Besides being the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow is the administrative, cultural and historical center of Russia. The first record of the city appears in chronicles about nine centuries ago - in 1147. In its long history Moscow lived through a great lot of trouble - wars, fires, invasions, epidemics and revolts, but every time the city rose from the ashes, rebuilt itself and revived with increased beauty and might.

With the population of more than nine million people (six percent of Russia’s population), Moscow is about three times bigger than Los Angeles. It is the largest city in Europe and indeed one of the largest in the world. Like Rome and Lisbon, Moscow is built on seven barely perceptible hills. The city has about 100 parks and 600 gardens and there are still thousands of elks in the woods around the city.

Moscow will impress you by the unique combination of the past and the present - the bright colors of ancient monasteries and churches go along with the grey of Stalinist edifices and the modern architecture of banks and office buildings. Not without a reason Moscow is called a city of gold domes: the domes of Uspensky and Archangelsky cathedrals shine in the sun together with the domes of St. Basil’s and the Novodevichy Convent. More that 100 churches dot the neighborhoods of Moscow. Some other famous sights are the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater, the Tretyakov Art Gallery, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts displaying an extensive collection of paintings by Russian and European artists.

Being 9 centuries old, Russia’s capital is still rapidly growing, you will see construction sites everywhere around the city. The Moscow government is carrying out a restoration program, the results of which will be obvious to a second-time visitor - most of the churches, theaters, railway stations and other architectural sights have been restored.

RED STAR TRAVEL invites you to visit the great capital of the great country, a city with unique historical heritage and amazingly young spirit. Take a stroll around its old districts, stop to listen to street musicians or have your portrait drawn on Stary (Old) Arbat Street, enjoy the stunning city views from the Vorobievy Hills, explore the numerous museums, galleries, theaters and churches, check out the hippiest nightclubs and casinos in the country. Moscow is sure to leave a great impression on you!

MARRIOTT GRAND HOTEL

Located downtown Moscow, between Garden and Boulevard Ring Roads, 1 km to Red Square and the Kremlin. 50-minute drive to Sheremetyevo International airport. Opened in 1997. 8 floors. All floors accessible by elevator. 392 rooms: 368 deluxe doubles and singles, 24 suites. All rooms feature private bathroom, air conditioner, color cable TV with pay-per-view movies, telephone, mini-bar, in-room safe. 24-hour room service. 3 restaurants (European and Russian cuisine). Lobby bar. Business Center: facsimile facilities, photocopying, translation services. Meeting facilities: Grand Ballroom divides into 5 soundproof rooms and accommodates 300 people; Mini Ballroom divides into 2 soundproof rooms; Conference Hall for 350 seats. Currency Exchange. Fitness center: saunas, indoor heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, massage, solarium. Laundry. Dry cleaning. Beauty shop. Boutique. Towncar service. On-site parking. Security Service. English-speaking staff. Room rates - from $350 + tax.

PRESIDENT HOTEL  

Located downtown Moscow. 20-minute walk to the Kremlin. 50-minute drive to Sheremetyevo International airport. Built in 1983. Opened to tourists in 1998. The unique hotel complex was built to accommodate members of government delegations during their official visits to Moscow. Property of the Executive Office of the President of the Russian Federation. The interiors are made of and decorated with all natural materials: wood, semi-precious stones, cotton, wool. All floors accessible by elevator. 210 rooms: 113 singles and doubles, 73 suites, 20 apartment suites. All rooms feature private bathroom, air conditioner, satellite color television, direct-dial international telephone, mini-bar. 24-hour room service. 2 restaurants. Bar. Business center: facsimile facilities, photocopying, computer services, multi-language translating. Conference and banquet rooms. Currency Exchange. Fitness Club: sauna, indoor swimming pool, massage. Hair salon. First medical aid office. Laundry. Dry cleaning. News stand. Souvenir kiosks. Towncar service. Security Service. English-speaking staff. Room rates - from $500 + tax.

COSMOS HOTEL  

Located northeast of the city center, at VDNKh metro station. Facing Prospect Mira and the Russian Exhibition Center. 15-minute drive to downtown. 45-minute drive to Sheremetyevo International airport. Opened in 1979. All floors accessible by elevator. 1777 rooms: 1718 singles and doubles, 53 suites and 6 apartment suites. All rooms feature individual private bathroom, air conditioner, satellite TV, direct-dial international telephone. 24-hour room service. 2 restaurants Galaxy Restaurant (Russian and European cuisine), Kalinka Restaurant. Heineken Pub (open 24 hours, European cuisine), Carlsberg Club. Snack bar and coffee shop. Business Center: facsimile facilities, photocopying, typing, translation. Conference and banquet facilities. Laundry. Dry cleaning. Currency exchange. News stand. Souvenir Shops. Pharmacy. Jacques Dessange Beauty Salon. Solaris Disco-Bar. Cosmos Casino. Bowling alley. Towncar service. On-site parking. Security Service. English-speaking staff. Room rates - from $170.

IZMAILOVO HOTEL

Located on the same metro line with Red Square (20-minute ride). 1-hour drive to Sheremetyevo International airport. Opened in 1980. Renovated in 1998. All floors accessible by elevator. All rooms feature private bathroom, color cable TV, telephone, refrigerator. 24-hour room service. Restaurant (European cuisine). Bar and coffee shop. Business center. Conference Hall. Meeting room. Service Bureau. Fitness center: sauna, solarium, gym, massage. Hair salon. Beauty Shop. Pharmacy. Souvenir shop. Boutiques. Night club. Casino. Concert Hall. Billiards room. Towncar service. On-site parking. English-speaking staff. Room rates - from $140.

DERZHAVNAYA HOTEL

Located near Cosmos Hotel, at VDNKh metro station. 15-minute drive to downtown. 45-minute drive to Sheremetyevo International airport. Opened in 1998. All floors accessible by elevator. 87 rooms: 69 standard doubles and singles, 7 upgraded rooms, 8 junior suites, 3 main suites. All rooms feature private bathroom with toilet articles, color cable television, direct-dial international telephone, refrigerator. 24-hour room service. Coffee shop. Business center: facsimile facilities, photocopying. News stand. Room rates - from $160.

SHEREMETYEVO - 2 HOTEL

Located in Sheremetyevo-2 airport, 10-minute walk to the international terminal. 50-minute drive to downtown Moscow. Opened in 1979. All floors accessible by elevator. All rooms feature private bathroom, color TV, telephone. 24-hour room service. Restaurant. Bars. Conference Hall. Currency Exchange. Fitness center: sauna, solarium, gym. Hair salon. Towncar service. On-site parking. English-speaking staff. Room rates - from $260.

Moscow Museums

The Kremlin Museum Complex. Operating hours: 10am - 4pm, closed on Thursday. The complex consists of the Assumption Cathedral, the Annunciation Cathedral, the Archangel Cathedral, Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the Armory Palace, the Belfry and Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Patriarch’s Palace, the Arsenal Building, the Senate and the Palace of Congresses. The interiors of the cathedrals and old palaces are incredible: walls decorated with frescoes and gilded ornaments, ancient icons, collections of jewelry and armour (in the Armory) or diamonds, precious stones and nuggets of gold (in the Diamond Fund).

The Tretyakov Gallery. Operating hours: 10am - 8pm, closed on Monday. The gallery displays about 47 thousand works of art - paintings and sculptures by well-known Russian artists of the 18th-19th centuries (Nikitin, Rokotov, Brullow and many others) as well as a wonderful collection of icons among which there are works by the famous Russian iconographer Andrei Rublev.

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Working hours: 10am - 7pm, closed on Monday. The museum houses one of the world’s largest collections of Western European art, as well as works of art from the Orient, Greece and Rome. Here you can admire paintings by famous Impressionists and Post-Impressionists like Monet, Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Matisse and Degas.

Kolomenskoye Estate Museum. The favorite country residence of Russian princes and tsars from the 16th century on. Peter the Great was born and spent his early childhood here. In its grounds you will find the Ascension Church of the 16th century built in the old Russian style, the Kazan Church of the 17th century, the summer residence of tsar Alexei Romanov.

The Moscow Metro. A vast system of underground tunnels and stations serving 9 million passengers a day is also considered to be a cultural monument of the Soviet era. Every station is a unique creation of art reflecting the ideological and political course of the country during the years of Soviet regime: marble and mosaic decorations, stained glass panels and bronze sculptures make the stations look like palaces or art museums.

City Tour by bus, 3 hours

Red Square. Since the 15th century Red Square has been the site of everything in Russia: farmer's market, place for public executions, political demonstrations, rallies, holiday celebrations. It was from here that the Tatars stormed the Kremlin; it was the place where patriarchs and tsars paraded in front of their people on ceremonial occasions; Kutuzov’s army left from here to win the battle of Borodino in 1812. Today you can casually stroll from one end to the other and admire the square's vastness and beauty. Once you step on the centuries-old stone pavement of Red Square, you forget that this place is in the heart of a huge modern metropolitan. The red-brick walls of the Kremlin, the vibrant colors of St. Basil's Cathedral, the elegant architecture of GUM (a large shopping mall) and the Historical Museum give you a feel for the age of the country.

The Moscow Kremlin. A unique complex of ancient architecture. The historic center of Moscow, founded by Yuri Dolgoruky. The construction of the Kremlin lasted from 1470 until 1700, the Kremlin walls are 2,230 meters long, 20 meters high and 6 meters wide in some places, it has 4 gates and 19 towers. The Soviet-style building of the Palace of Congresses planted in the middle of the Kremlin in 1961 is surrounded by historical monuments and ancient churches: the Uspensky (Assumption) Cathedral - used for tsar coronations, the Blagoveshensky (Annunciation) - for baptisms and weddings, the Arkhangelsky (Archangel) - for funerals. Here you will find the famous Armory Museum displaying a great collection of armour and valuables (diamonds and jewelry) that once belonged to Russian tsars and aristocrats, the Palace of the Facets, the Great Kremlin Palace, the Terem (Belvedere) Palace.

Sophiyskaya Embankment. A nice view of the Kremlin and its cathedrals. A perfect place for taking pictures.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Opened in 1997, the cathedral was built in an unbelievably short time (two years) to replace one destroyed by Stalin in 1931. Originally constructed in the 19th century to commemorate victory over Napoleon, it was at the time the highest structure in Moscow and could house 15,000 people for Christmas and Easter services. Even today its gilded domes can be seen almost from anywhere in the western part of Moscow.

Novodevichy Convent. An outstanding example of the early 16th century architecture set in peaceful surroundings. Among other daughters and wives of Russian tsars, Peter the Great’s half-sister Sofiya was exiled here in 1679. After the Kremlin, this convent was the second most important religious center in Russia. Here you will find the Smolensky Cathedral, the Uspenskaya (Assumption) Church. The convent's cemetery cradles the graves of Gogol, Chekhov, Stanislavsky, Bulgakov and some other Russian celebrities.

Victory Park on Poklonnaya Gora. A huge complex consisting of an obelisk with the Greek goddess of victory on top, multi-level Museum of the Great Patriotic War (W.W.II), Triumphal Arch, Church of St. George (the protector of Moscow), several fountains. The place of public holiday celebrations.

Vorobievy (Sparrow) Hills offer the best view of Moscow. You can use telescopes to take a closer look at the Kremlin and other famous sights or walk to the sights, located on the Hills: Moscow State University lying within one high-rise building of Stalinist architecture; Moscow Central Children's Music Theater; Moscow State Circus.

Full day excursion to Sergiyev Posad

Sergiyev Posad (Zagorsk) is the most popular among the eight Golden Ring towns. The Holy Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius is one of Russia’s most important religious and historical landmarks and the most famous pilgrimage point for Orthodox believers. A huddle of magnificent Orthodox churches attracts hundreds of believers on Christmas, Easter and other religious holidays. The St. Sergius is one of only four Russian monasteries holding the title of lavra, reserved for the monasteries of the highest rank.

• 2-hour drive to Sergiev Posad
• tour of the Monastery with visits to Cathedrals
• souvenir shopping
• lunch (monastery meal)
• visit to the hamlet of Radonezh (where St. Sergius of Radonezh, the founder of the Lavra, was born)
• 2-hour drive back to Moscow