New Old Moscow

It’s the same question every time I mention my recent trip to Moscow — ‘Was it dangerous?’ To be honest, exploring this dazzling megalopolis with art galleries, fancy fitness studios, rooftop sushi bars and free Wi-Fi in parks was the opposite of dangerous. Modern Moscow is welcoming, openminded and definitely worth dumping the outdated image of KGB agents stalking innocent tourists.

WORDS KSENIIA SPODYNEIKO | IMAGES ALEX SPODYNEIKO

The largest city in Europe is experiencing a rebirth. Moscow today is a quirky mix of New York City vibes and European architecture, where the history and the future are living side by side. Hipster entrepreneurs complete with beards (for the guys that is) and MacBooks sip on Starbuck’s iced lattes on their way to co-working spaces located in seventeenth century mansions; this is the new reality of Russia’s capital.

The food is no exception. Local restaurants are proudly going back to traditional recipes, neglected for years in favour of pasta, burgers and sashimi. Russians’ once simple, hearty and fatty food has been refined and elevated to Michelin-star worthy dishes. While an elusive star is yet to be won by a Russian chef, one of the daring new places made it straight into The World’s 100 Best Restaurants list.

Selfie is a high-end urban dining spot, where renowned chefs Vladimir Mukhin and Anatoly Kazakov are building their menu with a seasonal approach using local ingredients from all over Russia — pork from Kursk, halibut caught in Barents Sea by Murmansk fishermen, or truffles found in Crimea. Russian truffles might not be as fragrant as European, but they’re local and that’s what makes them really precious for chefs. Mixed with thin slices of cauliflower and sheep cheese, yummy mushrooms are one of a few dishes that are kept on a menu all year round, and it’s a match made in heaven! If you’re in town from May to late August, you’ll luckily catch berry season. Uniquely Russian berries like cloudberry, guelder-rose or rowanberries are elevated on the dessert menu with the chefs keeping it simple — exactly the way Russians have eaten and enjoyed them for centuries. Only at Selfie this means with a generous scoop of condensed milk ice-cream as a side.

The best way to enjoy the historical side of this city is to stroll through its central streets. Moscow’s centre has undergone a significant facelift in the last three years and now boasts a once masked seventeenthnineteenth century aristocratic look.

From Red Square head towards the recognisable pastels of the French bakery Ladurée and you’ll find yourself at Nikolskaya Street, made world-famous by football fans who gathered there to celebrate and support their teams at the recent World Cup. This street is home to spectacular estates and the wealthiest families from a bygone era.

Tverskaya Street, the backdrop for all celebrations and parades in Moscow, is a place to visit for museum and theatre fans. Keep your eyes wide open as you’re likely to spot Hollywood celebrities visiting Moscow for a concert or to promote a movie, as both Ritz-Carlton and Hotel National are located here.

Even if your budget is not of celebrity status and staying at the Hotel National is out of the question, the restaurant Dr Zhivago is a must! With spectacular views of the Kremlin, this is also the place to experience the Soviet era both through the food and décor.

Created by famous Russian restaurateur Alexander Rappoport, Dr. Zhivago carries his recognisable luxurious touch, from the paintings on the walls by Kazimir Malevich to an unexpected twist on classic dishes. Try the legendary borsch (beetroot soup) every Russian was raised on, Siberian dumplings, meat kulebyaka (pie) or vanilla syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes). You can even opt for some caviar. The current financial crisis has seen the price of 100g of the most expensive Sturgeon black caviar drop to a laughable $60. A few years ago you would have paid more than twice as much!

Moscow’s gargantuan size (over 2,500 square km) is a blessing, making it a diverse and exciting city to explore, but it’s also a curse. Traffic jams are a real problem. It can take you up to three hours to get from one side to the other at rush hour. The metro remains the most convenient way to navigate the city with over 200 stations and trains running every minute, free Wi-Fi as well as signs in English. Plus, the stations in themselves can be truly astonishing sights to see. The oldest stations, like Ploshchad Revolutsii, Kievskaya and Komsomolskaya are true masterpieces with monuments with marble floors, mosaics and gilded decorations.

Metro might be convenient, but there’s nothing like the trend of car sharing! Install one of the apps to find a vehicle to borrow nearby. (Delimobil for the cheapest rates, YouDrive for fancy BMW or quirky Smart cars. There’re around 15 apps you can use.) Like Uber, only this time you’re the driver. There’s something very satisfying in unlocking a new car with your phone every day, that can even make time spent in terrible traffic quite bearable.

By metro or by rented car, make sure to travel further than the city centre. There’s much more to see outside the touristic St. Basil’s Cathedral–Bolshoi Theatre–Zaryadye park route!

Take Krutitskoe Podvorije, for example. Founded in the thirteenth century, this former monastery is one of the oldest preserved buildings in Moscow and a rare corner of peace and tranquility in the city that never sleeps.

Izmailovsky Kremlin, unlike its elder sibling, the Kremlin in Red Square, has no historical significance. The fairy-tale like wonderland was built in 2007 as an entertainment complex. But trust me, you won’t find such a colourful depiction of the old Russian folklore anywhere else! Izmailovsky Kremlin is a great place to visit with kids. They’ll love the traditional wooden merry-go-round and swing located on the main square. For adults there’s an eye-catching Church of St. Nicholas, the highest wooden temple in Russia, and a row of tiny museums dedicated to vodka, bread and folk art, respectively.

There’s something old and there’s something new in Moscow, but it has finally found the fragile balance which makes Russia’s capital a truly appealing travel destination.

Follow Kseniia and Alex’s adventures at thestylejungle.co.nz