Amour Club News

Moscow is an in-your-face metropolis that can often overwhelm with monstrous-sized avenues, unbearable traffic jams, and a 24-hour lifestyle a la New York or London that seems to exclude any peace and harmony. But behind that brash facade is a city that has been built up and knocked down and built up again for centuries. Not only is Moscow the country’s political capital, it is also the country’s major intellectual and cultural center, boasting numerous theaters and playhouses. Moscow is Russia’s familial heart. It is a city in which one comes face to face with all that is finest and all that is most frustrating in Russia.

Points of interest or main sites worth to visit:
? The Kremlin. Russia’s mythic refuge, the Kremlin is a self-contained city with a multitude of palaces, armories, and churches. The word “kremlin” simply means “fortified town.” The Kremlin dates back to 1147 and the very beginnings of Moscow. Most visitors are surprised to see so many churches in what was, for decades, but the Kremlin was once the centre of Russia’s Church as well as its State. Start with Archangel Cathedral (the royal burial church), Assumption Cathedral (the burial church of religious leaders) and Annunciation Cathedral (icons, icons everywhere). Continue on to the Tsar Bell, the world’s largest bell. Turn right after exiting through Kutafya Tower and walk back down to the Aleksandrovsky Sad. Retrace your steps through the garden past the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Turn right once again, following the wall of the Kremlin. Walk through the ornate wrought-iron gates topped with gold past the rear of the redbrick Historical Museum. After passing by the statue of General Zhukov astride a horse, take a right to reach the awesome multicolor Resurrection Gates. Pass through the gates to reach Red Square.

Russia’s mythic refuge, the Kremlin is a self-contained city with a multitude of palaces, armories, and churches. The word “kremlin” simply means “fortified town.” The Kremlin dates back to 1147 and the very beginnings of Moscow. Most visitors are surprised to see so many churches in what was, for decades, but the Kremlin was once the centre of Russia’s Church as well as its State. Start with Archangel Cathedral (the royal burial church), Assumption Cathedral (the burial church of religious leaders) and Annunciation Cathedral (icons, icons everywhere). Continue on to the , the world’s largest bell. Turn right after exiting through Kutafya Tower and walk back down to the Aleksandrovsky Sad. Retrace your steps through the garden past the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Turn right once again, following the wall of the Kremlin. Walk through the ornate wrought-iron gates topped with gold past the rear of the redbrick . After passing by the statue of General Zhukov astride a horse, take a right to reach the awesome multicolor . Pass through the gates to reach .
Red Square.The square’s name is not an allusion to Communism, but in fact dates back to the 17th century: The adjective krasnaya originally meant “beautiful,” but the word’s meaning gradually changed to “red.” At night floodlights illuminate the square and the red stars atop the Kremlin towers are lit from inside. Although the Square is no longer witness to the imposing parades of May Day, it remains a profoundly impressive space. As you enter the square, the stunning multicolor onion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral slowly come into view. Outside the cathedral doors are the Lobnoye Mesto and the Minin and Pozharsky statue; to the right is the Tower of the Savior. Opposite St. Basil’s, at the north end of Red Square, stands the Historical Museum. Running along the Kremlin wall is the Lenin Mausoleum, the world-famous and much-visited resting place of Communism’s greatest icon.
Lenin’s Tomb
Whether for the creepiness value or an interest in mummification, the granite tomb of Lenin is a must-see.Lenin’s embalmed body??”or, some say, a wax likeness??”has lain here since his death in 1924, except for a brief removal during World War II. From 1953 to 1961, Lenin shared his tomb with Stalin. In 1961 at the 22nd Party Congress, the esteemed and by then ancient Bolshevik, Madame Spiridonova, announced that Vladimir Ilich had appeared to her in a dream, insisting that he did not like spending eternity with his successor. With that, Stalin was removed, and given a place of honour immediately behind the mausoleum. The mausoleum is made of red, black, and gray granite.

St. Basil’s Cathedral
St. Basil’s rises from Red Square in an irresistible profusion of colors and shapes. Its montage of domes, cupolas, arches, towers, and spires, each bearing a distinctive pattern and hue, have fascinated the eyes of visitors since its construction in the 1550s.

Kitaigorod
To the East of Red Square extends the old district of Kitaigorod, once the merchants’ quarter, later the banking section, and now an administrative hub with various government offices and ministries. Encircling the Kremlin and Kitaigorod are the Bely Gorod [white city], traditionally the most elegant part of Moscow and now a commercial and cultural area; the Zemlyanoy Gorod [earth city], named for the earthen and wooden ramparts that once surrounded it; and the inner suburbs.

Tretyakov Gallery
Tretyakov Gallery is just spectacular, with the world’s best collection of Russian icons and a stash of other pre-revolutionary Russian art. It possesses the finest collection of traditional Russian painting in the world. The core of the museum’s collection was assembled in the middle of the nineteenth century by Pavel Tretyakov, a wealthy Moscow merchant. While everything in the Tretyakov deserves and rewards patient attention, its collection of icons stands as the definitive presentation of this most Russian of art forms.About 200 icons are displayed there, and the building functions as both church and museum.

Bolshoi Theatre
An evening at the Bolshoi is still one of Moscow’s most romantic options, with an electric atmosphere in the glittering six-tier auditorium. Locals love to bemoan sinking standards and soaring prices at the Bolshoi, but the opera and ballet performances here are still world-class. The building itself is a masterpiece of Russian neoclassicism. Even seats on the fourth balcony offer a great view of the rococo interior, replete with chandeliers, gold stucco, and red velvet. Book ahead (up to 60 days in advance) otherwise, the easiest way to get tickets is to go there on the day of the performance and buy them from a tout. Expect a lot to be paid.