Moscow, Russia: a cultural city guide

It must be a posthumous one in the eye for Zhdanov, Stalin’s notorious Minister of Culture, that two of the most notable victims of his persecution – the composers Prokofiev and Shostakovich – lie buried in Moscow’s elite Novodevichy Cemetery. Chekhov was one of the first residents of this huge necropolis, which was inaugurated in 1898, and today writers, musicians, actors, artists and scientists occupy the 27,000 graves, honoured beneath creative and grandiose statuary. Rather like a New York condominium, you have to be voted in by committee, with the Mayor of Moscow having the last word.

Moscow loves her cultural heroes (if not always during their lifetimes) and it isn’t just their graves that fascinate – their former homes offer insightful glimpses into their lives. These range from modest museums, such as Scriabin’s house – where you can see his contraption to emit colours in sync with his music – to the magnificent Shekhtel-designed Art Nouveau house of Maxim Gorky, given to him by Stalin (though apparently Gorky, a founder of Socialist Realism, hated it).

The 16th-century convent next door to Novodevichy, meanwhile, transports you to the heyday of the tsars. This is where Boris Godunov was elected tsar and where Peter the Great exiled his half-sister, Sofia, for trying to usurp his throne.

Central in this fortified complex is Smolensky Cathedral, from which incense wafts and bells ring out once again, as Muscovites flock to worship the ancient icons. Before the Revolution, some 300 nuns inhabited the convent. Today, they number around 40, dressed in strange black rectangular headdresses, from which round faces peep.

The interior of the Smolensky Cathedral

After pausing for coffee and cakes in the sumptuous Pushkin Café, I head to the area which has been at the heart of Moscow for 500 years, and where the city’s turbulent history can be viewed at a glance. On one side, the glittering 19th-century GUM department store, on the other Lenin’s tomb. Behind him rise the swallow-tailed crenellations of the Kremlin’s eastern wall. But the most arresting sight lies straight ahead: St Basil’s Cathedral, built by Ivan the Terrible to celebrate the 1552 capture of Kazan.

I enter the Kremlin through the Borovitsky Gate, for an appointment at the Armoury, Moscow’s must-see museum. Strange to think the Kremlin walls – which now contain a mix of yellow Neoclassical-style buildings, along with 15th-century golden-domed churches, burial place of tsars and patriarchs – once encompassed all Moscow. The original citadel, dating from 1147, was rebuilt and expanded several times to create the huge current complex, a key symbol of Russian (and formerly Soviet) might. Although the tricolor of the Russian Federation has fluttered above the Grand Kremlin Palace since 1991 in place of the Hammer and Sickle, Stalin’s red glass stars still twinkle gaily from the towers. Russia’s Imperial Eagles, however, are unlikely to take wing again.

Moscow essentials

GETTING THERE

British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) flies three times daily from Heathrow to Moscow, from £296 return.

PACKAGES

Cox & Kings (0845 154 8941; coxandkings.co.uk) offers a three-night stay at the Ararat Park Hyatt (see “The Best Hotels”, below), with breakfast, from £1,055 per person, including flights from Heathrow and transfers.

THE INSIDE TRACK

• Don’t miss a ballet or opera performance at the newly reopened Bolshoi Theatre. You can check what’s on at bolshoi.ru.

• The famous Tretyakov Gallery is home to a magnificent collection of icons, from the 14th century onwards. The New Tretyakov, nearby, houses a unique collection of 20th-century Soviet art (tretyakovgallery.ru). For contemporary art, head to trendy Winzavod (winzavod.ru).
  Tretyakov Gallery
  
• Visit the small Gulag Museum, tucked away on one of Moscow’s smartest streets, for a salutary reminder of the dark days of the Soviet Union (museum-gulag.narod.ru).

• Bring back caviar from the historic Yeliseyevsky food hall – worth visiting just for its sumptuous interior (Ul Tverskaya 14). For English-language books on Russia, there is nowhere better than the House of Foreign Books (Kuznetsky Most 18/7).

• Take a day-trip to Klin, 52 miles (85km) from Moscow, to visit the house where Tchaikovsky lived and composed his Sixth Symphony.

THE BEST HOTELS

Courtyard Moscow City Center £££

A modern, no-nonsense hotel in a quiet street near the Moscow Conservatory and 10 minutes’ walk from Red Square (007 495 981 3300; marriott.co.uk; doubles from £160 per night).

Radisson Royal Hotel £££

One of Stalin’s original “Seven Sisters” on the banks of the Moskva, the 34-storey Ukraina Hotel was the largest in Europe when it was built. The Radisson group recently took it over and completed a dramatic facelift (495 221 5555; radisson.ru; doubles from £200).

Ararat Park Hyatt ££££

Perfect location next to the Bolshoi Theatre; an elegant and contemporary hotel with a wonderful rooftop terrace bar with Kremlin views; also has an authentic Armenian restaurant, luxurious suites and the best breakfasts in town (495 783 1234; moscow.park.hyatt.com; doubles from £350).

THE BEST RESTAURANTS

Strelka £

Has a great terrace, a trendy bar and restaurant, all in the former Red October factory on the banks of the Moskva (Bersenevskaya nab 14; 495 771 7416).

Galereya ££

Often hosts art exhibitions and a place to see and be seen. Serves modern European/Asian dishes (Petrovka 27; 495 937 4544).

Oblomov £££

Traditional Russian dishes served in a style typical of a 19th-century nobleman’s antique-filled house (Monetchikovsky per 5; 495 953 6828).

WHAT TO AVOID

• Hailing taxis: many of Moscow’s taxis are unlicensed and, at best, unreliable. Call for one that has been recommended by your hotel.

• Don’t miss out at the Kremlin: many tours offer visits to the fabulous Armoury Chamber but buy a joint ticket that allows you to visit the amazing Diamond Fund in the same building as well.

• Avoid wearing shorts or baring your shoulders when visiting churches. Women should also cover their heads.

DID YOU KNOW?

Moscow currently claims to have the most dollar billionaires in the world at 78.