·· Yuri Belov > Personal > Where I go in Moscow ··

My favourite places in Moscow

These notes were written before my emigration from Russia in February 2003.

CENTRE
Metro Teatralnaya/Okhotny Ryad

Central Telegraph At the Central Telegraph (on the photo) I make photocopies and send faxes, sometimes I go to the book shops located nearby (Pedkniga, Pushkinskaya lavka, Moskva) or to the Red Square and the Historical Museum.
At the Intourist Hotel and Patio-Pizza (attached to the hotel) I used to pick up free English-language newspapers, but since 2002 both places are closed. The Intourist Hotel (a tall boxy structure built in 1970, also called jokingly the "Rotten Tooth") will be demolished to make space for a smaller hotel which will be in harmony with the surrounding architecture.

Inturist Hotel still on its place
February 2003: The Intourist (photo) no longer exists. Otherwise, Tverskaya Street hasn't changed much. This time I went along a parallel street, Bolshaya Dmitrovka, and also looked into Stoleshnikov lane. After a couple of years the changes are noticeable. On B. Dmitrovka you'll no longer find the confectionery shop which used to be next to "Pedkniga". It has been converted to a restaurant "Drova" ("Eat 55 meals for 330 rubles!"). And there going to be something instead of "Dieticheskaya Stolovaya" too.

Stoleshnikov pereulok I could hardly recognize Stoleshnikov! Alas, the beloved second-hand bookshop is gone (in the early 90s I used to buy and sell so many books there!) and replaced by a faceless and expensive clothes shop. The doorman doesn't even know that it used to be a bookshop! Same for the wine shop, which used to be opposite - now they sell Western clothes there as well. This is disappointing: the Moscow that I knew (and even loved) is disappearing!

Metro Novokuznetskaya

Tretyakov Gallery Bookshops: The Shakespeare and Co. (1st Novokuznetsky per., 5/7) - a sleepy English-language bookstore; it always has a wide range of free English-language newspapers and brochures, there's also a second-hand department (P.S. The bookshop was closed in 2005). Ad Marginem (Russian high brow books) is round the corner. A bit closer to the metro, at Dom Meda, I buy honey; there are dozens of sorts, all genuine. The famous Tretyakov Gallery (photo) is only a five minutes' walk away.

GARDEN RING
Metro Taganskaya

Library of Foreign Literature The Library of Foreign Literature which I've been visiting since 1984. Now there's Internet there (0.7 $/hour) and various national cultural centres: French, American (including The US Education Advising Center), British and Japanese (I usually visit the first two).

Metro Park kultury

Moscow Linguistic University
Moscow State Linguistic University (photo) is my Alma Mater. Here I studied from 1988 to 1994.
On the way back from the university I often visited the Progress bookshop, which sold dictionaries, books for learning languages and the books on humanities by the Progress Publishing House. I used to visit this shop almost every day. Now it is mainly a supermarket, though it still sells books on learning languages on the ground floor.

Metro Kiyevskaya

Radisson Hotel Radisson-Slavyanskaya Hotel (Berezhkovskaya Naberezhnaya, 2). A great place to have a meeting with someone. As long as you're properly dressed, the doormen won't ask where and why you are going. Comfortable divans and arm-chairs, live music, fountain, free English-language newspapers.

Metro Krasnopresnenskaya/Barrikadnaya

Malaya Nikitskaya Street Cinemas: Kinocenter and the Cinema Museum. At the Cinema Museum one can see intellectual films of various countries and epochs; the tickets are inexpensive (P.S. In in 2005 the Cinema Museum lost its premises despite cinephiles' protests).
Those who like to see caged animals can visit the Moscow Zoo which is also here. For many years one of the biggest attractions for me was Bukinist na Kachalova (now "Universum" on Malaya Nikitskaya, 16). On the photo you can see this street. It's the only second-hand bookshop for books in foreign languages; now, since books are not in so great demand as in the 80s - early 90s, it sells mostly antique furniture and cutlery.

Servantes Institute

In February 2002 opened the centre for all Moscow's lovers of Spanish culture and language - The Cervantes Institute. It's a yellow building (photo) just opposite the US Embassy. There you can visit a library (where you can also borrow books), an exhibition hall (free entrance) and sign up for a course of Spanish.

SOUTH
Metro Kolomenskaya

Kolomenskoye Museum-preserve Kolomenskoye (Prospekt Andropova, 39; 300 meters to the south from the metro). A lovely place. I recommend to visit it on week days, when there isn't so much crowd.

Metro Orekhovo

Tsaritsino Museum-preserve Tsaritsino (Ul. Dolskaya, 1). Ruins of the palace built in 1775-1796 for Catherine the Great.
Article in Russian: Дворцовый переворот Столичные власти восстанавливают один из самых примечательных уголков Москвы ("Новые известия". 13.04.2006)

* * *

As you see, I do not go to restaurants or cafes (I buy bananas from street vendors instead). I've never been at a night club (I don't think I'll ever go there). I'm not much of a theatre-goer either, unless there's a good company. In general I prefer cinemas, exhibitions and cultural centres. And, of course, I cannot go past a good bookshop!

I have to say that I like Moscow less and less. Now in addition to Tsereteli's kitch monuments, glaring contrast between luxury and poverty, bomzhi, police checks, peat bog haze in summer, we also have terror attacks. In my opinion, today's Moscow is too unsafe. I prefer European capitals.

CENTRE Metro Teatralnaya/Okhotny Ryad
	At the Central Telegraph (on the photo) I make photocopies and send faxes, sometimes I go to the book shops located nearby (Pedkniga, Pushkinskaya lavka, Moskva) or to the Red Square and the Historical Museum. At the Intourist Hotel and Patio-Pizza (attached to the hotel) I used to pick up free English-language newspapers, but since 2002 both places are closed. The Intourist Hotel (a tall boxy structure built in 1970, also called jokingly the "Rotten Tooth") will be demolished to make space for a smaller hotel which will be in harmony with the surrounding architecture.
	February 2003: The Intourist (photo) no longer exists. Otherwise, Tverskaya Street hasn't changed much. This time I went along a parallel street, Bolshaya Dmitrovka, and also looked into Stoleshnikov lane. After a couple of years the changes are noticeable. On B. Dmitrovka you'll no longer find the confectionery shop which used to be next to "Pedkniga". It has been converted to a restaurant "Drova" ("Eat 55 meals for 330 rubles!"). And there going to be something instead of "Dieticheskaya Stolovaya" too.
	I could hardly recognize Stoleshnikov! Alas, the beloved second-hand bookshop is gone (in the early 90s I used to buy and sell so many books there!) and replaced by a faceless and expensive clothes shop. The doorman doesn't even know that it used to be a bookshop! Same for the wine shop, which used to be opposite - now they sell Western clothes there as well. This is disappointing: the Moscow that I knew (and even loved) is disappearing!
Metro Novokuznetskaya
	Bookshops: The Shakespeare and Co. (1st Novokuznetsky per., 5/7) - a sleepy English-language bookstore; it always has a wide range of free English-language newspapers and brochures, there's also a second-hand department (P.S. The bookshop was closed in 2005). Ad Marginem (Russian high brow books) is round the corner. A bit closer to the metro, at Dom Meda, I buy honey; there are dozens of sorts, all genuine. The famous Tretyakov Gallery (photo) is only a five minutes' walk away.

GARDEN RING Metro Taganskaya
	The Library of Foreign Literature which I've been visiting since 1984. Now there's Internet there (0.7 $/hour) and various national cultural centres: French, American (including The US Education Advising Center), British and Japanese (I usually visit the first two).
Metro Park kultury
	Moscow State Linguistic University (photo) is my Alma Mater. Here I studied from 1988 to 1994. On the way back from the university I often visited the Progress bookshop, which sold dictionaries, books for learning languages and the books on humanities by the Progress Publishing House. I used to visit this shop almost every day. Now it is mainly a supermarket, though it still sells books on learning languages on the ground floor.
Metro Kiyevskaya
	Radisson-Slavyanskaya Hotel (Berezhkovskaya Naberezhnaya, 2). A great place to have a meeting with someone. As long as you're properly dressed, the doormen won't ask where and why you are going. Comfortable divans and arm-chairs, live music, fountain, free English-language newspapers.
Metro Krasnopresnenskaya/Barrikadnaya
	Cinemas: Kinocenter and the Cinema Museum. At the Cinema Museum one can see intellectual films of various countries and epochs; the tickets are inexpensive (P.S. In in 2005 the Cinema Museum lost its premises despite cinephiles' protests). Those who like to see caged animals can visit the Moscow Zoo which is also here. For many years one of the biggest attractions for me was Bukinist na Kachalova (now "Universum" on Malaya Nikitskaya, 16). On the photo you can see this street. It's the only second-hand bookshop for books in foreign languages; now, since books are not in so great demand as in the 80s - early 90s, it sells mostly antique furniture and cutlery.
	In February 2002 opened the centre for all Moscow's lovers of Spanish culture and language - The Cervantes Institute. It's a yellow building (photo) just opposite the US Embassy. There you can visit a library (where you can also borrow books), an exhibition hall (free entrance) and sign up for a course of Spanish.

SOUTH Metro Kolomenskaya
	Museum-preserve Kolomenskoye (Prospekt Andropova, 39; 300 meters to the south from the metro). A lovely place. I recommend to visit it on week days, when there isn't so much crowd.
Metro Orekhovo
	Museum-preserve Tsaritsino (Ul. Dolskaya, 1). Ruins of the palace built in 1775-1796 for Catherine the Great. Article in Russian: Дворцовый переворот Столичные власти восстанавливают один из самых примечательных уголков Москвы ("Новые известия". 13.04.2006)