You won’t get a visa (www.visatorussia. com) without at least one night pre-booked at a hotel. The Ararat Park Hyatt (Neglinnaya ulitsa 4, 783 1234, www.moscow.park.hyatt.com, $490-$750) offers glitz, while the central Hotel Ukraina (Kutuzovsky prospect 2/1, 933 6801, around $180) has many river views. Weekly deals can be had through the UK’s Russian Travel Company (0870 366 5454, www.russian.travel.co.uk). The standard Izmailovo Gamma-Delta (Izmailovskoye shosse 71, 737 7000) has rooms for under $70.

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