It's a very large monastery in the center of Moscow, founded in 1524 by Bazil 3rd, the father of Ivan the Terrible. Bazil was also the first person in Russian history who sent his 1st wife to the monastery to obtain the right to marry for the 2nd time. It was his 2nd wife Elena Glinskaya, who became Ivan the Terrible's mother. Later the monastery became the home to many sisters and wifes of Russian tsars, including Lopuhina, Peter the Great's first wife. The monastery is colorful and beautiful. There is a large cemetery next to it, where one can find the graves of Boris Eltsin and Raisa Gorbacheva.

Bolshoi means Big. And it is really one of the biggest theaters of Russia. It appeared here after the war with Napoleon on the spot of the first Moscow Theater. The best ballet and opera performances are shown here. The theater is large, so the performances are shown on the historical stage, the new stage (located on the same square), and the Beethoven concert hall, located in the main building.

Sparrow (Vorobyovy) Hills is the 80 meter high bank of the Moscow river, located at the spectacular river band. It is popular for the best panorama of the city of Moscow, seen from the observation point there. You can see the contemporary towers of the Moscow city business district, Stalin's 7 sister skyscrapers, Novodevichiy convent somplex, Luzhniki sport arens - the main stadium of Moscow 1980 Olympics, the red towers of Kremlin in the distance and many more. The hills are crowned by the impressive structure of Moscow University.

Victory park is Russia's largest complex dedicated the the WW2 victory. The park surrounds the WW2 museum and memorial obelisk, dedicated to the victory. The exciting part of the park is the unique outdoor exhibition of the military machinery, boats, airplanes etc.

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a massive white chruch with the golden dome, built on the high hill by the Moscow river. The current church is the 1997 recionstruction of the old 1883 cathedral, turned down by the Bolsheviks after the revolution. The place was selected by Stalin as a location for the Congress palace, intended to be the tallest building in the world. The project wasn't completed, but the place was turned into the year round swimming pool with the special water heating. The contemporary church is large and impressive.

Red in Old Russian also stands for beautiful. So this name marks the beauty of the square, rather than the color of the Kremlin walls or the Soviet history. The Red square is beautiful by day or by night framed by the GUM building and the tall Kremlin wall. 

Beautiful and ornate St. Basils is what you think is Russia. Dating to the times of Ivan the Terrible, this church is a true decoration of the Red square, which creates the unique Russian feel there. Unlike the similar church is St. Petersburg, St. Basil’s inside is a network of the small chapels, each dedicated to the different saint or holiday.

Please note the church has numerous stairs with high steps.

Kremlin began as an ancient fortress, which became the historical and cultural center of the country and the office of the president of Russia. A large part of the Kremlin grounds is open for the tourists. The main attractions are the old cathedrals, where Russian tsars from Ivan the Terrible to Nicholas 2^nd were crowned (1 cathedral inside visit), as well as Russia’s largest bell and cannon.

The Armory of Moscow Kremlin isn’t just the collection of weapons. It’s a large museum with such relics as the Golden Cap (Russian official crown before Peter the Great), wedding dress of Catherine the Great, unique double throne chair for Peter the Great and his brother, weddings gifts of Ivan the Terrible and many others.

Build deep into the ground, Moscow metro is richly decorated with marble and mosaics, looking as the real palaces under the ground. The first stations date back to 1935. Each station is different and each is a piece of art, yet used daily by millions of people as a part of city complex transport network. 

Arbat is a pedestrial street in the heart of Moscow, full with the old city charm. Every house has its own history and life.  It’s the place full of life and energy with the street bands, playing music, coffee shops, street artists, souvenir stalls, museums and unusual memorials. Arbat is a great place to enjoy your time, full with the old Moscow spirit and atmosphere.