Visiting Moscow on business can be a surreal experience. The legacy of the Cold War is still vivid: The Kremlin walls are as forbidding as ever; the cobbles of Red Square still seem to carry the echo of vast Red Army parades; Lenin continues to lie in state in his granite mausoleum.

But communism never sat easily on this city, which has always been the wheeler-dealer hub of Russia. Stripped of political ideology, Moscow has been quick to embrace capitalism in all its excess. Coca-Cola billboards have replaced the political slogans that once adorned the sides of public buildings. Under the communists, there was nothing worth buying. Now, everything is for sale.

Moscow cannot be defined easily. It is bleak and austere, yet also colorful and ornate. It is intimidating, yet also friendly. It is a European city, yet there are strong Asian influences. It is insular and yet also cosmopolitan. On some street corners you’ll see people selling off their personal possessions for a pittance, and yet some of the richest executives in the world sit in Moscow boardrooms. Take any preconception to Moscow and it will probably be realized.

Geographically, the city is relatively easy to get to know. Think of two ovals, one inside the other. The outer oval is the 67-mile-long Moscow Ring Road, enfolding a total area of 545 square miles; the inner oval is the Garden Ring, encompassing the heart of the city with the Kremlin at its center. Several major roads-prospekts-link these two ovals; on a map they fan out from the Kremlin like spokes. Threading through this ordered layout is the meandering Moskva River, which itself is a major thoroughfare: From here, vessels can navigate along hundreds of miles of waterways to the Baltic Sea in the northwest and the Black and
Caspian seas in the southeast.

As the capital of the world’s largest country (Russia is almost twice the size of the continental United States), Moscow provides access to a vast market. But negotiating the complexities of the burgeoning Russian economy can be fraught with danger and frustration, with an abundance of scams and bureaucracy to trip you up. Fortunately, there are many aboveboard business services to help newcomers through the minefield. Waytorussia.net is one of several Web sites offering a concise online directory of business centers, translation services and other essentials for a successful visit.

The official Moscow Web site (www.moscowguide.ru) is fairly useful for background, though it is rather eccentrically written.

Architecturally, this is a city like no other. Dreadful Stalinist skyscrapers coexist with beautiful, onion-domed cathedrals. Deep beneath the streets, the city’s magnificent underground features many subway stations that resemble palaces, complete with gold-leaf décor and chandeliers.

For an American, the political and economic upheaval that Muscovites have endured in the last 15 years is unimaginable. The fabric of their city has remained more or less the same, but every other aspect of life has altered beyond recognition, with one exception: the resilience of the populace. As you get to know the people, you can’t help but view Moscow-for all its faults and difficulties-with admiration.

Where to Stay

Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow
When it opened in 2002, the Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow instantly leapt to the top of the tree. It is stylish, very modern, and is strategically located close to Red Square and the central business district. Its three restaurants serve Armenian, European and Japanese cuisine. The 10th-floor bar has stunning views of Moscow’s landmarks. There are 203 spacious rooms and 15 suites, all fully equipped for business travelers.
Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow, 4 Ulitsa Neglinnaya
Moscow, Russia, tel 7 095 7831234
www.moscow.park.hyatt.com

The Savoy Hotel
Dating to 1913, the Savoy Hotel offers a tasteful blend of art nouveau and baroque styles. For decades it languished in fading grandeur, but in 1999 it was completely refurbished. Its 86 rooms retain much of their aristocratic elegance without compromising the modern
needs of travelers. Located just around the corner from the Bolshoi Theater, the Savoy is frequented by international VIPs and possesses an ingredient that was missing from the old Soviet hotels: class.
The Savoy Hotel
3 Rozhdestvenka St.
Moscow, Russia
tel 7 095 9298500

Sovietsky Hotel
Different in a throwback kind of way, the Sovietsky Hotel offers a slice of the old U.S.S.R. For communist apparatchiks and international heads of state (including Margaret Thatcher),
this was the place to stay. The 100 standard rooms, refurbished in 1997, have all the modern
conveniences. There are also 30 apartments. The Yar Restaurant, around which the hotel was
built on Stalin’s orders in 1952, is one of the best in Moscow.
The Sovietsky Hotel, 32/2 Leningradsky Prospekt
Moscow, Russia, tel 7 095 9602000, fax 7 095 2508003
sovietsky.all-hotels.ru

Hotel Katerina
A Swedish-run property two miles south of the Kremlin, Hotel Katerina is a model of Scandinavian simplicity. The hotel occupies two buildings, one dating to the 18th century, the other purpose-built, and has 119 cozy rooms. If you’re looking for somewhere quiet and
unpretentious, this is the place.
Hotel Katerina, Shluzovaya Naberezhnaya 6/1
Moscow, Russia, tel 7 095 9330401
www.katerina.msk.ru/eng

Where to Dine

In Soviet times, food was something merely to eat, not to enjoy. Once a gastronomic wasteland, Moscow now has a range of restaurants to rival any other major city. Whether you are in the
mood for caviar or just a burger, there is no shortage of options.

Most of the major fast-food outlets are represented, and there are several local chains, such as Russkiy Bliny, which offers fresh pancakes from outlets throughout the city. Moscow is the ideal place to sample the ethnic cuisines of the old U.S.S.R: Azeri, Armenian, Georgian, Ukrainian, Uzbek-there are restaurants dedicated to each.

Praga Restaurant
The Praga (or Prague) is an old favorite, celebrated as much for its endurance as its food. It has occupied its prestigious location at the head of Arbat Street since the 1870s, and its history is entwined with that of the city. It was here that Chekhov toasted the opening of his play The Three Sisters, and it is here that many of the country’s movers and shakers have plotted over dinner. The interior is huge and ornate, and there’s the option of forking over the royal sum of $500 for the privilege of dining in the exclusive Tsar’s Hall. The food, which includes Czech specialties, is decent but not spectacular. Main courses cost $10 to $20. Reservations required.
Praga Restaurant, 2 Arbat, Moscow, Russia
tel 7 095 2906171

Uley Restaurant
At Uley (also spelt Ulei), food quality is paramount. The menu is unique-an adventurous fusion of European and Asian elements. The smoked duck is excellent, as is the Chilean sea bass. The
chocolate cake is justly renowned. Main courses cost $10 to $20. Sunday brunch costs about $35.
Uley Restaurant, 7 Ulitsa Gasheka, Moscow, Russia
tel 7 095 7974333

Noev Kovcheg
The name, which translates as “Noah’s Ark,” dates back to 1999; prior to that, this popular Armenian restaurant was called Elegance. Among the specialties is a traditional beef and potato
dish called Ker-u-Sus, meaning “eat, don’t talk,” though don’t take it literally-Armenians are world-class talkers, and the atmosphere reflects that. Main courses cost $10 to $20.
Noev Kovcheg, 7-9/1 Maly Ivanovsky, Moscow, Russia
tel 7 095 917 0717, www.noevkovcheg.ru

Where to Go

Post-Soviet freedom is taken to extremes after dark. Anything goes-for a price. Spiked drinks are not unheard of, so maintain your guard. One of the most infamous nightclubs is Night Flight
(17 Ulitsa Tverskaya, tel 7 095 229 165, www.nightflight.ru), where women “of a certain kind” outnumber men 10 to one, and a “date” (to put it politely) will cost more than $200. Utka, formerly The Hungry Duck (9/6 Ulitsa Pushechnaya, tel 7 095 923 6158) earned its reputation as one of the wildest spots on the planet in the 1990s, though things are (a little) tamer now. Propaganda (7 Bolshoi Zlatoustinsky Pereulok) is a vast dance club, often featuring top foreign DJs. A more sedate musical scene is to be found at BB King (4/2 ul. Sadovaya Samotyochnaya), where visiting musicians such as Sting occasionally put on impromptu performances.

If high culture is your thing, Moscow has a wealth of choices. The Bolshoi Theatre (www.bolshoi.ru) is home to one of the world’s premier ballet companies, though the theater itself has seen better days. You can usually book through your hotel; tickets cost $10 to $60. The Moscow Conservatory (13 Bolshaya Nikitskaya, tel 7 095 2298183) puts on a first-rate program of classical concerts in its two halls, and is the venue for the famed Tchaikovsky Competition, held at four-year intervals.

What to Buy

If you only have time to visit one shop, make it GUM (the initials stand for State Department Store in Russian). Situated on Red Square opposite the Kremlin, it dates back to the 19th century. GUM’s three glass-roofed arcades provide irrefutable evidence of Russia’s transformation: The old Soviet shops have given way to international retailers. There are a few souvenir shops on the first floor.

Dom Knigi, on Noviy Arbat (New Arbat Street), is the city’s best bookstore, with a good range of English titles. If you’re looking for antiques, beware. Fakes are in abundance, and genuine
articles-such as religious icons and samovars (tea urns)-often require an export license. Your best bet is Aktsiya, a chain of antiques stores where you can buy items from the pre-Soviet
period, as well as a variety of communist memorabilia. Sales clerks at branches of Aktsiya will usually help with any necessary paperwork. The shop at the Museum of Modern History (formerly
the Museum of the Revolution, 21 Ulitsa Tverskaya) sells a selection of Soviet collectibles at modest prices.

Most souvenir shops can furnish you with the obligatory matryoshka dolls, which open up to reveal smaller versions within, as well as fur hats (essential in winter) and KGB T-shirts.

What to See

Red Square should be your first sightseeing stop. St. Basil’s Cathedral, at the southern end, is magnificent; admission $3, Wed.-Sun. Entry to the Lenin Mausoleum, where Lenin’s embalmed body lies in state, is free.

The Kremlin (www.kremlin.museum.ru) is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fri.-Wed. A $7 ticket gives you access to all of the main buildings; photo permits cost $3.

Arbat Street is a great place to get a feel for Moscow life.

The Tretyakov Gallery houses the world’s greatest collection of Russian art.

The Metro is an attraction in its own right; the stations were designed as palaces for the people. The most interesting of these include Arbatskaya, Komsomolskaya and Park Kultury.

The Circle Line is best for sightseeing.

Want to Go?

International flights arrive at Sheremetevo-2 Airport (SVO), 17 miles northwest of downtown. Taxis cost close to $100 for the ride into town. The best hotels can arrange to meet you, for around $50. If you arrive first class with Aeroflot, there is a free limousine service to your hotel. By public transport, you can get into town by a combination of minibus and metro for around $1, though if you look like a newcomer you’ll be a sitting duck for pickpockets.

Domestic flights are served by Moscow’s three other airports: Domodedovo (DME),Vnukovo
(VKO) and Bykovo (BKA). If you are heading for St. Petersburg, there are options other than flying: by train from Leningrad station; or by boat from one of the two river terminals.

Aeroflot (tel 888 340 6400,www.aeroflot.com), which has improved beyond recognition in recent
years, usually offers the best value between the United States and Moscow, with flights from five U.S. cities. Other airlines flying into Moscow include Delta, Continental, British Airways and KLM.