Moscow is not only the capital of our homeland, but also an ancient city full of its own mysteries, secrets and wonderful stories. However, if the story is not painfully interesting to you, no problem! Here you can always find where to have fun, as well as drink, eat and have fun all night.
In the list of Moscow sights that everyone should see, we tried to collect objects with descriptions and photos for every taste - from quiet and cozy, where it is so nice to be alone, to historical buildings and places full of energy. Have a nice trip!
30. Botanical Garden
It is a gigantic garden massif spread over 330 hectares of land. They collected many plants from all over the world (more than 10,000 species in total). But you don't need to be an inveterate botanist to just walk along the shady paths of the park, smell the fragrance of flowers and admire the dense greenery, which, alas, has become a rarity for residents of modern Moscow.
We especially advise you to look into the flower departments - for example, the rose garden and the garden with coastal plants. It is very beautiful there, especially at the time of flowering.
29. House with animals
Located near the Chistye Prudy metro station, this house invariably attracts the eyes of all passers-by. A whimsical interweaving of a wide variety of animals, both real and fictional, stands out beautifully against the background of the blue-green wall.
However, this is not a medieval building, but a relative remake. Although the artists of the Art Nouveau era were clearly inspired by the best examples of Old Russian carving.
28. Moskva River
London has the Thames, Paris has the Seine. And Moscow, respectively, has the Moscow River. Perhaps it is not as popular as its foreign counterparts, but it is worth taking a ride on a boat.
The river offers wonderful views of the city (especially at night). However, we advise you to buy tickets in advance, since night trips along the Moscow River are very popular with tourists.
27. Bunker-42
Under the surface of Moscow is a whole network of tunnels, both purely technical and military. One of these tunnels leads to a real Cold War fortress - the famous Bunker-42.
One can only bow in admiration for the skill of the engineers and builders who managed to locate the bunker deep under the central part of the city, while not disturbing the city above. Fortunately, the bunker was never used as intended. Now there is a museum of the Soviet era, where you can see how the Soviet people lived during the Cold War. By the way, keep in mind that you can only get there by purchasing a tour.
26. Children are victims of adult vices
This formidable name hides 13 sculptures surrounding children playing peacefully.Each of them embodies a certain vice.
The sculptures are located at the level of the viewer, so if you wish, you can take a picture with each defect separately. And if you do not want to think about gloomy, then you can take a walk through Pushkin Square, where the statue is located. It is unusually beautiful in spring.
And there are also trees on which couples in love who are going to marry hang locks as a sign of the strength of their union.
25. Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics
Do you dream of flying to the stars or are you just wondering how everything happened there? The Cosmonautics Museum is full of exhibits that can satisfy even the most discerning lovers of science fiction and technological progress.
There you can learn everything about space technologies, eternally silent gigantic spaces, flaming stars and how man took his first steps into such an unfriendly environment. And what was it worth.
23. Seven Sisters
In fact, these are not girls, but seven high-rise buildings in a recognizable style, built under Stalin. They are compactly grouped in the center of Moscow (if the word "compact" is generally applicable to this giant city).
However, to enjoy the views and learn more about their origins and related stories, we recommend using a guide.
22. Patriarch's Ponds
The trademark of one of the most famous Moscow attractions are large rectangular ponds where poets and artists traditionally walked. And nowadays on the Patriarchs you can look at the old city architecture and have a delicious lunch.
Y-yes, Patriarch's Ponds is a real paradise for gourmets, where you can also hipster cafes and steak houses, where these very steaks are prepared from Argentinean beef.
21. Zaryadye
The trendy, landscaped city park was recently opened and is still rarely mentioned in guidebooks. It is located in the immediate vicinity of Red Square.
However, this park is not simple, but conceptual. Its territory (rather large for the historical center of the city) is divided into four zones, which should symbolize the variety of climatic zones in Russia. There is a forest, steppe, tundra and flooded meadows. And the creators of the park have managed to fit a floating bridge and a whole ice cave in it!
20. Station "Komsomolskaya"
Usually, the metro has a purely utilitarian function, but in Moscow the metro is more than just the sum of rails, trains and crowds of passengers rushing to and fro. Some stations are a real work of art.
One of the most beautiful metro stations in the world will amaze you with its beauty, elegance and luxurious decor. Architect Alexei Shchusev and artist Pavel Korin adorned their best creation with marble, stucco molding, huge chandeliers and panels depicting the most important historical figures of Russia.
Of course, it is better to visit the Komsomolskaya station not during rush hours. Otherwise, it is unlikely that you will be able to see anything other than the back of the passenger in front.
19. Armory
One of the oldest museums in the city, despite its bellicose name, is more specialized in luxury items, which, in addition to purely material, also have historical value.
An egg in honor of the Siberian Railway, that very cap of Monomakh, as well as the imperial crown of Russia shining with a brilliant shine, is just a feast for the eyes. However, there is also something military - mainly ornate armor and award weapons.
18. Izmailovsky market
Your budget is limited and luxurious the best shopping centers in Moscow does not pull? No problem, there is always where to spend money in the capital. We recommend visiting the best flea market in Russia. There are traditional placers of nesting dolls of all types and sizes, as well as quasi-Soviet commemorative signs, and handicrafts. And also master classes are regularly held here, so if you don’t get rich financially, you will certainly not leave with an empty soul.
17. Novodevichy Convent
The elegant battlements on the towers and walls of the Novodevichy Convent once had a purely practical meaning - soldiers could hide behind them in the event of a battle. After all, once medieval monasteries served as fortresses, and Novodevichy is no exception.
In the monastic incarnation, the boyar's wives preferred him, and there they retired or lived out their days of disgraced persons of the royal family. For example, among the nuns-prisoners of the monastery was Evdokia Lopukhina - the first wife of Peter I. But despite its sad past, this is one of the most beautiful sights of Moscow, albeit a little melancholy. And inside the monastery there are four churches with an excellent collection of icons.
16. Kolomenskoye
Just a 10-minute metro ride from the city center - and the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve awaits you. There you can see what medieval Moscow was like, then it was far from being as crowded as it is now.
In Kolomenskoye there are many ancient churches (the oldest is more than 600 years old), the oldest garden in Moscow, as well as the favorite estate of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, father of Peter I. And there is also the Golosov gorge shrouded in a mystical veil.
15. Ostankino
In the 60s of the last century, the Ostankino TV tower was considered the highest in the world... Now it has lost this title, but it still remains one of the best viewing platforms not only in Moscow, but also, perhaps, in Russia. Its floor is glass, and the view opens 360 ° around, which is delightful and slightly intimidating.
Just getting to this popular attraction in Moscow is problematic, you will have to buy an hourly tour. However, it is not so expensive, and high-speed elevators will bring you to a rooftop height of 337 meters in no time.
14. Tsaritsino
Once this country estate served as the summer residence of Tsarina Catherine the Great. And although Tsaritsyno was abandoned in Soviet times, in the 1980s it rose from the ashes and ruins like a phoenix.
Now it is a luxurious huge palace, surrounded by green gardens, meadows and forests - an ideal place to relax in the bosom of nature in the middle of the stone jungle of the big city.
13. VDNKh
We recommend that you set aside at least a day to visit the exhibition of the national economy. The facility has recently undergone a large-scale reconstruction, and now, perhaps, looks better than in the last thirty years.
In addition to the legendary fountain at the entrance, there is a huge number of museums, shopping pavilions, horse riding grounds and even an oceanarium. And in winter, the largest skating rink in Europe opens at VDNKh.
12. Arbat
An elegant (albeit slightly crowded) street in the heart of the city is one of the most popular tourist spots in Moscow. There are cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, live music is played on the streets. A street artist for a reasonable fee will even capture you against the backdrop of the Arbat lanterns.
11. State Historical Museum
This building itself already has historical and artistic value. Once it served as a pharmaceutical and medical store, where the suffering sought healing. And now it satisfies another thirst - the historical one.
This museum has an impressive collection of evidence of how our distant (and not so distant) ancestors lived. He also has the largest numismatic collection in the country.
10. Winery
Tired of dull realism? Do you want to throw academic painting overboard the ship of modernity? Then the Center for Contemporary Art "Winzavod" - what the soul requires. Since its founding in 2007, it has been at the forefront of the latest innovations in Russian fine art and photography.
There are 11 galleries in the Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art. However, in addition to postmodernism, there are also children's studios, a bookstore and much more.
9. Central Museum of the Armed Forces
This is, no kidding, one of the best military museums in the world. Of course, most of it is devoted to the Great Patriotic War. Among more than one hundred thousand military artifacts is the victory flag, which was once raised over the Reichstag in 1945.
There are also a lot of Cold War relics, including a variety of spy stuff. And looking at them, you may well imagine yourself as James Bond.Or Major Pronin.
8. Moscow city
And if you want to travel back to the present from days gone by, visit Moscow City. Although this area has not yet finally acquired its final form, there is already something to see there. This is one of the most beautiful places in Moscow.
Majestic skyscrapers have risen to the skies like a hymn to engineering and a tight wallet, and in local malls you can buy everything - maybe even health, beauty and youth.
However, there is a fly in the ointment in this ocean of honey: the 58th observation deck is not as observation deck as we would like it to be. The view from it is blocked by neighboring buildings.
7. Tretyakov Gallery and Pushkin Museum
Of course, we couldn't miss some of the most famous and interesting sights of Moscow.
If a Russian wants to touch Europe, we recommend the Pushkin Museum. There are many exhibitions, ranging from ancient times, when the ancestors of Europeans carved stone women, right up to modern times.
And if you want to fall on the chest of Mother Russia, then there is nothing better than the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. There are more than 1,300 paintings (and graphic) works of Russian artists from the 11th century to our time.
6. GUM
This building began serving as a temple of commerce back in 1893. In addition to shopping and admiring the interior of GUM, we recommend looking at ... toilets. No, this is not a joke.
During the Soviet era, it was decided to get rid of the luxurious premises that were originally allocated for the necessary business. But recently one of them - Historical - was restored in all its pre-revolutionary splendor.
5. Moscow State University
Once the main building of one of the best universities in Russia - Moscow State University could rightfully boast of the title of the tallest building in Europe. However, to this day, he firmly holds the position of the highest university in the world.
And by citing these data, we want to hint that the view from the observation deck of the university is amazing.
4. Bolshoi Theater
Another significant place in modern Moscow. There you will find: improved acoustics, luxurious interiors, reminiscent of Russia, which we have lost, and of course, the best ballet dancers.
By the way, the Bolshoi Theater has completely modernized, and tickets can now be ordered online. We advise you to take it ahead of time, at least a month in advance, since they fly out faster than hot pancakes on Shrovetide.
3. Gorky Park
The main children's attraction - Gorky Park has gone through a long history from a green islet in Soviet times, an abundance of stalls in the nineties to a modern, beautifully planned, clean and pleasant place. There are rides of all kinds, outdoor cinemas, dance classes and much, much more.
By the way, connoisseurs of the novel "Gorky Park" by Martin Smith can catch flashbacks.
2. St. Basil's Cathedral and Red Square
If you close your eyes and imagine Moscow, the first thing that comes to mind is these two magnificent architectural objects. Visiting Moscow and not visiting Red Square is about the same as neglecting the Statue of Liberty in New York or the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Why, even Muscovites themselves are eager to visit this very square, especially during the holidays (New Year, for example).
1. Moscow Kremlin
This monumental architectural complex, combining churches, palaces and museums, rightfully leads the top 30 best Moscow attractions. Only one view of the evening Kremlin, opening from the Moskva River, is able to surprise and delight those who did not find time to visit it.
If we look at the Kremlin's plan, we will see that it is an irregular triangle. Its southern part faces the Moskva River, the northwestern part is directed to the Alexandrovsky Garden, and the eastern part is directed to Red Square.
The Kremlin towers (20 in total), connected by two-meter-thick walls, are a spectacle inspiring awe of the skill of builders of the past. Some of the towers were of economic importance, others were sentinels. And the Spasskaya Tower was front.
But most visitors to the Kremlin do not come to see the towers. They are much more interested in other famous sights of the capital, such as Tsar Cannon and Tsar Bell, Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Assumption Cathedral, Senate Square and many others located on the territory of the Kremlin.