By Isabel Romano from Diario de a bordo

If you’re passionate about history and really want to know more about the recent and tumultuous history of Russia, you simply must pay a visit to this lesser-known museum in Moscow. Walking through its exhibition rooms is like taking a journey through the history of Russia, from the penultimate tsar and the events leading up to the Russian Revolution to the creation of Russia as it exists today. Particularly interesting are the rooms dedicated to the Second World War (some of the best in the museum) and those dedicated to the Stalin period, with all the commemorative objects dating back to the communist era.

Despite the fact that the museum makes no mention of the darkest aspects of communism, such as the gulags (Soviet concentration camps), the museum is still a very interesting place to visit. All the signs are in Russian but, luckily, there is a laminated leaflet in all the rooms with the English translation.

Museum of Contemporary History of Russia
21 Tverskaya ul., Moscow
Opening times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 18:00; Thursday from 12:00 to 21:00; Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 19:00.
The museum is closed on Mondays and the last Friday of every month.

So, you feel like visiting Moscow, do you? Book your flights here!

Isabel RomanoTourist by trade, compulsive traveller and born organiser. Diario de a bordo.

The metro is typically a place with long, dark corridors where every day thousands of people rush through to get from one place to another. But not all of them are like that: some of them, like the ones we're talking about here, are true architectural gems. Let's take a look at the most beautiful metro stations in Europe!

Christmas is full of traditions and every country, city and home has their own. Year after year you have the same traditions: buy a big Christmas tree, decorate it with tinsel, have family meals, sing Christmas songs, etc. Fancy enjoying a different kind of Christmas this year? Next stop: Christmas in Russia!

¡Kalinka, Kalinka, Kalinka moyá! Can't get Tetri´s song out of your head? Easy..., the same thing happens to us as well. We have just landed in Moscow and we are going to eat a lot! Going out in Moscow and try some restaurants can be an amazing and enriching experience where you will discover both the delicious flavors of Russian cuisine and customs of the Russians, which may seem a little peculiar.

The dishes of Russian cuisine are usually quite caloric, due to the harsh winters where greater caloric intake is needed. The Russians give much importance to the ritual of food and like to make life around the stove.

A typical meal starts with a Russian zakuski (appetizers) that can be salads, and small plates of pickled fish like pod Seliódka shuboi (herring coat) or a pirogi (dumplings) meat with vegetables, and always accompanied by a good shots of vodka.

As is typical starter soups, both hot and cold in winter and summer. Russian soups are very strong and more than a starter for us are almost a full meal, since all carry vegetables, meat, chicken, fish ... The most popular are the borsch, made of beets, cabbage, potato and meat; and solianka, made of meat or fish, with an acidic due to the lemmon they put on it. Another soup is shi made ​​of cabbage and Uja, made of fish.

Main courses can be stroganoff meat, shasliki (a typical meat kebabs from Caucasus), golubtsi (cabbage leaves stuffed with meat) or the dish we liked the most: pelmeni (a kind of Russian ravioli filled with meat, potato or vegetable)

Many dishes can be served with smetana, a sour cream sauce flavored particular that we loved. The most popular drink in Russia, in spite of the general though, it's not the vodka but the tea. For dessert, along with tea, you can taste some delicious blini (pancakes) or marlenka cake, something like a strudel.

My-My

At Mu-Mu restaurants they serve typical Russian food. It is a self-service restaurant with tiny portions, so it is ideal to try different dishes. They are very popular among Muscovites and it is well priced.

Jachapuri,10 Bolshoi Gnezdnikovsky per.

It is a nice and central Georgian food restaurant. The food is very good and it is not too expensive. Totally recommended.

Pushkin Cafe, Tverskoy bulvar, 26A

It is considered the best restaurant in Moscow. It is a nice vintage place, very well preserved where can you can taste high level dishes of the Russian cuisine. Good service and medium-high but reasonable price.

A couple of features to consider when venturing out for lunch or dinner in Moscow: dinner can be served until the minute they close the place, but they will not wait until you finish the meal, so if you do not want to have to swallow all in five minutes, we recommend not arrive too late. Russians do not like you to pay them with coins, so if you're planning to spend those last loose rubles at a dinner, do better buying souvenirs in Red Square, or you will receive disapproving look from the waiter.

Приятного аппетита!!

By Nadia Polo

solianka by Шнапс | stroganoff by Pittaya Sroilong | zakuski by Timothy Post | pelmeni by Bernd Hutschenreuther

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!