After three years of construction, Moscow has finally opened Zaryadye Park to the public. Located just across the street from the Kremlin, the new park stretches along the Moscow River on the site of the ancient Zaryadye neighborhood, where the gigantic Soviet-built Rossiya Hotel once stood.
The Rossiya was shuttered in 2006 and slowly demolished, and the prime real estate stood empty for seven years. The architect chosen to convert the space into a park was Manhattan-based Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, and the result is far more than just a stretch of grass with trees and benches. It is packed with high-tech structures, including an artificial ice labyrinth, a philharmonic hall concealed in a hill, and a simulator that flies viewers over Moscow’s best-known landmarks. The park itself is also a complicated affair, with various geobotanical zones featuring flora from Russia’s different regions – from the humid Caucasus mountains to the upper reaches of the northern tundra.
While the idea of a new public space in the city center appealed to Muscovites, many have been appalled by the project’s skyrocketing costs: over 14 billion rubles ($240 million). Subsequent to the highly-publicized opening, city hall said that visitors had already damaged plant life and some structures, and sources said the final budget could top $433 million when restoration and additional features, like a private luxury hotel, are added to the mix.
Moscow is launching a new hotel, the capital’s first bearing the Hyatt Regency brand. Called the Hyatt Regency Moscow Petrovsky Park, the premium-class location is situated near the historic Petrovsky Park, northwest of the center, and near Dynamo Stadium, which is being revamped ahead of next year’s World Cup. The hotel has 298 rooms and suites, a gym with swimming pool, and several restaurants. The brand also runs hotels in Sochi and Yekaterinburg. The Moscow hotel is set to open by the end of the year and is already accepting reservations for next year. Room rates start at R11,700 ($200) per night.
Moscow’s Domodedovo airport has opened a small hotel inside its terminal. With just 35 windowless rooms that measure ten square meters each, the Aerotel Express is found on the second floor, above the international arrivals zone. It offers stays from just a couple hours, so that travelers can relax on layovers; full day rates are far more expensive than at a regular hotel. Prices are R2700 for two hours, R5000 for six hours, and R8900 for a full day. Visitors can book a stay through the hotel website.
airhoteldme.ru
The first official North Korean tourism agency has opened in Moscow, offering tours ranging from seaside vacations to immersion in the country’s Juche ideology and culture. The agency offers full visa support and has been launched amid a public relations drive that included a series of positive reports about North Korea on Russian state television.
Tours range from 5 days (R58,000) to 15 days (R140,000), which includes “all natural and architectural landmarks,” such as the Museum of the Foundation of the Korean Workers Party, the country’s biggest hydroelectric plant, and various mountains and waterfalls.
nkorean.ru
A small airline, Azimut, has begun service from Rostov-on-Don and will move to the city’s new Platov Airport late this year. The airport is about 30 kilometers from the city and is still under construction ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Azimut currently flies from Rostov to Moscow, Novosibirsk, Samara, and St. Petersburg. It also offers flights from Moscow to the Siberian city of Omsk. A round trip from Moscow to Rostov costs about R5,000, but cheaper fares are available to those flying without checked baggage. The airline uses three Sukhoi Superjet 100s, and its fleet is set to expand to nine planes in all.
Land of the Leopard, a national park in Russia’s Far East, has launched a new center for the preservation of the Far Eastern leopard, also known as the Amur leopard, which is native to that part of Russia. Opened in the small village of Barabash, not far from the Russian-Chinese border, the center will be used by scientists and tourists alike and feature exhibitions, lectures, and even lodging for travelers and visiting researchers. Land of the Leopard offers visitors several trails for exploration, and charges R1,100 per person per night for its guest house.
leopard-land.ru
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