Rainbow over Moscow and more particularly the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Kremlin Wall where Moscow Pride organizer was arrested

Everything started in 1147 as a provincial outpost of the Vladimir-Suzdal princedom. Since that time, Moscow is expanding from the Kremlin. In 1918, after the revolution, Lenin made it capital of the country. Today with its 13 million inhabitants and 33 billionaires, Moscow seems to be a wealthy cities with many cafes, restaurants and expensive shopping places. In reality, the poverty is still there. Average pensioners can still hardly live in this expensive capital with a monthly income of 3,500 Rubles (100 EUR). The general economical situation of the country is improving helped by higher oil price but there is still a long way to go.

Lonely Planet Guide says about Moscow : "Some people love it. Some hate it". If some tourists prefer to visit St Petersburg which they feel closer to their cities architecturally, Moscow has a real charm. New modern towers contrast with old soviet buildings that need more than a refreshment. Culturally, Moscow offers all its cultural heritage accumulated through the centuries.

See below a few examples of places that made Moscow famous from all over the word.

Kremlin
Metro : Borovitskaya
Web site
Center of the power for several centuries and theater of all intrigues, do not miss the visit of this mythical place !

The Red Square
Metro : Ploschad-Revolutsii or Teatralnaya   
Discover this magical place at night... The best view during the day is from the "Bosco cafe" with the windows overlooking the red square and facing Lenin's mausoleum from the Gum dept store.

Saint Basil’s cathedral
Metro : Ploshad Revolutsii  
Built between 1555 to 1861 by Barma and Postnik Yakovlev on the order of Ivan the terrible.

Gum
Metro : Ploshad-Revolutsii
Built in 1893 on the eastern part of the Red Square. After the renovation of the building, famous brands and expensive shops came back, making of thhis former "state shop", one of the most fashionable place in Moscow. Several cafes. Expensive.

Theater Square
Metro : Teatralnaya 
One of the central square of Moscow where are located the Bolchoi, Maly and Children Theaters. The Bolchoi is one of the oldest theater in Russia which was rebuilt in 1824 by the architect Bové who also designed the square.

Puchkin Museum
Metro : Kropotkinsaya
Web site 
Founded by Tsvetayev, the museum started to increase its collection with the transfer of the occidental paitings shown before in the Tretyakov Gallery. The museum also received an important collection of French art which belonged before the revolution of 1917 to the art merchants Morozov and Schoukine.

Tretyakov Gallery
Metro : Tretyakovskaya
Web site
Founded in 1892 by a rich merchant and art collector, Pavel Tretyakov, it is today one of the biggest museum in the world dedicated to Russian art. Master pieces of Russian painters from XIth to XXst century including some of the most famous icons by Andrey Roublev.

Moscow kremlin