Location: Moscow
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The 10 Best Specialty Museums in Moscow, Central Russia
The political, scientific, historical, architectural and business center of Russia, Moscow displays the country's contrasts at their most extreme. The ancient and modern are juxtaposed side by side in this city of 10 million. Catch a metro from one of the ornate stations to see Red Square, the Kremlin, the nine domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum, the KGB Museum and other symbols of Moscow's great and terrible past, then lighten up and shop Boulevard Ring or people watch in Pushkin Square.
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1. Andronikov Monastery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 73 reviews
The monastery was founded in the mid-14th century by Metropolitan Alexis, a prominent church figure in his time. The first superior of the monastery was a disciple of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, Andronicus, whose name the monastery bears to this day. The architectural monuments of the monastery ensemble date back to the 15th–19th centuries. These include the oldest remaining stone building in Moscow—the Cathedral of the Savior, built in the time of Andrey Rublev. Since 1947, the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev has been located in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery on the picturesque bank of the Yauza River.
Reviewed By aniska - Leeds, United Kingdom
The Monastery of the Saviour was founded in 1360 and is the oldest example of Russian stone architecture, which still exists at present day. Originally, the Monastery had wooden walls, which functioned as defense. From 1420 to 1428 the Cathedral was reconstructed and its walls were painted in white. The famous Russian painters Andrei Rublev and Daniel Chorny painted it but, unfortunately, their frescoes were destroyed by the 18th-century reconstruction and only a few small pieces survived. In 1812, the dome was destroyed by the fire, but got immediately reconstructed. In the 1840s, the interior changed. It was crowned with a tented-roof octagonal drum. Side chapels dedicated to St. Andronik and the Dormition were added to the northern and southern walls, which made the original appearance to be completely lost. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, the Cathedral was restored to its original state. From the 16th to the 19th century a refectory, side chapels, a cleric building, a Fraternal Building were added. In 1747 to 1756, the Cathedral got its stone walls. The old bell tower over the Holy Gates near the Cathedral of the Saviour was replaced by a new one 73 meters high. The temple was also used as a prison and as any other temple, the Monastery has its own cemetery that existed up to 1929. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, the Monastery was badly damaged. In 1919, it was occupied by proletarians. In the spring of 1922, all valuables were confiscated, and a juvenile prison for street children was established. In 1930, the bell tower was exploded. In 1947, the Monastery was announced a cultural reserve and many Old Russian icons were brought and kept there. In 1989, the Monastery was handed back to the Orthodox Church and has functioned since then. What strikes most, when visiting it, is the cleanliness of the whole area, the perfect lawn, the flowers, everything is perfectly kept and maintained. This results in a special, mystic feeling of sacredness and peace. Absolutely worth a visit, it easily reachable from Rimskaya metro station, just 5 minutes on foot.
2. Russian National Museum of Music
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 82 reviews
Russian National Museum of Music is a public insitution dedicated to musical culture. Its permanent collection is among the largest and most comprehensive in existance, presenting both world-reknown pieces like Stradivari violins and local national instruments.
Reviewed By ginsengNewYork
This museum, even though a bit old fashioned at first sight, is a gem and a music lover's paradise! It holds more than 3000 fascinating musical instruments that would deserve more exhibiting space. The first part of the collection is dedicated to Russian musical instruments, which are numerous and fascinating in this beautiful and immense country. What makes this museum so very special is that it has audio guides for hire that allow you to listen to most instruments! It even has thin TV-like screens next to some instruments that show you actual performances. The second part of the exhibit handles European instruments: The high tech Stradivari section is absolutely superb with video documentaries on the making of these fabulous instruments, as well as performances by famous musicians. The 2nd floor holds a hands-on cute exhibit for children about sound, silence, etc. Staff is absolutely delightful. We had a lovely discussion with 2 young enthusiastic employees, with the help of Google Translate ;-) They even helped us order a Yandex taxi and came outside in the cold to make sure we were in the right car! Thank you guys, you are the best! The museum offers many concerts throughout the year in different locations that are part of this consortium: It was lovely to hear musicians play on the museum ancient harpsichords one evening! The Prokoviev Museum, located on Kamergerskiy lane, is also part of the consortium: a beautiful bronze statue of Prokoviev has been placed in the middle of the street right in front of it, you just can't miss it! ( I love this statue, as Prokoviev seems alive, simply walking amongst passers-by). Its intimate concert hall is located on the 2nd floor and holds about 50 spectators. Concert tickets are quite inexpensive, ranging from 500 to 1500 rub, and concerts are of fine quality! Highly recommended !
3. Tropinin Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 93 reviews
4. Fersman Mineralogical Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 67 reviews
Reviewed By simmosu
This museum has recently re-opened after refurbishment. It is in the centre of Moscow in a small park that is almost unknown. The museum itself is located in the old stables belonging to Catherine the Great, that she had purchased, along with a small palace, for one of her young "men friends". The building is stunning. It is more like a grand ballroom, with balconies either end for the orchestra. The displays are designed in a chronological order, with excellent lighting. About 70% displays have english translation. I was very pleasantly surprised at the standard of minerals on display. There are toilets but be warned, they are VERY small. It would have been nice to also have refreshments available to purchase, or souveniers.
5. Art Center. Moscow
6. Kuskovo Estate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 887 reviews
This astounding estate, once a summer residence, comprises a central palace with a magnificent ballroom, several smaller buildings, each impressive in its own right, and a huge park complete with French gardens, ponds, lakes and sculptures.
7. Kolomenskoye Historical and Architectural Museum and Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,644 reviews
This former village and archaeological site housed summer residences of the grand dukes of Moscow, and later of the tsars, and is now a museum and reserve.
Reviewed By HelenW3596 - Hawera, New Zealand
We chose to go to Kolomenskoye simply to get away from the touristy centre of the city, and we were delighted with what we found. Arriving at the south end of the reserve from the Kashirskaya metro station we were able to visit first the reconstructed Tsar Palace. This wooden palace was impressive in its detail and presented history in a living way with information in several languages available in each room. We enjoyed this far more that the Kremlin and would go so far as to suggest missing the Armoury at the Kremlin and spending time at Kolomenskoye. The park is Huge and while we enjoyed walking the length of it to the other historic buildings, it is a very long way in the heat of the summer sun. There is the option of a little wheeled train which I would recommend. The walk is pleasant, through orchards and with glimpses of the river with the city in the distance. By the time we got to the north end of the estate we were really to hot to spend much time exploring. I recommend a whole day if you wish to get the most out of this beautiful place.
8. Diamond Fund (Almazny Fond)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,804 reviews
The Orlov Diamond, a gift to Catherine the Great from Count Orlov, her lover, is only one of the many diamonds and jewels on display in this incredible collection at the Kremlin.
Reviewed By supermic - Hoogland, The Netherlands
The treasures of the Almaznyy Fond include items that were used during the coronations and other special occasions, which were designed to demonstrate the glory and richness of the Russian empire. The question of how this wealth was obtained is of course not answered here. The Diamond Fund collection includes the so-called crown jewels including the Great Imperial Crown, which was made for the coronation of Empress Catherine II in 1762 The Diamond Fund collection contains the seven world-famous gems. The Orlov diamond is the largest and most famous of them. It adorns the imperial scepter of Empress Catherine II. The collection also includes jewelery masterpieces from the 18th-20th centuries, rare gems, insignia, gold and platinum gold nuggets of invaluable value. Tickets for the Diamond Fund cannot be obtained online, but can be purchased at kiosk numbers 4 and 5 (and in the Armory in possesion of a armoury ticket) and cost 500 RUB. Note that the Kremlin is closed on Thursdays. The entrance is at by the Borovitskaya Tower (number 20) and it is recommended to use the 45 min audio guide.
9. Moscow Kremlin
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,891 reviews
Moscow's most famous historical and political landmark, the Kremlin is a walled-in complex of cathedrals, palaces and government offices, with several buildings open to the public, including the Armoury, Patriarch's Palace and the State Kremlin Palace.
Reviewed By CAPerth
The Kremlin is a collection of several attractions, the Architectural Ensemble (basically the main Kremlin grounds, museums and several historic Orthodox Cathedrals), the Armoury (the Treasury including carriages, Faberge eggs, jewellery, armour and ceremonial clothing), the Diamond Fund (basically a collection of individual stones and some set pieces) and the Ivan Bell Tower. We purchased our tickets on line for the Architectural Ensemble (day ticket) and Armoury (timed ticket, different day) from the official website as soon as our dates were available (17 days prior). The Diamond Fund tickets are purchased from inside the Armoury. Prices are quite cheap given the world class exhibits. We did not attempt to buy tickets to the Bell Tower following advice on line and confirmed by our guide that it is like winning the lottery and you have to hang around for hours on the one in a hundred chance that you might score tickets. Note that even though you buy in advance, you still have to queue up to exchange your “voucher” for a ticket and you will need your original passport as ID. Not sure if this is much quicker than buying tickets direct but since we were in peak time and Armoury tickets are quite limited, advance purchase is highly recommended. We visited the Cathedrals as part of a tour with Viki Tours (Armoury we did ourselves, audio guide is free and very good but covers the main exhibits only – to get detailed commentary on everything would take a whole day) and we had planned our visit to coincide with the Ceremonial mounting parade of Horse Guard and Foot Guard of the Presidential Regiment at midday on Saturday. This is a worthwhile addition if you can plan it, but may have also accounted for the very large crowd there that day (or that could be normal in June). Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside the cathedrals or the Armoury Museum.
10. Borodino Battle Museum Panorama
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 232 reviews
The highlight of the museum is the panorama Borodino created by Russian battle-painter Franz Roubaud in 1912. The museum exposition is dedicated to the Russian victory over Napoleon's Great Army in 1812.
Reviewed By Logie66 - Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
This museum is a representation of the Russians defeating Napoleon at the battle of Borodin. At the very top is a 360 degree painting that cleverly re-created the scene of the battle with the foreground from the viewing point showing the debris and destruction of this war.
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