Sightseeing of Moscow

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The Moscow Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin is the chief architectural ensemble of the city. The heart of Moscow includes several cathedrals and museums :

The Cathedral of the Dormition (it was here that czars and emperors were crowned) , The Cathedral of the Annunciation (it served as the private chapel of the royal family) and the Cathedral of St.Michael the Archangal (for more than 300 years it was the Palace, The Grand Kremlin Palace (it’s the office of the President at the moment), The Armoury Chamber (the oldest Russian museam), The Diamond Fund Exhibition (part of the Russian diamond treasury is on display here) and othes. All museums are unique concerning their architecture and interior beauty. The Kremlin palaces and chambers keep stste regalia, invaluable icons and treasuries of the tsars. Ancient Russion casting art is presented on Cathedral Square of the Kremlin by two monuments-the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon. The Tsar Bell is the largest bell in the world; its weight is more than 200 tons. The Tsar Cannon in its turn weights about 40 tons and has a calibare of 890 mm, the cannon has never fired.

The Red Square

Surrounded by the stark severity of the Lenin’s Mausoleum, the expansive fecade of the world-famous GUM departmental store, and the exuberant colours of St.Basil’s Cathedral,Red Square is, and deserve to be, the requisite first stop for any visitor to Moscow.

The Armory Chamber

The Armory Chamber is the oldest museum in Russia. It was founded about 500 years ago and served as the tsar’s treasure-house. The museum is a part of the Grand Kremlin Palace’s complex. It is situated in the building constructed in 1851 by the architect Konstantin Ton. The Armory possess Russian and foreign relics of the 11^th-20^th centuries. One can see unique collections of dresses, state regalia, royal carriages, arms and armour, jewellery, Faberge items and china there.

The State Tretyakov Gallery

The State tretyakov Gallery is the national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is situated in the centre of Moscow not far from the Kremlin. The collection contains more than 130 000 works of painting,sculpture and graphics. The gallery was founded in 1856 by the wealthy Russian merchant Pavel Tretyakov. In 1872 the collection was donated to the city. The State Tretyakov Gallery is remarkeable for its collection of master pieces of Russian fine art: canvases and portairs of the 18^th – early 20^th centuries. Visitors should also pay attention to the icons. The holiest Russian icons such as ‘ The Trinity’ by Andrey Rublev and ‘Vladimirkaya Lady’ are exhibited there.

The pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts

The Pushkin museum od Fine Arts has one of the most precious collections of forgien art in Russia dated from ancient times to nowday. The museum was opened in 1912. The building itself is a historical and architectural monument,made in the classical style. It is one of the most remarkable houses in Moscow. The visitors can see a large collection of tinted plaster copies of famous ancient, medieval and Renaissanse sculptures and a range of original works of forgien artists, sculptures and graphic together with objects of decorative arts. The expositions of the museum outlines the development of the world art from ancient times to our days. One of the best collections of the art of Ancient Egypt in the world is shown there.

The museum is also famous for its expositions of French painting, especially of the Improssionist and post-Improssionist schools.

The Museum of Private Collections is its special department which displays the gifts of Russian and foreign collectors.

The State History Museum :

The State History Museum is the largest historic museum in Russian; it was established in 1872 on the intiavate of the Russian scientific community. Its building is one of the best representatives of Russian Art Nouveau of the 19^th century. Today the collection of the Museum treasures archeological finds,manuscripts and black-letter books,old Russian icons, Russian and foreign arming,works of smith craft, jewelry, glass and ceramics, national clothes, collection of old furniture from the private estates and the last members of the Romanov family are especially popular with the visitors. One should pay attention to the wonderful exhibition of coins and medals shown there.

Arbat Street

Arbat is one of the oldest districsts in Moscow. It is a historical place, situated between the garden ring and the Boulevered Ring roads. Arbat is a pedestrian zone of shops,cafes and snack-bars, some of them are outdoors. The street is a popular promenade. Actors and musicians put on amusing shoes; artists display their pictures and draw portraits of the passers-by. Arbat has been romanticized by the Soviet bard Bulat Okudzhava, the monument to whom one can also find there. The world famous Vakhtangov Theature is situaded in Arbat Pushkin had his only apartment is Moscow here, One can find a lot of jewellery,antique and souvenirs shops in this street.

Moscow Metro

For its spacious and beautiful interiors Moscow Metro can be named an underground palace. Each station is lavishly decorated with marble and mosaic, stained glass and stainless steel Moscow metro consists of 12 lines, 170 stations and its tracks are 265 kilometers long, its daily carriage is 9 million people, the deepest station is ‘Park Pobedi’ – 84 meters deep. It’s advisable that tourists should visit Moscow Metro, as one of the greatest engineering achievements of the Soviet perioud.

The New Maiden Convent

The impressive architeural ensemble of the New Maiden (Novodevichy) Convent is one of the most significant historical monuments in Moscow was founded by Basil 111 in 1524 to mark the union of Moscow and Smolensk and his victory over the Poles. The Convent includes the solemn Smolensk Cathedral (16^th century), the festive churches of intercession and Transfiguration. Great collection of Russian icons, fine items of jewellery and needle-work are exhibited there. Visitors should pay attention to the cemetery of the Convent; eminent people are buried there.

Kolomenskoe Museum- Reserve

Kolomenskoe served as the main summer residence of Russian tsars. Kolomenskoe was first mentioned in the chronicles of the 14^th century. Grand prince of Moscow Basil 111 erected here one of the forst tent-roofed churches in Russia, the church of Ascension, an outstanding example of Russian medieval architecture. There are also the St.George Bell-Tower and the church of John the Baptist in Kolomenskoe. Visitors will find here fine example of decorative art and wood-carving brought from all over Russia.

Kuskovo Country Estate

The State museum of Ceramics and the estate form one of the most interesting and beautiful places in Moscow. This estate belonged to the rich and noble family of sheremetieves from the beginning of the 16^th century till the year 1917. Kuskovo is typical summer residence of the 18^th century with a place and a church with a bell-tower. Its territory is about 300 hectares, including three parks- French regular, English landscape and Zaprudny, system of ponds and channels, small and large architectural park ensembles with the 18^th century sculptures.

Sergiev Posad

The town of sergiev Posad developed froma settlement around one of the most famous monasteries in Russia- the Holy Trinity-St.Sergius Monastery (Troice-Sergeeva Lavra), which was founded in 1340. The monastery complex includes the holy trinity cathedral of the 15^th century, the Assumption Cathedral of the 16^th century with the tomb of the Russian tsar Boris Godunov and the treasure chamber with rich tapestries and a lot of objects of liturgical art. The monastery became a museum in 1920, but since 1988 it has become a centuere of growing religious activity.