Russia is lucky - two capitals, two beautiful cities, but it's difficult for a tourist. "Moscow or St. Petersburg" - this is the question that every traveler asks himself, intending to see all the most-the-most. Meanwhile, both Moscow, the modern official capital of the Russian Federation, and St. Petersburg, beautifully called the Northern Capital, can give guests many pleasant minutes. Each of them has places that will forever remain in the heart of a tourist.
Moscow or St. Petersburg - where is the best shopping?
Today's capital is called the city of contrasts and the Mecca of shopping, where you can find everything your heart desires. There is no talk about the goods of underground Vietnamese workshops here, only high-quality goods and interesting souvenirs that guests could take away from Moscow. First of all, these are handicrafts with a Russian "face": nesting dolls; lacquer miniature from Palekh; Pavloposad colorful scarves; trays with flowers from Zhostovo.
Popular "purely" Moscow souvenirs, products of well-known metropolitan enterprises - porcelain, chocolate, candy factory "Red October". There are many souvenir shops on the Arbat, on the Sparrow Hills near the observation deck and on the Vernissage market located in Izmailovo.
As for shopping in St. Petersburg, Russian souvenirs are sold here the same as in Moscow. On key chains, mugs, magnets and other souvenirs, you can see beautiful St. Petersburg landscapes and the main business cards of the city - St. Isaac's Cathedral, Peter and Paul Fortress, Winter Palace. Popular among guests are souvenirs with northern wood and bone carvings, products of the Lomonosov porcelain factory.
Moscow sights or monuments of St. Petersburg?
The most beautiful megacities of Russia can give odds to any capital of the world in terms of the number of architectural masterpieces and historical sights. The most noteworthy for tourists in Moscow is the Kremlin and all the structures that are located on its territory, including the Diamond Fund and the Armory. In the company of the Kremlin treasures of the Russian capital, there is Red Square with the Mausoleum and St. Basil's Cathedral.
Moscow museums deserve special attention - the Tretyakov Gallery, the Historical Museum, the Pushkin Museum. There are museum institutions in the capital dedicated to famous writers, including Pushkin and Chekhov, Mayakovsky and Yesenin, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.
St. Petersburg is much younger than Moscow, but the number of attractions in this city is impressive even for a seasoned visitor. "Peter's creation" is the name of the city, for three hundred years many architectural masterpieces have appeared in it, first of all, palaces, including the most famous - Winter Palace, as well as Mikhailovsky, Menshikovsky, Stroganovsky, Sheremetyevsky. The focus of tourists is the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Admiralty, the arrow of Vasilievsky Island.
Temples of Moscow and St. Petersburg
In the capital, tourists are left with vivid memories of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the largest in Moscow. And also this city is known for its monasteries, Novodevichy received the epithet "the most beautiful", it is also the hallmark of the capital. The oldest is the Danilov Monastery Complex, which was founded, according to legend, in 1282.
The relics of St. Matrona are kept in the Intercession Convent, they attract thousands of pilgrims here every day from different parts of Russia and abroad. And there are also Novospassky, Donskoy and Andronikov monasteries.
The northern capital is proud of its temple and monastery complexes. The most famous churches in St. Petersburg are St. Isaac's Cathedral; Kazan Cathedral and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (somewhat similar to the Moscow Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed). The most beautiful Assumption Church is located on Vasilievsky Island; the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and the Ioannovsky Monastery attract attention.
It is interesting that in both Moscow and St. Petersburg there are places of worship belonging to other religions. In the capital there is the Moscow Cathedral Mosque and the Armenian Church, Catholic and Protestant churches. The northern capital has its own Cathedral Mosque, erected at the beginning of the twentieth century, the architectural highlight of the city is a Buddhist temple.
Moscow and St. Petersburg are similar to each other, both are two large metropolitan areas with a fairly long history and a beautiful future. At the same time, they are strikingly different from each other.
Tourists going to Moscow dream of:
- ancient wooden architecture;
- walks along the Arbat;
- masterpieces of the Tretyakov Gallery;
- excursions to Moscow monasteries.
Travelers collecting things in St. Petersburg want to see:
- urban development of Peter the Great's times;
- walk along the famous embankments, counting lions;
- see the treasures of the Hermitage;
- take a sightseeing tour of the St. Petersburg palaces and temples.
