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Sightseeing in Moscow

Hankering for a taste of the Soviet Union ?

Moscow is still full of remnants of the Soviet Union. Below are my three top favorites.

Museum of Contemporary History

Formerly known as the Museum of the Revolution, the museum adopted it's new name in 1998 to reflect the passing of the Soviets. Still, the museum houses one of the largest collections of Soviet memorabilia in Russia. It's located right on Tverskaya in central Moscow and certainly worthy of a visit.

Address : Tverskaya St., 21

Phone : 699-5459

http://www.sovr.ru/english/history/

All-Russia Exhibition Center

Developed as the Soviet version of a Worlds Fair in the 1930's to showcase the progress of the Soviet Union, a visit to this exhibition center is like a walk back in time to the Soviet Union. It's enormous - 2 kilometers by 1 kilometer and has wide walking streets with central pavilions and side streets which reproduce different regions of the Soviet state. The pavilions are grandiose in Soviet architecture, but today used mostly as a trade center. It's also been turned into an entertainment center with a variety of restaurants. Outside of the front entrance is the enormous statue to Yuri Gagarin, the fist man in space and Soviet hero.

Address : Metro VDNKhx

Phone : 544-3400

http://www.vvcentre.ru/eng/

Gorki Leninsky Estate

This estate, located about 30 kilometers from the center of town, was where Lenin spent the last 6 years of his life. The museum is an old noble estate which was nationalized following the revolution in 1918 and which Lenin selected as his country residence. The rooms remain as they were when Lenin and his wife occupied them. In the garage, you can see Lenin's Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, specially adapted for Russian weather conditions with skis on the front wheels and tracks on the back.

How to Get There

From metro station Domodedovskaya, take bus 439 to the "Baza" stop. Walk away from the road through the housing blocks and you will see the main yellow building.

Address : Leninsky district

Phone : 548-9309

www.gorki-len.narod.ru

http://www.russianmuseums.info/M446

History of Moscow

Map of Moscow (from 2008)

Map of Moscow (from 1653)