FIFA World Cup 2018: Football fans, here are interesting facts and attractions in Moscow. (Source: Getty Images)
Heading to Moscow to attend FIFA World Cup 2018, the biggest football tournament in the world? While the excitement to watch the game will keep you occupied, here’s what you can do in your free time. After all, who would want to miss the opportunity to trot around the beautiful city while visiting Russia?
The largest city in Europe, Moscow boasts of many world famous sites, skyscrapers and historical monuments. More than 800 years old, it has many grand fortresses and cathedrals. It also the most populated city in Russia and is the hub of many political, economic, cultural and scientific centres.
Fun Facts about Moscow
* The first ever McDonald’s in Russia opened in Pushkin Square in Moscow on 31 January, 1990. The line leading to the restaurant ran for several kilometres.
* The Moscow State University is the largest university building in the world.
* The Russian State Library in Moscow founded in 1862, is the biggest in Europe and second biggest in the world after Library of Congress in USA.
* Trains in Moscow go more frequently than in any other subway in the world. At peak times, the interval between trains is just one and a half minute.
* Moscow got its name from the river Moskva that runs through the city.
* According to Forbes, Moscow has the largest number of billionaires.
* Moscow has the third busiest metro in the world.
Tourist Attractions
St Basil’s Cathedral
Situated in Red Square, the Saint Basil’s Cathedral features onion-shaped domes that were designed to make the building look like the shape of a flame of a bonfire. It was the city’s tallest building until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600.
Lenin’s Mausoleum
Also known as Lenin’s Tomb, the mausoleum too is situated on Red Square. It is currently the resting place of Soviet Leader Vladamir Lenin. After his death in 1924, his preserved body has been kept there for public display.
Moscow Kremlin
The biggest fortress in Europe, it’s situated at the heart of Moscow. It features five squares, 20 towers and the world’s largest bell and cannon.
State Historical Museum
The neo-Russian style designed museum holds a vast collection of prehistoric tribes, the country’s largest coin collection and 6th-century manuscripts and artworks collected by the Romanov dynasty.
GUM
If you want to spend some quality time shopping, GUM is the place you need to visit. The most important department store in Russia, it has a beautiful interior decor with a glass rooftop and features a number of high-end fashion brands and eateries.
Gorky Park
Gorky Central Park is basically an amusement park that has outdoor dancing sessions, beach volleyball, skateboarding, yoga and fitness classes, to name a few. It has an open-air movie theatre as well.
So, where would you like to go in Moscow? Let us know in the comments section below.