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Guides for the Business Traveler
Moscow (2006)
4 hours in Moscow (2006)
Diana Anderson explores the capitalist cauldron that is modern-day Moscow, from a 24-hour café named after Pushkin, to the GUM of today. Moscow is Russia’s capital, its business and banking center, and, with more than 10 million people, its largest city—a chaos of honking horns and crowded streets. It’s also a study in contrasts, with the ultra-chic GUM shopping mall, itself once a dreary Soviet-era department store, looming over older people hawking Kommunism-in-a-Kan gag gifts, and with hip young capitalists jostling past homeless people.
 | Kremlin The eastern wall of the Kremlin sits on one side of Red Square, a self-contained city of palaces, armories, churches and museums. President Vladimir Putin calls it home today, and while much is off-limits to tourists, you can still visit the Patriarch's Palace and the Kremlin Palace, which hosts regular concerts. Be sure to catch the Armory's collection of Faberge eggs, as well as the Diamond Fund's spectacular jewels, like Catherine I's diamond-encrusted coronation crown. Open every day (except Thursdays) 10 a.m.–5 p.m. |  | Lenin’s Mausoleum Is it him, or is it a wax replica? That's what most people wonder as they walk through the final resting place of Vladimir Lenin. You'll only have about four minutes to decide (and you aren't allowed to take pictures) but either way, it's pretty spooky. Open 10 a.m.–1 p.m., closed on Mondays and Fridays. |  | State Historical Museum Not sure who Gorky was? Then drop by the State Historical Museum, which stands at the western end of Red Square. If you're wondering how they ate 200 years ago, stop by 1 Red Square. Each dish is prepared according to old recipes, and each comes with historical commentary. The upper banquet room is decorated like an old Russian tsars' hall, with whitewashed vaulted ceilings and ancient menus on the walls. Open 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday–Sunday; closed the first Monday of the month. |  | St. Basil’s Cathedral St. Basil's Cathedral, whose domes rise from the south end of Red Square like a series of multi-colored onions, is a perfect example of Moscow: Outside it's grandiose and bursting with energy, but inside it's a little drab. That doesn't mean you shouldn't take a tour inside. It's still used for religious services, so check in every so often to make sure it's open. |  | GUM Department Store It's hard to imagine from the arched walkways and 2.5 miles of well-stocked shelves that this was once a dreary Soviet-era department store. These days, the Gum Department Store (directly across from Lenin's tomb) is a real shopping mall, with lots of overpriced stores selling overpriced clothes. If you're looking for a more authentic experience, check out the concourse under the Red Square subway station. Capitalism is very much alive, but in a less obvious way. |  | Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Once upon a time Moscow's hotels reflected a bleak and hopeless time. Today it's almost impossible to find one that hasn't been overhauled. The Hotel Baltschug Kempinksi Moscow (tel. 011-7-501-230-6500), for example, dates back to 1898, but was reno-vated in 1992 at a cost of $85 million. Many of its rooms have magnificent views of St. Basil's Cathedral, Red Square and the Kremlin. |  | Cafe Pushkin The Russian word for restaurant looks like "pectopah" in English, and there's a pectopah on almost every corner. The 24-hour Café Pushkin, named after author Aleksandr Pushkin, is a three-story wonder with a classical-Russian ambiance. The first floor used to be a pharmacy and still retains the old drugstore's counter façade; the second floor is filled with books. You can order everything from beef stroganoff to blinis with caviar. And yes, vodka abounds: Choose from specialties like black-currant-and-vanilla Stolichnaya and homemade nastoiki, made with horseradish, tangerine and walnut. 26a Tverskoi Bulvar, tel. 011-7-495-229-5590; it costs about $150 for dinner for two with wine or vodka and tip; lunch is available on the first floor only from noon to 6 p.m. |
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