With a resurrected trainline, a high-concept park, edgy art spaces and changing attitudes, in Moscow old and new are starting to dance — and it’s a fascinating show to watch
Inside the moodily lit Moskovsky Bar in the Four Seasons hotel, Ilya, the barman, is making me a Moscow Mule. It’s a quiet evening and the ground-floor watering hole is almost empty, but Ilya is performing with a panache that suggests an audience. In goes the vodka with an arc of the arm, lifting the bottle like a ballerina in flight. The ginger beer is added with a splash. Then, like a magician unveiling an assistant who, it transpires, has not been sawn in half, he reveals the secret ingredient: kvas, the Russian version of coca cola, glugged from St Petersburg to Vladivostok in the Soviet era. The final touch has come from just as far. “The ice is from Lake Baikal, in Siberia,” he tells me, producing a cube the size of a brick. As he hands me the copper mug I half expect him to say “ta-dah!”
I take the cocktail from him, noticing his tattoos as I do so. Snakes coil their way around his wrist, poking out from underneath his crisp white shirt. For a moment, they throw me, seeming to posit this cool cat of a cocktail maker in Shoreditch, Brooklyn, Kreuzberg or some other hip area of a city that has embraced the 21st century. Not in the Russian capital, where, some might argue, the 20th century is still alive and glowering.
This story is from the July / August 2017 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July / August 2017 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The craftspeople of Sarawak
From ancient pottery to embroidery fit for Miss World, meet the producers championing traditional artisanal creations in Malaysia's island region.
ALTERNATIVE WINTER EXPERIENCES
From ice skating and cross-country skiing to snowy train rides and cosy cabins stays, there are many memorable ways to make the most of the European winter
GOLDEN YEARS
Join the celebrations century of statehood as the island marks half a with fireworks and parades
A TASTE OF The Philippines
A TRIO OF BIG, BOLD FLAVOURS DOMINATES THIS ARCHIPELAGO NATION'S UNIQUE CUISINE
WHERE TO STAY Helsinki
FINLAND'S CAPITAL HAS AN OFFBEAT SIDE THAT SHINES THROUGH IN ITS CREATIVE HOTEL SCENE
A YEAR OF ADVENTURE
Make 2024 one to remember with these epic trips, putting fairytale castles, cultural exchange and slow travel front and centre
Bear Grylls
THE TV PRESENTER AND FORMER SAS OFFICER ON RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL, COMFORT ZONES AND EXPLORING THE WORLD ON HIS DOORSTEP
BOSTON
In the 19th century, Boston was nicknamed 'The Hub of the Solar System' such was its importance at the heart of the young American nation.
BALI
Known for its beaches, jungles and colourful temples, the Indonesian island of Bali is also home to a vibrant and hugely varied offering of local dishes, from grilled octopus with starfruit to rich Padang-style curry
MANCHESTER
A spirit of rebellious creativity infuses the northern city, with old factories turned into artists' studios and a unique sense of style on display throughout