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USD $31.00
Communist Moscow: Evening Walking Tour
Moscow, Russian Federation
Discover hidden remnants of the Soviet communist regime on this 2-hour historical tour of Moscow, capital of the Soviet Empire for more than 70 years. With an informative local guide, you’ll learn all about the history of the Soviet Union, from the 1917 Great Socialist Revolution to Perestroika, and see important landmarks of the Soviet era, such as the former KGB headquarters and Revolution Square.
Numbers are limited to 20 on this small-group walking tour, ensuring you’ll enjoy personalized attention from your guide.
Meet your guide at the Solovetsky Stone, a memorial situated in the center of Lubyanka Square, where you begin your small-group tour of Soviet-era Moscow.
Hear about the history behind the monument, a simple boulder erected in 1990 as a memorial to the victims of political repression. The actual stone was taken from Solovki, one of the Gulag’s many forced labor camps used for political repression during the Stalinist era.
Your guide will also point out the former headquarters of the KGB, located in an impressive building on Lubyanka Square. Completed in 1898 by Aleksandr Ivanov, the monument currently holds the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), the main successor to the KGB.
From here, walk to Revolution Square, the epicenter of the 1917 Great Socialist Revolution, and learn about many other aspects of historical importance such as Stalin’s terror, secret KGB prisons, the Cold War and the Soviet Movement for Freedom, as well as current Soviet strongholds in the young democratic nation.
Be on the lookout for significant landmarks in the city center such as the Bolshoi Theater, the Museum of Revolution and the Gulag Museum, which documents the labor camps where 14 million prisoners were sent between 1929-1953. Stroll down Moscow’s main avenue, Tverskaya Street; pass Sluzhebny Vhod, a Soviet style-café; and see Eliseevsky Gastronum, the most important grocery store of the USSR. Your tour ends at the Pushkinskaya Square.
I loved this tour! Our guide Marina was extremely personable and was able to share some interesting anecdotes about living in soviet russia. The tour was very informative and wasn't too taxing, the walking helped us stay warm in sub-zero Moscow. One of the most fascinating stories was how the government modernised the city centre in the 30s without destroying any buildings - they cut their foundations and moved whole buildings on rails, with the people still inside, to allow the creation of the wide boulevards and roads in the city today. If you're curious about early soviet history, I'd definitely recommend this tour.
Review by: Flex V, April 2018
This tour starts across the KGB building and then you would walk across Moscow to find some other tourist attraction. Guide would give the history of some places where the tour went to and it was very interesting--from the history of KGB, to moving buildings for bigger streets, and to propaganda posters inside a library. Would be nicer if the weather would also cooperate. The tour is 2-hour long so it would be best if you used the toilet before beginning the tour. During our tour, it was really cold and the tour needed to stop at a cafe just so everyone could get a bathroom break. LOL
Review by: Michael S, November 2017
A really cool tour, learned a lot about this history of this beautiful city
Review by: e.bosch, October 2017
The guide Ana was fantastic, really good English, very interesting information, very open for all questions, not rushed at all and besides the standard places also very interesting spots which you can not find yourselves!
Review by: Amy J, September 2017
This tour was really good and I just loved our guides. They were adorable, engaging, sincere and funny! I really would have loved to just have lunch with them and talk about life in Russia etc. They were inviting and personable. You could see their love for Moscow and Russia and their true desire to share their country with you. I enjoyed hearing stories about their families and how communism affected them. They also pointed nice restaurants and markets along the way we tried one of each and they were great!. The only critique is that some of the stops were not really about communism. We really enjoyed the tour and company but don't expect that all stops will be about communism only.
Review by: David F, September 2017
We started out across the street from the building that was the KGB headquarters in Soviet times. Our tour guide had excellent English and a strong passion for the subject matter. She showed us a building that was being renovated and was the place where 40,000 Russians were sentenced to death. She pointed out details about the different views of Soviet times among Russians. She recommended that we go to the Museum of Contemporary History we went there the next day that was helped to complete the overview of this subject matter.
Review by: Elisa B, April 2017
GREAT!! A wonderful experience trying to understand the communism in Russia with a clever and informative guide. I highly recommend
Review by: Tim M, November 2016
Excellent tour! I love history and I grew up in America during the 80s during the waning days of Communism, so this interested me from a personal historical standpoint. Our guide took us around Red Square and the area and discussed the uprising that brought down Russia's last tsar and ushered in Communism, Lenin and his views of Communism that were never quite realized and Stalin's terror that cost millions of lives. She pointed our several buildings that were central to Russia's Communist government, some still in existence in a government capacity, some now converted to other uses. This tour didn't bang the drum for Communism nor did it demonize it completely impartial. Just make sure you dress warmly for the winter because it's a night tour that takes place mostly outside!
Review by: Leia V, November 2016
Tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging. She shared personal anecdotes and tied it to the way things are today and the differences. I learned a lot and the time flew on this tour. It also pointed out things I never would have seen or known had I not taken this tour. A must do tour!
Review by: Jalil K, October 2016
Nice
Review by: jadasullivan7, October 2016
Loads of information about propaganda and showed us some unique historical spots!
Review by: Andrew G, October 2016
Worth doing, however lacked interesting stories. If I ever went back to Moscow, I'd try to find another tour company.
Review by: Rachelle M H, September 2016
This tour was very exciting, informative, and personal. We had an AMAZING time with our guide and truly learned a lot from our experience. I would recommend this tour and this guide to anyone who plans to travel to this area of Europe. The tour was well-worth the money, and I will definitely book this tour or a similar tour the next time I travel!
Review by: Robert P, September 2016
Interesting with enthusiastic knowledgeable guide
Review by: HU L, September 2016
very good
Review by: Ruth M, August 2016
Very enjoyable tour. I anticipate people will have different expectations of it. The tour is not a chronology, rather the guide provided insights into communist times and contrasted these to the present day at times, prompted by the buildings we were passing. An eclectic mix of info.
Review by: Linda N, July 2016
This tour was amazing!
Review by: david o, June 2016
Good young guide Irina?, lots of energy and enthusiasm. Only problem with your Moscow tours was unable to find the Metro tour guide twice which we paid for??
Review by: Sharmeen K, May 2016
This was a great intro to Moscow. Our guide Malina was amazing. She shared stories from her own experiences, drawing contratsts between pre and post communist Russia which were entertaining as well as educational. The tour also cover some of the main sights in Moscow e.g. the former KGB headquarters, GUM, Tverskaya street, the Bolshoi theater from the outside etc.
Review by: Jane C, March 2016
Loved this tour of Moscow - was visiting on my own so great way of getting familiar with the city on my first evening. Tour guide was prompt, very friendly and knowledgeable. I did a second tour with her the next day!!!!
Review by: Rick G, September 2015
our guide was amazing
Review by: Suzanne R, July 2015
This was my favourite of all the Russian tours, our guide told personal stories of parents and grandparents under the communist regime in a respectful and interesting way. She showed lots of photos from a bygone era and took us to the former sites of the kgb, the gulag work camps and the shooting house amongst other places of interest. It was like a door to the past and really worth going on.
Review by: Thomas W, July 2015
Great. Elena the guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic with many historic photos to add to the tour.
Review by: Shuni Vashti K, December 2014
It brought an insight to me to understand the kind of communism in Russia. During the tour we didn't merely talk about communism, but also other terms regarding to Russia. A great thanks again to Elena, our tour guide, we had a great time.
Review by: Cynthia M, October 2014
This walking tour was very informative. Our guide, Irina, was very knowledgable and had delightful positive energy. I was pleasantly surprised that we walked and visited so many places. Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes on, as there is alot of walking.
Review by: Bob M H, May 2014
Fascinating info, I'm really glad we did this
Review by: Simon H, April 2014
Great tour guide, was able to answer all our questions. Really would recommend this tour.
Review by: Laura C, April 2014
Fantastic!! Our guide, Elena was fabulous, so knowledgable and clear, brilliant!!
Review by: Ashlea W, January 2014
Irina was a wonderful guide on our Communist Moscow walking tour. She was very knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions we had. The tour took us to many buildings, sites, and monuments that we would not have spotted if exploring by ourselves! Very informative and interesting to get the perspective of Communist Moscow from a young local.
Review by: William M, January 2014
very good - five stars
Review by: Lindsay S, December 2013
This was a very good tour and I am so pleased to have been able to take it. I paid in advance with Viator so was a bit worried it may not happen - but it did. The history, buildings and stories of the old communist Moscow are fascinating.The guide was very good- the strength of this tour I think. She spoke excellent English, was friendly, knowledgeable and candid about the "dark pages " of Moscow's communist history. She was genuinely interested herself in the past of the USSR and was very hopeful, enthusiastic and positive about the future of Russia, very good to see in a young person.Through this guide I was able to gain a glimpse of what Moscow and the USSR had been like- within living memory and what changes are happening for the coming generations as Russia is opening up. There was much compassion for people who had suffered in the dark times but also an alternative view not often heard of how the intention was by many to make a good society in the USSR. If all the guides are as good, I would recommend this tour .
Review by: Jose A, December 2013
Excellent! Paul, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable of the history of the city, its monuments and buildings. Our group was pretty small, so were able to ask Paul any question. I really recommend this tour.
Review by: SONYA S, December 2013
Great tour guide, and learned many interesting facts about Moscow.
Review by: Robert G, September 2013
simply put...AWESOME
Review by: Hermes A, September 2013
very enjyable.
Review by: Anthony G, August 2013
Great tour!
Review by: Margaret R, August 2013
This tour was exceptionally interesting. Elena our tour guide was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour as well. The information which she imparted to us was comprehensive and moving. I thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone interested in this history of Moscow and Russia.
Review by: Brian L, July 2013
Really worthwhile tour. The tour guide was very good and provided an understanding of life during the communist era.
Review by: TeeM, July 2013
This is a great tour. It is interesting and off the beaten path -- and our guide, Elena, was smart and engaging. I feel that this tour helped me reach a better understanding of Communist Moscow.
Review by: Luke C, June 2013
We had an enthusiastic guide bursting with energy and full of information about the communist period. Lots of fun anecdotes and stories as well. The tour concludes in a good area for dinner and is also an easy walk back to Arbat street. It is 2 solid hours of walking so be prepared!
Review by: deon f, May 2013
Hear and see what it took to get Moscow and Russia free!
Review by: Crystal B, May 2013
Very interesting tour- told the story of the rise and fall of Communism in a methodical way that was engaging and logical- I really understood why things happened the way they did. Highly recommend as a nice evening activity when the other attractions are closed.
Review by: Elizabeth W, March 2013
This tour was great! It was a very cold night in Moscow when my sister and I went on this tour with one other person from Argentina. The guide was fun, interesting and full of knowledge. The tour really gave us a good background to the history of Moscow during Communist times and showed us important buildings we would have never known to look for. It was worth the time, money and being in the cold night air for this experience.
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