If you were looking for the best things to do in Moscow, this article is just for you.
For years relatives, friends and friends of friends have come to visit me in Moscow and during these countless visits I have been able to get a pretty clear idea about what are the best things to do in Moscow for those who visit the city for the first time.
The order (excluding point 1) is purely random. Let's get started!
1. Visit the Red Square and the Kremlin
We cut off the bull's head and don't talk about it anymore. Yes, visiting the Red Square and the Kremlin is one of the first things to do in Moscow.
The Red Square includes St. Basil's, the GUM (Moscow department stores) and Lenin's mausoleum. The latter is not necessarily to be seen: it's time to queue for hours to turn a few seconds around a mummy... it's up to you.
The Grand Kremlin Palace is almost impossible to visit now, so I advise you to give up and focus on the wonderful cathedrals, Armory and Diamond Fund.
The Kremlin is closed on Thursday! Every other day you can buy tickets at the checkout (in the center of Alexander's garden) or book a guided tour online.
2. Admire the Golden fountains of the VDNH
The VDNH (exhibition of the achievements of the national economy) is a huge architectural complex with gardens, monumental pavilions and, most importantly, wonderful golden fountains operating from mid-April to mid-October.
A wonderful park in which to spend a few hours immersed in a truly Soviet atmosphere. In winter, the entire VDNH turns into a skating rink.
Before you leave, make sure you have taken some pictures of the statue the worker and the kolchozian. 25 meters high, this monument is a symbol of Soviet communism just a few minutes walk from the VDNH.
Just before the main entrance to the VDNH you will see a tall and thin monument representing the launch of a rocket. That's the entrance to the Museum of Cosmonautics. Not everyone likes it, but if you have a passion for space well worth a visit.
3. Be ecstatic by the works exhibited in the (old) Tretyakov Gallery
Now, I don't particularly like museums, but visiting the Tretyakov Gallery is definitely one of the things to do in Moscow if you want to immerse yourself in Russian culture and art.
Everyone really likes the Tretyakov Gallery. It is not the usual museum and does not contain simple paintings, but works that in a single image tell a lot about art, culture, folklore and Russian life and their evolution over the years.
In Moscow there are several Tretyakov galleries: the one I'm talking about here is the old one that you get from the Tretyakovskaya stop (orange and yellow line) or Novokuznetskaya (dark green line).
You can buy tickets at the checkout.
4. Hunting for murals and graffiti
Moscow is not only domes, gold and red.
The city is literally full of murals and graffiti: some are simple advertising painted on the walls, others are true works of street art that tell the history and culture of Moscow and Russia.
In the center there are many, others are inserted in former factories converted into exhibition centers and art galleries such as Winzavod or ARTPLAY.
5. Make up and down from the train in the beautiful Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro is not only a convenient means of transport, but also a real underground museum that houses paintings, mosaics, frescoes, stained glass windows and statues.
Each station is unique: its walls, floors and ceilings are like books that tell an important chapter of Russian history.