We met Victoria Ataeva on the train station a few minutes after arriving in Moscow. She was in charge of being sure that we wouldn’t get lost in the confusing world of cyrillic text that we stumble upon in Russia. And she did it beautifully.
She took us through some parts of the Russian capital and we decided to ask her what are her favorite places in Moscow. Since our goal with Going Local is to show how everyone has a different view of the city they live in, we had to see how Victoria Ataeva sees Moscow and where she thinks everybody should go to.
Below you can see some of her favorite places in the Russian capital, in her own words, and take notes to explore them later.
A.M. Gorky Apartment Museum
A memorial museum dedicated to the life and work of the Russian writer, novelist and playwright Maxim Gorky. The original museum building in Art Nouveau style was built by Russian architect Fyodor Schechtel in 1902. It belonged to the millionaire S.P. Ryabushinsky. The house is very beautiful and unusual. You will see the unique stained glass windows and stairs in the form of a sea wave.
Park of Arts Museon / Muzeon
The Muzeon is a large sculpture museum under the open sky. In its collection there are monuments of the Soviet era, the traditional portraits of Soviet leaders and wonderful sculptures of contemporary artists.
There is also a part of the State Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val, 10 filled with Russian Art of the 20th Century, Modern Art and temporary exhibitions.
Gorky Park
Gorky Park is located near the Muzeon. The park has a lot of interesting stuff. This is a nice place for walking with friends. The park has an English-language website.
The Garage Museum of Contemporary Art is also situated in Gorky Park.
The Museum M.A. Bulgakov and The Bulgakov House
Mikhail Bulgakov was a Russian writer. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita
, which has been called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.
In Moscow, two museums honor the memory of Mikhail Bulgakov and The Master and Margarita. Both are situated in Bulgakov’s old apartment building on Bolshaya Sadovaya street nr. 10, in which parts of The Master and Margarita are set. Museums often held literary and theater evenings.
If you’re lucky, you can see the mysterious hero of the novel. It is a cat whose name is the Behemoth.
Take the Tram number 39
Tram Number 39 is a great cultural itinerary with beautiful views of old Moscow. I absolutely love this tram! You need to take the tram near the metro station Chistye Prudy and travel to the metro station Paveletskaya. This is the best part of the trip. If you go further you will see the Moscow Circus and Moscow State University.
Krutitskoe Compound
Krutitskoe Compound (Krutitskoe Patriarchal farmstead, Krutitskii bishop’s house, Krutitsy) – a historical monument founded in XIII century. Time stopped in this place. A small piece of antiquity survived.
Bonus Places for Going Local in Moscow
Victoria Ataeva also advices people to explore and get lost at the Kuznetsky Most Street, Stoleshnikov lane, Kamergerskiy lane, Solyanka street and Tverskaya street.
If you decide to go to Russia, you should go with Timetravels! They are an amazing travel agency and they can help you out with everything you might need to have a perfect Russian trip. They organize all kinds of tours, from student tours to low budget tours to grown up travels!
Get in touch with them and please mention that Fotostrasse recommended them! But if you want to book your own trip, please use the search box here. Each booking made it here helps the blog to grow.
Going Local is a series of interviews that we are doing with people that live and enjoy the cities they live in. You can read more interviews filled with tips here. And if you want to be featured here, this link will tell you how.
