MOSCOW
Survival Guide
Arrival & transport
British Airways flights use Domodedovo airport (+7 495 933 6666; www.domodedovo.ru), 50km south of Moscow. The centre can be reached by bus (number 851) or an express train. Aeroflot still uses Sheremetyevo airport, 30km north-west of town, from where bus 551 runs to the Rechnoy Vokzal metro station. Moscow’s metro (pictured top) is ornate, cheap and efficient. There are also buses, trolleybuses and trams.
Hotels
To enter Russia you need a visa (www.visatorussia.com), to receive which you need at least one night pre-booked at a hotel. The Baltschug Kempinski (pictured second top) (Balchug ulitsa 1; +7 495 230 5500 or 6500; www.kempinski-moscow.com) is a luxury choice, with prices from £200 per room. The central Hotel Ukraina (£90) (Kutuzovsky prospect 2/1; +7 495 229 8301; www.ukraina-hotel.ru) has river views. The Izmailovo Gamma-Delta (Izmailovskoye shosse 71; +7 495 737 7000;
www.izmailovo.ru) has rooms for under £35.
Eating & drinking
Visitors with plenty of money can enjoy the Pushkin (Tverskoy bulvar 26; +7 495 229 5590) and its classic Russian fare. Atmosphere and intimacy are guaranteed at the reasonably priced Cafe Margarita (Malaya Bronnaya ulitsa 28; +7 495 299 6534). Or there’s the chic and contemporary Bulvar (Petrovka ulitsa 30/7; +7 495 209 6798).
The Krasny Bar (Tarasa Shevchenko naberezhnaya 23a; +7 495 730 0808) has a panoramic view of the river.
Daytime entertainment
The Kremlin (pictured second bottom) (+7 495 202 6649; closed Thu), a walled complex of onion-domed cathedrals, palaces and museums, is best visited on an organised tour – ask at your hotel. Highlights include the crown jewels of the early tsars and the huge Tsar Bell. Adjoining Red Square boasts St Basil’s Cathedral (pictured bottom) (+7 495 298 3304; closed Tue) and Lenin’s mausoleum (closed Sat & Sun).
The most impressive cultural attractions are the Fine Art Museum (Volkhonka ulitsa 12; +7 495 203 9578; closed Mon) and the Tretyakov Gallery (Lavrushinsky pereulok 10/12; +7 495 230 7788; closed Mon), with its Russian art and icons.
After dark
Stalwart club Propaganda (Bolshoy Zlatoiustinsky proyezd 7; +7 495 924 5732) has imitators – try the Kult Club (Yauzskaya naberezhnaya 5; +7 495 917 5706). Fabrique (Kosmodamianskya naberezhnaya 2;
+7 495 540 9955) is consistently good.
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