Central Russia People & Culture

Moo Moo Restaurant, Old Arbat Street (next to Home from Home Hostel)
Nice Restaurant with Buffet, Barbecue, also local specialities. Meeting people is easy, fun place.
Meet Phil!

It's one of the most wonderful cities I have ever seen!
I would not even know where to start with all the things that are there to visit, but first of all I'd suggest to go in the summer. The winter must be quite magical up there, but to see it well surely good wheather is better. Especially around the end of June- beginning of July, when you can see the "White nights" (when the sun does not go down and it's pretty clear even at 2 am).
Once you're there, and you have a guide (I used lonelyplanet, it's quite good as far as places to visit/opening times/tips etc are concerned, but don't trust the prices. When I went there, for example, it said one underground ticket was 8rubles, but in fact it was 12), you can move quite easily with the underground. Still, some places are far from any station, so also get a map of the city (you can find it in any bookshop).
I would also suggest that you should learn some at least basic word in Russian, because most people don't even speak english there. For example: to buy an underground ticket (it's acually a coin), ask for "adnà proyèzdka". Thank you: "spasìba", please: "pazhàlsta" etc...
Better not to use tram or marshrutki if you're not sure where they're going ;) but if you do, the ticket for the tram is sold on board and for the marshrutka you pay directly to the driver (the price is written outside the car).
Said this, my favourite thing EVER was the church (which USED to be a church, now it's actually a museum) of the Saviour on the Spilt blood - it may seem a typical old russian thing, in comparison to all the other palaces in the city, which are more european, but actually it was made as an imitation of the actually old ones, in the 19th century. It's built on the place where the czar Alexander Ist (or was it II, anyway) was wounded to death.
And finally, you HAVE to taste khatchaupuri, a typical georgian thing. When you're walking along the Nevskij Prospekt, and you see a palace decorated with green statues on the first floor, take that perpendicular street and then turn right. After a while you'll have a "mama roma" (which is written like "MAMA POMA"), an italian restaurant (also good, and im saying it as an italian) on the right, and on the left a little georgian restaurant on the corner. Go there and ask for a "hatchapuri s sirom" (khatchapuri with cheese). It's S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R!
Enjoy St Peterburg :)

I won't be giving any advice about accomodation, cause a friend found blood on her matrass. However, cool to go to, even with a price comparable to cities like Stockholm, is Griboyedov club. It's a former bunker, and it's filled with crazy Russians! For people that can read Russian: http://www.griboedovclub.ru/ However, the basic rule is to ask your vodka on fire there, and inhale the fumes. All very cool.

When arriving to Moscow, try to pick up flight landing on Domodedovo.... it took me 2 hours in taxi from the airport Sheremetyevo to reach hotel; only afterwards I learnt foreing people mainly use Domodedovo....

Go to Club Dacha on Ulitsa Dumskaya. It's a foreigner locale, but always offers a good time, with great people and good old rock music and retro 80s. It is also easy to find a hot Russian girl that wants to practice her English. Drinks are inexpensive, but be warned...the bar gets extremely packed.

Give Hermitage museum at least a day. The Hermitage collections of works of art (over 3,000,000 items) present the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century.
Don't miss Picasso rooms! they are the best!

Go to Club Dacha on Ulitsa Dumskaya. It's a foreigner locale, but always offers a good time, with great people and good old rock music and retro 80s. It is also easy to find a hot Russian girl that wants to practice her English. Drinks are inexpensive, but be warned...the bar gets extremely packed.

Moscow is an incredible city, with a lot of things to see in the daytime and a lot of club and disco for the nightlife.
I can speak about Red Square, Kremlin, etc etc... but I am sure u already know u cannot miss them. Something to take care of is the Metro.It is not just a metro, it is a piece of art, especially in the oldest lines. U must see these stops, at least: Komsomolskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Belorusskaya, Krasnopresnenskaya, Kievskaya, Ploshchad Rvolyutsii, Mayakovskaya.

As for restaurants:
Шашлык-машлык, Caucasian rest in Arbat street (Arbat 38/1). I tried an amazing plov: famous uzbek plate with rise and meat.
Glavpivtorg, Russian rest in Lubyanskaya (ul Bolshaya Lubyanka 5). Borsh was very good. This is one the best place to eat typical russian food in Moscow.

As for nightlife:
"Real McCoy" for easygoing night of dance and alcohol.
"Soho" for a more sofisticated environment.When I was there I found the performance of Moony, italian dance music singer.

Feel free to contact me for futher suggestions.

30th Agu, 2008

there is a great monastery there where they play wonderful music with the bells

If you like fish and sea food go to Porto Maltese restaurant - it's a lovely chain of Serbian restos in Moscow

Saint Isaac's Cathedral. in St. Petersburg is the largest cathedral in the city. The gold dome is the 3rd largest in the world. A beautiful church.

The most interesting places to buy something in Moscow are the big fish markets. Ask the locals discreetely, and you may find them. You will behold a lot of fish, caviar and crabs... and a lot of exotiques! And you'll have the chance to try almost anything before buying it. I ate a lot just trying 40 different types of red caviar, and about twenty excellent fishes... Good luck with finding those incredible places!

If visiting St. Petersburg, take a bus 20 minutes south to Pushkin. Ekaterina Park and Palace are a must. Very similar to Peterhof, only less gold. I prefer this park to the rest. The town of pushkin is great too. Short walk to the town center from the palace. Alot of new construction and renovations going on right now. So it is growing. But there are alot of nice things to see.

If you are in St. Petersburg, and want to get out of the city for a bit of relaxation, get a ride South along the M20 to Luga. There is a campground just north of the town called Avrora. Rent a cabin (they all come standard with kitchens, woodburning oven, bedroom, bathroom, and SAUNA. Kick back and enjoy some outdoor activites. Boating, fishing, offroading with ATVs. There is a small nightclub there that show movies on certain nights and has pool tables upstairs.

Moo Moo Restaurant, Old Arbat Street (next to Home from Home Hostel)
Nice Restaurant with Buffet, Barbecue, also local specialities. Meeting people is easy, fun place.
Meet Phil!

If you're going to the Hermitage, be prepared to do some walking. I did not think a museum could be that big. Or that Catherine the Great owned that much stuff.

If you like fish and sea food go to Porto Maltese restaurant - it's a lovely chain of Serbian restos in Moscow

Fascinating city, crossed by a net of canals, like Venice ! Astonishing a night cruise on the river Neva.

If you go to Russia in the summer months (June-August), bring an eye mask in case you stay at a hotel without good blinds. The almost 24 hours of daylight can really trick your body!

My last choices among economy class dining are : Taras Bulba (urainian food, that will be interesting for the tourists) It's a chain, one restaurant that I really like is at Novokuznetskaya st. And another choice is Grabli (also a chain) with restaurants at Novokuznetskaya as well and the best one I think is near Alekseevskaya st.