Multimedia Art Museum

If you are deeply interested in photography, walking down Ostozhenka Street you should by all means visit Multimedia Art Museum which includes also Moscow House of Photography.
This museum is a 7-storeyed building which constantly provides interesting exhibitions, workshops, lectures...

Official website: http://mamm-mdf.ru/en/
Address: Ostozhenka, 16. metro station Park Kultury or Kropotkinskaya.
Opening hours: 12.00-21.00 every day, monday closed
Admission: 300 rub.

Exhibitions in Moscow City Museum

Recently we have told you about Moscow City Museum http://exploringmoscow.blogspot.ru/2013/02/moscow-city-museum.html

On 17.02.2012 as it was the third Sunday of the month and the entrance was free Explorer went to the museum to see what's so special about it. We could explore three exhibitions :
1) ancient and middle-aged Rus: there were so many different archaeological finds: ancient jewelry, clothes, all possible tools which ancient tribes living on the territory of the future Moscow used...

2) the 2nd exhibition was devoted to the Republic of Tuva (part of Siberia, Russia). Visitors can see all the things the residents of this Republic use, their national "home" which is called "yurta", national costumes... From the exhibited photos you can find out a lot about their traditional way of life.
This exhibition seems to be very informative, especially if you have never heard of this place)

Here are some photos:

Yurta

3) The third exhibition "Pure light" was devoted to Moscow famous artist Pavel Bludnov (1945-2012) who contributed a lot to the development of this very museum. 

Here is the photo of the picture that really impressed us... 

Irises

Moscow transport

Traffic jams have always been a delicate issue for Moscow.. 
This problem has always existed and has not been solved yet.
What is funny...some very curious tourists are willing to experience these long-houred traffic jams!

However, most of the residents try to use public transport: metro, buses, trams etc. 
The fare is about 28 rub (a little less than 1$) for any kind of transport. 

Explore Moscow with strawberry jam but without traffic one!

 

Most frequent delusions about Moscow

Everyone who comes to Moscow has his or her own prejudice about it: bears in hats drinking vodka from their samovars and Russian babushkas walking everywhere..

Here we'll present other frequent delusions of Moscow and will try to undeceive you))

1. Moscow is the most expensive city in the world.
Not true. At least some people say that in any European country one should spend not less than 5 $ (about 200 rub) to eat in McDonald's (maybe it's also a stereotype), however, in Russia dinner costs cheaper.
You should pay about 30 rub fare in any public transport in Moscow which is about 1 $. Whereas they say that in Europe is about 2,5 $.
However, salaries are not so high in Russia in comparison with salaries in Europe, that is why Moscow, with its expensive prices seems to be very expensive.

2. The Moscovites don't visit museums.
According to the recent survey about 1/3 of the residents of Moscow goes to various places of interests.

I suppose that it is characteristic of any capital. Residents of Moscow don't go to the Red Square very often,  residents of London don't come to see the Trafalgar Square or Americans don't make plenty of photos of Statue of Liberty.

3. Moscow is the most polluted city of Russia.
Not yet... Russian scientists state that the most polluted cities are Magnitogorsk, Norilsk.

To be continued..

Moscow City Museum

Every tourist who is deeply interested in the city of Moscow should visit the Moscow City Museum
(Музей Москвы is pronounced like "Muzey Moskvy"). 
There are many exhibitions devoted to the history of the city from the ancient times till the modern Moscow. The museum is 116 years old, it was founded in 1896. Nowadays the museum possesses more that 1million museum pieces which are displayed at different times and on different occasions.

The site http://restlook.ru/places/attractions/muzey-moskvy/ provides a 3-D view of the museum.

Official website: http://www.mosmuseum.ru/
 however, there is not a word in English.

Opening hours:  Monday - day off
                           Tuesday - 10.00-18.00
                           Wednesday - 10.00-18.00
                           Thursday - 11.00-21.00
                           Friday - 10.00-18.00
                           Saturday - 11.00-18.00
                           Sunday - 11.00-18.00

* Last Friday of a month is a day-off.

Admission:  100 rub.

Every third Sunday: free .

Address: metro station Park Kultury (brown circle),  Zubobsky Boulevard, 2 (Зубовский бульвар,2) ,
but the entrance is on the street : Ostozhenka, 48

                             

Ostozhenka Street

Ostozhenka Street (улица Остоженка) is situated in the central district of Moscow and runs from the metro station "Kropotkinskaya"  to the metro station "Park Kultury" and vice versa. 

It got this name due to the Russian word "стог"(pronounced like "stog") which means "haystack", because once there were vast meadows in this area. 

Ostozhenka had always been a prestigious street. Already in the 17th century prosperous noblemen lived here. 
Ostozhenka is considered to be the most expensive street of Moscow. According to different sources one square meter of the living place varies form 5,000$ to 30,000$. This street is also recognized as one of the most  expensive in the world.

However, this street is worth discovering as many dwelling and apartment houses and mansions of the 17-20th centuries are located here. Besides, this street is close to such popular places for tourists as the Red Square, Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Moskva river.

We'll explore the most interesting places of this street!

                     

                                   


                         

Anthem of Moscow

The Anthem of Moscow "My Moscow" (Moya Moskva) was composed in 1995.

The music was composed by great Russian composer Isaak Dunayevsky; the lyrics were written by Sergey Agranyan and Mark Lisyansky.

Everyone can hear this song on the 1st of September, for example, in the metro or at different squares - the residents of Moscow celebrate its Birthday.

Chorus:
Дорогая моя столица! - Dorogaya moya stolica! - My Dear Capital!
Золотая моя Москва! - Zolotaya moya Moskva! - My Golden Moscow!

Brief History of Moscow

Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation.
Does anybody know how many times it got and lost this status? How old is Moscow?

It is universally recognized that the first record of Moscow dates back from 1147. Russian prince from the Rurik Dynasty Yuri Dolgorukiy is considered to be the founder of Moscow. Dolgorukiy means the Long-Armed as he managed to acquire vast territories which then made Kievan Rus' with the political center in Kiev.

Moscow has a long and complicated history with many difficulties and invasions. Many times it was under the threat of being conquered, many times it was rebuilt... But still it proved to be a strong city.

Only in the 15th century Ivan the Great (Ivan III) made Moscow the capital of all Rus. This Grand Prince of Moscow is known as the gatherer of the Russian lands as he managed to unite all the Russian principalities under one authority and save Rus from the Golden Horde which had been dominated Rus for more than one century.

Till the 18th century Moscow was a political center of Russia under Ivan IV the Terrible and his successors. The time of the 16th century is to be one of the hardest for the city. Moscow experienced the Times of Troubles and then the establishment of the new dynasty - the Romanovs.

Under Peter the Great Moscow lost its status of the capital of the Russian Empire. In 1712 Saint-Petersburg acquired this status, however, Moscow still remained a spiritual and cultural center. For example, Moscow State University was founded in this city in 1755 under Elizaveta Petrovna, the Empress of Russia, Peter's daughter.

1812 is a memorable day for Moscow. During this year the Moscovites courageously fought against the Frenchmen led by Napoleon. After long exhaustive battles Moscow was free. In 2012 a big fest was held in Moscow - 200 Years of the Battle of Borodino, the most difficult fight with the French armies.

A century later, in 1918, Moscow became the capital, but not of the Empire, but of the The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and later of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Moscow developed in every field: transport system, architecture, culture, science...

After the Great Patriotic War Moscow is recognised as one of the Hero Cities of Russia which fearlessly defended themselves.

Since 1991 Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation and along with Saint-Petersburg is a federal city.

Exploring Moscow

Moscow...

Moscow is the political, economic, scientific and cultural city of Russia. Moscow is the most populous megalopolis of this country. According to the last population census about 11, 977, 988 people live there. Thus, it is reckoned among the list of cities proper by population.

Moscow is considered to be one of the most expensive but also one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. 

Moscow is a center of intercultural communication, that is why it attracts so many foreigners. 
Moscow - it is not only the Red Square and the Moscow Cathedral. There are so many places to see and visit here...

That is why Moscow Explorer will discover Moscow and write about it. 

Enjoy with us!