Entertainment

Moscow is one of the world's major capital cities, with entertainment and nightlife to match the title. The traditional offerings of classical music and drama have been joined in recent years by a vibrant and often extravagant array of nightclubs. The following is a mere introduction into how Moscow entertainment.

Classical Music: Opera, Ballet, Orchestral

Russia's great heritage of classical music is reflected in the quality of its orchestras and orchestral venues. The Bol'shoi Theatre is a world-renowned institution and the jewel of Moscow's cultural nightlife. The auditorium, as well as the performances, are immaculate. In terms of grandeur, the Bol'shoi surpasses anything else in Russia. It is a popular venue - especially among visiting tourists - and tickets may be difficult to find at short notice.

Other major venues include the Kremlin Palace of Congresses (State Kremlin Palace), a modern building within the walls of the Kremlin which hosts performances of the great Russian ballets. Both the Stanislavskii and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater and the Helikon Theater in Arabt run a variety of Russian and foreign classics, with the latter taking a more innovative in approach.

For the city's best orchestral music, visit the Tchaikovskii Concert Hall and the Tchaikovskii Conservatory.

Theatre

Modern Moscow may be a commercial epicenter, but theater and the arts still find a special role in the city life. The breadth and range of drama theaters rival most major capitals.

The Moscow Art Theatre has always been among the city's most prominent theatres. There's now two branches, of which the original, Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre (MKhAT - Moskovskii Khudozhestvennyi Teatr imeni A. Chekhova), is reputed to be the best.

The Theater on Taganka was a politically controversial theater during Soviet times. It is famous for its veiled satires.

For classic Russian drama, head to the Maly Theatre, founded in 1824. It continues to produce material predominantly from the 19th-century. The same is true for the Sovremennik Theater. Contemporary works are favoured by a few theaters, most notably the Maiakovskii Theater and the Lenkom Theater. The Lenkom is the birthplace of the Russian rock-opera.

The Iugo-Zapad Theater performs a mixture of works, from foreign classics to Soviet staples.

Alternative theater productions are offered at the Obraztsov Puppet Theatre (Teatr Kukol imeni Obraztsova) or the Moscow Clown Theatre (Moskovskii Teatr Klounady).

Cinema

The smell of popcorn and Hollywood blockbusters can be found at the Amerikanskii Dom Kino (American House of Cinema), Moscow's most glitzy film house. The Pod Kupolom (Under the Dome) and the Kodak Kinomir (Cinema World) both feature American films.

For Russian movies, visit the Illuzion or the Kinosentr (Cinema Centre).

Clubs

Moscow is home to one of the world's most fiercely fashionable as anything in the West. The Garage and Titanik (Titanic) are popular nightclubs, especially with the young and rich.

16 tonnes and Svalka are all good places to hear live music.