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Moscow’s Streets and Eats

August 12, 2015 By Lauren 14 Comments

Outside of our time exploring the Kremlin and the metro system, Chris and I spent a lot of time in Moscow doing our two favorite things: walking the streets and trying the local fare. We had been expecting harsh, Soviet-era buildings before arriving in Moscow, but what we found was elegant European architecture. Grand buildings, beautiful promenades, fountains… and everything looked so magical lit up at night, which comes very late here (it didn’t start getting dark until after 10pm).

Arbat Street, a pedestrian walking street in Moscow
Drinking al fresco

Next best thing to seeing a ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre… performing ballet in front of the Bolshoi Theatre

Moscow is especially beautiful at night
Memorial to Boris Nemtsov, a Putin critic who was shot dead in February

As the tallest church in the Orthodox Christian world, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is one sight visible from most areas on the city center. It was constructed on orders from Tsar Alexander I after Napolean retreated from Moscow to give divine thanks for saving the Russian people. This church was also the site of the world premiere of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

Sadly, the original church is no longer after Stalin ordered that it be destroyed in 1931 as part of his antireligious campaign. The plan was to construct a colossal Palace of the Soviets (including a gigantic statue of Lenin with his arm raised perched on top of a dome) on the palace where the cathedral formerly stood. However, the Soviets were short on funds (they even sold the gold from the domes of the original church) and the palace never came to be. The gaping hole in the ground was actually transformed into the world’s largest open-air swimming pool for awhile under Khrushchev. The church today was rebuilt in the 1990s.

Checking out the Cathedral of Christ Our Saviour, and some fashion-forward newlyweds, from the footbridge

Russia isn’t particularly known of its cuisine, but we did our best to sample the highlights. Stolovaya № 57 is a throwback, Soviet-style cafeteria and an affordable oasis in the otherwise exorbitant GUM department store. Here, we were able to try a smorgasbord of classic Russian dishes, and the prices were so good we came back the next day. Some of the oddest dishes we sampled were herring under fur coat (for the shredded beets and vegetables on top) and beef tongue salad.

Just another comrade waiting in line

Our Russian feasts at this Soviet-style cafeteria
Admittedly, our experience was much different than this old photo on the wall

Chris took a shine to kvass, a fermented beverage made of rye bread and very popular among Russians in the summertime. I preferred to try Russia’s sparkling wine, formerly known as Soviet Champagne. And it wasn’t uncommon to see Russians at tables next to us with decanters of vodka. Sadly, the one thing that we didn’t get to try (outside of garnishes on our meals) was the famous Russian caviar. We’ll add that to the “Next Time, Bigger Budget” list.

Vodka and caviar are everywhere in Russia

We also visited a Georgian restaurant one evening. Much like Mexican food in the U.S., Russians love Georgian food; it’s the more flavorful cuisine of a southern neighbor. And with shish kabobs, khachapuri (warm, gooey cheese-stuffed bread), and salads of local cheese and tomatoes, I can definitely see why. We finished our night with drinks at Noor Cocktail Bar, where we made friends with the boisterous head bartender, Marat.

The atmospheric Noor Bar and its hilarious head bartender
I found a ballerina waiting to go on stage nearby Noor’s patio

Awesome food at Georgian restaurant Dzhondzholi

With only two full days, we were able to visit Red Square and the Kremlin, ride around the city’s magnificent metro, and stroll the streets and sample the cuisine. I consider this a fantastic achievement considering half the time we had no idea where we were going. Russian is based on the Cyrillic alphabet, which is a big departure from the Latin-based script we’re used to. Also, very few signs are in English. We had a very hard time figuring out street names, which of the many (and very spread out) exits to take in the metro, or even where the convenience stores were to buy a bottle of water. I mean, would you recognize even these universally-known companies without their logos?

We had difficulty deciphering the language in Russia… in case you couldn’t guess, that last one is McDonald’s

Well, that’s it for Moscow! We had an equally beautiful time in St. Petersburg, which I’ll fill you in on next. Do svidaniya!

Filed Under: Adventures Tagged With: Europe, Russia

Comments

  1. Alison says

    August 12, 2015 at 7:16 am

    pretty ballerina!

    Reply
  2. Kim says

    August 12, 2015 at 8:38 am

    Great article, beautiful pictures, and I’m so glad the ballet lessons paid off!

    Reply
  3. Andrew says

    August 12, 2015 at 10:18 am

    Haha. I really hope Chris got to try Russian Chili’s and their version of the triple dipper.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      August 12, 2015 at 10:41 am

      Believe it or not he’s passed up at least three opportunities to go during the trip so far… I can’t believe it. This is the man that makes us stop for bottomless chips and dip at airports even before 8am!

      Reply
  4. Nanny says

    August 12, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    Thanks for the fabulous history lesson. Lauren, you are a marvelous writer! I am so impressed with the beauty on the streets, as well as the subway. I can hardly wait to hear more about that bartender.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      August 12, 2015 at 2:22 pm

      Thanks, Nanny! I’m posting one on St. Petersburg tomorrow with even more history! Hope you like it!

      Reply
  5. Karrie says

    August 12, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    Great pics Lauren. Super impressed with what you had done and cuisine you tried! Keeping it real soviet. Red square still makes me miss a heart beat as the beauty and magistry is incredible. More impressed with Chris drinking kvass. .yucky for me 🙂
    Happy you two enjoyed your experience!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      August 12, 2015 at 2:22 pm

      Thanks, Karrie! Though my real goal is to return in the winter and get an amazing picture in front of St. Basil’s in a fur hat like you have. Now, that’s Russia!

      Reply
  6. Molly says

    August 12, 2015 at 2:50 pm

    I’m dying of jealousy over the ballet pics. It’s seriously on my bucket list to see a ballet at the Bolshoi.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      August 12, 2015 at 3:10 pm

      Haha, thanks! Though we didn’t actually get to see a ballet, so it’s still on mine too!

      Reply
  7. Bill Patterson says

    August 12, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    For the record, I knew it was McDonald’s from the font. Which is sad. Or scary. Maybe both.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      August 13, 2015 at 3:36 am

      Impressed.

      Reply
  8. Lux says

    August 13, 2015 at 9:17 am

    This post is hilarious! I hope you exchanged addresses with Marat and will be penpals.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      August 13, 2015 at 9:37 am

      I wish! We had a bit of a language barrier, but the other bartender who spoke good English told me that Marat scared off James Blunt when he was visiting the bar!

      Reply

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