"The Third Rome" Moscow by el_ruso

Moscow Travel Guide: 4,007 reviews and 9,130 photos

The Third Rome - Moscow

Moscow is the most populous urban area in Europe. The city itself officially has about 10 million, but the realistic figure is close to 15 million.

It was mentioned first in 1047 as a hunting castle of a prince of the Vladimir principality. It survived Mongol conquest, and beginning in the XIV century succeeded in uniting most of the lands of the ancient Kievan state, and even conquering its former rulers, the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates. It became the seat of the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox church and served as a capital until it was moved to the newly built Peterburg in early XVIII century. Capital was moved back to Moscow in 1918. In Russian tradition, Moscow is considered "The Third Rome" after collapse of the second capital of Roman Empire, Constantinopolis, to the Turks and marriage of the heiress of the Bysantine throne to the Russian Grand Prince.

The main sites are: (1) Kremlin (castle) which contains palaces, castles and museums; (2) Red Square which adjoins it. It contains the Intercession cathedral, History museum, Kazan cathedral, Lenin mausoleum - all must-see sites. (3) Kitay-Gorod, the area to the East of Red Square also contains beautiful architecture, churces, museums. There are also many excellent museums, monasteries, ancient churches, other sites of interest. Explore my pages for more info.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:beauty, atmosphere, unique sites, history, public transport
  • Cons:expensive accomodations, traffic, prices
  • In a nutshell:one of the top destinations in the world
  • Last visit to Moscow: Jun 2005
  • Intro Updated Jul 18, 2007
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Reviews (103)

Stary Arbat - Moscow Stary Arbat Things to Do (90)

The Arbat street, the first pedestrianized shopping street in Moscow is way overhyped IMO. It is pleasant, but not... more travel advice

GUM - Moscow GUM Things to Do (90)

The massive shopping center on Red Square is here instead of the shopping tips because it is architecturally and... more travel advice

Sheremetev (Sklifosovsky) hospital - Moscow Sheremetev (Sklifosovsky) hospital Things to Do (90)

This is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, and it was restored recently with the help from UNESCO. It was... more travel advice

Lenin Library (Biblioteca) - Moscow Lenin Library (Biblioteca) Things to Do (90)

This is the main library in Russia, and among the foremost in the world. The "new" building from the XX century is lined... more travel advice

Comments (5)

  • Reply
    joiwatani's Profile Photo
    Dec 1, 2008 at 7:01 AM

    I love the architecture in Russia! It is amazing! Thanks for sharing your pictures! I am virtually travelling! Someday, I will visit Russia. I missed my chance in 1989!

  • Reply
    Zvrlj's Profile Photo
    Aug 7, 2007 at 3:13 PM

    I was in Moscow about 15 years ago. You revived quite many of my memories. Thank you. Greetings from Kragujevac, Serbia V

  • Reply
    zuliet's Profile Photo
    Jul 26, 2006 at 3:48 AM

    look,i live in moscow, thank you for your excellent view of this city. I knew all these places before but I would never come up with such a nice tourist tip!

  • Reply
    sakuyaini's Profile Photo
    Oct 19, 2005 at 3:39 PM

    great Russia pics! It's my dream to see Moscow one day, hopefully sooner than later ;o). Thanks for posting these beautiful photos!

  • Reply
    suvaa003's Profile Photo
    Jun 8, 2005 at 10:58 AM

    great tips, thanx

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