When in Moscow...

Do take the train at least once...

After our 5-day visit to Moscow, we recognized the effectiveness of the train. Moscow, in particular, is known for the hour-long traffic jams on the rings. Moscow consists of 'rings' of roads, thus enlarging the city by building larger rings around the present rings. From this system of roads comes the joke of the Meir of Moscow being called the 'Lord of the Rings'. The subway stations are strategically placed all around the huge vibrant city of Moscow, making it easy to quickly take a train to take you to another side of Moscow. The subway stations themselves are already worth a visit, looking like a museum themselves. Walking in the subway stations and taking the endless escalators gives the idea of travelling back in time, to the Russian Sovi
et Era. With long Escalator tunnels with engraved with unique figures depending on the station. The walls are filled with ancient murals, all unique on each station. The trains themselves beautifully restores. No need to visit any museums after seeing this must-see!

Do try out to communicating in basic Russian...

Despite many young Russians being able to speak flawless English, a basic knowledge of Russian comes out very handy when seeniy” meaning dark blue) and голубой (pronounced as “goluboy” meaning light blue). Did you know that aside from being the 7th most spoken language in the world, it is the leading language for space? Speaking to a Russian in their language will not only make them feel more sympathetic towards you for the effort, but it may expand your understanding and appreciation of the culture more.
travelling in Russia. Whether it is to be able to read the directions or order

delicacies in the local restaurants, Russian is hugely important when communicating with the Russian 'locals'. Firstly the Russian Cyrillic Alphabet consists of 33 letters, unlike the 26 letters in the Roman alphabet. The language itself consists of approximately 200,000 words which are far less than the average 1,000,000 words in English. However, a Russian person will be able to describe and distinguish different hues of blue much better than native English speakers. They categorize blue hues into two categories before specifying them even further: синий (pronounced as “

Do embrace the many ethnicities within the Russian culture...

Russia is so big that the local population is a hodgepodge of different ethnicities. There are approx. 160 different ethnic groups across Russia. Thus it is definitely worth a try to try different delicacies from the different groups, for example, Georgian bread or Chuvash Khash.

Do Enjoy...

Enjoy embracing the Russian ways of living as well as the architecture and food during your visit to Russia as much as I did!