This 2-hour historical Communist Collective Tour in the city downtown will reveal the hidden remnants the Soviet Communist regime in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Empire for more than 70 years.
You will learn about the history of the Soviet Union from the 1917 Great October Socialist Revolution to Perestroika and see important landmarks of the Soviet epoch, such as the former KGB HQ and Revolution Square.
The tour will start from the memorial dedicated to millions of victims of totalitarian regime imprisoned (and many of them perished) in the Gulag's forced labor camps during political repressions and purges of the Stalin's time.
This monumental stone was erected opposite to KGB HQ to replace the monument to 'Iron Felix', the founder of the KGB predecessor. The boulder was brought from Solovki, one of the Gulag's many Corrective labor camps.
You will see the impressive Neo-Baroque building of the former KGB HQ. Designed in 1898 by Alexander Ivanov, the building currently holds the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), KGB's successor.
Afterwards the guide will bring you to Revolution Square, the epicenter of the 1917 Great October Socialist Revolution, and you will learn about many other aspects of historical importance such as secret KGB prisons, Stalin's terror, the Cold War and the Soviet Movement for Freedom, as well as current Soviet strongholds in the young democratic nation.
Other landmarks to see are Bolshoi Theater (in which, along with Soviet ballet, every Soviet citizen took pride), the Museum of Revolution and the Gulag Museum, which documents the labor camps where 14 million prisoners were sent between 1929-1953.
You will also see one of the main streets in Moscow, pass a Soviet style-café and see Grocery Store # 1 in the USSR.
The tour ends at the square, where in 1990 the first McDonald's in the USSR opened, one of the first harbingers of forthcoming freedoms and capitalism (crony one included).
Seven months later a clique of top officials from the USSR Government, Communist Party and KGB attempted a coup-d'état to revive the agonizing USSR, but failed.
The above mentioned memorial against political repressions was erected a few months later and a year later the USSR collapsed, along with hopes of millions and generations to live in the Communism.
P.S. It is quite an experience when one's life consists of 2 parts: 1) to be born and live in the Collectivist USSR, heading for Communism, and 2) then live in the crony capitalism and 'free' society. It helps appreciate one's freedom. Partake this 2-hour tour if, inter alia, you want to learn appreciating yours.
P.S. 2 It was at The British Library in early 1902 where Lenin first developed his ideas about Russian peasantry and agriculture. Twenty years later Collectivisation of the villages started, and after Lenin died, Collectivisation went on and led to various extremes, e.g. peasants' riots or Holodomor. It was one of the prices Soviet peasantry paid for the USSR's transformation from an agrarian country into an industrial one.
For cancellation up to 3 days, a full refund will be given. For cancellation up to 1 days, 50% refund will be given.
