Why is Moskva called Moscow in English? July 26 Oleg Yegorov. Paradoxically, foreigners pronounce it closer to the original name of the city. Varvara Grankova. Moscow Russian language. Subscribe to our newsletter! Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox. We've got more than 2,2 million followers on Facebook. Join them! Read more. How to address a Russian if you don't know their name. Russian is way easier than you think! Avoiding the tacky Putin T-shirts and badly produced matryoshka dolls, I make my way to LavkaLavka, a farm produce shop and cafe tucked away in a nearby side street.
One of a chain of outlets dotted across the city, this eco-friendly venture somehow avoids falling into the trap of feeling like a chain: each branch has its own distinct character. I order a bowl of filling, bright red borscht that comes with slices of homemade black bread. I also grab a jar of kvashenaya kapusta , a kind of sauerkraut, and some Russian cheeses. A few steps away from the cafe, local poets recite the classics, as well as their own works, next to a statue of Bulat Okudzhava.
The late Soviet-era dissident singer lived here in the s and immortalised the Old Arbat in song. When I visit, the chatter of scores of conversations — about politics, love, and everything in between — almost drown out the sound of passing traffic.
Russian rock blares from portable speakers. Heading back to Pokrovka, I walk into a nearby courtyard and up a flight of stairs to Sosna I Lipa, a first-floor bar with a range of fruity craft beers on tap.
The mood is laid-back ambience; guests range from students to young media professionals to older, arty types. It was here that countless victims of Stalinist terror were executed after summary trials in the s. Their lives and grisly deaths are commemorated in Moscow by a series of tiny metal plaques installed on the facades of their last addresses, including in the Pokrovka district.
I find a plaque commemorating one Eduard Bekker, who was shot by the KGB on trumped-up espionage charges at the age of Every doorway tells a story. I start the morning with a breakfast of syrniki — cottage cheese pancakes — in Receptor , a cafe with an eclectic, but appetising selection of Indian, Korean and Russian food.
In the long years since, the surviving pond has become a Moscow landmark. In summer, swans glide across its tranquil waters, while locals and tourists relax on benches on its banks.
In winter, the pond is transformed into a skating rink, while children also slide down its snowy slopes. Mari Vanna , a nearby restaurant that specialises in traditional Russian dishes from caviar to pickled mushrooms all washed down with vodka shots, is a popular place to refuel whatever the weather.
This hallucinatory satire was written in the s, but only published in full more than three decades later. It tells of a visit to Moscow by the devil, in the guise of a mysterious professor and his demonic entourage, which includes a huge, talking black cat. Bulgakov wrote the book while living in a cramped kommunalka communal apartment just around the corner from the pond — the setting for its opening scene. Red October This former chocolate factory is now home to loft bars and cafes, along with a banya sauna , photo gallery and independent shops.
The view of the river from the rooftop terrace of Strelka Bar is worth checking out. Georgian Food There are numerous Georgian cafes and restaurants around Moscow, but try the fairytale-like Genatsvale on Arbat for khachapuri cheese-filled bread and spicy lobio , bean stew all washed down with Georgian wines. Today, however, Muzeon is all about picnics in the summer, and snowball fights in the winter. Tourist information desks, staffed by friendly, English-speaking employees, are found at train stations and airports.
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