Novodevichy Monastery occupies a very specific place in Russian history. On the grounds surrounded by the Kremlinesque walls, which were built to act as a fortress, are four cathedrals including the majestic four-onion globes of Smolensky Cathedral which dates back to 1524. It was at Novodevichy that Peter the Great imprisoned his sister Sophia and executed her supporters from the Streltsy rebellion. 

Close-by, the vast Novodevichy Cemetary. Anyone who was anyone is here. Russians adore statues and immense monuments and it’s a fascinating place to explore. Notable graves include Chekhov, Eisenstein, Khrushchev and Yeltsin. 

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The Tretyakov gallery houses 1300 works of Russian art from the 11th till the early 20th century, beginning from pre-Mongolian icons and mosaics and ending with landscape, portrait, historical paintings and masterpieces. The works of the great artists Kiprensky’s “Portrait of Alexander Pushkin”,  Vereshchagin’s, “Triumph”, Vastnetsov’s “Bogatyrs” (Warriors), Aivazovsky’s “The Black Sea”, and “The Rainbow”, particularly took my fancy.