While South Africa’s borders are not yet open for international travel, there’s no harm in planning ahead. Looking for inspiration? Fresh and original ideas? Desperate for waves of creativity? Then these Moscow art clusters will turn your dreams into reality.
Hlebozavod no. 9
Address: Novodmitrovskaya Ulitsa 1, m. Dmitrovskaya, open 24 hours
A gigantic red constructivist-style building, factory chimney, silver cylindrical aggregates that look like barrels, and bizarre geometric graffiti – all synonymous with the avant-garde era. Here you will not only find inspiration, but also many interesting places such as the vinyl turntable and record stores, authentic Asian and Brazilian cuisine restaurants, and bars where concerts are held. There is so much here, including ukuleles, comics and levitating plant shops!
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Vinyl turntable store On Kai: https://www.instagram.com/onkaimaster/
Vinyl record store Stoprobot: https://www.instagram.com/stoprobotvinyl/
Supermarket Asia cafe: https://supermarketasia.ru/#cafe
TamEm cafe: https://www.instagram.com/tamemcafe/
Brazilian restaurant Lars: https://www.instagram.com/larsvegans/
Bar Rumochnaya 9: https://www.instagram.com/ryumochnaya9/
Flacon Design Factory
Address: Bolshaya Novodmitrovskaya 36, m. Dmitrovskaya, open 24 hours
Flacon is a festival that never ends. There are indie brand sales, artists strolling everywhere, musicians, handmade lovers and freaks, bright street art, and charismatic architecture and music. Here everyone can be themselves, and even the space itself is declared to its inhabitants: “Do what you want!” You can dine at the Georgian bistro, the Chinese restaurant, or eat grilled meat. And for lovers of unusual clothes and souvenirs, there are many shops to browse through. But this place is especially fun on warm summer nights when everything comes alive with neon colours; summer evenings in local bars are filled with laughter, and walking and dancing goes on until the morning.
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Georgian bistro YUG: https://www.instagram.com/yug.cafe/
Chinese restaurant Silver Panda: https://www.instagram.com/officialsilverpanda/
Adam’s Ribs: https://www.instagram.com/adamsribmsk/
Vkus & Cvet cafe: https://www.instagram.com/vkus_and_cvet/
Husky Wear: https://www.facebook.com/HUSKYWEAR/
VSESTILNO: https://www.instagram.com/vsestilno/
Laser B: https://www.instagram.com/laserbshop/
Pravda Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/pravda_coffee/
Kawaii Factory: https://www.instagram.com/kawaiifactory/
Respublica: https://www.instagram.com/respublica_ru/
Amsterdam bar: https://www.instagram.com/amsterbar.flacon/
Iskra bar: http://iskrabar.ru/
Aviator
Address: Olkhovskaya Ulitsa 14, m. Baumanskaya, Krasnoselskaya, open 24 hours
Aviator can be called the centre of the capital’s underground culture. There is something wild and alien in this space, with its incredible aviation-themed graffiti, homemade benches, vandal-like inscriptions, skate parties and night punk concerts. There are two nightclubs where concerts, festivals and other events are held. On weekday mornings, it is so empty and quiet here that you feel like you’re in some kind of psychedelic desert. This is a place of protest and freedom – and of course it is a very interesting location for shooting. You can also enjoy great coffee and shop for some fun vintage items.
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Punk Fiction: https://www.instagram.com/punkfiction.skatebar/
Uspex: https://www.instagram.com/bar.uspex/
West4: https://west4.coffee/contacts/west4-roasters
Kompot Petrovich: https://www.instagram.com/kompot_petrovich/
Rus Aviator: http://aviatorhostel.ru/
Red October
Address: Beresnevskaya Naberezhnaya 6, m. Kropotkinskaya, Tretyakovskaya, open 24 hours
This is a former chocolate factory and is especially beautiful at sunset, with the red bricks blazing in the sun. You can walk along these cozy streets and hear the relaxing rhythms of the lounge and the laughter of people from the cafe. There are many who walk here during the day – children, dogs and students. After all, there are two institutes here. Red October is located right in the centre of Moscow, close to the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Pushkin Museum and Gorky Park. There is everything you can imagine – galleries, restaurants, museums and cafes. At night, it turns into one of the trendiest places in Moscow, thanks to its the famous night clubs.
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Lumiere Brothers Gallery: http://www.lumiere.ru/
Chocolate Museum: https://chocomuseum.ru/excursions/
Moscow Point hotel: https://www.instagram.com/moscowpoints/
Medusa: https://www.instagram.com/medusa.kitchenbar/
Magadan: https://www.instagram.com/magadan.official/
Syrovarnya: https://www.instagram.com/syrovarnya_official/
DoubleB: https://www.instagram.com/doublebcoffeetea/
Urbancafe: http://urbancafe.moscow/
Cofix: https://www.instagram.com/cofixrussia/
Gypsy: https://bargipsy.com/
Live Stars: https://livestarsclub.ru/
Khokhlovka Art Neighborhood
Address: Khokhlovskiy Ln., 7-9, m. Kitay-gorod, open 24 hours
There is a special quarter in the very centre of Moscow. Its peculiarity is that it is a naturally formed art space. A few generations of Moscow’s Bohemians have lived here, and the air is literally saturated with this authenticity. There are unusual surroundings here – a vintage, old-fashioned, “dilapidated” feel, which contrasts starkly with the Porsches and Maseratis parked nearby. There is a grand piano and leather armchairs in the courtyard under the trees decorated with ribbons, and mirrors hang on the walls of the houses. Here you will find boutiques of Russian designers, vintage store, cafes and the Hyperion bookstore, where you can buy souvenirs and postcards.
TRY THESE SPOTS
HHLVK: https://www.instagram.com/hhlvk/
LEGACY vintage store: https://www.instagram.com/legacy.vintage.store/
Blanc cafe: https://www.instagram.com/blanc_msk/
Red Brick cafe and hotel: http://caferedbrick.com/en/
Hyperion: https://www.instagram.com/hyperionbook/
ArtPlay
Address: Nizhnaya Syromyatnicheskaya 10, m. Chkalovskaya, Kurskaya, opening hours 10:00am–23:00pm
Have you watched The Fifth Element? This space immerses you in a completely different atmosphere. A huge yellow staircase is attached directly to the building. Nearby is a house that looks like crumpled paper; the number 25, as tall as several people, on an incredibly red wall; and, most importantly, this place completely distorts the sense of your own size. Raise your head and see a huge David! Climb up the labyrinths of stairs and people are scattered below, like in a cartoon about little people running around drawn squares. Here you can buy cool clothes and jewellery from local shops, enjoy dinner and drink good wine. There are several good restaurants. You can also drink coffee on the balcony overlooking the Yauza.
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Kirill Karavaev store: https://www.instagram.com/kirillkaravaev.ru/
Saharok store: https://www.instagram.com/saharokstore/
Cafe Gauguin: https://www.instagram.com/cafegauguin/
Rybnoe Mesto: https://www.instagram.com/fishplacemoscow/
Bokalnya YouWine: https://bokalnya.ru/
Bitter Drop: https://www.instagram.com/bitterdrop.c/
Surf Coffee: https://www.surfcoffee.ru/surf-coffee-stores/surf-artplay
Silver Panda: https://www.instagram.com/officialsilverpanda/
Burger First: https://www.instagram.com/burgerfirst/
Arma
Address: Nizhniy Susalniy Pereulok 5, m. Kurskaya, open 24 hours
On weekdays, it is pretty deserted here. There is something dark and medieval about this atmosphere. You can wander all by yourself among the huge cylindrical gasometers of dark red brick and flower beds along perfectly paved paths. The gloomy, austere grandeur of the gasometers combined with bars, a restaurant and boutiques is very distinctive. There is a craft brewery with a bar, where you can taste different styles of beer and varieties of fruit ales. You can also shop for interesting clothes here, dine at local restaurateurs, attend a bar party, and sip on great coffee.
TRY THESE SPOTS
Wolf’s Brewery: http://en.wolfsbrewery.ru/
Beauty In Look: https://www.instagram.com/beauty_in_look/
Silver Panda: https://www.instagram.com/officialsilverpanda/
Prime Star cafe: https://www.instagram.com/prime_star_cafe/
Killfish bar: https://killfish.ru/
Cofix: https://www.instagram.com/cofixrussia/
Winzavod (wine factory)
Address: Moscow, 4th Syromyatnicheskiy Pereulok 1/8, bldg.6, m. Kurskaya, Chkalovskaya, opening hours 10:00am–23:00pm
“Art heals!” declares the inscription on the entrance gate – the aesthetics are in the air. The vastness and the sounds of jazz mixed with foreign speech; everything is drawn out and unhurried, as befits art lovers. There are several art galleries, including XL, Ovcharenko, pop / off / art, and others. Various exhibitions are constantly held here. There is an art school, dance studio, and even a school of collectors and experts. And in between walking through the galleries, shooting against the backdrop of graffiti, or studying, you can sit in cafes, visit a rare niche cosmetics and perfume shop, Russian designer boutiques, or stop at the fun souvenir shop.
TRY THESE SPOTS
XL: https://www.instagram.com/xl_gallery/
Ovcharenko: https://ovcharenko.art/
pop / off / art: https://www.instagram.com/popoffart/
Zurzum cafe: https://www.instagram.com/zurzumcafe/
Hitrye Ludi: https://www.instagram.com/hitrye_lyudi/
Cosmotheca: https://www.instagram.com/cosmotheca/
The author, Anastasia Levchenko, is a photographer, Moscow native, and an aspiring travel writer. You can view some of her work here.
