Excursions in Moscow

Spring and especially summer are the time of the tourists' "flow" into Moscow, as into any other country...

In the Internet you may find plenty of suggestions of tourfirms: professional guides will provide you with essential information concerning history, culture, traditions of the city. 

In this very post we would like to mention an organisation called "Moscow Greeter".

Now this organisation is free: volunteers, among them mostly students of linguistic universities, will show you the city from their viewpoint and will tell you everything they know. That's why, don't expect professional guides, however, friendly atmosphere is guaranteed.

The official website is http://www.moscowgreeter.ru/index.html

On should sinmply fill in the form. 

Have a good travel in Moscow!

Pushkin Museum

One of the great Russian world-known writers and poets is Aleksandr Pushkin (1799 -1837).

Moscow provides a few museums named after A. Pushkin, however, even not all the citizens of the city are aware of them.
The biggest and the most famous is the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
Even the building of the museum itself is worthy seeing as it is decorated with beautiful columns and statues of ancient heroes or philosophers.
The museum exhibits impressive collections of statues, figures which reflect culture of ancient cultures. Besides, there are a number of halls devoted to paintings of various artists.
The museum holds different exclusive exhibitions. For example, last year work by Salvador Dali were exhibited there.

Address: m. Kropotkiskaya, Volkhonka St 12,
Opening Hours: daily from 10 am to 7 pm. Closed on Monday.
Official website: http://www.arts-museum.ru/index.php?lang=en

Another museum named after Pushkin is also situated near the metro station Kropotkinskaya, but on the opposite side.

Pushkin State museum 
The museums provides with regular exhibitions "Pushkin and his Epoch", "Pushkin's fairy tales", There are a few concert and confereтсу halls where various events take place.

Address: m. Kropotkinskaya, Street Prechistenka 12/2
Opening hours: daily from 10am to 6pm. Closed on Monday and last Friday of the month.
Official website: http://www.pushkinmuseum.ru/

Another place devoted to the personality of Pushkin is his flat the so called "Memorial flat" on the street "Arbat" which vividly exhibits the way he lived. There is also a monument depicting him with his wife Natalya Goncharova on this street.

Address: m. Smolenskaya, St. Atbat 53
Opening hours: daily from 10am to 6pm. Closed on Monday, Tuesday, and last Friday of the month.

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

The Cathedral  in front of Kropotkinskaya is Russian main orthodox church.
It is placed on the bank of Moskva-river so that its grand golden dome may be seen from everywhere.

The history of the cathedral deserves special mention.
In 1832 its first project was confirmed by architect Konstantin Ton. It took about 40 years to build this church, which was to honour the war of 1812 between Russia and France.
Unfortunately, it was detonated in 1931. Soon a new swimming-pool appeared at that place.
Only in the 80s the government decided to restore the temple. Five years later the construction was over. Only in 2000 it was hallowed.

The height of the cathedral is 102m, the width - 85 m. It can seat 10,000 people at a time.
What is interesting, is that that the gold cupolas resemble an onion which in their turn look like helmets of great Russian epic heroes - Bogatir.

Tourist may visit the cathedral, order excursions, enjoy a marvellous sight of Moscow from the cathedral's observation deck.

Address: Volkhonka St, 15
It works daily 10.00-17.00. On Fridays 13.00-17.00
Official website: http://www.xxc.ru/english/index.htm

"Bogatiri" by V. Vasnetsov, 1898

Current Exhibitions in Moscow. March'13

Recently we have found some recommendations on which exhibitions to visit during the March, 2013 in Moscow.

Here is the list of the so called best exhibitions of March.

1) What: Dior Couture. The exhibition of photos by a French photographer Patrick Demarshelje, who in his works presents the history of Dior. 
  When: 7 March - 3 April
  Where: Exhibiting Center "Manezh" (Манеж.) . Address: Manezhnaya Square, 1. Metro stations: Ohotniy Ryad, Biblioteka imeni Lenina, Aleksandrovskiy Sad.
  Admission fee: 200-300r.

2) What: Best of Russia'12. Annual photo exhibition devoted to the most relevant events of 2012.
    When: 14 February – 24 March
    Where: Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art. Address: 4th Syromyatnicheskiy Lane, 1, bld 6. Metro station: Kurskaya.
    Admission fee: 200.
    Website: http://www.winzavod.ru/eng/

3) What:  It's Paris! the photo exhibition of the French photographers of the 20-50th. 
    When: 21 February - 19 May.
    Where: Multimedia Art Museum. Address: Ostozhenka,16. Metro Stations: Park Kultury, Kropotkinskaya.
    Admission fee: 50-300r. the 3d Sunday is free!

4) What: Design Territory. The exhibition is devoted to urbanisation and the cities' improvement. 
     When: 25 February - 24 March
     Where: Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art. Address: 4th Syromyatnicheskiy Lane, 1, bld 6. Metro station: Kurskaya.
    Admission fee: free
    Website: http://www.winzavod.ru/eng/

Moscow Explorer is sure to visit at least one of the exhibitions. Follow us!

Merilyn Monroe.Exhibition in Moscow.

Recently we have visited Multimedia Art Museum (see the post below) which is on Ostozhenka St.
That time it presented an exhibition of 25 unpublished photographs of Marilyn Monroe made by her close friend photographer Milton N. Green. These 25 photos reveals the great Hollywood star's grace, mystery and vulnerability. They break all the stereotypes which were imposed on her by Hollywood.
Once she said: "You made me interesting". She really trusted Milton and it was he who saw her real soul.

The exhibition was overcrowded. In front of each photo there were too many people to make the photo of her photo. Moscow loves Merilyn.

so many visitors

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