Moscow Travel Guide

Moscow is the capital and most populous city of Russia. It is the ninth most expensive city in the world and also an alpha global city. It is situated on the Moskva River in the European part of the country.

There are four international airports in Moscow and nine railway terminals. Moscow also has one of the deepest underground rapid transit systems in the world which is the fourth largest in the world.

It is the seat of the Russian government and the place where the Kremlin is situated. The Kremlin and the Red Square are now a World Heritage Site. The Federation Tower is the tallest building in Europe. Also, in the Gallery of European and American Art of 19^th – 20^th centuries, a part of National Pushkin Museum, you will find a rich artwork collection of Impressionism, Modernism, Cubism and other art styles of the modern times.

Tretyakov Gallery is another big museum of art. The gallery covers Russian Orthodox art from early Byzantine times to the 17^th century. The collection also includes examples of art from different styles and historical periods of the country, up to the early 20^th century. In State Historical Museum, there is a vast collection of historical artifacts for over 5000 years.

Other popular places in Moscow are St. Basil’s Cathedral on the Red Square, Christ the Savior Cathedral, across the street from National Pushkin Museum, and Gorky Park.

The currency is Russian Rouble. The exchange is available at banks and exchange offices in the streets, big shopping malls, and major hotels. The rate is approximately 60 Roubles for 1 US Dollar. Visa and MasterCard credit cards are well acceptable in Moscow, as well as other big cities and towns. However, museum, galleries and souvenir kiosks in the streets often accept cash only. ATMs are available widely. However, be aware of pickpocketing, if you carry a large amount of cash, particularly in popular tourist places, subway, train stations and shopping malls.

In Russia, they use European types of sockets with the usual voltage of 220V.

Moscow can be both interesting and dangerous for tourists, especially those, who don’t understand Russian. Watch out for your wallets, gadgets, cameras and other possessions, especially in tourist places, railway stations, subway and shopping malls. Avoid walking alone at night and negotiate the price with taxi drivers, before getting in, as you can be ripped off. Also, the policemen are known to be rather corrupt here. You should have your passport on you, in case you look suspicious to them, for some reason. 

Also, due to Russian participation in numerous international military conflicts and mixed external politics, Moscow has many times suffered terrorist attacks. This fact led to taking harsh security measures in places, such as museums and railway stations. Also, watch out for the unattended object in the subway or other populous places, and contact the police immediately, if something looks suspicious to you. 

September 15, 2016 5:26 am Published by Rishab Bansal