Moscow Landmarks

Red Square
Red Square and the city of Moscow were created simultaneously. While Moscow has changed dramatically, Red Square remains one of the city's constants. Sandwiched between Yury Dolgoruky's new Kremlin walls and the medieval shopping precinct that later became upper trading rows, the new Kremlin is just a little bigger and GUM just a little further back than the tangle of stalls that preceeded it.

Old Arbat
Visitors who wish to understand Russia and her long struggle for freedom should make a point to walk the Arbat. The street existed as early as 1493, as records of a great fire that began in a church once located there confirm. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible it was the home of his sixteenth century secret police. By the seventeenth century it had become the chosen home of aristocrats, and later artists seeking patronage made it their home. It took on its current appearance at the turn of the twentieth century when elegant two and three story buildings were built for bourgeois families. After 1917, these were converted into communal appartments where several working class families lived.

Pushkin Square
Pushkin, on par with Shakespeare and Goethe, was too great ever to be affected by changes in political fashions and was respected in communist and non-communist times alike. The square has been the site of pro-democracy demonstrations in the dying days of communism. Now it is a popular place to meet or rest one's feet after treading along the trendy shopping district of Tverskaya Ulitsa.

Europe Square
Europe Square was solemnly laid out in September, 2001, when the birthday of Moscow was celebrated. Europe Square in Moscow was constructed as the part of the Russian-Belgium cooperation project. As Moscow government implied Europe Square would symbolize Russia's aspiration for integration into the European Union.

Sparrow Hills
Spectacular look-out point, with a view of Moscow from the south side of the river, overlooking Luzhniki Stadium and Moscow Staue University behind. Sparrow Hills features largely into the devil scenes of Mikhail Bulgakov's most famous novel "The Master and Margarita."

Kitai-Gorod
Kitai-Gorod is one of the oldest historical parts of Moscow. It joins the Kremlin from the east side, and Moscow River - from the south side. In the north it borders with Okhotny Ryad, and in the north-east - with Old and New squares. The south part of Kitai-Gorod is the oldest one. It is well known that in the 11th century it had already been inhabited.

Izmailovsky Souvenir Market
Just a few minutes walk from the 16th century Imperial Estate where the future Peter the Great spent much of his childhood, the city's largest and most animated souvenir market offers visitors a wide range of Russian handicrafts, Soviet memorabilia, original paintings and delicious local cuisine.