Baidifu Travel Guide - Moscow

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Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: This book covers knowledge about tourism, transportation, and more. If for you, the primary condition for the art of traveling is that all unknown things are meticulously and systematically listed; or conversely, you believe that novelty is an indispensable joy of travel and the greatest pleasure of living in a foreign land, then please immerse yourself in the chapters of this travel guide. First, this travel guide, despite its limited scope, provides you with a detailed and comprehensive overview of this region. This will be your first journey through these words, and your actual travel will be just as rich and varied. Second, this booklet will become your loyal, cautious, and reliable companion, guiding you through bustling streets and alleys, participating in sometimes challenging folk festivals and celebrations, and navigating maze-like markets without getting lost.
The compilers of this book are deeply fond of islands, utterly enchanted by grasslands, and devoted to snow, dreaming of paradise. We are journalists, writers, translators, art critics, filmmakers, university students, and professors from various travel regions. Of course, there are also professional travelers, former UN peacekeepers, and a handful of brilliant individuals living on the fringes of society! Our group has gathered a circle of global travelers: French, Italian, Spanish, American, Bolivian, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Canadian, and Lebanese—all French speakers. From these geniuses, we have drawn the essence, first cultivating passion to form a personalized, even unique, writing style, which is beneficial for the travel guide.
This travel series, written in multiple languages, is like the Tower of Babel in the Bible—grand but never fully completed. We hope to create a flexible and adaptable series, rather than one bound by rigid conventions. This series clearly depicts the realities of life, faithfully recounting the full scope of the scenery. It loves ancient bricks and mortar and the vibrant colors of markets, and it never shies away from anything.
To compile a travel guide, everything must be included, and the most important information for modern travelers is found on our pages: real life, cultural customs, and adventurous encounters. Of course, there is much more. After presenting the entire journey—this is the role of every travel guide—the decision to set off is yours. Whether you are a well-prepared traveler or an experienced adventurer, a university student or a retiree, and regardless of how you travel—whether with family or friends, traveling alone or in groups—you can choose the best way for you to live in a foreign land.
During the Soviet era, travelers were often motivated by profit and frequently engaged in bartering. Western goods were highly sought after by Soviets, so travelers could trade little for much. They would leave behind their jeans, T-shirts, cigarettes, and other small trinkets symbolizing Western consumer society, while their suitcases were filled with bottles of vodka, jars of caviar, Russian dolls, fur hats, and badges and with images of Lenin, red stars, or hammers and sickles. This "small trade" era has long passed, as they say, "In Moscow, you can find anything,"—as long as it's not in other Russian cities where supplies are indeed scarce, including St. Petersburg.
You no longer stand out; your jeans and cigarettes are almost identical to those of others. With the devaluation of the ruble and the opening of the Russian market to Western products, the world has turned upside down. Pay special attention not to rush to buy cigarettes, spirits, or perfumes at duty-free shops: in the small kiosks lining the streets, you can also find your favorite brands at prices so low they seem suspicious—even for Russians. Similarly, be cautious: some items may very well be counterfeit.