Moscow is a city where the medieval walls of the Kremlin coexist with the futuristic skyscrapers of Moscow City, where the gilded domes of cathedrals are reflected in the glass facades of business centers, and the quiet lanes of the Arbat preserve the memory of Pushkin, Bulgakov, and Tsvetaeva. Moscow is not just the capital of the Russian Federation. It is the heart of Russian history and culture, a place where the fate of a vast country was forged over nine centuries.
This is a city that cannot be known in one visit. It can be different: grand and monumental near the Kremlin, businesslike and dynamic in Moscow City, bohemian and cozy at Patriarch`s Ponds, industrial and creative in the former industrial zones of "Krasny Oktyabr" and "Winzavod".
History of Moscow
From a Fortress on Borovitsky Hill to the Capital of the State. The history of Moscow began in the mid-12th century, when Prince Yuri Dolgoruky founded a wooden fortress on the high Borovitsky Hill at the confluence of the Moskva and Neglinnaya rivers. In 1147, the city is first mentioned in chronicles — this date is officially considered the year of its foundation.
In the 14th century, under Prince Ivan Kalita, Moscow became the center of the Moscow Principality, and then the gatherer of Russian lands. Ivan Kalita moved the metropolitan`s residence here, turning the city into the spiritual center of Rus`. The end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries were a turning point. Ivan III, having married the Byzantine princess Sophia Paleologue, proclaimed Moscow the Third Rome and the successor of Constantinople.
To build the new Dormition Cathedral and other Kremlin structures, Italian architects were invited — Aristotele Fioravanti, Aleviz Novy, Pietro Antonio Solari. The red-brick walls and towers of the Kremlin, erected at the turn of the 15th–16th centuries, form the majestic image we know today.
The reforms of Peter I deprived Moscow of its capital status — St. Petersburg became the main city. However, Moscow retained its significance as the "First Throne," the coronation site of emperors and the center of noble culture. Napoleon`s invasion in 1812 resulted in a grandiose fire that destroyed two-thirds of the buildings. The restoration of the city after the Patriotic War was a time of flourishing for Moscow Empire style and classicism under the guidance of architect Osip Bove.
The 19th century turned Moscow into an industrial center. Factories and plants grew in the city, railways were laid, and railway stations were built. The merchant class, which amassed fortunes in industry and trade, acted as the main patron, supporting theaters and galleries.
In 1918, the Bolsheviks returned capital status to Moscow. The Soviet period was a time of grandiose urban planning experiments. In the 1920s–1930s, the city was rebuilt according to the "Stalinist Reconstruction" plan: churches and historical buildings were demolished, wide avenues were laid, and the metro was built.
After the dissolution of the USSR, Moscow transformed again. Since the 1990s, the "Moscow City" business center has been actively built, churches and estates have been restored, and parks and embankments have been improved. Today, Moscow is one of the largest metropolises in the world, combining a thousand-year history with the dynamics of a modern global city.
The Architectural Code of Moscow
Moscow`s architecture is a unique fusion of styles, reflecting all stages of Russian history. Unlike St. Petersburg with its ensemble strictness, Moscow has always been eclectic, combining different styles.
Old Russian Architecture. The oldest monuments of Moscow architecture are churches and monasteries from the 14th–17th centuries. The Dormition Cathedral in the Kremlin, built by Aristotele Fioravanti in 1475–1479, became a model of monumental church architecture, combining Vladimir-Suzdal traditions with Italian engineering solutions. The Kremlin walls and towers are an example of 15th–16th century fortification architecture.
Naryshkin Baroque. At the turn of the 17th–18th centuries, an original style emerged in Moscow, called "Naryshkin Baroque." It is characterized by tiered structures, a combination of red brick with white stone decoration, and carved window frames. The main masterpieces are the Church of the Intercession in Fili and the Church of the Trinity in Trinity-Lykovo.
Classicism and Empire Style. The second half of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries were marked by the dominance of classicism. The palaces in the Kuskovo and Ostankino estates, the buildings of the Senate in the Kremlin, and Moscow University on Mokhovaya Street are examples of this style. After the fire of 1812, the city was rebuilt in the Empire style, glorifying the victory in the Patriotic War. Osip Bove created the ensemble of Theater Square, the Manege building, and restored Red Square.
Eclecticism and Historicism. In the second half of the 19th century, historicism — a mix of elements from different eras — gained popularity in Moscow. Leningradsky Railway Station combines features of an Italian palazzo and a Western European town hall. Kazansky Railway Station, on which Alexey Shchusev worked for decades, became a collective image of Old Russian architecture, combining motifs of Kremlin towers and the Syuyumbike watchtower.
Modern (Art Nouveau). At the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, Art Nouveau took over Moscow. Fyodor Shekhtel, the chief architect of this style, built the Ryabushinsky Mansion on Malaya Nikitskaya with its famous wave-like staircase and mosaics, the Derozhinskaya Mansion, the building of the Art Theater in Kamergersky Lane, and Yaroslavsky Railway Station.
Constructivism. After the 1917 revolution, the avant-garde and constructivism came to the forefront. In the 1920s–1930s, Soviet architects created buildings where form was subordinated to function and decoration was absent.
Stalinist Empire Style. In the late 1930s–1950s, a monumental style was formed, glorifying the power of the Soviet state. The "Seven Sisters" (Stalinist skyscrapers) shape the vertical silhouette of Moscow. The pavilions of VDNKh and the metro stations of that period amaze with the luxury of their decoration.
Contemporary Architecture. Since the 1990s, Moscow has been actively built up with high-tech and postmodernist buildings. The "Moscow City" business center with its "Federation," "Mercury," and "IQ-quarter" towers creates a futuristic cluster on the embankment. Zaryadye Park with its "floating bridge" and landscape architecture has become a symbol of the modern approach to urban space.
Landmarks of Moscow
Red Square and the Kremlin
Red Square is the heart of Moscow, the main historical and political symbol of the country. It is a place where key monuments telling the centuries-old history of the state are concentrated. The square is paved with cobblestones and surrounded by iconic buildings: the Kremlin wall, the Historical Museum, GUM, and St. Basil`s Cathedral.
St. Basil`s Cathedral (The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat) is a world-famous 16th-century architectural masterpiece, built by order of Ivan the Terrible. The cathedral consists of ten separate churches united by a common foundation and amazes with its asymmetry and famous bright domes.
GUM is an iconic building in the pseudo-Russian style, built at the end of the 19th century by architect Alexander Pomerantsev. Its glass galleries, bridges, and fountains create a unique shopping atmosphere. They still sell the famous Soviet ice cream here.
Lenin`s Mausoleum is located near the Kremlin wall. This laconic, stepped granite structure, created by Alexey Shchusev, became one of the main symbols of the Soviet era.
The State Historical Museum is a monumental building in the pseudo-Russian style, housing an extensive collection of artifacts covering the entire history of the country.
The Moscow Kremlin is the oldest part of the city and a symbol of state power, surrounded by majestic red walls with twenty towers. On its territory is Cathedral Square, surrounded by three main cathedrals: the Dormition Cathedral (coronation place), the Archangel Cathedral (burial vault of Moscow princes and tsars), and the Annunciation Cathedral (the rulers` home church). Here also rises the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, and stand the Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell. The Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund house priceless treasures.
Alexander Garden stretches along the western Kremlin wall. Here lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with the Eternal Flame.
Sacred Architecture of Moscow
The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is the country`s main cathedral, built in the 19th century in memory of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. Blown up during the Soviet era, it was recreated in the 1990s. The cathedral`s observation gallery offers a panorama of central Moscow.
Novodevichy Convent is one of the most beautiful and ancient convents in Moscow, founded in the 16th century. Its ensemble is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Donskoy Monastery is another ancient monastery with powerful fortress walls and a necropolis where representatives of old noble families rest.
The Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye is a masterpiece of Old Russian architecture, built in the 16th century. It is the first stone tent-roofed church in Rus`, inscribed on the UNESCO list.
Museums and Galleries of Moscow
The Tretyakov Gallery is the main museum of national art, founded by merchant Pavel Tretyakov. The gallery houses a rich collection of ancient Russian icons, masterpieces of painting by Repin, Surikov, Vasnetsov, Levitan, as well as works by artists of the Silver Age and the avant-garde.
The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is the main collection of Western European art in Moscow. Its collection includes works from Ancient Egypt, antiquity, paintings by old masters, and the famous collection of Impressionists.
The State Historical Museum is the country`s main historical museum, located in the very heart of Red Square.
Palaces, Estates, and Mansions of Moscow
Tsaritsyno is a palace and park ensemble from the 18th century, built for Catherine II by architect Vasily Bazhenov. Gothic palaces of red brick with white stone decoration create a unique romantic ensemble.
Kolomenskoye is a former royal residence on the high bank of the Moskva River. The Church of the Ascension, ancient gardens, and panoramic views have been preserved here.
Kuskovo is the summer estate of the Sheremetev counts, one of the best examples of classicism. The palace with interiors, the formal park, the grotto, and pavilions create an 18th-century atmosphere.
Ostankino is another Sheremetev estate, famous for its palace-theater with unique interiors.
The Melnikov House in Krivoarbatsky Lane is an icon of constructivism, a recognized monument of world significance.
The House on the Embankment is a monumental building from the 1930s, a whole city within a city with its own infrastructure, where the Soviet elite lived.
Theaters and Concert Halls of Moscow
The Bolshoi Theater is a world-famous symbol of Russian art, one of the most significant opera and ballet institutions on the planet. The building is crowned with the famous quadriga of Apollo.
The Chekhov Moscow Art Theater in Kamergersky Lane is the legendary Art Theater founded by Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko.
The Lenkom Theater on Malaya Dmitrovka is housed in the former building of the Merchant Club.
Parks, Gardens, and Observation Decks
Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) and the MGU Observation Deck are among the most picturesque places in Moscow. The observation deck offers a magnificent panorama of the city. The main building of Moscow State University (MGU) itself is a Stalinist Empire style skyscraper.
Zaryadye Park is a unique landscape project opened in 2017. The main architectural accent is the Floating Bridge, extending 70 meters over the Moskva River.
VDNKh is a giant exhibition complex, a monument to Soviet architecture with pavilions, fountains, and Europe`s tallest Ferris wheel, the "Sun of Moscow."
Gorky Park and Neskuchny Garden are the capital`s main parks, a favorite resting place for Muscovites on the banks of the Moskva River.
Krymskaya Embankment with Muzeon Park is a unique open-air sculpture museum, a completely pedestrian zone. Sofiyskaya Embankment offers a classic view of the Kremlin. The main pedestrian bridge is the Patriarch`s Bridge, connecting the Cathedral of Christ the Savior with Bersenevskaya Embankment.
Unusual Corners of Moscow
• Sky Garden on the "Oko" tower in Moscow City — the highest viewing platform in Europe.
• Winzavod and Artplay — former industrial zones turned into art clusters.
• Bunker-42 on Taganka — an underground Cold War museum at a depth of 65 meters.
• The Communal House on Gogolevsky Boulevard — an experiment from the 1920s.
• Shukhov Tower on Shabolovka — a masterpiece of engineering thought.
• "The Emerald on Pyatnitskaya" — a house clad in green ceramic tiles.
• Kolomenskoye Palace of Alexei Mikhailovich — a recreated wooden terem (fairytale mansion).
Practical Tips
• Tickets in advance. Queues can be long for the Kremlin, the Armory Chamber, the Tretyakov Gallery, and observation decks. Buy tickets online several weeks before your trip. Tickets for the Bolshoi Theater are sold out months in advance.
• Opening hours. Many museums are closed on Mondays. The Kremlin is open daily except Thursdays. St. Basil`s Cathedral is open from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays, and until 6:00 PM on weekends.
• Transport. The Moscow metro is not only convenient transport but also an attraction. The metro runs from 5:30 AM to 1:00 AM. It is convenient to use the "Troika" card or contactless bank cards for payment. Ground transport is convenient for short trips around the center.
• Where to eat. GUM and Kamergersky Lane offer atmospheric cafes. In the Patriarch`s Ponds area, you`ll find trendy restaurants. On Arbat and in Kitay-Gorod, there are many budget-friendly cafes. Be sure to try pancakes with caviar, borscht, pelmeni, the Moscow kalach, and ice cream at GUM.
• What to drink. Medovukha, sbiten, and kvass can be found in Russian cuisine restaurants. Modern Moscow bars are famous for their signature cocktails.
Moscow is the largest metropolis in Europe with a population of over twelve million people, the main political, economic, and cultural center of Russia. Moscow offers travelers a unique combination of a thousand-year history, architecture from different eras, and the dynamics of a modern global city.
