Парк Искусств Музеон - Statues!

Hello Friends and Toys!

Yesterday I took a fantastic trip through Moscow's Парк Искусств Музеон ("Park Iskusstv Museon" - Fallen Monument Park).  The park is very large and stuffed with statues.  It extends along the Moscow river from the bridge near Park Kultury metro station to where the statue of Christopher Columbus stands on its island.

View Larger Map

The sculptures and statues are all unique and span a wide variety of styles, shapes and subjects: There is everything from Soviet and wartime sculptures to folk characters, realistic figures and abstract carvings.

You can view some of the park for free, and entrance to the rest is very cheap, 30-100 rubles ($1-$3) depending on your age, student status and whether or not you are a resident of Moscow.  You can also get in for 30 rubles if you speak some Russian and are extra nice to the lady who sells the tickets ;-)

The ticket makes a great souvenir!

I'll share some of my favorite parts of the park below.  I'd like to recommend the park to anyone with a free afternoon in Moscow!  Even if you are not an art or sculpture lover, the park itself is very quiet, simple and pleasant.  It's a great break from busy downtown Moscow.

Michael's Rating: *****/5

See you next time!

Sincerely,
Michael TheMonkey

What is Russia really like?

There are many stories and stereotypes about Russia.  When someone mentions Russia, certain images come to mind: winter, vodka, communism, bears in the streets, James Bond and the KGB, Cathedrals with bulbs on top, long-bearded Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, etc.

You can find some of those things here, but what is Russia really like?

Here's a glimpse!

Yesterday, I visited a mall called "Metropolis" in the northern part of Moscow. I had lunch at Burger King (Бургер Кинг)!  Malls and shopping are very popular in Moscow, and so is fast food!  (Of course, besides fast food, there are many other great places to eat.)

This week begins my exploration of Russia.  If you've ever been curious or are planning a trip here, I'll try to answer your questions and give you an overview of some great things to do and see in Moscow!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

REVIEW: Burger King at Metropolis Mall

If you like Burger King, Moscow won't disappoint.  The burgers and fries are the same quality as they would be in the United States or anywhere else.  However, the prices are higher.  A regular meal for a single person might cost as much as $10, which seems a little high for fast food.  The choice of sauces is nice (there are six) but you pay extra for sauce.  The curry sauce (карри соус) is very good! :-)

Michael's Rating: ***/5

A New Direction

Hi Everybody

I wanted to announce some exciting new changes that I'll be making to my blog in the next couple of weeks!

To this point in my young, toy-monkey life, I've spent most of my time traveling to new places and giving a glimpse of the things I found there. While I've had a great time on all of my adventures, I feel that there's one very interesting place I've often neglected, and now I'd like to spend more time sharing it in more detail: Moscow!

Next week, I'm going to begin posting my in-depth guide to Moscow for the benefit of tourists and Toy Tourists alike!

I'll also be updating my blog's navigation and appearance to reflect the new focus!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey