My first impression was – COLD! When I landed, it was about -27°C/-16°F, yet the city was stunningly decorated with Christmas trees, New Year decorations and cheerful people everywhere.
Cold day at the Red Square.
Richard Burgunder
The following day, I met my Russian friend who’s originally from St. Petersburg and we went to the Christmas market on the Red Square. Then, we toured a recently declassified Soviet underground bunker, which was impressive!
At the bunker.
Richard BurgunderDespite the frost, I really enjoyed Moscow’s many parks! For instance, Zaryadye, Kolomenskoe… but Gorky Park was my favorite. I visited it three times. It’s so iconic!
The Tsar's wooden palace in Kolomenskoe Park.
Richard BurgunderBriefly on how I got to Moscow: I left the U.S. on January 2 and arrived in Moscow on January 4. There were long layovers in Canada, Germany, and Turkey. As our (credit and debit) cards do not work in Russia, I took U.S. Dollars, which I then exchanged for rubles. I paid for the hotel in person on-site. In total, I spent around $1,000.
I'd love to visit Moscow again, preferably in warmer weather! Also, exploring the Urals would be exciting.
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