Moscow

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Red Square and the Kremlin

This is the historic heart of Moscow where much of Russia's turbulent history has been played out Ã¢â‚¬â€œ either in public on Red Square itself, which has witnessed countless great events, or in private behind the imposing walls of the Kremlin. On television it looks impressive and coming to Moscow simply to stand in the middle of Red Square and gawp at the surroundings would not be a wasted trip. Entering from the north end past the State Historical Museum you will see the instantly recognisable multi-coloured onion domes of St Basil's Cathedral looming on the far side of the square. Running down the left of the square is the vast pale edifice that is the GUM department store and down the right are the towering walls of the Kremlin, beneath which sits Lenin's Mausoleum. The Kremlin itself is a powerful mix of church and state, of European and Russian styling and of historic and modern Russia.

Kitai-Gorod

By and large a thriving commercial area, Kitai-Gorod incorporates the broad area lying to the east of Red Square. At one time it was place of residence of choice for many of Moscow's most powerful citizens, but they gradually shifted elsewhere and Kitai-Gorod came to be dominated by banks, shops and commercial outfits. That said, the area still demonstrates its historical legacy in its liberal scattering of churches and old palace buildings, the most notable examples of which include the Church of the Trinity and the Chambers in Zariade, the former home of Romanov boyars.

Within the Boulevard Ring

The area arching over the Kitai-Gorod/Red Square/Kremlin territory and bounded to the north by the Bulvarskoe Kol'tso is a hugely varied and rolling area encompassing many of Moscow's main sights and attractions Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the Bol'shoi Theatre, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the newly rebuilt Church of Christ the Saviour are just the tip of the iceberg.

From the Boulevard Ring to the Garden Ring

The Garden Ring is something of a misnomer given that the trees which used to line the street were swept away in Stalinist times to be replaced by a thundering motorway. The western side of this arched area was once one of the city's fashionable districts: several famous names resided here, many of whose apartments (Tolstoy, Lermontov and Pushkin among others) are retained as tourist attractions. The area around the Arbat and Novyi Arbat used to be a thriving nest of Soviet bohemia but has since become rather tacky.

The North

To the north of the Garden Ring, you'll begin to get a sense of the dizzying size of Moscow Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the vast residential districts stretch out in all directions northwards. There are nonetheless sights here that are worth seeing, such as the VVTs exhibition complex, the nearby Botanical Gardens and the Ostankino Television Tower. Closer to the centre, there are a handful of worthwhile museums such as the Dostoevskii Museum and the Museum of Musical Culture.

South of the City Centre

The centrepiece of the area immediately to the south of the Moskva is the Tretiakov Gallery, Moscow's foremost gallery of exclusively Russian art. The area around the northern part has a history closely linked to the merchant population who once lived there. The famous Gorkii Park is also located here, not far from the controversial Monument to Peter the Great. Further south, lie the country parks of Tsaritsino and Bittsa.

To the East

At first glance it's pretty grim territory Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Taganka square is nowadays a bleak affair and the palaces and churches built by Moscow's former social elite to the east have been assailed from all sides by extensive (and hardly appealing) residential development. There is however enough here to perk up anyone's interest. The variety of sights include the Andronikov Monastery, the Old Believer's Commune and the fascinating Pet Market.

To the north-east lies the sprawling Izmailovo Park, childhood haunt of Peter the Great.

West

Political battles were played out at the White House on the River Moskva to the east of the city centre. Over the river to the west, the Great Patriotic War is commemorated by the Borodino Panorama Museum and Victory Park, while further south (and back over the twisting river) you'll find the famous Novodevichi Convent and Cemetery complex, which houses the graves of the likes of Krushchev and Eisenstein among others. Nearby stands the huge Luzhniki Stadium and from there across the river, you'll see the imposing presence of Moscow State University's main building.

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Moscow

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