Moscow: around town

Many people, when they think of Moscow, think of Red Square and the Kremlin. But there are lots of other interesting things to see and do in Russia's largest city.

One of the most impressive is the metro (subway) system. The metro was built during Stalin's reign, intended at least in part as a monument to the glory of socialism. As a result, the stations are far from drab and utilitarian; crystal chandeliers hang from the ceilings of some stations, and most have murals or frescoes adorning the walls. The painting above depicts happy workers dancing in a festival to Lenin.

Buildings of note (and there are too many to count) include the Bolshoi Theater (home of the ballet company of the same name) and the old KGB Headquarters. The mound in front of the latter used to contain a monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky, the father of the KGB, but it was torn down by a crowd during the 1991 coup attempt.

Arbat Street is another popular attraction. It is a long street closed to vehicles, on which artists and musicians ply their trades in the hopes of bringing in some money. On one section of the street is a long wall covered with thousands of tiles painted by schoolchildren.

And then, of course, there's Gorky Park. During the summer it is apparently quite crowded, and rowboats can be rented for excursions onto the lake. During the snowy season, only a few people are present, but the park is still beautiful.

To the list of places