It’s about time we got around to writing this one up! Over three whole years have passed since our trip to Russia, where our travel plans saw us begin in Moscow and finally finish over in Warsaw, Poland. Although the specifics may be fuzzy, I’ll do my best to give a good account of our first trip to Russia – and to the crazy, immense, brilliant city that is Moscow.
The Russia to Poland Trip: Logistics
Moscow was the first stop on our adventure from Russia to Poland. We’d taken just two weeks off work, amounting to ten days of annual leave. In this time, we’d be jetting off to Moscow before travelling north to St Petersburg. From here, we’d depart Russia (temporarily!) and then head West through the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Once in Lithuania, it was time to hop across into the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad is stranded from Mother Russia but no less inclined to proudly fly the red, white and blue flag. The final leg of the journey would see us head to the Polish port city of Gdansk before heading to its capital, Warsaw. Here we’d fall, shattered, into the warm embrace of a UK-bound Ryanair flight.
This, as you can probably gather, was a lot to fit into two weeks!
Moscow Day One: Avios Well Spent
For a couple of years leading up to the trip, I’d been obsessively cultivating my collection of precious Avios points by paying for literally everything with my rewards credit card. Finally, I’d bought enough Tesco Meal Deals for lunch at work that I could use the Avios to pay for both of us to head to Moscow!
We zoomed down to Heathrow, clasping our passports which contained the all-important Russian visas. The flight was uneventful, and we were relieved to be waved through Russian border control without even a hint of fuss. We’d made it!
The Train to Moscow
Once we’d touched down in Moscow and made our way to the arrivals area, it was time to figure out how to reach the city centre. Domodedovo Airport is a pretty significant 45km away from Moscow, and travellers have the usual suite of taxis, private transfer and public transport to choose from.
Taxis and transfers will be by far the most expensive, and we opted instead for the Aeroexpress train, setting us back about 7 euros each. We would 100% recommend Aeroexpress. The journey took roughly 40 minutes, delivered us right into the centre, and had ample room for everyone.
Before we knew it, we’d arrived at Paveletskaya metro station. From here, a quick onward journey to Teatralnaya station put us at the heart of the action.
Read next: Top things to see and do in Kaliningrad
First Impressions of Moscow
It was a strange, surreal feeling when we eventually emerged from the subway. Only a few hours ago, we’d been grabbing a final coffee in Heathrow airport. Now, in what felt like the blink of an eye, we found ourselves a stone’s throw from Moscow’s iconic Red Square and the famous walls of the Kremlin.
It was busy, and we needed no map skills to navigate the square. We followed the tell-tale groups of tourists, excited to catch our first glimpses. Much to our frustration, we found our way onto Red Square blocked by fences and burly security officers. The way was shut – a stage was being built, and it looked like we’d timed our arrival pretty badly!
We hoped that whatever event was taking place would wrap up before we had to leave Moscow! The upside of Red Square being inaccessible was, at least, that we could grab a few snaps of it completely deserted.
Accommodation in Moscow
Moscow is not a cheap city to stay in. Like anywhere, it has its fair share of hostels and ultra-budget accommodation – costs need not necessarily be a barrier.
We’d struck lucky by spotting a super-central homestay within walking distance of Red Square. Hosted by the lovely Alina, the very literally named ‘Flat Near Bolshoi Theatre’ had just two rooms – each with a private bathroom.
It was a lovely find. Alina was friendly, generous, and talkative, keeping a fully stocked fridge perfect for breakfast on the go. She practically thrust a day’s worth of food and drinks on us as we tried to leave each morning!
The love affair for Borscht and Pelmeni Begins
The main aim for the rest of the evening was to find somewhere to grab our first dinner in Moscow. As it was night one, we headed off in search of traditional Russian food to try.
We did not have to look far. The place’s name escapes both of us, but this was where our love affair with two classic dishes began.
Firstly, borscht. This classic beetroot-based soup has its origins in Ukraine but can be found across Eastern Europe and Russia. A generous dollop of sour cream completes the dark red soup, and I’ve searched it out on trips ever since. Delicious.
Secondly, pelmeni. These meat dumplings are rolled into tiny packages and boiled in their dozens before being served with sour cream. Boiled dumplings don’t always tickle everyone’s fancy, but pelmeni done right is brilliant. Perhaps it’s the sour cream obsession? It certainly helps. Either way, we spent the rest of the trip ordering pelmeni by the bucketload.
The evening was finished off, of course, with vodka. What else?
Moscow Day Two: We’ve Never Walked As Far!
Today was our first full day in Moscow, and boy did we take advantage of it. Our smug Fitbits told us that we’d both smashed the 40,000 step mark – which is pretty good going, considering that Moscow has an extensive Metro system….
How much can you see in Moscow on foot in one day? We were about to find out.
The Bolshoi Ballet
We started with a quick wander down to the Bolshoi Theatre, home to the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet. It’s certainly impressive to look at, but we knew that our budgets would never have stretched to a ticket. This fact was hammered home when we walked past one evening and saw the parade of designer suits and dresses appearing out of blacked out Porsches and Bentleys and heading through the doors. A different world…
Nonetheless, taking a look around the exterior of the building with a takeaway coffee, admiring the architecture and gardens, was a lovely way to start the day.
Visiting the famous Kremlin
The word ‘Kremlin’ generally refers to the walled complexes at the centre of Russian cities. There used to be hundreds of Kremlins dotted across Russia. Many can still be found outside of Moscow. It is here, however, where the most famous Kremlin stands tall.
The Moscow Kremlin is an immense complex of administrative buildings, beautiful palaces, cathedrals and gardens. It is the official residence of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, and is surrounded by iconic red walls up to 21 feet thick.
We’d read about the long queues to buy your ticket and head through the security procedures, which were unsurprisingly thorough! Keeping this in mind, we headed there as early as possible and were pretty close to hitting the 09:30 opening time for the ticket office. We lingered around the gardens until the Kremlin’s doors symbolically opened at 10:00, and breezed through security.
Thanks to the ridiculous number of spy films and novels which refer to ‘the Kremlin’ as a dark, malevolent force, it’s easy to assume that the real Kremlin would match these drab stereotypes. However, the reality is quite the opposite. On a bright day in May, the Kremlin was beautiful.
Inside the Kremlin
As the name suggests, Cathedral Square is immense – surrounded by no less than three cathedrals, with some bonus churches thrown into the mix. The history here is palpable – the site of state funerals, coronations and ceremonies throughout the centuries. The cathedrals themselves were fairly crowded once inside, but the square itself was more than large enough to feel like you weren’t part of a vast crowd.
We continued to explore as much of the Kremlin complex as our basic ticket allowed (we’d opted to save cash and turn down the chance to visit the museums). From the gardens, the views over the rest of Moscow are fantastic – gazing beyond the red stars atop the guard towers to the jungle of tower blocks and streets stretching to the horizon.
Whilst we took in the views, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. A small motorcade of blacked-out vehicles, heading towards a helipad within the walls, down the hill from the gardens. At this point, it’s worth mentioning that I’d developed a humourous (OK, fine – semi-serious) ambition to spot a glimpse of Vladimir Putin whilst we were in Moscow.
Attracting Suspicion in the Kremlin!
I knew that Putin now commutes to the Kremlin by helicopter from his usual home in the Moscow suburbs – his motorcades had previously brought Moscow to a daily standstill. So, thinking that this was my chance to spot Vladimir himself, I excitedly bounced over to Lucy before rushing – far too conspicuously – to get a better view of the Helipad.
The cars pulled up, and a group of suited men in sunglasses stepped out. A good start, I thought to myself. A couple of minutes passed, and I tried to snap a few subtle photos. Five minutes then passed, and Lucy decided to leave me to it and wander around some more of the gardens whilst I waited. I took a few more photos. Finally, the black-suit crew headed inside the small building. After ten minutes or so of lingering near the Helipad, there was no sign of action – but I’d be kicking myself if I left now and missed the grand arrival of Putin, right?
This poor logic, and increasingly unsubtle photography, had attracted some attention from Kremlin security. I realised that whilst I had lost a Lucy, I had gained a middle-aged man in sunglasses with an unsubtle earpiece. He didn’t appear to be as interested in the Helipad, choosing instead to focus his gaze on me. It was clear that the novelty dream of seeing Putin would have to wait for another moment.
I headed over to reconvene with Lucy, and we sat on a bench to read our Moscow map and debrief. My friend in sunglasses came and joined us from afar. Thankfully, he lost interest once we headed in the opposite direction to the Helipad. We decided to take one final wander around the complex, waving at the immense Tsar Bell and Cannon, before exiting straight onto Red Square.
The Kremlin had been fantastic, and the day wasn’t over yet! It was time to take a walk down the river to one of Moscow’s most immense statues.
Peter the Great Statue
It’s safe to say that we didn’t need our map to seek out the Peter the Great Statue. At 98-meters high, it holds the impressive accolade of the ‘eighth-tallest statue in the world’. But, as if that wasn’t enough to boast about, it’s also made the final list of the ‘world’s ugliest buildings’. Oh, and the list of the ‘world’s ugliest statues’. Fair play.
A monument with so many prestigious titles is surely a must-see, so we made the 3km pilgrimage from the Kremlin to check it out. Safe to say, it did not disappoint! It’s hard, especially with our limited understanding of art history, to describe the monument in a way that truly does it justice.
Peter stands proudly on his ship, the sails tower above every other structure nearby, clasping a golden scroll. The contents of the scroll are left to our imagination. Perhaps the scrolls contain the paperwork for his 1712 decision to move Russia’s capital from Moscow to St Petersburg. The decision was made, in part, because Peter hated Moscow. He is probably as upset as modern-day Muscovites are with where his gigantic statue is now placed.
Fallen Monument Park
Once we’d had our fill of dubious statues of famous Russians, it was time for a change of scene. Just kidding. Barely a stone’s throw away from the Peter the Great statue is the Muzeon Park of Arts, or Fallen Monument Park. I’m informed, by the ever-reliable Wikipedia, that this is the largest open-air museum of sculptures in Russia.
Whilst I’m not sure that any of the exhibits would be making their way to our local Yorkshire Sculpture Park soon, this was a brilliant place to explore. It is completely free and packed to the rafters with Soviet-era statues and monuments. The park certainly made the walk from the Kremlin worth it. We’ve been unofficially collecting sightings of Lenin busts as we travel around post-Soviet states, and we didn’t have to look too far to add another to our collection here.
The Long, Long Walk Back
By the time we’d had our fill of Soviet statues, it was time to head back and make dinner plans. We decided to continue on foot. A somewhat regrettable decision, having walked even further away from Red Square whilst exploring the park. We now found ourselves over 5km away, but pressed on nonetheless in our blind determination to finish the day on foot.
Whilst on our way, nursing the beginnings of blisters, we spotted the longest queues we’d ever seen snaking down the streets. We doubt we’ll ever see another quite as long as this one. First spotted on the other side of the river, it had doubled back on itself several times. As we progressed back towards the Kremlin, we spotted the final destination. Everyone was heading to the gleaming Christ the Saviour Cathedral, which overlooks the Moskva river.
We were none the wiser at the time as to why this epic queue had formed. However, we later learnt that everyone was waiting to catch a glimpse of the relics of Saint Nicholas, whose remains had left the city of Bari in Italy for the first time in nearly a millennium. This was such a big deal for Moscow that people waited for hours and hours in these queues, and news reports documented the occasion. But, much to my frustration, we’d missed Putin’s visit to the relics by a matter of hours.
Waving goodbye to the crowds of worshippers, we pressed further on until we finally stumbled across the metaphorical finishing line when we reached the Kremlin walls once again. We’d worked up an appetite, and we hadn’t waved goodbye to the Soviet theme just yet….
A very Soviet dinner
Stretching down one side of Red Square, directly opposite the walls of the Kremlin, is the upmarket ‘Gum’ shopping centre. Designer shops, boutique food halls and expensive cafes fill the spaces and make Gum a favourite for tourists and wealthy locals.
Placed inconspicuously on the 3rd floor, Stolovaya No. 57 bucks the trend and provides visitors with a cafe experience that has barely changed since Soviet times. The perfect place for our dinner! We wandered innocently in and followed the lead of the small crowd ahead of us, joining the queue.
Here, as is typical of the style of these canteens, we needed to head down the buffet line, pointing at the food we wanted as we went. Every dish is a timeless Russian classic with Borscht, pelmeni, cutlets, and more. We’d tried to negotiate a mix of everything to try, and it was probably testimony to how far we’d walked that even the most dubious-looking plates were polished off without question.
Dining at Stolovaya is undoubtedly an experience we’d recommend. The interior was as classic as the food, and the mix of locals with tourists was proof that this is not simply a gimmick. The food is good, the atmosphere is nostalgic, and the price suited our modest budget!
Moscow Day Three: Dolls, Games and Metro Stations
When we woke up on Day Three in Moscow, our feet were screaming out for a break. Unanimously agreeing that we would put the Metro to good use, we formed our action plan over a strong coffee and a mountain of pancakes.
We’d decided to start our day by heading out of central Moscow, travelling towards the city’s North East. We’d heard rumours of a second Moscow Kremlin, but nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to find….
Moscow’s “Other” Kremlin
The Izmailovo Kremlin is bizarre. We’d walked for 15 minutes or so from the Metro station, through quiet residential streets, before emerging out into a car park. Stretched out beyond the twenty or so parked vehicles was a massive white wall, behind which stood dozens of bright wooden buildings, towers, palaces and turrets.
This vast complex is the Izmailovo Kremlin, founded in 2003 as a centre for Russian culture and entertainment. It describes itself as “perhaps the most Russian place in Moscow”, and we’ve got no doubt that it’s a sight to behold during the school holidays when it’s in full flow. The complex houses museums, workshops, restaurants – all of which can be bustling with energy.
We were visiting in its off-season and were one of merely a handful of visitors. This lent an eerie and surreal feel to the place as we wandered the deserted streets. Perhaps even more bizarrely, most of the workshops appeared open and functional. Blacksmiths, jewellers and carpenters worked away in traditional costume – a living museum, which we were experiencing in relative isolation. Bizarre and somewhat wonderful.
To our delight, we stumbled across an artisan marketplace where a few stalls were still open. From necklaces to leather goods, if it can be made by hand, you could probably buy it. One stall, in particular, caught our eye, where row upon row of handmade Russian dolls were lined up. We talked to the stall owner, who explained that they were all painted by himself and his wife. After inspecting a few, we decided to buy a set – which we still proudly display in our flat today!
Once we’d had our fill of the Izmailovo Kremlin, it was time to head back into central Moscow. We had some games to play!
Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines
After demolishing a burger or two, our afternoon activity was to become big kids again. We’d heard about a curious museum filled with old arcade games from the Soviet era. This was too wonderfully bizarre not to check out, and it turned out to be simply brilliant.
The Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines collects and restores antique games machines from the Soviet era before placing them in the museum for visitors to enjoy. Modern rubles are swapped for Soviet kopeks at the front desk, and away you go!
Some games were timeless classics – a tank battle game will transcend generations and political ideologies. Others were more dubious – how many kids in the Soviet Union rushed to the arcade to play a game where you had to match traffic symbols with their meaning? Seriously – that was the entire point of the game. A light would appear on the symbol, and you’d have to select the definition. Great fun!
We spent far longer than planned (and probably many more Rubles than budgeted) trying out every single machine. We’d rush back the next time we’re in Moscow – a great rainy day activity.
Exploring Moscow’s Metro
After the museum, we decided to run down the rest of our metro tickets by simply riding around Moscow and exploring different stations. Moscow’s Metro system is well known for its beauty – some stations are an art gallery in themselves. It’s well worth ‘station hopping’ and checking them out for yourselves.
It is also host to what is purported to be the world’s longest escalator. The station at Park Pobedy is host to the mammoth feat of engineering – we went up and straight back down, prompting wearied looks from the escalator attendant. Oops.
Once we’d had our fill of Metro, it was time for one last night time explore of the area around Red Square. It’s spectacularly lit at night – from the glistening Red Stars of the Kremlin to the colourful domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral.
Red Square itself was still shut, and we’d be heading off to St. Petersburg the next day. Surely we couldn’t spend four days in Moscow and not set foot there?
Read next: Travelling from Stockholm to Gothenburg in Sweden by FlixTrain
Moscow Day Four: Red Square (Finally)
Our aim for today was simple: get onto Red Square! It had been a source of consistent frustration that the authorities had shut the square during our trip, and we kept our fingers crossed that they had miraculously opened it overnight.
As we approached the corner next to Gum, it was clear that our prayers had not been answered. Police still blocked off the Square, and we were left scratching our heads. We decided to see if we could get a clear view inside Gum.
Whilst trying to find a sneaky vantage point, we spotted a cafe called Bosco. This is a pretty swanky-looking place, but it appeared to have a terrace backing directly onto the Square. Plan B was quickly formulated, and we strolled through the door (apologetic of our under-dressed state) and asked for a table on the terrace. We were led to a table right on the Square and felt semi-triumphant!
Sure, it wasn’t the walk across Red Square that we had been hoping for, but breakfast and coffee overlooking the deserted tarmac was a pretty good alternative.
We’d nearly finished up and were about to pay, when we spotted something strange. Someone stood in the square, holding up a selfie stick?! They were joined quickly by a second tourist, then a third, before a whole wave appeared. Had we finally struck lucky?
The answer was yes! Just hours before our train, Red Square finally opened to the public. We eagerly joined the queue for bag scans before we were there at last! The classic view was ours – Lenin’s tomb, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the red Kremlin walls. A brilliant, surreal feeling and the perfect way to sign off our time in Moscow.
Next up – St. Petersburg!
LOVE your pictures! Moscow looks beautiful! I had an opportunity to go to Russia for work but unfortunately the trip had to be changed. Would love to visit one day!
Thanks so much! It’s a brilliant city to explore! Hope you get the chance to visit one day, I’m sure you’d have a great time. Thanks again for reading!
Wonderful post, so much information. What a great statue
of Peter. I would really love to visit Moscow one day..
Thanks for reading! Really pleased you enjoyed it. That statue really is something else! Moscow is a great city to visit, would definitely recommend! Thanks again š
The weather looks excellent! Which month did you go? As a person who’s always drawn to cities with great architecture, I’ve always been dreaming of visiting Moscow.
We certainly got lucky with the weather, it was perfect for exploring by foot! We were there in early May, before it got super hot. Moscow’s architecture is certainly immense, so many different styles everywhere you look. Thanks for reading!
I’d love to visit Moscow some day – the architecture is stunning and there’s so much history! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading! Moscow is certainly a fantastic city for architecture, and as for the history – it’s everywhere! Would certainly recommend planning a trip. Thanks for reading!
Wow these pictures are so amazing! I have never been to Moscow before but I really would like to in the future!
Amber – The Unpredicted Page
Thanks Amber! Moscow is definitely a great city to visit, some stunning things to see and do! Thanks for reading!
Awesome post! Visiting Russia is on my since last year. I have also seen Bolshoi theatre performed the play Macbeth here in Cyprus. They are spectacular!
Thanks Vinn! That’s brilliant, it must have been an amazing evening seeing the Bolshoi perform live. Will need to keep an eye out and see if they tour near us at some point! Thanks for reading!
Russia seems like such an incredibly interesting place to visit. I’d love to go there one day x
Russia is absolutely one of our favourites – it’s such a fascinating country! Thanks for reading!
Iād love to go to Moscow, the Kremlin looks incredible, I love that you attracted the attention of security. That rounds off a trip to the Kremlin perfectly š
The Kremlin was brilliant, we could happily have spent all day in there…if we could have got away with it! The ‘run in’ with security was a fun little bonus for sure – I wonder how much longer I could have stared at the helipad without being escorted out…!
Great post – seems like there’s so much to do in Moscow!
Thanks for reading! Moscow is definitely packed with tons to see and do, a brilliant city to visit!
I visited Moscow and S Petersburg and was impressed by both (still have to write them up though!). Really interesting to read your post as it covered a couple of places I never went to – or even heard of – pity I didn’t get to see them as Izmailovo Kremlin sounds amazing. So glad you eventually got onto Red Square as that is an impressive sight.
Thanks Barry – I can’t quite remember how we stumbled across the Izmailovo Kremlin, but it certainly provided an interesting contrast to the historic center of Moscow. It was a real relief to finally be able to get onto Red Square – an impressive place for sure. Thanks for reading!
I love your photography and it sounds like quite the adventure you two had there! I am glad you were finally able to get to the Red Square. And yep, I love a good borscht!
Thanks Katerina, it was certainly a great few days exploring Moscow! Glad to hear that there’s another member of the borscht fan club š Thanks for reading!
What an amazing guide! a very detailed and wonderful itinerary and I really loved the photos. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for reading, so pleased you enjoyed it!
Moscow wow!! A super summary of everything to see and do. A great read… I really hope to get there one day.
Thanks Sharon! Very pleased that you enjoyed reading – Moscow is certainly a great city, fingers crossed you can get there one day š Thanks again!