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Alexander Nevksy Cathedral
© Serein

The best of Russia in Paris

The cultural interchange between Russia and Paris goes back centuries, but what mark has it left on the city today?

Written by
Flora Hudson
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Russia has long had a soft spot for Paris. From literary greats like Turgenev and Tolstoy to composers like Stravinsky, and Diaghilev with his ‘Ballets Russes’, the Russian cultural elite have often gravitated towards the city, first visited by Tsar Peter I on his grand tour of Europe in 1717. The Russian language has picked up many French terms in the years since, and vice versa – did you know ‘bistrot’ supposedly comes from the Russian word for ‘quickly’?

With an impressive new Kremlin-funded orthodox cathedral set to open in October 2016 by the Eiffel Tower, we’ve rounded up the best of Russian culture in Paris to get you up to speed. So indulge in some of the finest vodkas and caviars at the restaurants and bars on our list, get to know your Rachmaninovs and Prokofievs at the Russian Conservatoire, and appreciate Soviet-era sculpture at the Musée Zadkine. За здоровье!

The best Russian things to do in Paris

La Cantine Russe

La Cantine Russe

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

The Cantine is a surreal venue for an evening’s entertainment, transporting diners to a kitsch Moscow-on-the-Seine.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The grandiose neo-Byzantine orthodox cathedral has welcomed all sorts of high-profile guests in its time, including Picasso.

Le Café Pouchkine

Le Café Pouchkine

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

Le Café Pouchkine will delight those gourmets who are nostalgic for the pastries of the days of the Tsar.

Librairie du Globe

Librairie du Globe

For the past 60 years Russian books have filled the shelves of this shop in the Marais.

Le Kremlin

Le Kremlin

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

A soviet style bar with vodka cocktails complemented by communist-red décor and propaganda posters.  

Musée Zadkine

Musée Zadkine

The former studio of Russian-born Cubist sculptor Ossip Zadkine, converted into a museum in 1932, has always had a particular charm.

Le 144 Petrossian

Le 144 Petrossian

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 3 of 4

You’ll find Russian specialities such as blinis, salmon and caviar (at €39 an ounce) from the Petrossian boutique downstairs.

Eglise Saint Serge

Eglise Saint Serge

This quaint church with its wooden portico and tranquil garden offers a communal space for orthodox Russians.

Chez Raspoutine

Chez Raspoutine

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 4 of 4

A trendy Russian-themed nightclub, attracting a young, moneyed crew into its red velvet, pink-neoned, Byzantine-style interior.