Moscow Off The Beaten Path Tips by Dabs

Statue of Pushkin on Arbat Street Monuments & Landmarks Review

Aleksandar Pushkin (1799-1837) was a Russian poet who's most famous work was Eugene Onegin. Pushkin married a society beauty, Natalya Goncharova, who ultimately was the cause of his tragic demise. Upon hearing that his brother in law Baron Georges d'Anthes (married to Natalya's sister) was making advances on his wife and that perhaps she welcomed them, he challenged him to a duel to defend her honor. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that pride was his real motivation since he received an anonymous note indicating that he had been elected to "The Serene Order of Cuckolds". In any event, he was fatally wounded.

If you have a hard time slogging through Eugene Onegin you can instead rent the movie version starring the very fine Ralph Fiennes.

This statue of Pushkin and his wife can be found on old Arbat Street.

Novodevichy Cemetery

If you are visiting the Novodevichy Convent, the cemetery is next door. I always feel a little disrespectful visiting cemeteries, even the more famous ones, if they are still active so our visit here was quick.

Many famous Russians have been buried at this cemetery including Nikita Khrushchev, Raisa Gorbachev, Anton Chekhov, Dmitry Shostakovich and Stalin's second wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva whose tombstone is encased in glass due to vandals having broken her nose off.

Lonely Planet's Moscow guidebook has a map of the more notable graves.

There is a small admission fee, the tickets can be purchased to the right of the entrance. Depending on which guidebook you believe it is open from either 9-6 or 10-6 daily.

Moscow University Moscow University/Vorobievy Hills Review

This 36 floor high building is the tallest of Stalin's Seven Sisters and for many years was the tallest building in Moscow. It was built by German Prisoners of war.

Closest metro: Universitet

At the Nikulin Circus-another photo

Here's another photo at the park across from the Nikulin circus

At the Nikulin Circus

Across the street from the Nikulin Circus, there's a small park with clown statutes, a perfect photo opportunity :-)

Novodevichy Cemetery-grave of Nikita Khrushchev

Nikita Khrushchev was the Soviet First Secretary and Premier from 1957 until 1964 when he was deposed. He was judged unsuitable for the Kremlin wall and is instead buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

The black and white blocks around his bust are intended to represent his good and bad sides.

Stalin's Seven Sisters Monuments & Landmarks Review

Eight skyscrapers were planned and seven built, forming a ring in the center of Moscow. Often called the "Seven Sisters," they are:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Hotel Ukraine
The Moscow State University Tower
Kotelnicheskaya Naberezhnaya
Kudrinskaya Square
Leningradskaya Hotel
Red Gate Square

Statue of Peter the Great Monuments & Landmarks Review

This enormous 94 meter high bronze statue of Peter the Great by sculptor Tsereteli towers over the Moscow River. It was unveiled in 1997 during the celebration of Moscow's 850th anniversary and was dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Russian navy.

The statue survived a bombing attempt and created quite a stir in Moscow, after all Peter the Great moved the capital of Russia to St. Petersburg and was known to dislike Moscow.

The statue bears a striking resemblance to another statue by this sculptor of Christopher Columbus which was also controversial, it was rejected by 5 U.S. states for reason ranging from its cost and its appearance. It eventually ended up in Puerto Rico.

Playground

Just had to get a photo of the seesaw with the bear and the beavers (or are these gophers? woodchucks?)