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Europe’s maddest capital is in a bit of a muddle. Long-term Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has taken on a high-cost transformation of Moscow – from staid, Stalinist monolith to modern cosmopolitan metropolis – but there are worries that key aspects of its character could be lost in the process. And despite Moscow’s failed bid to win the 2012 Olympics, dramatic renovations have been continuing in the city.
Heading away from the Kremlin, Kitay Gorod is as densely packed as it was in the 1300s, but it now holds ugly Stalinist-era hotels, the State Duma and, into the adjoining Theatre district, the Bolshoi Theatre.
The Arbat is the bohemian quarter, dotted with cafés, pavement artists and souvenir stalls. Zamoskvorechye, south of the Moskva river, across the stone bridge, holds the outstanding Tretyakov Gallery (Lavrushensky pereulok 10, 230 7788, closed Mon), with its magnificent collection of Russian art and icons. To see the icons in more authentic halls, try the Andrey Rublëv (Andronyevskaya square 10, 911 4502, closed Wed, last Fri of mth) or the Novodevichy monastery (Novodevichiy proyezd 1, 246 85 26, closed Tue).
Venturing further afield requires use of the superb metro system, built in the 1930s under Stalin. Just inside the Boulevard Ring, north-west of Kitay Gorod, a pleasant green area dotted with churches surrounds the Chistye Prudy. On the Garden Ring to the south is Gorky Park, the city’s main recreation area.
• Tourist information: tourist offices don’t really exist in Russia: for information ask at your hotel or see www.moscow-guide.ru.
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