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Moscow Historical Museum (L) and Kazan Cathedral near Red Square Oksana Faryna The Russian capital is only an overnight train ride or a short flight away from Kyiv. But for a Ukrainian no longer living in the Soviet cluster of states with Russia at the helm, Moscow seems to be a far more remote and strange destination.

For more than 70 years, Moscow was the capital of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. Since then, school trips and cultural exchanges have come to a halt, and the city has become a business destination for Ukrainians.

Time spent apart took its toll, and now most Ukrainians think of Moscow as one big traffic jam and a giant city of unpleasant people always in a rush. While this side of it may be true, the capital has a cultural hive of avant-garde and classy historical picks.

So when my friend invited me to visit, I didn’t hesitate. Of course, the summer heat was a downside but still better than fickle autumn or spring and Siberian-like frosts in winter.

Moscow was the city where my father bought my first pair of shoes. Back in the 1980s, Ukraine was short on everything from sausages to shoes. But in Moscow, it was still possible to buy what you needed. As the family legend goes, I made my first steps in those tiny brown leather shoes.

When I first set foot in Moscow this summer, I remembered them, thinking a similar pair of flats would help me traverse the huge distances in the vast Russian capital.

My first impression: it did not feel like a foreign country. Much like in Kyiv, Russian is the predominant language on the streets. A quick look at the city architecture reveals the same odd mixture of historical buildings, ugly Soviet housing blocks and sleek modern high rises. There was one huge difference though: the size.


Not only buildings but outdoor advertisements are also large in Moscow. Prepare for the shock! (Photo by Oksana Faryna).

Size matters

Moscow’s official population is around 10 million people, but a few more million travel daily for work from its busy suburbs. Kyiv has a third of Moscow’s size populationwise.

There are eleven metro lines in Moscow. Kyiv has three.

Most central streets in Moscow are so wide, that you need to use an underpass. Some are eight-lane avenues.

When someone says “it’s near the metro,” brace yourself for a 20-minute walk from the nearest metro stop.

Housing landmarks are impressive in size. An average citizen under Josef Stalin’s rule was supposed to feel small and insignificant while passing by one of his seven high rises called Seven Sisters, completed in the early 1950’s. The 240-meter Moscow State University building was considered the tallest not just in Russia, but Europe as well. Hotel “Ukraina” in Independence Square in Kyiv, formerly called “Moskva,” resembles one of those Stalin’s skyscrapers, but it’s almost four times shorter.

Monuments are pompous, rich and elaborate. Some two kilograms of gold were used on 16 statues which decorate the Friendship of Nations fountain at the All-Russian Exhibition Center.

Two golden statues overlook main entrance of the All-Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow. One of them is a statue of Russia (R); the second is a statue of Ukraine (L), symbolized by a woman wearing a wreath (photo by Andriy Shmatov).

In Park Pobedy or Victory Park, there are 1,418 fountains to match the number of days of the Great Patriotic War between 1941 and 1945.

A great deal of Soviet symbols – hammers, sickles and stars, still adorn Moscow’s buildings. Perhaps the most impressive stars hang on top of the five Kremlin towers. Made of ruby glass, they weigh about a ton each and spin with the wind.

Modern urban features often dominate older landscapes. Outdoor advertisements shamelessly devour building facades all over the center. A Mercedes ad sticks out of the roof of the famous House on the Pier by the Moscow River. It can be seen from far, far away.


Mysterious House on the Pier can be easily found on the Bersenevskaya embankment in Moscow. It has huge Mercedes sign on the roof (photo from artclassic.edu.ru).

The house itself is a giant. Built in 1931 as a home for the Soviet elite with 505 apartments, it made a big impression on Muscovites who at that time squatted in three-storey houses. “A grey giant hung over the lane, hiding the sun in the morning,” said the Russian writer Yury Trifonov in his novel “The House on the Embankment.”

Treasures for and by Ukrainians

Moscow museums boast impressive pools of masterpieces. You will need to set aside a whole day for the Kremlin and its historical museums, as well as the Tretyakov Gallery with its rich art collection – the second largest in Russia after the Hermitage.

At the Armory Chamber of the Kremlin, you will see the Monomakh Crown, which looks like a posh fur hat encrusted with pearls, emeralds and rubies. It was the crown of all princes and tsars starting from the end of 13th century to Peter the Great. Kyiv Rus Prince Volodymyr Monomakh was allegedly one of the first to wear it.

The historical museum on the Red Square has the most beautiful golden female jewelry from the Kyivan Rus period. Ornaments were found on the sites of Kyiv church ruins.

Interiors of the red-brick museum replicate decors of the medieval Rus. Peculiar arches and bright flowers on the yellow background lead your eyes to the ceiling with a symbolic genealogical tree of all Russian monarchs until 1883. The names of Princess Olga, who was one of the first Slavic rulers to accept Christianity, and her grandson Volodymyr, the Kyiv prince who baptized Kyivan Rus, are both written over the roots of the tree.


Kyiv's Princess Olga and her grandson, Kyiv's Prince Volodymyr, who turned medieval state Kyivan Rus into Christianity in 988, are watering the roots of the symbolic genealogical tree of Russian monarchs on this ceiling painting's fragment at the Historical Museum in Moscow.

In the Tretyakov Gallery, look out for works by two Ukrainian painters: Dmytro Levytsky and Volodymyr Borovykovsky. The latter painted the famous Portrait of Maria Lopukhina. The painting is often called “The Russian Mona Lisa,” and its reproductions are popular among tourists.


At Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow you can buy all kings of souvenirs with a portrait of Maria Lopukhina by Ukrainian born artist Volodymyr Borovykovsky.

Avant-garde Moscow and places to chill

Moscow landmarks stretch beyond history. The Russian capital has plenty of modern art, extreme sports, crazy night clubs and stylish restaurants.

Red October is an old chocolate factory famous since Soviet times for its candies and Olenka chocolate bars. Since ovens and freezers were moved out in 2007, the red brick plant has been turned into a massive art hive. With 40,000 square meters of space to spare, it became home to art galleries, photo and music studios, night clubs, a yoga center and many food joints.

One more popular art spot in Moscow is the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture. It was founded by self proclaimed fashion designer Daria Zhukova. She’s better known as daughter of a London-based oil oligarch and girlfriend of one of the richest Russians, Roman Abramovich. I’m sure she can let her imagination run wild whatever art form she chooses to display.

Spend a weekend on the Vorobyovy Hills, a huge park by the river, to get a taste of how young people and families spend summer time in Moscow. Rent a pair of rollerblades for 150 rubles per hour and explore its vast territory. With an ice cream or a soft drink, stretch out on the grass hill and think about how you would be fined for trampling on the grass in Soviet times.


People rest in the Vorob'evy Gory national reserve in Moscow (photo by Andriy Shmatov).

Take a stroll to St. Andrew’s monastery where the first school in Moscow opened in 1648. There are dedicated spots with barbeques where you can even cook your own food.

You can end the day at Yolki-Palki ethnic restaurant, which looks and sometimes tastes like the Ukrainian Puzata Khata chain.

For souvenirs, there’s always the Arbat district. But venturing into Ismailovo antiques and souvenir market will be more memorable. Located in one of those areas with ugly Soviet housing blocks, it looks like a village from a Russian fairy tale. And this is what Moscow is all about - a city of contrasts.


One of the towers of Moscow Kremlin, a first place to see in Russian capital (photo by Andriy Shmatov).

Tips for tourists:

• Kyiv – Moscow Train # 006, from Hr 371
• One ride in Moscow metro is 26 rubles ($ 0.85), 20 rides for 460 rubles ($ 15)
• The House on the Pier, 2 Serafimovicha St. Museum, located at first entrance, is open on Wed. from 5 p.m. till 8 p.m. and on Sat. from 2 p.m. till 5 p.m. Free admission.
• The Moscow Kremlin’s territory and museums open daily, except Thursdays, from 10:00 to 17:00. The Armoury Chamber open at 10:00, 12:00 , 14:30, 16:30. Ticket to Armory Chamber is 700 rubles ($ 23). Ticket to the architectural ensemble of the Cathedral square is 350 rubles ($ 11.5).
• Ticket to Historical museum is 250 rubles ($8). Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer. Day off is Tuesday and first Monday of each month.
• Ticket to State Tretyakov Gallery is 300 rubles ($10) for adults and 150 rubles ($5) for Russian residents. Open daily from 10 a.m. till 7.30 p.m. except Monday.
• St. Basil’s Cathedral on the Red square opens 11 a.m. till 6 p.m. except Tuesday . Ticket is 150 rubles ($5).
• Most galleries at Winzavod are open from 12.00 till 20.00. Monday is a day-off.
• Garage center for contemporary culture has free admission, ticket to the Mark Rotko exhibition 200 rubles ($7).
• Take Vorob’evy Gory metro station to get to Vorob'evy Hills.
• Elki-Palki restauranthas average bill of 500 rubles ($16) (for Russian dumplings in chicken broth with sour cream, pancakes with red caviar, 0.5 liter of bread ‘kvas’).
• Mu-Mu café opens daily from 9 a.m. till 11 p.m. Average dinner is 350 rubles ($11.5) (cold summer soup ‘okroshka’, pork baked under potatoes, fresh salad, ban with apple fillings, espresso and ‘mors’ Russian berry drink).
• Buy souvenirs at Arbat Street or at Vernisage in Izmailovo. 73Zh Izmailovskoye Shosse, 5 minutes walk from Partizanskaya metro station, behind the Izmailovo hotel complex. Opening hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Magnet for fridge is from 25 rubles ($0.84), Russian Matreshka from 500 rubles ($17).
• Supermarket with resonable prices is Perekrestok network.
• Moscow official travel guide.

Kyiv Post staff writer Oksana Faryna can be reached at faryna@kyivpost.com