Putin's Moscow

MOSCOW, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Clearly Western values and styles are on the ascendancy among the Russians, but there is a sub-surface resentment among those who feel insulted that their system, the Soviet system, lost out, and that everything they once revered has been, as Ronald Reagan predicted, relegated to the ash heap of history.

But nostalgia for the old days is no match for the creative energy being unleashed in the new Moscow, in President Putin's Moscow.

Cutting edge clubs, restaurants, cafes, bars and boutiques all abound in lights; a new ambience is emerging: Architectural design, avant-garde art (no longer underground), cinema and music scenes that are distinctly and inspiringly Russian.

The submerged resentment of those still clinging to their rusty busts of Karl Marx can only be seen when it bursts to the surface in times of national frustration, as what happened during the recent Olympic Games and as what happens when coping with the zigzags of U.S. foreign policy.

Nevertheless, tomorrow belongs to the young, and young Russians are racing ahead with no thought of going back.

They believe in hard work and hard play. Weekend nightlife is as fresh and exciting as a high school keg party, while week nights, on the other hand, are dead as Lenin's cold corpse.

Muscovites are comfortable with themselves and resilient against tough times, because the worst is clearly over.

Many young Russian expats, educated in the West, are opting to return to their native Mother Land to revitalize a culture destined for dominance and to rebuild a country on the upswing. For the first time, opinion polls indicate a majority of Russians believe the future will be better.

There are historic sites to see but magic moments to experience in the present; one gets the sense of being a part of history in the making.

To check out a living museum go see Putin's Moscow, with its footprints in the 19th and 20th centuries, as it is making a huge leap into the 21st.

ROOTLESS COSMOPOLITAN GUIDE TO MOSCOW BY DAY

(For Moscow nightlife and accommodations, check out previous RC column, "Midnight in Moscow.")

Urban Essentials:

Country Code: 7, City Code: 095

Exchange Rate: $1 U.S. dollar = 30.94 Russian rubles

Getting Around

Driving through Moscow can be a nightmare due to traffic jams and what may seem like crazy driving to the foreign eye. Taxis can be a rip-off, but are a necessity at times, as Moscow is fairly spread out. When at all possible, the best way to navigate is by metro and then by foot.

Travel to and from Moscow's airport can take anywhere from 45 minutes to more than two hours, depending on traffic.

Metro system: Moscow's metro system is extensive and easy to use, just make sure to pick up a map with both Roman and Cyrillic alphabet names.

Resources: For the latest on Moscow happenings pick up a copy of the English newspaper The Moscow Times (moscowtimes.ru) or Where Moscow magazine (WhereRussia.com).

Eating

The proliferation of restaurants of every kind can be found in Moscow, but the local cuisine is what shines.

Cuisine

Russian cuisine is heavy on starches and proteins. Game is prevalent; be sure to try the pelmeni, a ravioli-type dumpling stuffed with anything from beef to cheeses or berries. Soups are excellent, as are the pickled vegetables and black bread. For dessert, try the kasna guriev, sort of like a Cream of Wheat sweetened and toasted to a golden brown.

Cuisine from the former Soviet Union such as Georgian, Uzbeki and Ukrainian is also readily available for tasting.

Caviar

If caviar is to your liking, beluga, sevruga or osetra caviar abound and can be found on most menus and at select food markets at considerably lower prices than can be found in the West.

The yellow label is beluga, the red label sevruga and the blue label osetra. Make sure to get a date; it is generally good to eat for one year from the date, so long as it is refrigerated. A good place to purchase quality caviar is at the Yeliseyevsky Gastronome (14, Tverskaya), a pre-revolutionary Art Nouveau food hall that is spectacular in sight and taste.

Restaurants

Na Melmitze

24, Sadovaya - Spasskaya

(Metro Drasnye Vorota)

925 88 90

Meaning "To the Mill," this restaurant offers great traditional dishes in a country atmosphere. If you are up to it, try the aperitif shot of vodka with typical garnishes like salted cucumbers.

U Pirosmani

Novodyevichi Proyezd 4

247 19 26

One of the Moscow mainstays offering delicious Georgian cuisine next to a monastery, separated by a pond.

Shinok

Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 2

Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda

255 08 88

Open 24/7

Ukrainian farmhouse atmosphere and good home cooking; try the cherry dumplings and kvas.

Metropol

Hotel Metropol

1/4 Teatralny Pr.

(Metro Teatralnaya)

927 6000

Russian-style Art Nouveau amidst old world grandeur setting with traditional Russian and continental cuisine.

Czar's Hunt

Roubliovo-Uspenskoye Chaussee

Zhukovka, 186a

418 79 81

Considered by many to be the best Russian restaurant in the Moscow area, it is located in a rustic atmosphere in the woods 20 miles outside Moscow and specializes in game dishes. Its traditional dishes, based on old recipes, have served the likes of world leaders from Boris Yeltsin to French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

CAFES

Café Pushkin

26a Tverskoy Bul'var

Metro Tverskaya

229 5590

Made to look old, this trendy café pulls it off well without looking touristy. A favorite spot with locals and expats alike, it offers excellent Russian dishes.

Sinbad Café

Across from TASS building Feb. 16

291 7115

Small bohemian-style den where smoking Shisha pipes is the order of the day.

Moscow-Berlin

32/2 Ploshchad Tverskaya Zastava

Metro Belorusskaya

251-2282

A recently opened hip café with teas, pastries, cakes, appetizers and alcohol.

Orange Café

5 Teatralnaya Pl., Bldg. 2

Metro Teatralnaya

298 2737

A casually chic spot next to Red Square in which to refresh.

SHOPPING

Local Style

The hyper inflation following the devaluation of the ruble thrust local designers into the consumer forefront, as homegrown goods became a necessary alternative to the prohibitively expensive Western import brands.

Vereteno ("The Spinning Wheel")

19 Barrikadnaya

Come here for cutting edge Russian-designed fashion.

Marki

Pokrovka 17

924 5047

(Christye Prudi)

Local designers to look out for: Maka Assatiani, Olga Soldatova and Pavel Kaplevich.

Red Code

First Floor

GUM Shopping Center

3, Red Square

It is located on the right side as you enter the historic GUM shopping mall. Offering the latest in cutting-edge European and homegrown talent in the fashion world.

Mandarin Duck

Petrovka, 10

Petrovski Passage

921 2937

Great place to score the limited edition Russian Olympic track suits.

Music

Zvuovoy Barier ("Sound Barrier")

30/12 Shabolovka St.

236 6306

11 a.m.-8 p.m. (closed Saturday and Sunday)

Tucked away in the suburbs of Moscow, this cavernous record shop specializing in rare vinyl is a real find for crate diggers out there.

DJ Shops

Pitch

pitch.ru

Metro Ploshchad Ilyicha

Ul. Sergia Radonezskoyo, 13

The pre-eminent DJ shop in Moscow stocks mainly foreign imports, with a heavy emphasis on techno, but is information central for the latest on the Moscow DJ scene.

New Music

Vvts, paveelon

VeDeNKha (VDNHk)

Metro Vedenkha

newmusic.ru

181 95 29

Smaller than Pitch, New Music stocks more House music, but if you want to score some cool Russian sounds, there is some Russian experimental electronica and ska music available on CD.

VDNHk is the former "All Russian Exhibition of Achievements," a series of grandiose Stalinist exhibit halls and outdoor stalls. It is worth checking out if you've got the extra time. Be sure to sample some of the shashlyk (Georgian-style meat roasted on a skewer) wrapped in flat bread from one of the food stalls. A cross between a burrito and schwarma, it is out of this world.

VINTAGE

Izmailovo Flea Market

(Metro Izmailovskaya)

Worth the 45-minute trek outside Moscow, this flea market offers everything from antique furniture, to vintage clothing and posters, to paintings, war memorabilia and Persian rugs, as well as countless local artifacts and handicrafts.

Museum of Modern History

Tverskaya 21

(Metro Pushkinskaya)

The gift shop is the place to score Czarist and Communist era trinkets, from propaganda and Social Realism posters to Christmas tree ornaments and old 78 records.

-- eware that Russia has strict laws governing the export of certain antiques.

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