Moscow, hell or paradise?

Red Square, Kremlin! Yeah so what… Admit that those are very basic clichés when talking about Russia. It is like going to France with the only aim of seeing the Eiffel Tower. It may seem like an incredibly great idea if you have a pea-sized brain. So what do you need to know about Moscow?

A load of things; firstly if you get a catechist’s salary but intend to spend as much as an Arabian Sultan, it is the city of your dreams. If you are a publicity lover, meaning that you cannot imagine a single day of your life without posters and billboards which render people insane, then Moscow is your paradise.

Yeah, yeah I know! You are probably already laughing and thinking that if I am describing everything in such a dark manner, it means there is absolutely nothing to see… False! It is true that the traffic jams alone may repulse you from the whole Russia, but it is within all of its problems that its appeal is.

High-tech skyscrapers, spy-like air and pirated market

If you are on holiday in Moscow, give up on the means of transport once and for all. Whichever they are, cross them out totally. Simply walk. If you are one of those who like breathing the spy-like air of this city, go for a stroll in front of the ex-KGB, now FSB or still, ask your guide, if you have one, to take you to the ancient bunker of Stalin which is downtown. Go fearlessly! Just like all the other prestigious nations, Russia still spies… Yes, even Russians! Foreigners too!!! However, rest assured, since it is done smoothly, you will not be arrested. However, if you are one of those who are even afraid of their own shadow, give up on the ex-KGB and the hiding place of Stalin.

Visit and admire the city, you will like the architecture itself. Moscow is like a capsule from the past in today’s world. There are frail 5-storey buildings called Kruchovka by the Russians because they were built at the time of Khrushchev, neighboring amazing high-tech skyscrapers. While walking in this city, you will be able to read its history by looking at the buildings. The history will take you from the imperial times, through the Bolshevik era to present. Beyond its appearance, it is far from being an unpleasant trip.

Go to Gorbushka. No, it is not a museum! Nor is it a theater too!. It is pointless to rack your brains. Do you really want to know what makes this place renown? It is something that will please many record companies or you in you work in it. At a time, Gorbushka was undoubtedly the largest pirated CD and DVD market in Europe. Nowadays, there is a more respectable aspect, but it is still difficult to get a guarantee that whatever you will find is original.

In the line of markets that will delight your eyes and your purse but eventually risk getting you to return in front of the customs officer, it would be unfair to forget Cherkisovski. While Gorbushka is the paradise for audio and video, Cherkisovski is that of clothing and shoes. Avoid, however, the purchase of perfumes. While the quality of clothing, shoes, CDs and even DVDs is great, it is unfortunately not the case for perfumes. You run the risk of having unpleasant surprises. Why? Let us say that if you are used to a specific perfume, you risk finding out that the one you are buying, which on the outside is the copy of yours, in reality, it has nothing in common with it as far as the fragrance is concerned. To be honest, whether you buy it in the market or in shops, the majority of them will make you regret the amount of money spent.

Exorbitant prices, traffic jam and incomprehensible language

No, it is still too early to cross out this city. It is true that to the query of showing you a street, the Moscowian will reply that he does not know even if he lives in that same street or if he is right in front of it. It is true that Moscow is the city where you stand all the chances of buying a cup of coffee at 10$ in a restaurant which does not have such an impressive look.

Moscow, after you have spent 5 hours in a traffic jam, is a horrible city. It is horrible from the view of exorbitant prices it offers in virtually all areas. It is horrible because it is astoundingly polluted. It is horrible from one point, but for God’s sake, how appealing it is! There is a little something in this city which makes you feel like coming back if you have visited it once only.

You will not even realize how this happened. It does not matter if Russian is a language as incomprehensible and perplexing as that of your fish or cat, you will like this city and that without actually knowing why exactly. In fact, you will not be the only one. More than 15 million people live there and admit it, the 15 million people cannot be wrong. Be like them, visit Moscow.

Photo of sunset on Moscow originally posted by lifeforweb

Topic:  General Travel | 1 Comment
Tags:  Moscow

About the author

Natasha Kaelig is a young Canadian freelance writer and journalist currently living with her husband and son in Moscow.