Moscow, Russia - A Guide

Moscow is the capital of Russia and the country's principal political, economic, financial, educational, and transportation center. It is located on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District, in the European part of Russia. The city's population of 10.4 million constitutes about 7% of the total Russian population. Likewise, it is the most populous city in Europe. Historically, its position was central in the Russian homeland. It was the capital of the former Soviet Union and Muscovite Russia, the pre-Imperial Russian state. It is the site of the famous Kremlin, which now serves as the ceremonial residence of the President.

Moscow's architecture and performing arts culture are world-renowned. Moscow is also well known as the site of Saint Basil's Cathedral, with its elegant onion domes, as well as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Seven Sisters. The Patriarch of Moscow, whose residence is the Danilov Monastery, serves as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Moscow also remains a major economic center and is home to a large number of billionaires; it is perennially considered one of the most expensive cities for expatriate employees in the world. It is home to many scientific and educational institutions, as well as numerous sport facilities. It possesses a complex transport system that includes the world's busiest metro system, which is famous for its architecture. Moscow also hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow
Location
The hotel is situated on the banks of the river moskva opposite the Red Square, the Kremlin and St. Basil's cathedral. The nearest Metro is about 20 minutes' walk away.
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Red Square (Krasnaya ploshchad), Moscow
Red Square, once the site of executions and military parades, sits smack in the middle of Moscow, bounded on one side by the Kremlin walls and Lenin's tomb and on the other by GUM, the country's largest department store.

St. Basil's Cathedral (Pokrovsky Sobor), Moscow
Built by Ivan the Terrible in the 1550s, this intriguing cathedral bordering Red Square consists of nine separate chapels, each capped with its own individually shaped and colored dome.

Moscow Kremlin (Moskovsky Kreml), Moscow
Moscow's most famous historical and political landmark, the Kremlin is a walled-in complex of cathedrals, palaces and government offices, with several buildings open to the public, including the Armoury, Patriarch's Palace and the State Kremlin Palace.

Moscow Metro, Moscow
The Moscow Metro should not be missed. The rush hours are to be avoided unless you have to be somewhere at that time. Actually the rush hour is no different than being in the tubes in NYC.

Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow
The oldest theater in Moscow, rebuilt following a fire and later a hurricane, is magnificent both inside and out, and its resident opera and ballet troupes rate among the finest in the world.