Beyond the headlines

Moscow's beauty, surveillance, surprises

- Bonginkosi Tiwane

Russia and Moscow have bad PR," said a media colleague as we walked the streets of Moscow. These words were sparked by his pleasant surprise at the Russian capital city's beauty and rich history.

Similarly, I was taken aback by a recent study I came across in The Indian Express highlighting the most and least walkable cities worldwide.

In it, my beloved Joburg ranked lowest due to poor safety and planning, while European cities like Germany's Munich, Milan in Italy and Poland's Warsaw were among the top-ranked walkable cities in 2025.

My shock was not seeing Moscow on the list. With cameras on nearly every corner and a police presence everywhere you turn, I have probably felt the safest in Moscow of all cities.

Media from around the world came to attend the Brics+ Fashion Summit and the Moscow Fashion Week.

Now in its third year, the Brics+ Fashion Summit took place from 28 to 30 August.