Unusual places and locations in Moscow

The Museum of Cosmonautics
Russia has always been linked to the events of cosmic exploration. Everyone knows the most famous Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin who was the first to go into space on April 12, 1961. The Museum of Aviation and Cosmonautics, or simply the Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow, was opened to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Gagarin's flight, although the history of the museum began in 1964, when the Monument to the Conquerors of Space was built in Moscow. Because the museum is located right in the heart of this monument, right at the base.
The first exhibitions hosted at the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics immediately highlighted Russia's magnificent triumph in the conquest of space. Spacesuits, artificial satellites, spacecraft for research on the Moon and planets of the solar system were among those exhibits on display. In 2006, the museum was closed for reconstruction which lasted 3 years.
The Museum of Cosmonautics reopened in 2009 in a new structure and the exhibition space has become four times larger. Now the exhibition has eight rooms, and the museum has a cinema hall and a conference room.

Gorky's House
It is one of the best buildings located in the center of Moscow, in the old part, near the Boulevard Ring. It was built by the famous Russian architect Fyodor Shekhtel for another very famous person - millionaire Sergey Ryabushinsky, founder of the first automobile factory in Russia. Ryabushinsky had lived there until the 1917 revolution and then emigrated. The house was granted to the Russian writer Maxim Gorky after he returned to Moscow from Sorrento. Gorky lived there from 1932 until his death in 1936.
Gorky House is modern in style and is known by Muscovites for its beautiful mosaics inside.
The museum was created thanks to Nadezhda Alexeevna Peshkova, widow of Gorky's son, who lived there until 1965. Gorky's original library is kept in this house, as well as other objects of his. Museum employees managed to maintain the appearance of the mansion that Gorky knew although many things were lost or destroyed when the Ryabushinsky family moved out of the house.
By the way, the Russian tycoon's family was very religious and even now guests can visit the original chapel located in the attic, stylized as an ancient church. The main decoration of the house is the famous staircase made of Estonian marble which symbolized the uneasy situation in Russian society at the beginning of the 20th century.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
It is one of two Catholic cathedrals in Moscow and the largest Catholic cathedral in Russia. It was built in the early 20th century at the request of the city's Roman Catholic councilor. The authorities gave their permission, although they asked to observe some rules, such as: build this Catholic cathedral away from the city center and Orthodox churches.
The construction of the Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary lasted ten years. The money was raised by Polish Catholics who lived near Malaya Gruzinskaya Street, where the cathedral stands, and worked for the Moscow Railway. The new cathedral was built in neo-Gothic style.
In 1938, due to a situation that shocked the country, the Cathedral was closed and a dormitory was organized inside it. During the Great Patriotic War the cathedral was bombed, some towers and turrets were destroyed.
After the war, in 1956, the building was given to the research institute "Mosspetspromproekt" and its interior was completely redone differently.
Only at the end of the 1980s did the Polish society of Moscow intervene to give the cathedral back to the city's Catholic faithful. Now the church has its own place and its own role within the Catholic life of the inhabitants and attracts many visitors.

Krutitskoye podvorye
The complex is located in the Tagansky district of Moscow, not far from the "Proletarskaya" metro station, near the Moskova River. In this place you go back in time, inside it seems like you are in another era, especially in summer when the leaves are green and there are many flowers.
Krutitskoye podvorye is a complex of different types of buildings, churches and wooden houses dating back to the 19th century, but in reality it is much older: it was founded in the 13th century on the left bank of the Moscow River, which is really very steep, for this is why this area was called Krutitsy - 'krutoy' means "steep".
Krutitskoye Podvorye has its own great history. The area, many centuries ago, was surrounded by water on three sides. This area is unique in that two ancient monasteries are located in the vicinity: the Novospassky Monastery and the Simonov Monastery.
During the Soviet era the podvorye was closed and the buildings were occupied by military forces. When Krvitskoye podvorye was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991, the restoration began. Now it is almost a hidden gem located in the city center, near the old Zamoskvorechye district, where visitors can feel the old Russian spirit and almost travel in time.