Russian river cruises are a fantastic way to discover the rich history and culture of an iconic nation. Moscow and St Petersburg are arguably two of Russia’s most famous and popular destinations – but which one is better? Two of our writers will go head to head in an attempt to persuade you why their favourite Russian city should be yours too – with Mark in Moscow’s corner and Jim St Petersburg’s. Ding ding! Let battle commence!
Moscow
Don’t get me wrong, I do think that St Petersburg is a nice city – but I also think that Moscow is a fantastic city and beyond doubt the best in Russia. The entire region is steeped in illustrious history, from Red Square in the heart of the metropolis, where impressive historic landmarks including the Lenin Mausoleum and St Basil’s Cathedral dominate the skyline, to the world-famous Kremlin. If its history and culture you’re after, St Petersburg simply does not compare.
Staying with the subject of historic monuments in Moscow, visitors will find more than just the 
Kremlin – although the structure is truly astounding and perhaps outdoes St Petersburg single-handedly! A profusion of ancient buildings still stand in Moscow, welcoming droves of tourist every year, including the magnificent Bolshoi Theatre, the 14th century Novodevichy Convent and the glorious Church of Ascension, which was named as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.
Moscow also surpasses St Petersburg in terms of areas of natural beauty as well as tranquil parks and gardens. On a pleasant day, visitors can stroll through a number of the city’s wonderful green spaces, including the vast Gorkiy Park, the former imperial estate of Kolomenskoye and the ever-popular Park Sokolniki, filled with beautiful flora and a collection of charming attractions. Moving further off the beaten track is difficult in St Peterburg, whereas in Moscow, stunning outlying areas such as the Patriarshi pond area and the Japanese Garden in Botanichesky Sad offer the perfect place to spend a peaceful day.
When it comes to the shopping and dining experiences on offer, Moscow beats St Petersburg hands down. A wealth of authentic local food, delicious international cuisine and familiar fast food outlets are scattered across the city, offering tourists a plethora of culinary delights. Incredible mixes of gastronomic cultures are available in Moscow. Visitors will find everything from Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes to Armenian and Azerbaijani cuisine.
Tourist’s hoping to pick up some local gifts will find a treasure trove of souvenirs across Moscow, at the range of opulent shopping malls and quaint marketplaces located all over the centre of the city.
In my humble (and correct) opinion – based on the facts in front of me – St Petersburg doesn’t hold a candle to the amazing sights and sounds of Moscow, Russia’s world-famous capital city.
St Petersburg
Sure, Moscow’s the capital; it’s great for squares, overly-expensive cups of coffee and the like. But you can never take Russia’s second city out of contention. Yes, it was built on a swamp, but Peter the Great clearly knew what he was doing. St. Petersburg is one of the most vital modern European cities, don’t let the devotees to the (admittedly, pretty) sights of Moscow fool you.
Perhaps it’s because St. Petersburg’s architect was Italian that it manages to so thoroughly stand out from the crowd of Russian cities. Maybe it’s the winding canals and the classical architecture. Regardless of the past, St. Petersburg is a city which manages to straddle the sweet spot between historical importance and modern style.
The opera house still attracts its fair share of visitors, but it’s the chic art galleries and underground
music scene that is propelling St. Petersburg forward. You might have the chance to rub shoulders with aristocrats and oligarchs in Moscow, but this particular city prides itself on its youthful diversity. It seems that the newer generation of Russians are making a statement and moving to St. Petersburg in droves.
But who says Moscow rules the roost when it comes to the historical? There are enough sights in St. Petersburg to keep tourists occupied for days, if not weeks.
Leading the pack is the iconic Winter Palace, an eternally magnificent reminder that Russia is always a hotspot for architecture. Beautifully pristine even after all these years, it remains a contender for the finest photographic subject in Europe – a grand mass of imperial pillars and colourful décor.
And then, of course, there’s the State Hermitage Museum. If the Winter Palace had Moscow on the ropes, this is where St. Petersburg draws back and flings out an uppercut to finish it off. The museum remains firmly rooted in prodigious hype, but that never stops it from living up to it. Everything from Egyptian mummies to Picasso masterpieces can be found in the endless varnished halls of the State Hermitage, and like the city itself, you’ll wish you had days more to explore it.
And to top it all off, you can visit it all during the legendary White Nights, where on long summer days the sun never seems to dip below the horizon. St Petersburg might be known as a second city, but Moscow has best be looking over its shoulder.
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Image Credits:
(1) Ed Yourdon – fotopedia.com
(2) Holgar Zscheyge – fotopedia.com
