WHAT TO SEE: Moscow Diorama at the Hotel Ukraine
For a pint-sized piece of Russia’s national myth, head to the Hotel Ukraine, now the Radisson Royal Hotel, on the riverbank just west of downtown. The Hotel Ukraine is one of Moscow’s “Seven Sisters,” a group of seven Stalinist skyscrapers that defined Moscow’s skyline for half a century. The hotel is also home to a 1:75 scale diorama of the city center that was crafted for a 1977 Russian National Expo in New York and went on to tour the world. It’s a glimpse into Russia’s Soviet near-past: how the country saw itself then, how it presented itself to the world, and what those things reveal about the country today. The diorama, which can be found in the lobby of the hotel, is free to access and is accompanied by an optional audio tour, also free.
