Situated on the Moskva River in today's western Russia, Moscow is home to the wildly popular Kremlin, Red Square, Lenin's Mausoleum, the state Historical Museum, and much more. Moscow is the obvious choice as a great starting point for exploring Russia's greatest attractions and treasures. Plan to spend a few days visiting these historic sites. To ensure you do not miss anything worth seeing, refer to my list of the 9 most famous must-see top tourist attractions in Moscow with my Moscow travel guide. I have left the very best for last.
1. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
The premier museum, which features foreign art pieces, is divided into three branches and showcases a wide range of European works such as masterful works from ancient civilizations, the Dutch Golden Age, and Italian Renaissance. Here the masterpieces from artists like Veronese, Tiepolo, and Boticelli are displayed. But the main focus is probably the Dutch masterpieces from the 17th century. Rembrandt steals the show here, with several paintings exhibited such as his touching portrait of an Old Woman.
The Ancient Civilization branch hosts a shockingly superb collection, together with aged Egyptian tombstones, weaponry, ritual objects, and jewellery. The majority of such items were discovered from burial sites that include two fearsome mummies. Another room is home to the stunning "Treasures of Troy" display, with excavated objects going as far back as to 2500 BC.
The second floor houses many areas showing off 17th and 18th century masterpieces from French and Italian artists. A separate gallery representing the rococo era displays a few suitable dreamy-like paintings by the artist Boucher.
2. St. Basil's Cathedral
Standing at the southern end of Red Square, you'll find St. Basil's Cathedral. The Russian icon shows off an unusual combination of shapes, patterns, and colors that reaches the height of a style which is unique to Russian architecture. After Ivan the Terrible took over the Tatar fortress in 1552 during the Feast of Intercession, he commissioned this major landmark church, the official Intercession Cathedral, in order to memorialize the triumph. Completed by 1561, this architectural masterpiece would become the country's greatest symbol.
The cathedral's clear anarchy of forms conceals a wider scheme of nine central chapels. The high, tent-roofed tower rising in the center is home to the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God. The four largest domes top 4 chapels with octagonal-shaped towers. Then, the 4 smaller chapels standing in between, each was consecrated to honor a battle or an event in the struggle against Kazan.
3. Tsaritsyno Palace
Once the summer home of Catherine the Great, the exquisite Tsaritsyno Palace today serves as a museum-reserve. The architecture is beyond outstanding, and visitors can stroll along a beautiful park that surrounds it.
Situated in the south of the capital city, the palace's construction began in 1775 and the latest renovations lavishly enhanced the interior, looking much better than previously with its elaborate halls and stunning staircases.
Exhibits provide glimpses at the empress's life and the history of Tsaritsyno. The large palace grounds house other lovely structures such as the fine opera house and impressive Small Palace with its fabulous brickwork.
4. Museum of Cosmonautics
Once upon a time, both superpowers, the US and Russia, were intense rivals, each trying to outshine the other in space exploration. Although that may not be the case anymore, the museum's marvelous collection that includes more than 85,000 objects, doesn't ever disappoint!
Major exhibits not to miss are the space capsule that was ridden by Yuri Gagarin, recorded as the first human to journey into the dark uncharted outer space; a Soviet spacesuit; a 1960 rocket propulsion unit; and a USSR flag having moon fragments. A unique two-floored hall features parts of the MIR space station interior, models of the first sputniks, and other items.
The museum is housed inside the bottom belonging to the monument of the Conquerors of Space that was erected nearly 20 years prior to the museum opening its doors.
5. The Novodevichy Convent
The convent, constructed between the 16th and 17th centuries, the period of Moscow Baroque style, became part of a sequence of monastic ensembles which blended into the city's defense system. As a consequence, the convent was inescapably connected with Russia's religious, cultural, and political history, and even intimately associated with the Moscow Kremlin. The ladies of the Tsar's family and the elites used it and also royal family members found their final resting place in its cemetery. The convent shows off a prime example of achieving the pinnacle in Russian architecture with its elaborate interiors as well as a significant collection of artifacts and paintings.
After it closed in 1917, it opened in 1926 as a branch of the State Historical Museum, which comprises today around 12,000 objects, ranging from old paintings, precious stones, fabrics, liturgical items to vestments.
The necropolis represents one of the convent's best attractions. The Novodevichy cemetery has been divided into old and new sections. The old cemetery can be found inside the convent's walls because it's the burial place for prominent and wealthy people. The new cemetery has been used from the years 1898 to 1904.
6. Tretyakov Gallery
The gallery is home to the world's biggest collection of Russian art, featuring more than 180,000 religious arts, sculptures, and paintings which date back over a thousand years ago. The gallery, constructed in the early 20th century with beautiful white and red colors from traditional Russian architecture, stands close to the Kremlin.
Important artworks range from Andrei Rublev's iconic Trinity to many art pieces by Llya Repin, Russia's most world-renowned realist painter. On the museum's grounds you'll find an 86-meter high statue of Peter the Great along with some sculptures of Socialist Realism.
7. VDNKh All-Russian Exhibition Centre
Despite it being designed to serve as a trade show venue from the beginning, this park complex today is home not only to galleries and a wide range of attractions for everyone but also ice rinks and amusement rides. It's like an amusement park with a little of everything.
But the park's most notable landmarks not to overlook are the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, the Moskvarium, a marine-oriented biology center that hosts more than 8000 species of unique marine animals, and a fine shopping center that sells traditional items originating from former Soviet locations. A nearby film museum shows Soviet cartoons and full-length films, plus an education center provides classes from video montage to becoming a barista.
In this general area you'll also see Soviet-period fountains, sculptures, pavilions, as well as the famed Friendship of the Peoples Fountain that presents statues of females clad in costumes from various areas of former Soviet Union.
8. The Kremlin
Located in the center of Moscow, the Kremlin is not only Russia's oldest masterpiece but also each visitor's dream site to see in Moscow. As one of the most favorite tourist places in the capital, it's inextricably connected to the most significant historical and political events happening in the country since the 13th century.
The Kremlin represents Russian as well as Soviet authority and power. It's a fortified series of tower-covered, walled complex of domed cathedrals and palaces. Now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990, houses 20 towers, 15 structures, and over 1.5 miles of solid walls comprising up to 21 feet in thickness.
9. The Moscow Zoo & Planetarium
As one of Europe's oldest zoos, it opened its doors in 1864 and it has survived 140 long years, keeping its doors open during trying times of war and revolution. Today, it's situated in the center of Moscow.
The central entrance to the zoo, constructed in 1997, sits opposite Krasnopresnenskaya metro station. It resembles a fairytale castle with high towers plus a waterfall. The entry leads to the zoo's old section, where highlights range from the large cats, a dolphinarium, a well-built underground viewing area below the penguin pool to the sea lion enclosure which allows you to observe them swim from the bottom. A bridge takes visitors across the street to the New Territory, which will not disappoint.
Close to the zoo's entrance at the Garden ring, sits one of the world's largest planetariums, the Moscow Planetarium. It initially opened back in 1929. After major renovation, it reopened in 2011. Today, it's far better than before; it's a multifunctional complex combining educational and scientific resources such as the Big Star Hall, Lunarium, the interactive fun museum, the Museum of Urania, and lastly, the Sky Park, a family recreation center, focused on various age groups.
