Passport Picks

“Moscow and Muscovites”

Exhibition of “Comfortable” Soviet art

NB was one of the first galleries to appear in Moscow in the 1990’s. Since then the gallery has participated in international art fairs and hosted local and international exhibitions. The collection offers museum quality works, representing both known and forgotten Russian art schools and individual artists from the 1920’s through the 1980’s. This winter the gallery is celebrating its 15th anniversary. There will be a retrospective exhibition in December of Iosif Gurvich, who was one of the first painters that NB Gallery represented in 1992. Today, along with Moscow artists, the exposition features representatives of other cities’ schools of art. So the scope is much wider now, which makes the image of Moscow more eclectic. Although one might consider Soviet art of the 1950’s as strictly ideological art, one should also note that this epoch is a triumph of Russian realist and impressionist schools of the 20th century. “Moscow and Muscovites” is a narration about the city, while its vysotkas were still being constructed and soft drinks named Baikal were sold by the glass in the parks. The NB Gallery proves to us that even while being saturated with propaganda, a city can live its own life and be a comfortable home to its citizens.

Ice Skating

Russia is famous for its winter. So why not enjoy it in the Russian way? From frozen ponds to artificial ice, there are several options for you to try in and around Moscow. Chistye Prudy (Clean Ponds in Russian), located on the Boulevard Ring turns into a small cozy rink in winter. They say that Galina Volchek and the actors of her Sovremennik Theater, which is steps away from the pond, celebrate the New Year there. As for ordinary open rinks, the majority of those nowadays are well equipped with music, light, checkrooms, aid posts, and cafes. Almost everywhere you can rent ice skates but you will have to leave a deposit of a driver’s license or passport. The most popular rinks are those in Gorky Park, Luzhniki, and the Hermitage Moscow City Garden. Since 2006 a rink on Red Square has been open even when it was +5 in January. The city promises to open more rinks this year if the winter cooperates. For those who would prefer to skate safely under a roof, the Krasnaya Presnya Stadium and CSKA should be of interest. The CSKA is open in the evening.

Snowboarding and Skiing

Unlike Sochi, the location of the 2014 Olympic Games, Moscow does not have the same opportunities in terms of winter sports. And yet in the surrounding area of Moscow one can find skiing and snowboarding sites. The majority of these are located to the north of Moscow, about 60 kilometers in the town of Dmitrov. The hillside area has made it possible to open snowboarding parks there. The height of the hills varies from 30 to 60 meters. The most popular here are Volen, Yahroma and Shukolovo. These are comfortable places with well developed infrastructures. For example, Volen Park has about 6 slopes up to 400 meters long and lifts. You can also rent ski equipment (downhill skis or snowboards) and for that you’ll need to deposit your driver’s license or passport. There are also guesthouses available, restaurants, cafes and retail sports stores. The entrance is free everywhere, so if you have your own equipment you might only need to pay for parking and the lifts.

Inside Moscow there is another famous spot; Vorobyovy Gory, or Sparrow Hills, situated near Moscow University opposite and south of Luzhniki Stadium. There are fewer slopes, but the close location more than makes up for that for a quick afternoon at the slopes.

Blue God’s Resurrection

This year “Russian Seasons” is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The festival was founded by Sergey Diaghilev, the well-known Russian patron of the arts. While he studied for his degree in law, he also studied music with Rimsky-Korsakov. When he graduated from law school, he realized that he wanted to devote his life and wealth to Russian art. In 1907 he decided to introduce Russian art to other countries. He arranged a series of performances abroad and called them the “Russian Seasons.” The concerts were a huge success in London, Rome, and the United States for many years. The list of performers included Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninoff, Chaliapin, Fokine, Pavlova, and Nijinsky. When Diaghilev died, there was no one to continue the management of the concerts, at least not until recently. Andries Liepa, the talented and enthusiastic ballet star, has now restored the tradition of the “Russian Seasons” right here in Moscow. His idea is to resurrect the costumes and production designs so that the audience can have the special feeling of the originals of 100 years ago. The Moscow Festival is three days and includes the following ballets: “The Blue God”, “Tamar”, “Tsar-Ptitsa” (“Fire-Bird”) and “Bolero”. Andries is proud of his highly qualified team. The dancers include stars Ilze Liepa, Nikolay Tsiskaridze, Irma Nioradze, and Ilya Kuznetsov. The orchestra is conducted by Vladimir Spivakov. The closing evening is a Nikolay Tsiskaridze’s benefit performance. The producers are determined to take these performances beyond Russia in the future. The only regret that Liepa may have is the lack of time and funds to restore as many ballets from the “Russian Seasons” repertoire as possible.