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01.08.2009 Hannah Chapman is majoring in Russian Studies at Stetson University. She spent spring semester, 2009 studying abroad with The School of Russian and Asian Studies in Moscow on the Translation Work-Study Program. She hopes to eventually go into international business or government work.    Study Art at the Hermitage! Summer Program 6 Credits  This article was published as part of SRAS's free monthly newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, just send an email with "subscribe" in the subject field to jwilson@sras.org. Unless otherwise noted, all photos were submitted by Hannah Chapman. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Off-The-Beaten-Path" in Moscow Four places that history buffs shouldn't overlook By Hannah Chapman This is the second part of a two-part series dedicated to making adventurers out of SRAS students in Moscow. The first part of the series was dedicated to places that art lovers often overlook, but shouldn't. This second part of the series looks at places that history buffs should definitely check out. Moscow is vast and it would take years to see everything you'd likely want to see. So get out there and make the most of your time abroad!   The entrance to the first level of The Secure Command Post Taganskaya.  The Cold War Bunker Situated sixty-five meters (more than 200 feet) below Moscow's streets is "The Secure Command Post 'Taganskaya,'" a former secret military command center and bomb shelter. Constructed in the 1950s during the height of the Cold War, it was built to serve as an air-defense communication center in the event of a nuclear attack. Completely functional for the better part of three decades, the bunker is made up of four 150-meter tunnels. As many as 2,500 people could work there on a given day. The complex was also fitted with provisions (food, water, electricity, and air supply) to keep 3,000 people alive for ninety days. In the 1980s, as the threat of nuclear war faded and the Soviet economy's ability to support such military endeavors crumbled, the command center fell into disuse. It was finally abandoned in the 1990s upon the demise of the Soviet Union. The facility was acquired in 2006 by a private company which has turned it into a museum center that hosts tours, presentations, and corporate events. While tours are a little on the pricey side, we recomend it. Visitors are shown around the largely-restored bunker by an experienced guide, and the tour includes a film, part documentary part propaganda, about the progression and escalation of the Cold War as seen from the Soviet side. Visitors have the opportunity to use period phones, sit in command desks, and even assemble and disassemble Soviet-era weapons. Instrumentation on display at The Secure Command Post Taganskaya.   This is a must see for history buffs and anyone interested in the USSR during the Cold War. Details: This site is not to be found in many tour books, largely because it is only open for tours arranged beforehand by phone. Contact details can be found on the museum's website. You might also try contacting Patriarchy Dom Tours, an English-speaking tour service in Moscow that, as of May, 2008, arranges public tours about once a month. Prices currently range between about 600 and 2000 rubles, with student discounts for standard tours occupying the low end of the spectrum. Warning: the walk 65 meters into the earth can be disconcerting and some parts of the tunnels are cramped and claustrophobic. Photography is permitted. Directions: Click here for a Google Map. Exit metro Таганская (Taganskaya) from the ring line. Go behind the metro and take a right onto Редищевская улица (Redishevckaya). Walk north and take the next left onto 5-й Котельнический (5th Kotelnicheckii). Continue east for approximately 200 meters. On the left is a green metal door with a large red star which is the entrance into the bunker. The address is 5-th Kotelnichesky side-street, 11.    The thriving lower depths of the market at Ismailovo. Moscow's Markets One of the best things about Moscow is the ubiquitous rynok, or marketplace. While Western-style supermarkets are now proliferate, many Muscovites continue to do their everyday shopping at their neighborhood rynok. Nearly all districts have at least one that sells everything from fresh breads and meats, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, flowers, and sometimes even clothing, dvds, and electronics (bootleg and legitimate). As a history buff, you will undoubtedly want to visit the antiques market at Izmailovo. Listed in most guide books as a great place to find souvenirs and collectibles, this gem is still often overlooked by tourists as it is well outside the city center. Keep in mind, however, that nearly anything older than fifty years (or that looks like it is) will require government documentation of the object if you want to take it home. Also, purchasing, selling, and/or exporting military medals is illegal in Russia and you may be stopped (and even arrested) at the border if you are caught with them. Even if you don't buy anything, though, just going to the market to see the wares and talk with the vendors can teach you a lot about history and how Russians view it. Most go to Izmailovo just for souvineers or the antiques that are mostly further back. However, just below that is the "real" Izmailovo, frequented by locals. This should also be of interest to you to find out how a vast swath of modern Russians do their shopping. These "lower depths" of Izmailovo are a labyrinth of vendors selling a wide array of items. Visitors to this part of Izmailovo see a side of Moscow not found in the glossy pages of guidebooks. Young men pulling carts full of strawberries or DVD players run past unsuspecting visitors. Visitors get the chance to feel the grit and grime of the city, to see a diversity not often seen by tourists. In some parts of the market, you can find many of the major nationalities and languages of the former Soviet Union in one place. Little alleys open into small restaurants where no one speaks either English or Russian, only their native language, customers order by pointing, and where animals roam freely and cooks sit at the tables preparing your food right in front of your eyes. These are the parts that truly make Izmailovo worth a trip – or several. *Editorial note: at the time of publication, the rynok portion of Ismailovsky has been closed while the government investigates illegal goods which may have been there. The antiques section is still open.* Another rynok is Gorbushka, which specializes in electronics, electrical appliances, CDs, and DVDs. It started as a loose collection of outdoor vendors in the chaotic perestroika years and later became a formal business after moving into an an abandoned factory space. Some vendors will negotiate, but most will not. Many will take requests – if you want Family Guy, Season 5 in English, just ask around and eventually you will find someone who will offer to have it in stock on a set day next week. Here you'll find some of the cheapest electronics in the city, although still relatively pricey by US standards. One last large rynok to mention is Danilovskiy, which is great for fresh fruits and vegetables - and again for seeing and hearing the numerous nationalities of the former USSR which still have a presence in modern Russia. Details: All rynoks are different. Nearly all are free to enter. One exception is the souvenir section at Izmailovo which costs a nominal ten rubles (about thirty cents) to enter. Opening and closing hours also differ, with most of those outdoors open from mid-morning until sundown, and those that are indoors open later. Food rynoks generally have the largest selection during the weekends. It's never too difficult to find a market, but some of the bigger ones may be advertised in various guidebooks and newspapers or found online. Your best bet is to ask a local to point you in the right direction. Warning: some products here are knock-offs, pirated, and/or not under a warranty that will work in America – or even Russia. Photography is generally permitted. Directions: Garbushka – (Google Map) From Metro Багратионовская (Bagrationvskaya), basically just follow the crowd taking a right out of the station and towards the large, concrete building draped in advertisements. It is visible from the station as you exit. Garbushka has a website as well. Ismailovsky – (Google Map) At Измайловская (Izmaylovskaya), again, just follow the crowd. The main banner leading to a pathway lined with venders selling things from their hands is visible from the metro exit. To find the lower sections, use the main entrance. To find the souvenirs, turn left at the main entrance and walk to the side entrance (flanked by wooden spires). Danilovskiy – (Google Map) From Metro Tulskaya, once out of the metro, face the street and turn right. The large building that looks a bit like a concrete circus tent will be visible on the left. Use the underpass to get there.     The entrance to the Palace in winter. Palace of the Boyars Romanov Five minutes away from Red Square, between a few small churches, stands the old palace of the famous Romanov boyars. Built by the brother-in-law of Ivan the Terrible and grandfather of Tsar Mikhail Romanov in the sixteenth century, it housed the family until 1613 when Mikhail Romanov became Tsar. After the Romanovs moved to the Kremlin following Mikhail's election, the house fell into disrepair. It was not until the 19th century that the palace was restored by Nicholas I in honor of his ancestors' achievements. Since that time, the palace has acted as a museum and continues to show guests the lives the noble families lived in the Middle-Ages. The living conditions provide for some interesting food-for-thought about what the ruling family's mindset and relationships were like. The downstairs contains limestone cellars and the men's quarters. Dark and bleak with imposing leather-work, it stands in sharp contrast to the women and children's quarters on the top floor. Light and airy with numerous windows, these were the rooms where the women, young children, and daughters spent most their time. Much of the furniture still remains, including the stations where the women spent their days weaving and doing needlework. The dining room, which leads to the women's quarters, is elaborately decorated, with every inch of wall-space covered in designs. Directly off the dining-room is the study and library, both of which hold large, tiled stoves depicting fairy tales and scenes from history. Details: Decent labeling in both Russian and English, though some of the artifacts have more interesting history than you will find from the descriptions. To really learn the cool stuff, groups of school children will occasionally go through on tours – and if you can speak Russian, follow along. The museum is closed on Tuesday. The upstairs is actually secreted up a small, cramped staircase – make sure not to miss it! Students can get in, as of May 2009, for a mere forty rubles. Everyone else can get in for just over 100 rubles. Photography is permitted if you pay an extra eighty rubles for a special pass. Directions: Click here for a Google Map. The Museum is located at 10, Улица Варварка (Varvarka Street). From the Red Square, walk towards the end of GUM nearest to St. Basil's Cathedral. Take a left at the end of GUM and walk down Улица Илинка (Ulitsa Ilinka) about 150 meters. Take a right at the Старый Гостиный Двор (Stariy Gostiniy Dvor) and head south down Хрусталый Переулок (Khrustalniy Pereulok) approximately 200 meters. At the end of the building, cross the street and take a left. Walk past the museum (the building between all the churches) and go to the staircase in front of the sea-green church. Take the staircase and follow the sign to the museum.     A monument at the Muzeon to Stepan Suprun, a Soviet-era fighter pilot. Photo from Muzeon.ru  The Muzeon and Art Market Across the street from Gorky Park, on the territory of the New Tretyakov Gallery and the Central House of Artists lies Sculpture Park, which is known as "Muzeon" to locals. It is most famous as a graveyard of Soviet era statues, but also contains much modern art and several themed, sculpted landscapes all in an outdoor setting. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, several statues were damaged in the ensuing chaos. For example, the giant statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, the controversial former head of the Soviet secret police, was famously toppled from its place outside the KGB headquarters. The Russian government decided to relocate Mr. Dzerzhinsky, many of the statues devoted to Stalin, and several other similarly controversial artworks to a small park behind the Central House of Artists. These sculptures, many created by world famous artists, laid in disrepair until it was later made into a park. Since that time, the Muzeon's collection has grown to include 600 statues of varying themes and styles. Keep an eye out, for example, for the collection of caged statue heads that are meant to represent victims of Soviet oppression and the Oriental corner complete with a dragon and pond. Some statues have descriptions, though none are in English. The park is a great place to spend a sunny day. It can be enjoyable as well in winter, though the cold and the fact that some statues are covered to prevent further cracking can diminish the experience. Near Sculpture Park is one of Moscow's most expansive art markets. Part is in a greenhouse-looking structure situated at end of the park, furthest from the river. Still more can be found in the area between the park and the river, where people sell paintings from the backs of their cars and from make-shift kiosks. Cross to Gorky Park via the pedestrian underpass, and you'll find it's full of painting and sculpture for sale as well. A visitor can find paintings of the most famous sights in Moscow as well as landscapes, portraits and even cartoon characters. Many artists will do paintings on order such as portraits from pictures.  Details: As of May, 2008, students (show your ID) can get into the sculpture park for ten rubles (about thirty cents). Other foreigners can get in for 100 rubles. The museum is open every day from 9am-9pm and photography is permitted. See their website for more information. You can generally take pictures in the market as well, but always ask if photographing individual paintings. Check out their website. Directions: Click here for a Google Map. Exit metro Парк Культуры (Park Kulturi) and cross the river towards Gorky Park. Take the underpass at Gorky Park to the Central House of Artists. Along the river, heading towards the gigantic monument to Peter the Great, is the main part the art market. On the right side of the Central House of Artists (large white building) is the entrance to the Muzeon. The Muzeon can also be entered at the end of the art market, between the gates to the right. OR Exit metro Октябрьская (Okyaberskaya) and head west down Крымский вал (Krymskiy Val.) The Central House of Artists is on the right directly before the river. <<<Back to part one   Study Abroad in Russia SRAS Travel Services  Student's Guide to Moscow Find Out More! History of Russian Holidays History of the Russian Dacha Internships in Russia Heath and Safety in Russia The SRAS Newsletter Library: All About Russia  Eurasian Regions and Cities Journal for Students More Free Resources!   Questions or comments? Contact the author. « back to Articles and Information archive print this page email this page