City News
Cultural tourists can now add a new destination to visit in the Russian capital. In June 12th, the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art will open to the public in its new home in Gorky Park (garageccc.com/en). Designed by Dutch starchitect Rem Koolhaas, the building was financed by art collector Dasha Zhukova, who is also known as the wife of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. The 5400 m2 edifice stands in the place of the Vremena Goda, a restaurant that was built in the 1960s and was closed in the 1990s, standing empty and neglected for 20 years.
Garage Museum in Gorky Park, overview. Image courtesy of OMA
Some of the restaurant’s Soviet-era tiles, bricks and mosaics have been preserved, while the building itself was raised 2.25 metres above the ground and encapsulated in a transparent double polycarbonate casing. Divided into two levels, the Garage space houses five exhibition galleries, a store, a café, an auditorium and – since one of the museum’s priorities is education – a creative centre for children.
Russian artist Erik Bulatov created a gigantic installation especially for the museum atrium, which opened with the launching of two major exhibitions: one by Argentinian artist Rirkrit Tiravanija and one by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (both showing until August 23). This is Kusama’s first exhibition in Russia, which she has marked by creating an outdoor installation named Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees and which leads visitors through Gorky Park.
Dr.Zhivago
One of the most talked-about new restaurants in Moscow is Dr. Zhivago (15/1 ulitsa Mokhovaya, Hotel National Moscow). The latest addition to Alexander Rappoport’s growing gastronomic empire, it is located not far from the Kremlin in the legendary Hotel National. Built in 1902, the hotel was once frequented by ill-fated communist politician Leon Trotsky, who enjoyed dining there. Named after the most famous novel by Nobel-prize-winning author Boris Pasternak, the restaurant pays tribute to Russia’s revolutionary past with an interior that is dominated by three colours: white, red and black. A five-pointed ruby star adorns the gilded ceiling, while the murals and other decorative elements have been inspired by the works of various early 20th-century Russian artists, including Kazimir Malevich, Aleksandr Deyeneka and Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. The bold contemporary menu provides modern gastronomic interpretations of classical Russian dishes.
White Rabbit
The White Rabbit restaurant (Smolenskaya ploshchad, bld. 3, 16th floor; whiterabbitmoscow.com) is also a prime gourmet destination, ranking a respectable 23rd in a recently released list of the world’s top restaurants. Its splendid location, for one, is pretty hard to beat – on the 16th floor of the Smolenskiy Passage, under a glass cupola that offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the city below. The bewitching sight is complemented by no less magical pleasures to the taste buds, thanks to the outstanding culinary skills of young award-winning chef Vladimir Mukhin. The restaurant’s cuisine can be described as a virtuous mix of classical Russian recipes and foreign flavours – just like the city of Moscow itself. Bear in mind that a meal at this establishment will not come cheap!
Yayoi Kusama. Dots Obsession, 2013. Mixed media. Courtesy Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore, Victoria Miro, London, David Zwirner, New York/London, KUSAMA Enterprise. © YAYOI KUSAMA
SHARE:
ABOUT US • CONTACTS • RSS • FOLLOW US: 
ENG LAT
© anothertravelguide.com 2015
Anothertravelguide.com is an internet resource for independent travellers. All addresses listed on anothertravelguide.com - hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. have been tested and evaluated by our authors. All opinions are subjective and anothertravelguide.com takes no responsibility if any of these locations don't live up to your personal expectations, taste or mood, or has undergone serious changes since visited by authors and experts of anothertravelguide.com.