elcome to a short tour of Moscow/Russia.
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Moscow has the worlds busiest METRO (subway) system. It carries nearly 4 BILLION people a year. You will never need a schedule, during busy times the trains run in each direction about every 90 seconds. During non peak hours the trains will run on about a 5 minute schedule. There are many English newspapers and maps available, most of them are free. They will have a METRO map in them. If you are using the METRO alone for the first few times have a Russian friend or associate write down the name of the stops and transfer points down in Russian and English for you. Each car has a map, and the stations name is written on the wall opposite of where you get in and out every 50 feet or so. After a little while you will begin to pick up the sounds of the Russian language and have an easier time finding your station. The fares are extremely cheap, as of the spring of 1997 the fare was 400 Rubles, about 8 cents. You can buy the tokens at each station. Transfers are not needed. To find a METRO station look for a sign with a large M on it, depending on the station you will go down one or two escalators. You will need a token to get through the turnstiles, once you are on you may fide to hour hearts content. The Metro is a great place to people (and girl) watch. My experience has been that they are clean and safe.

Russian cultural performances and exhibitions are truly world class. Below is a picture of the famed Bolshoy Theater. The Bolshoy (meaning big) is within easy walking distance of Red Square and the METRO. Pick up a copy of the Moscow Times, it has a good listing of current plays, concerts, movies and other activities to see. Tickets for most events are very reasonable. There may be a two tier pricing structure, lower prices for Russians and higher prices for visitors, still the prices are reasonable by any standard.

The Hermitage Museum is in a former palace built by Catherine the Great. It is considered by many to be second only to the Louvr in France in the quality and size of it's art collections.

Some of my favorite places to eat in Moscow are:

American Bar and Grill (Hamburgers, fries. Etc.)

Armadillo Bar (Light fare, tex-mex atmosphere)

Kombi's (Sub sandwiches, etc.)

Patio Pizza (Guess!)

Patio Pasta (Pasta dishes)

You will also find McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and an increasing number of other places as more and more visitors appear in the area. Be prepared to spend the same of more for restaurant food in Russia as you would in any major capitol. Good reasonably priced restaurants will have long waits, an hour is not uncommon. Dinner hour starts at 7 or 8 PM night clubs often OPEN at 10 PM. Remember that the standard business day is 10:00 AM to 6:00PM.

Another way to get food is to do what Russian do, carry around a plastic bag and if you see a street vendor selling something you even might want just buy it.

A view of Moscow, looking north towards downtown.

Housing in Russia is very different than that in the west. Nearly all Russian people live in an apartment. The apartments are in large buildings usually from 10 to 15 stories high. The buildings are constructed of concrete and date from the 30's to the 80's primarily. Because housing is in short supply it is not uncommon for 3 generations to share an apartment, or even a couple of married siblings and their parents. Russian families tend to be small, one or perhaps two children.

Moscow has central hot water and heat. This means that you have a device for controlling the temperature in your apartment called a window. In the summer the hot water plants may be shut down for maintenance for up to a month. All this aside, one of our favorite ways to stay in Russia, if staying for more than a few days in a single city, is to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel. The apartments are more roomy, less expensive, and it is kind of nice to be able to stock the fridge, and make a cup of tea in the kitchen when you want to. There are businesses starting in the major cities that find apartments for western visitors short term.

While Russia itself is the largest market in the Former Soviet Union, it is by no means the only one. Many of the former republics are advancing rapidly to market economies. From Slovokia to Estonia you will find a new can do attitude, the FSU and eastern Europe are open for business.

If you are looking for additional textual information, you can go to Table of Contents, Former USSR.