Formerly the estate of Moscow’s tsars and dukes, Kolomenskoye located 10 miles (16km) south of Moscow, is a welcome retreat from the city and easily accessible by public transportation. The scenic setting offers fantastic views over the Moskva River. Listed as a World Heritage Site in 1994, Kolomenskoye’s Church of the Ascension in its tent-like posture, is the most dominant structure on the estate. The estate’s other notable religious structure is the Church of Our Lady of Kazan with its blue onion domes.
Another short trip out of town is to Arkhangelskoye, once home to Prince Yusupov. This palatial estate located about 15 miles (25 km) from Moscow, is built in the Classicism Style and is famous for its painting, sculptures, ceramics and furniture. Within the estate is the French Park that has monuments to Pushkin and Catherine the Great.
