Cultural attractions of Moscow
The Russian capital Moscow is a great destination for culture lovers. It offers the western tourist famous museums, valuable religious icons, great ballet performances and classical concerts. Moscow also is rich in architectural wonders, among them the Kremlin and St. Basil’s cathedral.
On the agenda of every trip to Moscow is a trip to Red Square, the historic core of the Russian capital. All important streets start here. St. Basil’s cathedral was built in the 16th century by Ivan the Terrible. It has nine small colourful domes with chapels. The Kremlin Palace is a large fortress that was once the residence of the Russian tsars. Today it is the official residence of the Russian president. Unfortunately, however, tourists are only allowed to see the outside walls of the palace. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts shows objects from the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome as well as paintings of famous European artists. Modern architecture includes Lenin’s mausoleum and the GUM shopping mall.
Moscow’s Metro system is something special. Built in the 1930s it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. The stations have been restored as underground art museums with beautiful wall paintings and mosaic ceilings.
Boat trips along the Moskva River offer a completely different view of Moscow. You can see the city’s most interesting features while enjoying a comfortable ride.
The famous Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow that holds performances of opera and a world – class ballet. It was founded in the 18th century and has been undergoing restoration for some years. It reopens in autumn 2011.
Modern and luxurious hotels are emerging all over Moscow but few of them have an old atmosphere like the five star Metropol hotel. It is in the historic centre of Moscow only a short walk from Red Square. Many famous visitors- politicians, athletes, artists and other celebrities- have stayed at this hotel.
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Words
- agenda = program, schedule
- ancient = old
- athlete = sportsman, sportswoman
- attraction = something great to see
- ceiling = the top wall of a room
- celebrity = famous living person
- century = a hundred years
- chapel = here: a small room in a church
- comfortable = relaxed, nice
- completely = totally
- core = centre
- destination = place to go
- dome = a round roof on a building
- emerge = pop up
- feature = attraction, sight
- fortress = strong big building, used for defending a place
- found-founded = start for the first time
- however = but
- icon = picture or figure of a holy person
- include = contain
- mall = large area with a lot of shops
- mausoleum = a large stone building with the body of a famous, dead person
- official = formal
- performance = when someone acts out a play, plays music, sings or dances
- residence = place where someone lives
- rich = to have a lot of something
- unfortunately = sadly
- valuable = expensive, priceless