The Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral

From the outside, it’s nothing special. Concrete-wash grey, imposing and a little sore on the eye but with a stunning vista out to the Moskva river and the Church of Christ the Saviour. As architect Boris Iofan put the finishing touches to the plans for his most ambitious project to date, the “House on Embankment” – a city within a city with a theatre, cinema, post office and shops designed for the crème de la crème of Soviet society (who were subsequently hunted down by Stalin during the purges of the 1930s). He could not know the significance the House would come to have. As a historical and cultural weathervane, it points to the immense and rapid changes that have taken place in this city built on marshes (Moscow is a derivative of the Finnish word for ‘marsh’) and which now numbers around 11 million people.

I visited Moscow in early September which, coincidentally, was also the city´s 863^rd birthday.  Like anyone celebrating their birthday, there is a bit of introspection about the year that’s passed, plus optimism about what the future may hold. Moscow´s past is surely as full of contrasts as its present: where else could so much despair co-exist alongside 21^st-century design flair? Or smatterings of the Soviet state end up next door to a gourmet restaurant serving sushi and expensive sake? Without trying to answer these complex questions, I let myself be immersed in Moscow. In the process, I discovered a city whose creative cauldron is near bubbling over and where a renewed appreciation of its Russian roots is influencing new directions in art, music and food.

Show Me the Money

Since the end of the Cold War and the Perestroika movement of the Gorbachev era in the early 90s, the name of the game in Russia was privatisation. As a result Russia, and Moscow in particular, experienced a mood akin to that during the California gold rush – crystal ball gazers, prospectors, opportunists and the fortuitous few who were quick to buy out former state-controlled ventures such as gas and oil resources, banks or the media were thus able to rake in the roubles.

Indeed the mega rich ride around town in nothing less than an XXL Hummer or flash European luxury vehicles sporting heavily tinted windows, a chauffeur and a minimum of two private security guards with bullet proof vests – all of whom seem to answer to the name Boris.

The last five or so years, however, have witnessed the emergence of a new breed of social class, possessing a greater sense of discretion and who wish to distinguish themselves from the crass and wasteful lifestyle associated with fallen tycoons: Gen – X and Gen- Y professionals who are directors of advertising agencies, art dealers or gallery owners, restaurateurs or “work in media” with little interest in oil and gas pipelines.

The “new creatives” have been largely responsible for injecting a much-needed new life blood into Moscow´s artistic and gastronomic consciousness. Take for example Winzavod Centre for Contemporary Art.  Founded in 2007, the former winery is a multidisciplinary space bringing together private art galleries including Aidan, one of Moscow’s foremost private art dealers.It also organises temporary exhibitions, film screenings, lectures and concerts. It is “one of the pioneer venues on the local art scene” says Head of Winzavod, Sofia Trotsenko. On the weekend I visited Moscow, this could not be more true – there was an inaugural Design Festival and Art Market, showcasing industrial design, fashion and objets d´art from various European and emerging Russian designers and artists.

The Winzavod Centre for Contemporary Art

Down the road from the House on Embankment, is the über-cool Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design located in the former Red October chocolate factory. It was destined for destruction to make way for a luxury residential zone until the crisis hit and was then saved at the last minute by a group of private investors who leased the site from the original project developers. A design institute-cum-exhibition space-cum-social hub, it opened in 2009 and Dutch Starchitecht Rem Koolhaas is just one of the illustrious professors teaching its brand new postgraduate programme.  With its aim to raise a whole new generation of architects, designers and media specialists to shape the world of the 21st century, it is a far cry from the Stalinist- style buildings dominating the Moscow cityscape.

Bar Strelka (Bersenevskaya Naberezhnaya 14, Building 5A), which is also in the grounds of Red October, is one of the hottest nightspots in Moscow. It is full of young and self-assured twenty- and thirty-somethings dancing to chilled-out electronic beats pumped out by Russian musicians and international DJs. In what must be a Moscow first, all proceeds from the bar go towards supporting the Institute.  Another bar in the Red October precinct in which to enjoy a late-night tipple – in the form of the unofficial Russian cocktail ‘Vodka and Mors’ (pure cranberry juice sans sugar) – is DOME bar (Bersenevskij Lane 3/10, Bld. 7), which also hosts a weekly Ciné-club.

On Babushkas, Bling and Borscht

In Moscow 2010, remembering the Soviet past and discussing history take the form of an almost naïve nostalgia, reminiscing about the good old days when everyone had a job, life was simpler and friendships mattered. Unlike Germany which subjects its past to intense scrutiny, here the past is instead glorified, mostly through monuments and, curiously, the Metro. No where exemplifies this nostalgia more so than at the Izmailovo Flea and Antique Markets (Metro Station “Partizanskaya”, 9am- 6pm Sat and Sun). Interesting curios, matryoshky (nesting dolls), all manner of stuffed animals as well as a cast of colourful characters, such as the babushka manning the cutest toilets I have ever seen or the old man selling life-size posters of Lenin can all be found. Half the fun of getting here is being able to ride the Moscow Metro. There is a train every two minutes and almost nine million people ride the system every day. The art work and design of the stations have become an attraction in their own right. Diversity is clearly not a strong point yet the overriding themes of history, war and the happy life are evident in the marble statues, stucco, mosaics and bas-reliefs dotted around the stations.

During Soviet times, ‘gastronomy’ was not really part of the Russian vocabulary and food options were synonymous with watery broth being ladled out from industrial cafeterias.  Then came the post-1990 “bling bling” cuisine, focusing on expensive, exotic fare but more recently there has been a greater demand for Russian food to re-embrace its rustic roots.

One excellent restaurant which is somewhat of a foodie pioneer on the Moscow scene is the relatively new Ragout Café and Bar. The brainchild of food critic Alexei Zimin, most of the produce is locally sourced from farmers and suppliers. The décor is clean, modern lines and no tablecloths. The concept of the menu is inspired by ‘bistronomy’ – a culinary movement preaching fine dining at reasonable prices. Yet chef Ilya Shakev, who trained at The Ivy in London, told me its novelty lies in its “unmoscowness”.  A definite winner was the delicious borscht, which is a permanent fixture on the menu. There is also the ´Sunday roast´ brunch offering roast chicken, pork and the specialty ragouts.

The 02 Lounge at the Ritz Carlton Hotel

Russian Plush

Our favourite hotel for a sumptuous slumber in Moscow is The Ritz – Carlton Hotel, built in July 2007 on the grounds of a former Soviet hotel.  With its prime position on the city´s elegant avenue, Tverskaya Ulitsa, it is easily accessible from Moscow´s airports with a shuttle bus.

This luxurious five-star hotel has the Bolshoi Theatre, Tschaikovsky Conservatory, the Kremlin, St Basil’s Cathedral and the 19^th century GUM Department Store as well as many more of Moscow´s numerous theatres and cultural venues within five to ten minutes’ walking distance. The rooms and suites are among the largest in Moscow and the interior décor could be described as `Tsarist Chic´ with plenty of cherry wood and dark marble throughout.

A definite must-visit when at the hotel is the award-winning O2 Lounge bar and restaurant located on the twelfth floor, with its uninterrupted views out to the Red Square and the Kremlin. There is simply no better place to have the freshest sashimi in town, since the fish is flown into Moscow twice a week from the Tsukiji Markets in Tokyo.

The hotel also has a state-of-the-art recreation area with a fitness studio, indoor pool (lit by Swarovski crystals!), whirlpool, sauna and a full range of signature spa treatments by international spa company ESPA; three other gourmet restaurants and the Ritz Carlton Club offering complimentary food and beverages and iPod docking stations.

On its 863^rd birthday, Moscow has seen and heard it all- wars, revolutions, totalitarianism and capitalism. The Russian heat wave may have subsided but Moscow is still so hot right now.