Moscow is the capital of Russia. Moscow city has 860 years of history and has seen many of willful Lords, ruthless Tsars, intimidating Emperors, merciless Leaders and many ambitious personalities. The streets of Moscow city will convey their stories, if you know where to look for it. Moscow is the history and history breaths in Moscow’s stones.

Roughly Moscow’s architecture still falls into three historical paradigms.

First is Tsar Moscow. Those are the official estates of tsars families from 17-19 centuries, some have been preserved others re-constructed. Also there are several estates of other noble families - Kolomenskoe, Tsaritsyno and Neskuchnyj Sad, to mention the few.

Second is Soviet Moscow. This paradigm is still preserved in the main avenues of Moscow (Leninsky prospect, Frunzenskaya naberezhnaya). The infamous Stalin’s Empire style is commemorated in 7 buildings which have became the hallmark of Soviet Moscow.

Third is Modern Moscow, ever since 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It features business skyscrapers, exclusive living quarters, and luxurious shopping malls. It promotes the new values of new rulers – money and money.

The gem of grand Moscow is the Kremlin: it is the heart and the soul of whole Russia. Founded as a military fortress on the riverside in early 12 century, the Kremlin has always been the center and the magnet of the city. It took 9 centuries for Moscow to grow into a megapolis of 15 million people, but the Kremlin is still in the heart of the modern bit.

If you want the reading tips to prepare for your trip in Moscow, it might be helpful if you find something about the Tsars’ epoch, the Soviet period. The modern is however there to see with your own eye.