About this tour
On this unusual walk the children learn to notice what thousands of people walk past every day. Curls on façades, mysterious animals, ancient chambers, little Gothic turrets, windows unlike any other — Moscow turns into an enormous book, and we learn to read it together.
- For the children — a genuine architectural investigation with photographs, a hunt for details and discoveries they did not expect.
- For teenagers — a chance to see how Moscow changed over several centuries, and why its buildings are so unalike.
- For the parents — a walk through one of the most beautiful historic districts of the capital, after which you will look at the city quite differently.
How the tour goes
Our journey starts at Kitay-gorod — one of the oldest districts of Moscow.
The children are handed cards with photographs of unusual architectural details. Their task is to look around carefully, compare, notice — and find the one building that… does not exist.
Along the way we look at ancient chambers, grand merchant courts, Art Nouveau buildings, Gothic elements and pseudo-Russian architecture. Bit by bit the children learn to tell arches, reliefs, volutes, columns and many other elements apart — things that until now looked like mere decoration.
At the finish there is a small creative challenge and a keepsake surprise.
What you will see
- Ancient white-stone chambers
- The historic streets of Kitay-gorod
- Old merchant courts
- Unusual buildings in the Gothic style
- Art Nouveau architecture
- Buildings in the pseudo-Russian style
- Dozens of remarkable details that normally go unnoticed
What you will learn
- What an arch, a relief and a volute are
- How Art Nouveau differs from Gothic
- How to tell a building's age from its façade
- Why architecture is called the language of a city
- Which animals “live” on Moscow's façades
- How to notice beauty even in the most ordinary streets
Who it suits
- Families with children from 8 years old
- Curious teenagers
- Anyone who loves a beautiful walk through Moscow
- Young photographers and creative children
- Anyone who wants to learn to see a city afresh
How to prepare
- Comfortable shoes
- A phone or camera — there will be a lot of photographs
- A hat in sunny weather
- Bring water
Book a tour
Leave your phone number and we will call back and find a date.
