Dateline Discovery

Mystique, modernity and might converge at the center of a superpower.

A peek into Russia’s capital unveils a long history of social upheaval, a continued passion for artistic pursuits and a tightening grip on its proud identity.

FRIDAY

I arrived at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in the mid-morning and rushed to try to catch the Aeroexpress service to Belorusskaya station, but unfortunately missed it by just three minutes. It departs every half hour, so I caught the next train, transferred to the Metro and went one stop to my hotel, the fairly classy Marriott Moscow Grand (Tverskaya 26/1).

After dropping off my belongings, I knew I was late for my designated entrance time at the Kremlin, so I hurried two stops on the Metro and emerged just outside of Red Square at Teatralnaya. To say the whole process of accessing the Kremlin is confusing is an understatement: The museum authority recommends visitors buy tickets in advance and supposedly makes only 100 available for each designated time slot, yet there were massive groups and clearly many more people visiting the complex. Furthermore, there are very few signs instructing visitors to the correct entrance, and even then, the process of exchanging the required online voucher for an actual ticket is time-consuming and vague. (To save trouble: Take advance tickets to the glass box on the west side of the complex, then check in at the tour office for access to the grounds or head to the Borovitskaya Tower on the southwest corner for Armory access.)

Since it was almost time for my designated entry to the Armory Chamber — a name that’s a bit misleading, because there’s much more inside than weapons and armor — I headed there first. I was eager to see the government’s collection of 10 Faberge eggs and the Cap of Monomakh, the coronation crown of the Tsars for nearly 300 years, but also appreciated the equestrian display and the collection of imperial carriages.

What To Know
Date of visit: March 26 to March 27, 2019.
Airport location: There are four, but most passengers will fly to either Sheremetyevo, 18 miles northwest of the city center, or Domodedovo, 26 miles to the southeast. Both are connected to main train stations by the Aeroexpress service.
Walkability: 3/10. The city center is compact, but even the Metro stations are several minutes apart — and don’t forget about snow.
English: Common among younger people, but unlikely to be spoken much by anyone older than 40.
Must-See Attraction: The Kremlin isn’t going to blow visitors away, but it’s a requirement to be inside the longtime center of Soviet power.
Traveler’s tip: The process of arranging a visa for an American is complicated and is contingent upon having arranged accommodation. Be prepared for a significant amount of paperwork.

Tickets are also available for access to the Diamond Fund, with spaces arranged by tour only, and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, open only during the summer months. I missed out on both, so I was left to wander around the grounds after leaving the Armory and explore the three cathedrals on site: the Assumption, the Annunciation and the Archangel, home to Ivan the Terrible’s tomb. They’re all ornate and overwhelming; the history behind each, delivered extensively through an audio guide and several free brochures, is a bit much to comprehend.

After about three hours within the Kremlin walls, I escaped to the (relative) freedom of Red Square, a massive cobblestoned section of the city where so much history has taken place. At the far end is St. Basil’s Cathedral, which is technically not its name but has been commonly applied to the entire complex. Built in 1552 and restored during the 18th century, visitors will be surprised to find the distinctive onion domes don’t cover one main church hall but instead a labyrinth of 10 chapels. The tallest, the Intercession church, is the largest and most striking.

Content with my exploration of the square, I decided to head well away from the city center and took the Metro north to VDNKh, a large park originally built to show off the communist lifestyle and served as a refuge for the working class. It has been repurposed and renamed several times and now often hosts exhibits. Nearby, at the edge of the park, is the Cosmonautics Museum, which celebrates Soviet and Russian achievements in space exploration and fortunately has English captions on many of its exhibits.

Knowing I was due to meet colleagues for dinner, I stopped briefly at the hotel to rest and then met them outside the Tsvetnoy Bulvar station. We wandered first to a local pub, then to the brand new Depo (Lesnaya Ulitsa 20), a sprawling food hall that boasts of 75 stands and is supposedly Europe’s largest. Being a Friday, it also had live music, and I stayed until the exhaustion of the day caught up with me.

SATURDAY

With a rather unhealthy interest in public transportation, and the knowledge that the stations on the Moscow Metro are considered some of the most beautiful in the world, I woke early and embarked on a two-hour self-guided tour of the system, starting at Mayakovskaya station and working my way around in a clockwise circuit.

Upon completion, I returned to the hotel briefly to check out and grab breakfast, then headed back to Red Square, where I hoped to have a chance to enter Lenin’s Mausoleum. Inside and on display is the supposedly embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin, though there are suggestions that, nearly 100 years after his death, it’s merely a wax replica. Although the tomb has very limited entry times during the week, including Saturdays, the soldiers on guard did not permit me to visit and insisted it was not open.

I staggered over to the nearby Zaryadye Park and took a lap around the Flying Bridge, a boomerang-shaped jetty over the Moscow River, before heading south. After a significant walk — taking the Metro would have been the smarter idea, but I thought the distance was closer — I made it to the grounds of the Muzeon, an art museum. Located in the park outside is the Sculpture Park, a series of “fallen” sculptures of Soviet heroes, including Lenin and Stalin, that were once on prominent display around the city. They have since been relocated and preserved in the park as an appreciation of the past. And, just beyond the Muzeon is Gorky Park, Moscow’s main outdoor park.

Nearby, at the Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery, are the final resting places of many other Soviet and Russian figures, including Anton Chekhov, Sergei Prokofiev and, most recently, Boris Yeltsin, who died in 2007. I had intended a visit to the park to be next on my itinerary, but the lengthy walk sapped me of quite a bit of my free time and instead I skipped it.

My final stop was well northeast of the city, practically in the suburbs, at the Izmaylovsky Market, a massive complex that looks like a fairytale playground. Beyond the first few stalls, filled with every kind of cheap Russian tourist souvenir, is the genuine locals’ market, with jewelry, guns and ammunition, paintings, books and whatever else one wants to sell available for purchase. Go here to try out your bartering skills and load up on your matryoshka dolls and ushanka hats and faux Faberge eggs to take back home. (Guilty as charged!)

With my hotel 45 minutes away, I headed back to collect my belongings and set back off for the airport, catching a late-evening flight out of Sheremetyevo bound back home.

Verdict: Like Paris and Istanbul, among others, such a massive city is impossible to explore in two days and I left believing there was so much left for me to explore and uncover. Still, I’m pleased I was able to see and experience what I wanted in the time I had — and I also find it cool to have been an American in Moscow.

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Disclaimers: All products, services and experiences were paid for and arranged by the author and the vendors named herein had no editorial oversight of this piece. All photographs were taken by and remain the property of the author; contact for republication rights.