Moscow

Moscow, Russian Moskva, city, capital of Russia, located in the far western part of the country. Since it was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1147, Moscow has played a vital role in Russian history. It became the capital of Muscovy in the late 13th century; hence, the people of Moscow are known as Muscovites. Today Moscow is not only the political centre of Russia but also the country’s most populous city and its industrial, cultural, scientific, and educational capital. For more than 600 years Moscow also has been the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Best Time

The best time to visit Moscow runs from late May to early September: temperatures are usually pleasant, and the days are long (especially from early June to July 10, when it doesn't get completely dark even at midnight). However, this period is not always stable: sometimes, it rains and it's cool (and even a little cold at night), while at other times, it gets hot. There can also be afternoon thunderstorms.

Moscow Tour Highlights

Explore the capital of the largest country in the world, Russia.

Places of Interest

Cathedral of Christ the Savior
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on the northern bank of the Moskva River, a few hundred metres southwest of the Kremlin.  It was originally commissioned after the defeat of Napoleon, but work did not begin on its construction until 1839. Designed by the great St. Petersburg architect Konstantin Ton, who was also responsible for the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Kremlin Armoury and whose church designs pioneered the Byzantine-revival style, the cathedral was erected, for maximum effect, on the embankment only a few minutes' walk from the Kremlin. Sadly, this entailed the destruction of the medieval Alekseevskiy Convent, a course of events which lends an intriguing irony to the cathedral's own fate. The enormous - and extremely expensive - cathedral was eventually consecrated in 1883, and its vast copper domes dominated the Moscow skyline. However, the cathedral had taken almost as much time to build and to decorate as it would remain standing in its original incarnation.

Sparrow Hills
Sparrow Hills is a hill on the right bank of the Moskva River and one of the highest points in Moscow. On top of the hill, 85m above the river, is the observation platform which gives a beautiful panoramic view of the city. The view from Sparrow Hills is impressive during the day and at night, when Moscow is glittering with lights. Sparrow Hills has been an inspiration for many Russian poets and writers. In old times travelers used to climb on top of the hill to enjoy the view and to see the final point of their destination: Moscow. The name ‘Sparrow’ – in Russian ‘Vorobyovy’ – was originally the name of the village that was located nearby.

Stalin’s skyscrapers
The seven buildings - the Ministry of Foreign affairs at the end of Arbat street; the Ukraina and Leningradskaya hotels; the residential buildings at Kudrinsky Square, Kotelnicheska Embankment, and Krasniye Vorota; and the imposing Moscow State University on Sparrow Hills - were constructed when the country lay in ruins, just after World War II, intended as a symbol of Soviet power at the beginning of the Cold War. Inspired, perhaps, by news of U. S. president Harry Truman laying the first stone for the United Nations building in New York, Stalin ordered the skyscrapers to be built in 1947, on the 800th anniversary of Moscow's founding.

Red square the heart of Russia and the most famous landmark in Moscow with view of Kremlin and Lenin’s tomb
Red Square is the largest and most famous square symbolic center of all Russia. One can see the most significant buildings in the capital: the Kremlin,the State History Museum, Lenin's Mausoleum, and of course, St Basil’s Cathedral. During the winter holidays, Red Square becomes the most magical place in Moscow. Especially in the evening, when the lights are on! The Christmas market in Moscow is undoubtedly among the most beautiful ones in the world. You will be able to ice skate in the heart of the city, taste different sweets, and participate in Christmas workshops.

Victory Park.
Constructed in honour of Russia's victory in the Great Patriotic War (World War II), It is located in the historic area of Moscow known as Poklonnaya Hill, which means "Bow Hill". It's one of the highest spots in Moscow - in old times travellers approaching the capital from the west used to climb onto the hill to get a beautiful panoramic view of the city, and would bow to Moscow. Victory Park features an open-air Weaponry and Fortification Exposition. The Park boasts a complete collection of armored vehicles, from the light tanks of the early war years to later, heavy models, which fought in Berlin in 1945. Victory Park has fine architectural ensemble with monuments, and beautiful fountains. It looks very impressive at night when the water in the fountains is illuminated.

White House
The House of the Government of the Russian Federation, Russian: also known as the Russian White House, is a government building in Moscow. It stands on the Krasnopresnenskaya embankment. The building serves as the primary office of the government of Russia and is the official workplace of the Russian Prime Minister.

Arbat Street
The Arbat is one of the oldest surviving streets in Moscow. In the year 1493 the whole city was engulfed in a terrible fire caused by a candle in the Church of St. Nicholas in Peski which is situated on Arbat. However, the first mention does not clarify the origin of the street name. According to one of the versions the word Arbat derives from the Arabic word "arbad" meaning "suburb". At that time the city center was within the Kremlin walls and the surrounding areas were regarded as suburbs.

Enjoy the walking excursion tour in Moscow.

Moscow Metro: Revolution Square Station, Moscow
The Revolution Square subway station  is one of the oldest on the Moscow Metro network. It opened in 1938, designed by Soviet architect Alexey Dushkin, featuring red and yellow marble arches resting on low pylons faced with black Armenian marble. Revolution Square is one of the most beautiful metro station which makes your feel like you're in a museum or in palace hallways!

New seven wonders pretended from Russia Saint Basil’s Cathedral, protected by UNESCO (from outside only)
The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat is better known as the Cathedral of Saint Basil the Blessed: St Basil's Cathedral. It is the most recognizable church in Russia. St Basil's Cathedral is one of the most unusual Russian churches. A visiting 19th-century French aristocrat, the Marquis de Custine, compared the cathedral to  "the scales of a golden fish, the enameled skin of a serpent, the changeful hues of the lizard, the glossy rose and azure of the pigeon's neck." He wondered whether "the men who go to worship God in this box of confectionery work." could be a Christian. The height of St. Basil's Cathedral is 65 meters. The Cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture of the Khanate of Kazan.  It was constructed from 1555 to 1561.  Saint Basil's is a cluster of buildings - a central church surrounded by nine auxiliary churches, eight dedicated to Ivan's eight victories over the Tatars, and a smaller one consecrated to Saint Basil. This famous Moscow saint was buried in the grounds, and his name later became the name of the Cathedral.

Zaryadye park - Enjoy the views of Kremlin.
Zaryadye Park opened its doors to the public only in 2017. It is located in a historical district Zaryadye established in the 13th century between Varvarka Street and Moskva River. Zaryadye Park is truly unique by reconstructions of different landscapes of Russia. The designers did not limit themselves to one climate zone and recreated four of them in Zaryadye! In different parts of the park you can find mixed forest, steppe, wetland and even tundra in miniature. The special feature of Zaryadye is the floating bridge over the Moscow River that offers incredible views of the Kremlin, historical buildings and the urban skyline of Moscow. The perfect place to take beautiful pictures!

Moscow Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin is a magnificent architectural achievement. Its monumental walls and towers, golden-domed cathedrals, and ancient palaces stand high on the Borovitskiy Hill above the Moscow River. It's an entire city within Moscow. Russian princes and tsars lived here a long time ago, but today it is the official residence of the President of Russia.

Climate

The climate is continental, with very cold winters and mild to warm summers, when, however, there can be hot days. Here are the average temperatures.

Moscow - Average temperatures

The rainiest months are July and August, mainly because of afternoon thunderstorms, which can sometimes be accompanied by strong wind gusts.

Winter is cold: the temperature is usually below freezing for several months. There is an average of 175 frost days (ie, with minimum temperatures below freezing) per year. However, the average temperature is the result of different situations: when the wind blows from Siberia, the temperature easily drops to -20 °C (-4 °F), and in the worst cases, it can plunge to -40 °C (-40 °F), but when the currents from the Atlantic Ocean arrive here, it can stay around freezing, or even slightly above, even in midwinter.

Typically, the thaw occurs in late March or early April. By the second half of April, the Russian capital can be reached by the warm wind from the southeast.

Summer, from June to August, is mild or pleasantly warm. The average summer temperature in Moscow is similar to that of cities like Paris or Berlin, but there are significant changes, in fact, there are hot and sultry days, with temperatures reaching 35 °C (95 °F), and also rainy and cool days, with highs around 15/16 °C (59/61 °F). Typically, periods of hot weather last a few days, and may be interrupted by thunderstorms or wind storms, although in the terrible summer of 2010, the heat lasted around two months