Best of Moscow Walking Tour

This is a walking tour of Moscow which includes visits many of the sights overlooked on Moscow holidays. The Best of Moscow Tour is frequently scheduled in conjunction with a private tour to:

• Tretyakov Galley
• State Pushkin Gallery of Art
• Gorky House Museum
• Church of Christ our Savior

Almost every building in the historical center of Moscow is associated with different events and celebrated personalities of the Russian history and culture. You will see and hear the stories of the most popular places of the city. The Best of Moscow Tour includes:  

• Red Square, the hub of Russia, with its fantastic “stone flower”- St. Basil Cathedral, one of the symbols of Moscow
• Pushkin Square, the most popular meeting spot in Moscow where you can witness the hustle and bustle of  the big city
• Tverskaya street, the main street of the city, where we will visit Yeleseyevskiy Grocery Store. This  one-of-a-kind store was built as a palace and turned into a luxurious grocery store more than a hundred years ago
• Theatre Square with the stunning Bolshoi Theatre
• The notorious Lubyanskaya Square with headquarters of the former KGB
•  The fancy Manezhnaya Square with the Zero Kilometer, a starting point for  all Moscow roads
•  Alexander’s Garden with the eternal flame and  a WW2 memorial, where you may be able to catch the changing of the guards
• Zamoskvoretskiy bridge across the Moskva River for photo stops of a panoramic view of the Kremlin and one of the 7 Stalin’s Sisters;
• Zamoskovorechye, an old neighborhood of Moscow with little churches and stately mansions, some interesting pieces of contemporary art and the most romantic city spot which has the Love bridge with Love trees
• Christ the Savior Cathedral, the main church of Russia and a foot bridge next to it offering some of the best view of the city;
• Arbat street, a lively colorful promenade with numerous cafes, souvenir stalls, street musicians and painters- places that make Moscow one of the most beautiful cities of Russia.

St. Basil’s Cathedral

St. Basil’s Cathedral is a magnificent piece of architecture that appeals to everyone.  The Cathedral is a uniquely Russian structure.  The towers and domes lack symmetry and consistency, yet the effect of each structure taken together is a wonderful sight.  There are nine separate chapels, one under each of the domes.  The central tower unifies the structure into a whole. The Cathedral was built 1555-1561 to commemorate Ivan’s the Terrible’s defeat of the Tatar City of Kazan.  The statue in front of St. Basil’s dates from 1818, and portrays Minim and Pozharsky who drove Polish invaders out of Moscow in the early 1600′s.  It was moved from the middle of Red Square in 1936 because it impeded the many parades that marched through the Square. The Cathedral was named after Basil, one of Russia’s barefoot “holy fools” (the most famous one being Rasputin).  Basil died while Kazan was still under siege.

Red Square

 The “Red” in Red square is not a reference to communism or to the red brickwork around the square.  It was originally a reference to St. Basil’s Cathedral.  The Russian word “krasnaya” can mean either “red” or “beautiful,” and it was the term “beautiful” which was applied to St. Basil.  It later shifted in meaning and location to become Red Square. If there is one site that can be considered the epicenter of Russia, Red Square has that distinction. The Square has witnessed many famous spectacles throughout the history of Russia:  revolution, military displays, outdoor performances in front of more than 100,000 people, trade markets, workers festivals, and much more.  Famous attractions around the square include the Novodevitchi Cemetery (the burial place of many elite members of society, famous Russian writers, artists and politicians, including Nikita Khrushchev), Lenin’s Mausoleum, State History Museum, and St. Basil’s Cathedral.