Another Day of Sun… Our Moscow Walking Tour

It’s official – summer’s (finally!) arrived in Moscow. We made the most of the sun by setting out to see the city sights…?☀️?

A city with as rich a history as Moscow calls for a tour guide, and luckily – every week, Liden & Denz organises free walking tours to help its new students orient themselves in their respective cities. On Wednesday, we set out with Varvara, who lead us south along the bustling Tverskaya street towards the city’s most famous spot: Red Square.

The location of Liden & Denz Moscow means it’s just a stone’s throw away from Moscow’s main boulevard and one of the world’s most expensive streets to live on; Tverskaya – Russia’s answer to Oxford Street or Fifth Avenue. Stretching from the city’s heart (Red Square) out past the Garden ring, it provides the perfect snapshot of Moscow’s culture, history and attractions, which Varvara pointed out to us as we strolled.

First, we stopped to see the Mayakovsky monument – a statue dedicated to the famous Soviet poet. From his mythic verse to tragic death, Mayakovsky was a true Russian icon, and hence an essential  stop for a selfie. ?

Tverskaya is so dense with things to see and do it’s great to have a local show you around. Varvara told us all about the Museum of Contemporary Russian History, which charts the last century and a half of Russian political life, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, which boasts a world-class schedule of classical concerts and hosts Moscow’s Philharmonia. We also passed the monumental statue of Yuiriy Dolgorukiy, Moscow’s historic founder and the dazzling gold facade of the Mayor’s residence.

As well as these historic sights, Varvara kept us informed as to the best spots along the street to grab a coffee (Coffee Roaster), the best book shop (Moskva) and live music bar (the wonderfully named Mumiy Troll).

But after all, this is Moscow and all roads lead to Red Square, which is precisely where we wound up. I’ve been here before, but still, stepping into Red Square never ceases to astound: the Kremlin’s tall towers, the bright red brickwork, the dazzling window dressing of GUM stores and of course; the iconic silhouette and striking colours of St. Basil’s Cathedral. Individually they are impressive, and all together, they make up one of the most breathtaking city centres in the world.

It’s the history underlying Red Square which of course really fascinates about the former citadel. We took a whistle-stop tour of the major sights; Lenin’s mausoleum, the tomb of the unknown soldier, the monument to the Romanovs, the eternal flame and arrived in the nick of time to miss the changing of the guards..  well there’s always next time!

All in all, a great introduction to some of Moscow’s sights which has left me restless to explore further…