Sights of Russia

Moscow's sights

The Moscow Kremlin

This is the very heart of Moscow with a rich history, housing the tsars’ residences for centuries (before Peter the Great moved it to St. Petersburg). The most remarkable things to see inside the Kremlin are the Tsar Cannon, Tsar Bell, beautiful cathedrals where the tsars were crowned and later buried - and the Soviet era Kremlin Palace (former Palace of Congresses).

Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow

Red Square, which is next to the Kremlin, is probably the most recognisable place in Russia for people around the world, especially St. Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin's Mausoleum. ‘Red’ meant ‘beautiful’ in the old Russian language, so this name says more than words.

Christ the Savior Cathedral

This church has a very tragic fate and symbolises all of Russian history in the 20th century. Built in the mid 19th century in the Byzantine style, it was demolished by the Soviet authorities in 1931. A swimming pool was built on this location, but in the 1990s the cathedral was rebuilt, and today it’s the main house of worship of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

This was the main venue of the legendary Summer Olympic Games in 1980, and many remember how the Olympic mascot, Mishka the bear, flew away into the sky above the stadium. Russians are nostalgic for The Games, as it was marked by unforgettable festivities, and because for the first time they saw foreigners.

Stalin’s ‘Seven Sisters’ skyscrapers, Moscow

Now (heart)breaking news - no one in Russia calls them ‘seven sisters’ - they are just vysotki (высотки, literally ‘tall buildings’). The rare Muscovite will be able to tell which one houses which institution from the first try; but without a doubt, they know the one that is home to Moscow State University.