name, you will notice this imposing building with a statue of the writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky in front of it. This is one of the most important libraries in the world, with a collection of 17.5 million volumes on more than 275 kilometres of shelves.

The library was founded on July^1, 1862, as the first free library open to the public, under the name of the Moscow Public Museum and Rumyantsev Museum Library. From 1925 to 1991, it became the V.I. Lenin State Library of the USSR, hence its nickname, which you can still hear frequently used: Leninka. It was not until 1992 that it received its current name.

Since 1922, everything that has been, is and will be published in Russia has been housed here, and today it has a very rich collection of rare archives. The wooded reading rooms in the grand style of the USSR are worth a visit, but it is a laborious process that requires the creation of a reader's card (free, with an ID). There is also a small book museum. For those who wish to work there, the library is equipped with a high-end wifi. Please keep a religious silence though, the library staff are fierce and very responsive. In a city where most libraries are empty, this one is an exception and is loved by the public.

Bulgakov is the ultimate symbol of the writer committed against the Soviet power: his masterpiece, The Master and Margarita, was censored for a long time and served as a rallying cry for an underground youth. It is therefore logical that his apartment should become a place of pilgrimage for painters, writers, punks and hippies. After the perestroika, Bulgakov's apartment became a museum before being transformed again today into a cultural centre dedicated to the memory of the writer. The visit is more enjoyable if you know his works, as everything is done to bring to life the atmosphere of some of his most famous writings by multiplying the winks. However, even for the uninitiated the visit has its interest: the reconstruction of a Soviet apartment from the 1920s and 1930s shows you a rare example of a time when life was good in the USSR, despite the totalitarian change of regime. The museum is small, so don't expect an oversized exhibition. It is possible to book a French-speaking guide by contacting the museum, but the price will be higher. During the visit, ask the steward where the cat Behemoth, castrated to live in these places, is. The actor cat is confused with his eponymous character from Bulgakov's famous novel, and there is no doubt, during his free time, that Behemoth really repaired his Primus lamp! The guides and guards of the museum deserve a special mention, so much they are passionate about their work.

At the exit of the Kitai-Gorod metro station, you have to look a little bit for this church (ЦЕРКОВЬ ТРОИЦЫ "В НИКИТНИКАХ") deliberately lost in Soviet constructions: one of the techniques set up by the Soviet regime to fight against religious feeling. The church itself is one of the masterpieces of 17th century Baroque architecture: its harmonious proportions and shimmering red and white colours make it one of the stars of photographers and Instagram.

It's a very pretty little church (ХРАМ ВСЕХ ВСЕХ СВЯТЫХ НА КУЛИШКАХ), which seems to have come straight out of a fairy tale and seems a little lost in the middle of the ocean of reinforced concrete that surrounds it. It was erected to celebrate the Kulikovskaya battle that marks the liberation of Russia from Tatar domination. After being almost destroyed by the Poles in 1610, it found its present form in 1680. Visit also the beautiful interior of this place of worship.

The third building belonging to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is that of the private collections (МУЗЕЙ ЛИЧНЫХ КОЛЛЕКЦИЙ). The idea behind this presentation is to restore each collection in its individuality in order to make the public appreciate the collector's world. The result is pleasing but the collections are consequently of very unequal value. In particular, there is a beautiful collection of icons of old believers dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Marina Tsvetaeva is a great Russian poetess of the early 20th century, going through the period of revolution and civil war. Her house, which remained intact during the Soviet period thanks to the efforts of Tsvetaeva's friends, now houses a museum dedicated to her. Rather than accumulating artefacts from her life, the museum aims to recreate the atmosphere of her relationship with her husband, Serge Efron, her children and her friends, poets and artists.

Created in 1999, MMOMA was the first public museum in Russia to specialize in Russian and foreign contemporary art. It owns thirty paintings by Russian avant-gardists including Kazimir Malevich, Marc Chagall, Nathalie Goncharova and Mikhail Larionov and works by Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Juan Miró, Giorgio de Chirico and Salvador Dali. Today, it has five locations in Moscow and houses an art school, Svobodnye masterskie (free workshops), a large library and a research center for modern art.

Its main site is in the Gubine Mansion, built in the 18th century by architect Matveï Kazakov in a neo-classical style. If this museum does not offer as complete a panorama of modern art as the MoMa, the Tate Modern or the Centre Pompidou, it is appreciable for its various temporary exhibitions that are frequently renewed and mix big names with lesser known artists.

Its permanent collection is composed of the "official" works of the regimes that have succeeded each other at the head of the country. Those of the Putin regime are, for example, the monumental sculptures of Zurab Tsereteli (President of Fine Arts and founder of the museum) located in the outer courtyard. Guided tours are organized in English. One can easily spend an hour there. Finally, on the first floor, the store is very nice and its priodts make original gifts to offer when you get home. There are for example goodies printed with Soviet cartoon characters.

Borodino, on August 26, 1812, was the last victory of Napoleon's great army that finally cost him the war. The Russians voluntarily set fire to Moscow in the following days, marking this conflict even more in the national imagination. Models and paintings make us relive this great battle. The museum is interesting because of its form, which allows us to feel at the heart of the events thanks to its panoramic installation that represents 3,000 characters.

The East has a special place in the Russian spirit and continues to influence culture and morals. This is not surprising, given that the country also extends into the Caucasus and Central Asia. This charming museum (ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ МУЗЕЙ ВОСТОКА) is therefore worth a visit. There are some very beautiful pieces in an old-fashioned scenography for a visit of about an hour. The collection of paintings by Roerich (also exhibited at the Tretyakov) is well suited to the atmosphere of the place.

Gorky spent the last years of his life here, in this place he considered a gilded cage. The building was under surveillance and visitors were filtered, the furniture was state property, registered and stamped. The building itself is a masterpiece of early modernism with its library and Art Nouveau stained glass windows. It was used as a literary salon and writers' house, but also as a reception hall when Stalin came to visit.

Of the three Tolstoy museums in Moscow, not counting his residence in Yasnaya Polyana outside Moscow, Khamovniki is the most interesting and original. He occupies a wooden house where the author lived from 1895 to 1901 and the place recreates the atmosphere of what was one of the most popular literary salons in Moscow. The museum's collection contains priceless recordings of the great Russian writer's voice and films depicting him, dating from 1910.