Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin is the heart of the Russia capital. Major thoroughfares of the city either converge on the Kremlin, or form series of concentric circles around it. The Kremlin Great Palace and Palace of Congresses are the meeting places of sessions of the congresses of people's deputies of Russia. A small settlement in the twelfth century, the residence of the ruler of a feudal principality and, finally, the capital of the united Russian state at the end of the fifteenth century, Moscow grew and developed around the Kremlin. With time it became a symbol of the entire country. Today the Kremlin is the main political centre and artistic ensemble in the capital, the seat of the supreme bodies of state power.

Diamond Fund In 1967 an exhibition entitled "Diamond Fund" was opened in the Armory building. It contained a world-famous collection of precious stones, masterpieces of 18th- and 19th-century jewelry and platinum and gold nuggets. The treasures of the Diamond Fund are part of the national state heritage. Ever since 1922, they have been under the State Valuables Depository (Gokhran). The nucleus of the collection consists of pieces of jewelry made for the royal court and the Imperial regalia, which were regarded as the property of the Crown, hence the term "crown valuables". Peter the Great placed the crown valuables in the safekeeping of the state following a decree in 1719, which declared the regalia to be the pride and glory of Russia. The collection of regalia in the Diamond Fund consists of the Great and Small crowns, maces, scepters, the Great Chain with the cross and star of the Order of St Andrew the First-Called and clasps to fasten the coronation mantle. All these items are of great artistic, historical and material value. They were used almost without changes at all of the coronations right up to that of Nicholas II in 1896. The Great Imperial Crown made in 1762 for the coronation of Catherine the Great by the court jeweler J.Pauzie represents the height of creative imagination, lavish beauty and skilled workmanship. It is adorned with five thousand diamonds arranged in a splendid pattern of laurel wreaths and oak branches. The glitter of the diamonds is enhanced by two rows of gleaming pearls and the crown is topped by a huge red spinel, the second largest in the world, which weighs almost 400 carats.

The Armoury Chamber It is the oldest museum in Russia and is now the home to a staggering collection of priceless artifacts and royal treasures dating back to the 14th century. Although there are historical records proving the existence of the Armory collection as far back as 1508, the Armory's present Russo-Byzantine building wasn't designed until the 1840s. Built by Tsar Nicholas I's favorite architect, Konstantin Thon, the Armory was intended to echo the architectural style of the Kremlin Palace and harmonize with the entire Kremlin ensemble. Initially the Armory was just a small stone chamber, built to house and protect the Kremlin's growing collection of priceless jewelry, embroidered cloth, ceremonial robes, arms, enamelware and icons. Much later in 1726 the collections of the Kazenny Dvor (Imperial Treasury) were incorporated into those of the Armory and in 1806 the building was transformed into a museum and the combined collections put on display for visitors to see. The Armory's collections are vast and encompass everything from the crown jewels and Tsarist uniforms and costumes to historic arms, armor and a magnificent collection of Imperial carriages. The exhibits are arranged into themed areas on the upper and lower floors of the building. The lower floor is definitely the more impressive and features the priceless costumes, crowns, thrones and carriages of Russia's rulers from medieval times to the turn of the 20th century. The Armory's upper floor contains a staggering and somewhat overwhelming collection of Imperial treasures and armor.

Red Square It is located at the foot of the Kremlin's eastern walls. It is a vast open space some 73,000 sq m (87,300 sq yd) in extent, dates from the 15th century and is dominated by two impressive buildings at either end: the Cathedral of Saint Basil the Blessed, a 16th-century onion-domed building, and the late-19th-century State Historical Museum. The Red Square has been the scene of many disturbances and demonstrations, and for decades it was used by the Soviet government for its May Day military parades and celebrations to mark the anniversary of the Russian Revolution of 1917. The embalmed body of former Soviet leader Vladimir Ilich Lenin is displayed for public viewing in a mausoleum on Red Square.

The Vassily-the-Blessed Cathedral St. Basil's Blessed Cathedral is unique. It is remarkably designed, made up of labyrinthine rooms. For that reason perhaps the Cathedral has been labeled slightly Eastern. Around the central area there are eight points representing an eight-pointed star, reflecting the day of Christ's Resurrection, the eighth day of God's Creation. It is the star of Bethlehem, which showed the wise kings the way to baby Jesus; it also symbolizes the Universal Church in its purest incarnation, Eastern Orthodoxy. The star is of two squares; the tips of the first are made up of light, and of the second, the four Evangelists. Their intersection represents the spreading of the Lord's word throughout the entire world. The Cathedral used to consist of 25 domes. Apart from the 9 major ones, 16 minor ones, a symbol of the heavenly throne surrounded by 24 elders. The interior gallery is shaped like a 12 pointed cross, which reflects the 12 gates of Heavenly Jerusalem. St. Basil's Cathedral is the most important Cathedral in the Third Rome. Its architecture demonstrates Gods protection of Russia's lands. The roof of the cathedral is a symbol of the Mother of Gods' eternal concern that faith should be maintained and upheld.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior After the Revolution, the prominent site of the cathedral was chosen by the Soviets as the site for a monument of socialism known as the Palace of Soviets. This monument was to rise in modernistic, buttressed tiers to support a gigantic statue of Lenin perched atop a dome with his arm raised in blessing. On December 5, 1931, by the order of Kaganovich, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was dynamited and reduced to rubble. The construction of the Palace of Soviets was interrupted due to a lack of funds, problems with flooding from the nearby Moskva River, and the outbreak of war. The flooded foundation hole remained on the site until, under Nikita Khrushchev, it was transformed into a huge public swimming pool. With the end of the Soviet rule, the Russian Orthodox Church received permission to rebuild the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, in February 1990.

Novodevichiy Convent This 16-17th century complex of 15 buildings, surmounted by golden domes, is one of the oldest religious complexes in Moscow. It was here that women from the royal family and top-ranking boyar families took the veil, thereby closely linking its history with the life of the Russian state from the 16th to early 18th centuries. The Novodevichiy Convent, also known as the Convent of the Smolensk Icon of Our Lady, was founded in 1524 by Grand Prince Vasily III to commemorate the recapture of the city of Smolensk from the Lithuanians. It was called Novodevichiy ("New Maidens") because it was situated not far from the older 14th century St. Alexei convent. The convent, built as a fortress at the intersection of three crossings of the Moskva River, became an important component of the capital's southern defence belt. It played an important part in the struggle against the Tatar conquerors and the Polish invaders. In 1591, when the Crimean Khan Kazy Girei tried to cross the Moskva River, the convent's cannon compelled the enemy to retreat. In 1612, the troops led by Dmitri Pozharsky defeated Hetman Chodkiewiez's detachments here. You can see additional photo at website of Moscow views

Tretiakovskay Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery is the national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the greatest museums in the world. It is located in one of the oldest directs of Moscow – Zamoskvorechye, not far from the Kremlin. The Gallery's collection consists entirely of Russian art and artists who have made а contribution to the history of Russian art or have been closely connected with it. The collection contains more than 130,000 works of paintings, sculptures and graphics, created throughout the centuries by successive generations of Russian artists.

Kuskovo Estate The estate comprises the central palace and a number of smaller buildings and architectural follies dotted throughout an extensive landscape park, which includes formal French gardens, ponds, lakes and Russian and Italian sculptures. These buildings were designed and built by both French and Russian architects and took over 40 years to complete. The centerpiece of the estate, the wedding cake-like main Palace, was constructed entirely of wood and although damaged by the French during the Napoleonic Wars of 1812, has since been completely restored to its former glory. You can read about Kuskovo in Wikipedia and admire nice views of this Estate

Arkhangelskoye Estate The State Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum is located in Krasnogorsky district of Moscow region, 20 km to the west from the capital. The estate is an outstanding example of the Russian manorial architecture. Archangelskoye is famous for the estate's magnificent beauty and unique art collections. The Russian manorial estate Arkhangelskoye was built more than 300 years ago and since then has changed hands several times. In 1810 it became the property of a nobleman, patron of the arts, the wealthy and educated Prince Nikolai Yusupov, who turned the estate into a luxurious palace complex, which was eventually dubbed a Russian Versailles. The comparison rests first of all on the enormous regular park planned exactly like the residence of the French kings. 150 hectares accommodate hothouses, terraces, arbors, flowerbeds, alleys, and fountains decorated with 200 sculptures made of the famous Carrara marble brought by the Prince from Italy. Also from Italy Yusupov brought sculptors, who worked on the estate for decades. The palace's principal building was meant above all for accommodating the Prince's rich art collection. Many leading museums of the world might envy Yusupov his collection of original Tiepolos, Van Dykes, Davids, Rokotovs and other great masters. French painting features most prominently in the collection. During the many years of his stay in France Nikolai Yusupov had met Voltaire, Rousseau and Beaumarchais and placed orders for paintings for Arkhangelskoye with the celebrated Greuze and Fragonard. When he learned about Yusupov's hobbies, King Louis XYIII presented him with three tapestries. Yusupov was also acquainted with Napoleon and made such a favorable impression on him that obtained permission to sit in the Emperor's box at all theatrical performances. When leaving for Russia, Yusupov received a gift from Napoleon - two vases of Sevres porcelain. The friendly relations with the Emperor proved to do a favor to the estate. When in 1812 Napoleon's troops entered Moscow, he did not destroy the estate At present there is a chance to revive there the once famous ceramic production and the facsimile production of copies of sculptures, and hold festivals of the arts and other events. Eight out of the estate's twenty structures are now ready to receive visitors, one of the palace's wing houses an exhibition of paintings from the museum's reserves. As the summer came, wooden boxes were removed from marble sculptures, which protected them from snow, and some of the fountains were switched on. Visitors can have a walk along the alleys, which remember the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, who devoted many of his wonderful verses to this place.

Kolomenskoye
Kolomenskoye is a former royal estate situated several miles to the south-east of Moscow downtown, on the ancient road leading to the town of Kolomna (hence the name). The scenic area which overlooks the steep banks of the Moskva River became a part of Moscow in the 1960s. You can read about Kolomenskoye in Wikipedia