Moscow could become one of the great tourist centres of Europe rivalling London, Paris and the new arrivals such as Barcelona and Prague.
But will it? The capital of the Russian Federation has a great deal going for it. It's safe. It's clean. It has a lot to offer by way of history and the arts. And now with the arrival of more airlines and improved infrastructure it is easy to get to and from.
There are two real problems with Moscow, and the same goes for St Petersburg. Firstly they are both expensive, rivalling London itself with the cost of accommodation and dining (see the story on HRG's hotel survey). And perhaps even more challenging is just getting into the place. All visitors need a passport and whilst applications are not normally turned down it might well be that the Russians invented bureaucracy. Even with the current security problems it is practical to go to the USA at very short notice, and with just a normal passport. Europe is a doddle. With the Gulf States it is much the same. Just turn up at the airport border control. Even some countries with a bad reputation when it comes to checking who comes in and who goes out (immigration) are much improved, notably Kenya. Not so the former Soviet Republic.
Before you can even consider visiting the land of the Tsars you will require what is termed ”an invitation”: an official document issued by a Russian travel company, licensed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, inviting you to visit Russia as a tourist. The paperwork is an indication that visiting Russia is not going to be that easy. The official cost is £32 ($63) but you may find it easier going to a specialist who will charge you from £75 ($148) and will take a minimum of seven days. But the services offered are hassle free and the people looking after you can usually answer most questions.
Getting to Moscow is easy. You can fly by British Airways to Domodedovo, a fine modern privatised operation worthy as a gateway to any city. New boy on the scene is bmi who now has a daily service which introduced a much improved business class operation, superior in all ways to the BA European product. Transaero, who used to fly into Gatwick, is bmi's partner, effectively giving a twice daily operation. Transaero have Manchester in sight for later in 2007. Available at the airport is a paid-for VIP service, a superior executive lounge with its own immigration and check-in, plus security access airside. You can even sit in a booth and watch at film.
Russians fuss over their children. Domodedovo has a 24-hour courtesy facility, as good as any anywhere in the world. Getting to the city centre is along fine dual carriageways but an alternative is the electric train service to Paveletsky station, near the centre and also a Metro stop. The alternative is Sheremetyevo and Aeroflot, both airport and airline unseen by ABTN, but suffering from poor reputations.
It is now two decades on from Glasnost. Moscow is booming. The middle classes have never had it so good. You will see no Peugeots or Toyotas in the centre of the city. Black BMWs and Mercedes rule the roost and the occasional Range Rover. Red Square and the Kremlin count among the most beautiful and ornate buildings in the world and in the Bolshoi, Moscow can boast the world's most accomplished dance company. Hotels however are in short supply particularly in the 3/4-star range. Moscow is a huge building site. The Russians have acknowledged the problem and where the infamous Moska Hotel once stood a five-star hotel and properties aimed at those of modest means are under construction.
Where to go? What to do? Red Square is clearly a must and is just as fascinating at night time as in the daylight hours. Imagine the goose stepping soldiers marching past the Kremlin Old Guard followed by the mechanised army and the rocket launchers. Queue if you want for Lenin's Mausoleum, but some say that Madam Tussauds has a better likeness. Also in the square is Saint Basil's Cathedral, recently and magnificently restored, appearing much as it must have done when first inaugurated by Ivan the Terrible in 1561. By way of contrast is the Gum departmental store (above), only available to a member of ”The Party” in the days of Stalin and Khrushchev. Today it is one of the great shopping arcades of the globe, air conditioned and with outlets for such notables as Burberry, Prada and Vivienne Westward.
The Kremlin is another must (pictured below). A fortress, palace and seat of government now much restored and a place to relax, unlike in former times. The State Armoury contains the wealth of the tsars, including the crown jewels used at the royal coronations. The exhibits range from court clothes to the royal carriages. There is a magnificent display of the unique eggs sculpted by Fabergè. Sitting alone in the Kremin Square is the 200-tonne Tsar Bell - the largest bell in the world. It was never rung as during a fire at the Kremlin in 1737 water was poured over the bell as it lay still hot in its casting bed, causing an 11-tonne section to crack off.
Some areas of the Kremlin compound are obviously off-limits, but there is still plenty to see within the imposing walls. Make sure that you stay strictly within the marked tourist areas, although the patrolling policemen will warn you if you are wandering off the beaten path. You should allow at least half a day to see even a portion of the citadel and should really make a couple of trips if you want to see everything on show here without exhausting yourself.
Any visit to Moscow is incomplete without a visit to Ulitsa Arbat. Not far from the Kremlin, this mile-long pedestrian street is lined by pastel coloured houses that evoke a different, softer time in Russia's history.
The Arbat has many quaint sidewalk cafes, street vendors, actors and artists. The former home of many underground poets and writers during the Soviet era, the Arbat still has a vague aura of rebellion to it. It is one of Moscow's best sights during the long summer days when Muscovites and tourists sit at pavement cafes watching the crowds throng past.
Moscow is a great city. Allow for a minimum of three full days. But if you have time, and money, stay for a week.