125 Best Sights in Moscow, Russia

The beginning of Russian satirist and novelist Mikhail Bulgakov's (1891–1940) novel The Master and Margarita is set in a small park surrounding these ponds, named after the patriarch of the Orthodox Church, who once owned the area. Shaded by trees and with plenty of benches, it's a nice spot for a break, and there are several good restaurants nearby, including a pavilion near the ponds where they serve kitschy Soviet cuisine in an opulent setting. In winter the pond is used as a skating rink. The surrounding neighborhood has become one of Moscow's poshest.

Adjoining the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles, the Patriarch's Palace houses the Museum of 17th-Century Applied Art. The exhibits here were taken from the surplus of the Armory Palace and include books, tableware, clothing, and household linen.

One of the finest examples of Moscow art nouveau was built in 1905–07 by the architects Schnaubert and Zhukov. The facade of the steep-roofed and angled building, which is closed to the public, is covered in colorful mosaics. Before the revolution, Peter Pertsov and his wife lived in an apartment in the building and rented out studios for artists.

An enormous figure of the tsar stands at the helm of a ship, symbolizing his role as the founder of the Russian naval force in the 1700s. Most Muscovites agree that the statue, by Zurab Tsereteli, is an eyesore and has no place in Moscow—after all, Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg. Ongoing movements are afoot to remove the statue, but for the time being, it's here. When you finally set eyes on the colosso you'll probably understand why common nicknames for it are "Cyclops" and "Gulliver." A red light atop the 325-foot-tall monument is a warning beacon for airplanes.

Along one side of this square, cars race along the Garden Ring, the major circular road surrounding Moscow. If you approach the ring from Bolshaya Nikitskaya ulitsa or Povarskaya ulitsa, the first thing to catch your eye will be the 22-story skyscraper directly across Novinsky bulvar. One of the seven Stalin Gothics, this one is 525 feet high. The ground floor, home to a grand supermarket in Soviet times, is now occupied by clothing stores and a cafeteria called Central Restaurant House—this is worth peeking into to admire the towering ceilings and stained-glass windows inside. The rest of the building contains apartments. This area saw heavy fighting during the uprisings of 1905 and 1917 (the plaza was previously called Ploshchad Vosstaniya, or Insurrection Square). The Barrikadnaya (Barricade) metro station is very close by. Cross the ulitsa Barrikadnaya and bear right and down the hill; you'll see people streaming into the station to your right.

This square was named after the vorota (gates) of the white-stone fortification walls that once stood here. On one side of the square is a modern building with square windows; this is the office of ITAR-TASS, once the official news agency of the Soviet Union and the mouthpiece of the Kremlin. In the park in the center of the square stands a monument to Kliment Timiryazev, a famous botanist.

The busy road intersecting Bolshaya Nikitskaya ulitsa at one end of the square is the Bulvarnoye Koltso (Boulevard Ring), which forms a semicircle around the city center. It begins at the banks of the Moskva River, just south of the Kremlin, and after curving eastward, then south, it reaches the riverbank again after several miles, near the mouth of the Yauza River, northeast of the Kremlin. Its path follows the lines of the 16th-century white-stone fortification wall that gave Moscow the name "White City." The privilege of living within its walls was reserved for the court nobility and craftsmen serving the tsar. The wall was torn down in 1775, on orders from Catherine the Great, and was replaced by the current Boulevard Ring. The perfect way to get a good view of the inner city is to slowly walk along the ring—this is best done on the weekend or late at night to avoid traffic on the boulevard. Running along its center is a broad strip of trees and flowers, dotted with playgrounds and benches. Summer brings out a burst of outdoor cafés, ice-cream vendors, and strolling lovers along the boulevard.

The achievements of science and technology, including an awesome collection of early-20th-century Russian cars, fill an entire Moscow block. The monumental building that houses the museum was built in 1875 by Ippolit Monigetti, a Russian of Italian birth whose day job was designing annexes on the royal family's country estates. The endless series of exhibits—miners' lamps, Soviet televisions, even a full-scale replica of the USSR's first atomic bomb—can be overwhelming and esoteric, but kids love it. There are also many good temporary exhibits, as well as the movie museum (mostly Soviet animation films) and a small planetarium at the southern entrance.

The poet Alexander Pushkin lived here with his bride, Natalya Goncharova, for several months in 1831, right after they were married. Experts have recreated the original layout of the rooms and interior decoration. The first floor presents various trinkets and poems, plus information on Pushkin's relationship with Moscow; the second floor is a reconstruction of a typical early-19th-century home. The apartment museum is one of several for the beloved Russian poet around Moscow.

Aleksandr Pushkin (1799–1837) never lived here and probably never even visited this fine yellow mansion built in the 19th century by architect Afanasy Grigoriev. Even so, several rooms surrounding a beautiful atrium showcase the author's sketches, letters, and personal effects.

The most popular meeting place in town is located at the intersection of ulitsa Tverskaya and the Boulevard Ring. Every evening in good weather you will see crowds milling by the bronze statue of Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837), which stands at the top of a small park. It's the work of Alexander Opekushin and was erected by public subscription in 1880. It is impossible to underestimate Russia's love for the poet, who is credited with founding modern Russian literature. One of his most famous lines, from his novel in verse Eugene Onegin (1823), is about Moscow: "Moscow, how many strains are fusing / in that one sound, for Russian hearts! / what store of riches it imparts!" Summer and winter, fresh flowers on the pedestal prove that the poet's admirers are still ardent and numerous. Also at this site is the country's first McDonald's, once the busiest in the world, and a restaurant and shop called Armenia, which sells that country's famed Ararat brandy and other delicacies.

These gates, which formed part of the Kitai Gorod defensive wall, were named for the icon of the Resurrection of Christ that hangs above them. However, the gates are truly "resurrection" gates; they have been reconstructed many times since they were first built in 1534. In 1680 the gates were rebuilt and a chapel honoring the Iberian Virgin Mary was added. In 1931 they were destroyed by the Soviets. Stalin ordered their demolition partly so that tanks could easily make their way onto Red Square during parades. They were most recently rebuilt in 1994–95. Today the redbrick gates with the bright-green-and-blue chapel are truly a magnificent sight and a fitting entrance to Red Square. The bronze compass inlaid in the ground in front of the chapel marks Kilometer Zero on the Russian highway system.

Once called Biblioteka Imeni Lenina, or the Lenin Library, this is Russia's largest library, with more than 30 million books and manuscripts. The modern building was built between 1928 and 1940. Bronze busts of famous writers and scientists adorn the main facade. The portico, supported by square black pillars, is approached by a wide ceremonial staircase. A 12-foot statue of Dostoyevsky was erected in front of the library in 1997 in honor of the 850th anniversary of Moscow. The great novelist, sculpted by Alexander Rukavishnikov, sits where the Soviets once considered erecting a giant Lenin head. In theory, anyone can visit the library as a day visitor, but you need some persistence to fill in forms and deal with the bureaucracy (bring your passport). It's arguably worth it, though, to see the grand main hall.

Until Boris Yeltsin's presidency (1991–99) this 1491 tower served as the main entrance to the Kremlin. Indeed, in the centuries before Communist rule, all who passed through it were required to doff their hats and bow before the icon of the Savior that hung on the front of the tower. The icon was removed, but you can see the outline of where it was. The embellished roof and the first clock were added in 1625. President Vladimir Putin uncharacteristically used the Spasskaya Tower exit in May 2003 when hurrying to a Paul McCartney concert on Red Square.

The rooms of an 18th-century neoclassical mansion display works by some of the best and most controversial architects in Russia and around the world. Temporary exhibits focus on Moscow architecture from ancient through contemporary times. The museum also offers a varied selection of walking tours and lectures in Russian.

This charming apartment was the last home of composer Alexander Scriabin's (1872–1915), where he died of blood poisoning in 1915. The rooms are arranged and furnished just as they were when Scriabin lived here. Visitors are scarce because foreign tourist groups are not usually brought to the museum. Downstairs there's a concert hall where accomplished young musicians perform his music, usually on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

The yellow neoclassical mansion behind the iron gate is the residence of the American ambassador. It was built in the early 20th century for a wealthy merchant. The building's front looks on a small square between Arbat and Novy Arbat that features an undersized statue of Pushkin in the center and is a pleasant place to take a break.

Moscow's only Anglican church, built in 1884, served the British-expatriate community for more than 40 years, including a mass for Queen Victoria after her death in 1901. No bells were rung then, however, because only Orthodox churches were allowed to have them. Instead the tower was used as a strong room for British merchants. The 1917 revolution ended both spiritual and secular functions, however, and the church was closed. The pews are believed to have been burned in the harsh winters of the early 1920s, and the stained glass was replaced when the building was converted into a recording studio. Today the Church of England has reacquired the property, and it's again a vibrant, working church and a gathering place for the community. Regular services include morning prayer on Sundays at 8 a.m. and evening prayer on Wednesdays and Sundays at 6:30 p.m.

Konstantin Stanislavsky (1863–1938) was a Russian actor, director, and producer, as well as the founder of the Stanislavsky Method, the catalyst for method acting. He was also one of the founders of the Moscow Art Theater. Stanislavsky lived and worked in this house, an elegant 19th-century building with stunning painted ceilings, during the last 17 years of his life. The house has been kept as it was while he lived here, showcasing a small practice theater, the various leather chairs he preferred, a few of his old theater costumes, and other memorabilia. The entrance to the museum is through the courtyard.

You may recognize these twin towers if you've ever caught clips of Soviet military parades on television. Against the backdrop of the pointed spires, the tanks and missiles rolling through Red Square seemed to acquire even more potency. The redbrick museum, built in 1874–83 in the pseudo-Russian style, combines a variety of backward-looking architectural styles and houses extensive archaeological and historical collections and interesting temporary exhibits outline.

In 1961 this rectangular structure of glass and aluminum was built as the Dvorets Syezdov (Palace of Congresses) to accommodate meetings of Communist Party delegates from across the Soviet Union. Today it's affiliated with the Bolshoi Theatre and is used for concerts, fashion shows, and ballets. Big names such as Tom Jones, Elton John, and Rod Stewart have played here. A sizable portion of the palace is underground: the architect designed the structure this way so that it wouldn't be higher than any of the other Kremlin buildings. Apart from attending a concert, the building is of no real interest.

Glass cases filled to capacity with artwork and clothing from the Central Asian republics, China, Japan, and Korea make up the museum's large permanent collection. The museum itself is a cool and calm place to take a leisurely stroll. Most of the placards in the museum are in Russian, but there are a few annotations in English.

The famous Tchaikovsky Music Competition takes place every four years in this prestigious music school's grand performance space. Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, and Tchaikovsky are among the famous composers who worked at the conservatory, founded in 1866 and at its current location since 1870. Concerts are performed almost daily in the school's various performance spaces, which include the smaller Rachmaninovsky and Maly Halls. Both of these host chamber music concerts. Tickets, almost always affordable, are sold at a small window directly on the sidewalk on ulitsa Bolshaya Nikitskaya east of the main hall. If you'd rather not attend a performance, you can also just sit back with a coffee and listen to rehearsals and concerts from the summer garden of the Coffeemania here, near a statue of Tchaikovsky designed by Vera Mukhina, a famous Soviet sculptor.

Architect Afanasy Grigoriev designed this mansion, a fine example of the Moscow Empire style (1822–24). The minor poet Lopukhin, a distant relative of Tolstoy's, lived here, and the mansion was converted into a museum in 1920. The exhibit halls contain a rich collection of manuscripts and photographs of Tolstoy and his family, as well as pictures and paintings of Tolstoy's Moscow. Even if you don't know Russian, you can learn about the writer's life through the photographs, and in each room there's a typed handout in English to help explain its holdings. Note the picture of 19th-century Moscow in the second hall (on the left-hand wall). The huge cathedral taking up more than half the photograph is the Cathedral of Christ Our Savior—the original 19th-century structure that was torn down and subsequently re-created.

Dedicated on May 9, 1967, the 22nd anniversary of the Russian victory over Germany in World War II, this red-granite monument within Alexander Garden contains the body of an unidentified Soviet soldier, one of those who, in autumn 1941, stopped the German attack at the village of Kryukovo, just outside Moscow. To the right of the grave there are six urns holding soil from the six "heroic cities" that so stubbornly resisted the German onslaught: Odessa, Sevastopol, Stalingrad (the current Volgograd), Kiev, Brest, and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Very likely, no matter what time of year you are visiting, you'll see at least one wedding party. The young couple in full wedding regalia, along with friends and family, customarily stops here after getting married, leaving behind flowers and snapping photographs along the way. The gray obelisk just beyond the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was erected in 1918 to commemorate the Marxist theoreticians who contributed to the Bolshevik Revolution. It was created out of an obelisk that had been put up three years earlier, in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty.

This major intersection is where the grand boulevard of Moscow, the Garden Ring, crosses Tverskaya ulitsa. In the center of the square stands a statue of the revolutionary poet Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893–1930), who it's generally believed committed suicide after he became disillusioned with the revolution he had so passionately supported.

The square is a center of Moscow's cultural life—and lately it's also become the political opposition's preferred site for anti-Putin rallies. (In order to prevent the latter, city authorities occasionally cordon off much of the square, supposedly to undertake emergency construction work.) The Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, which opened in 1940, stands on one corner (in its foyer are various food outlets); the Satire Theater is next door, on the Garden Ring; and the Mossoviet Theater is nearby, at 16 Bolshaya Sadovaya. The multitiered tower of the elegant Peking Hotel, opened in 1956 as a mark of Sino-Soviet friendship, rises nearby.

While you're here, it's worth riding the escalator down for a peek at the spectacular interior of the Mayakovskaya metro station, which, like many early stations, lies deep underground (it doubled as a bomb shelter during World War II). Stalin made a famous speech here on the 24th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, at the height of the Siege of Moscow. Colorful, pastel mosaics depicting Soviet achievements in outer space decorate the ceiling.

Rising 240 feet, this is the tallest bashnya (tower) in the Kremlin wall and is linked to the Kutafya Tower by a bridge that once spanned a moat. Its deep, subterranean chambers were once used as prison cells. Napoléon supposedly lost his hat when he entered the Kremlin through this gate in 1812.

The museum collection contains miniatures and portraits by serf artist Vasily Tropinin (1776–1857) and his contemporaries. The pretty period rooms and permanent painting collection offer an interesting peek into a Moscow now long gone.

The world's largest bell is also the world's most silent: it has never rung once. Commissioned in the 1730s, the bell was damaged when it was still in its cast. It weighs more than 200 tons and is 20 feet high. The bas-reliefs on the outside show Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Tsarina Anna Ivanovna.

This huge piece of artillery (pushka) has the largest caliber of any gun in the world, but like the Tsar Bell that has never been rung, it has never fired a single shot. Cast in bronze in 1586 by Andrei Chokhov, it weighs 40 tons and is 17½ feet long. Its present carriage was cast in 1835, purely for display purposes.

This popular boating and picnicking spot is the site of the 18th-century summer palace that was started but never completed for Catherine the Great. The empress pulled down the work of her first architect; the second building phase was never completed, probably for financial reasons, and her heirs took no interest in Tsaritsyno. Now the kitchen, Gothic Revival main palace, and grounds have been restored, and a collection of porcelain, paintings, and sculptures are on display in the theater.