15 Top Places to visit in Moscow

Standing tall right in the middle of the renowned Red Square, the St. Basil’s cathedral is a sublime example of Russian architecture. It was commissioned by Tsar Ivan IV during the 1550s to celebrate his victory over the Khanates of Astrakhan and Kazan. It is believed that the chief architect was an Italian and that he was blinded so that he cannot construct a marvel like the St. Basil’s cathedral ever again. Due to its unique architecture, one can recognize St. Basil’s cathedral from miles away and this is what makes it one of the best places to visit in Moscow.

A paradise for art connoisseurs, Pushkin State Museum of Fine arts is the largest collection of European art. The other thing which this museum is famous for, is because a very well renowned music festival which goes by the name Sviatoslav Richter’s December nights takes place here. It is home to a very rare collection of artworks by French impressionists and modern artists. If you’re into art and looking for places to visit in Moscow, this should be very high on your list. The collection here includes as many as 700,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs and applied works.

Space exploration and all things related to space are a matter of fascination for almost everyone. If you’re amongst those then the Museum of Cosmonautics is the perfect place to be in Moscow. This museum’s collection holds 85,000 different items related to space. For science buffs, this has to be one of the best places to visit in Moscow. Some of the notable artifacts here include rocket propulsion units, space capsule used by none other than Yuri Gagarin, soviet spacesuit and crew manual from the Apollo project.

Tsaritsyno is renowned to be one of the largest museum reserves in Moscow which also doubles up as a perfect venue for many cultural and social events. While the main building does look like it was constructed in the 18th century, the construction was completed only recently. Some creative excursions are also a part of the premises like you can experience a dramatic or cinematic tour of the museum or solve mysteries in the palace. If you’re looking for a fun day out with your family and friends, this museum-reserve is one of the best places to visit in Moscow.

As the name suggests, Moscow Museum of Modern Art is particularly dedicated to Modern art and holds an amazing collection of more than 2,000 artworks by important 20th century maesters. This vast five-storey building’s main highlight might be its architecture itself but the Russian art collection that it holds is also something extraordinary. This is exactly what makes it one of the best places to visit in Moscow. Not only masterpieces by Russian artists but one can also find artworks by some other renowned artists like Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Giorgio De Chirico.

The Moscow Zoo is renowned to be the largest zoo in Russia where one can find many exotic species of northern animals. It dates back to 1864, making it one of the oldest zoos in Russia as well. Spanned over a humongous area of 49 hectares, it also includes unbarred enclosures, small and large paddocks for herds. The Moscow zoo is home to more than 550 species and 3,000 specimens, making it one of the best places to visit in Moscow with your little ones.

Kuskovo Estate Museum could be the perfect place if you wish to know how the Russian nobility used to live back in those days. It was the summer country house of the Sheremetev family. What makes this estate museum so special is that it is one of the only remaining few houses of Russian nobility that is still preserved around Moscow. This estate museum is one of the best places to visit in Moscow if you wish to educate yourselves about Russia’s noble lifestyle. After its nationalization, the house was turned into a public place with a museum dedicated to natural history and Russian art.

The State Darwin Museum is particularly famous for being the world’s first museum dedicated to Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution. The huge collection of 6,000 exhibits showcase the origin and development of animal life on our planet earth. One major point of fascination here is the collection of specimens that date back to prehistoric times! This is exactly what makes it one of the best places to visit in Moscow if science excites you. The whole museum is divided into three floors with their own dedicated themes.

The Tretyakov gallery was founded way back in 1856 and ever since then, it is one of the most recognized art galleries in Moscow. This gallery is home to the world’s largest collection of Russian icons and guess what? There are 40,000 of them! On display are works of the soviet period as well as 19-th century paintings and 18th-century portraits. The gallery is divided into 7 different zones which carry their own themes like Soviet art, early Russian art and Art of the 18th century.

Dedicated to one of the gloomiest times in Russian history, the Gulag is a rather unique museum. The brutal policies implemented by the Soviet regime resulted in a widespread massacre and this museum showcases the grief that Russians faced at that time. For history buffs, this has to be one of the best places to visit in Moscow. The dark and dimly lit interior of the museum is very unsettling and one can legit feel immersed in the frightening atmosphere of Russia’s dark past.

With more than 2,000 dancers, the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow is renowned to be the leading ballet and opera companies in the whole world! It is a very historic theater whose inception dates back to the year 1824. Needless to say, the Bolshoi theater holds a very special place in Russian art because it has helped promote it since the past two centuries. For theater lovers, this has to be one of the best places to visit in Moscow. Apart from its art lineage, the Bolshoi theater is also renowned for its architecture.

It is a central park in Moscow which was opened in 1928. Spanned over an area of 300 acres, the Gorky Central Park of culture and leisure could be the perfect place for an evening stroll as it’s dotted with scenic vistas. Not only this, but this central park is also home to an art museum and outdoor sport activities. For sport enthusiasts, they also have a sports equipment rental zone.