Staying Warm in Russia with Fur and Vodka

Here I am standing on the frozen Patriarch’s Pond while being interviewed for a TV show on Russia Today.

Russians joke that spring and autumn each last two weeks, summer is a month, and the remaining ten months are winter. That’s true, but winter can be lovely in Moscow. This winter we have had much colder temperatures than last winter, but lots and lots of sunny days with blue, blue skies.

If you are coming to Moscow in the winter, there’s no need to stock up on winter gear at home. The Russians, especially the Russian women, stay warm and stylish. For fur hats, go to the flea market at Izmailovsky (open weekends, Metro stop Partizanskaya). For coats (fur, sheepskin, and down-filled) try the shopping center just outside Metro stop Konkovo. You can buy lovely handmade wool socks on any street corner.

And then there’s plenty of Russian vodka if all else fails.

Once you are properly bundled, try one of the ice sculpture parks: the Botanical Gardens on Prospekt Mira or the Hermitage Gardens just to name two.