Walking Around Moscow, the Coldest Megacity on Earth

Russian nesting dolls, changing of guards, beautiful plazas.
by Harold Evangelista | May 12, 2015

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Russia is the biggest country in the world, covering about an eight of the world’s inhabited areas.

The Russian Federation, as it is more officially known, has Moscow as its capital. Being the capital city, it is has grown to be the biggest, most populous, and most popular city for tourists. There is a certain charm in Moscow that keeps visitors coming despite it being one of the top 10 most expensive cities in the world.

No matter how cold it gets during the winter (a freezing negative 50 degrees celsius), or how sleepless you’d get during the long days of summer (with only about 5 hours of darkness during the night), travelers plague the city to see its magnificent architecture: from historical churches, to palaces and museums that house masterpieces from celebrated artists across the globe and from Russian Artists as well who have lived in the country’s center of art.

Some tourists even come more than once, visiting this megacity at different times of the year to witness these magnificent buildings get enveloped in snow, or gleam bright in color under the sun.

The Red Square or “Krasnaya” is the center of Moscow from which the main streets originate, and where important historical buildings are located. Although most of the structures surrounding it are red, the name of the plaza originally meant “beautiful” and has nothing to do with the color of the bricks.

The Kremlin is a Russian Term for a fortress. The Moscow kremlin is the most popular for it has housed the present and former rulers of Russia. On one side of the kremlin, one can actually enter the mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin and catch a glimpse of his embalmed body.

The State Historical Museum is the place to be if you are keen on learning more about the rich history of Russia. Here you will find relics and artifacts from the old and new Russia, as well as the art collections of the Romanov dynasty.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is actually eight churches surrounding the central church. The overall design of the church was believed to be patterned after the flames of a bonfire. The church, now a world famous landmark, is now a museum.

A trip to Russia wouldn’t be complete without souvenirs. Matryoshka dolls or Russian nesting dolls are popular items with prices that differ depending on the intricacy of the designs. Not known to many, the two people who first made these dolls actually got inspired from empty wooden dolls from Japan.

Every Saturday afternoon, there is a spectacular show that many foreigners come to see, and that is the changing of of the Kremlin Guards. Every soldier lift their legs as high as possible in synchrony with the rest of the guards. It almost feels like watching ballet!

Due to the cold weather in Russia, buying winter coats and accessories, just like these fur hats, is almost like buying candy from a store. And since there is a massive supply of these types of clothing accessories, you can bargain for it into a really good price!

 

Who’s been to this side of the world? Share your favorite Moscow attractions with us!