marine band tour 2022

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2024 Coast-to-COast Tour

In October 2024 , "The President's Own" United States Marine Band will tour from Washington, D.C., to Washington State, performing free, public concerts in the following states:  Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, Utah, Washington and West Virginia.

If you are interested in sponsoring a Marine Band concert in one of these states, contact the Tour Director (info below).

Since 17th Director John Philip Sousa was first granted permission to tour the country by President Benjamin Harrison in 1891, the Marine Band has delivered a White House experience from Washington, D.C., to the far-reaching corners of our nation. These special concerts have now grown into an experience shared across generations of Americans as well as a cherished tradition for families, veterans and music-lovers alike.

Marine Band Director Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin has programmed musical selections in the style of Sousa: Concertgoers can expect a mix of works including traditional band repertoire, Sousa marches, contemporary compositions, vocal and instrumental solos and a patriotic salute to the Armed Forces.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Details for the 2024 tour are not yet available. The schedule will be released late summer 2024.

Educational Outreach

While on tour, the United States Marine Band offers free educational clinics to school music programs located near the tour concert locations. Read more and register here.

SPONSOR A CONCERT

Interested in sponsoring a future Marine Band performance in your area? Refer to the map to see where we are headed next and read the  sponsor's guide  for details on how to get involved. Sponsorship inquiries can be sent to Tour Director William Perry at [email protected] or (703) 614-1405.

Upcoming Tours

Tour History

Since 1891, Americans far and wide have enjoyed the tradition of seeing the United States Marine Band perform on tour. The fact that the Marine Band tours the U.S. is, in large part, thanks to the band’s legendary 17th director, John Philip Sousa .

Years before musicians of “The President’s Own” packed up their instruments and hit the road, Sousa was creating a name for both himself and the ensemble. By the time he became Marine Band director in 1880, his reputation as a composer and march writer was steadily growing, and his established musical prowess came to elevate the ensemble to a new level of excellence.

The Marine Band was Sousa’s first experience conducting a military band, and he approached musical matters unlike most of his predecessors. He replaced much of the music in the library with symphonic transcriptions and changed the instrumentation to meet his needs. Rehearsals became exceptionally strict, and he shaped his musicians into the country’s premier military band. Marine Band concerts began to attract audiences of discerning musical taste, and the band’s reputation began to spread widely.

Under Sousa the Marine Band also made its first recordings. As a way to demonstrate its new invention, the Columbia Phonograph Company chose to record the Marine Band, releasing 60 wax recording cylinders in the fall of 1890. By 1897, more than 400 different titles were available for sale, placing Sousa’s marches among the first and most popular pieces ever recorded, and the Marine Band one of the world's first “recording stars.”

“...it would be tough on Washington if both of us were away at the same time. I have thought it over, and believe the country would rather hear you than see me; so you have my permission to go.”

-President Benjamin Harrison

By this time, Sousa had taken the band on short trips to perform in nearby cities such as Baltimore and Philadelphia, but as the band’s popularity mounted, he saw an opportunity to reach more audiences across the country by going on tour.

Sousa’s initial requests for permission to take the band on such a trip were denied, due to the band’s extremely busy concert schedule in Washington, D.C., and responsibilities at the White House. But Sousa persisted and eventually presented his request directly to President Benjamin Harrison. In his autobiography, “Marching Along,” Sousa recalls what transpired. He wrote:

My years in Washington had taught me that if you wish to see the President, see his wife first. So I asked for Mrs. Harrison. She liked the idea of a tour and promised to speak to the President about it. Next morning I was summoned to see the President. As I entered the room, he rose, shook hands cordially, and leading me to one of the windows which faced the Potomac River, said, “Mrs. Harrison tells me that you are anxious to make a tour with the band. I was thinking myself of going out of town, and”—with a smile—“it would be tough on Washington if both of us were away at the same time. I have thought it over, and believe the country would rather hear you than see me; so you have my permission to go.”

On April 1, 1891, the Marine Band held its first tour concert – a matinee – at Bunnell’s Bridgeport Theatre in Bridgeport, Conn. It was followed that evening by a second concert at the Hyperion Theatre in New Haven. From there, the band spent a month performing in 32 cities across the Northeast and Midwest.

The Marine Band was well-received by audiences in each city and heavily lauded by reporters and critics. One writer for The Metronome described an experience from a Boston concert, mentioning that the Marine Band “made a most favorable impression upon our concert goers, who unanimously concede the fact that no military band excepting Gilmore’s has been heard in Boston, since the Peace Jubilee, that will at all compare with the Marine Band.”

He continued, remarking the overwhelming call for encores by the audience and a packed house:

Recalls were the order of the evening, and were most courteously responded to in all cases: lengthening the programme to such an extent that hundreds of people were forced to retire before the close of the concert in order to make railway connections. Every seat in the vast auditorium was taken and the financial result must have been highly satisfactory to the management. Should the organization visit us again, during the spring months as is now contemplated, a hearty welcome will be assured.

Programmed selections included Sousa’s unique blend of popular music and orchestral transcriptions, as well as his own compositions. Although the audiences clamored for Sousa’s marches, he included them only as encores, offering his audiences what he called the “solid fare” of Richard Wagner, Georges Bizet, Giuseppi Verdi, Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, and others. The band was even supported by the guest vocal talent of soprano Mademoiselle Maria Decca, enhancing the musical variety for audiences, and foreshadowing the addition of vocalists to the Marine Band decades later.

In 1892, Sousa toured with the Marine Band once again, this time with a cross-country excursion to the westernmost reaches of the continental U.S. For the first time, the music of the Marine Band reached audiences from sea to shining sea, performing in 15 states and the Utah Territory over the course of nearly two months. View an 1892 concert program.

After the Marine Band’s second tour proved to be yet another smashing success, Sousa was approached by his manager, David Blakely, with the idea that Sousa should organize his own touring civilian concert band. The Marine Band tours indicated the success Sousa could see outside of the military, and on July 30, 1892, he resigned as Director of the Marine Band to form his own “Sousa Band.”

After Sousa’s departure, the Marine Band did not tour again until 1895, the only one held during Francesco Fanciulli’s tenure as director. The band began touring with increasing regularity during the early 20 th century under the direction of William H. Santelmann , including five tours between 1901 and 1915. In 1920, the Marine Band tour finally became an annual engagement which has continued every year since, except in times of war, sequestration and public health crises.

Though the Marine Band is a historic organization steeped in tradition, it remains a forward-thinking and musically innovative ensemble. Audiences now enjoy the elite musicianship of “The President’s Own” performing quintessential patriotic and martial favorites alongside selections from the wind band repertoire, works by contemporary composers, scores from film and theatre, and more.

In present day, approximately 65 musicians from the band tour during the month of October, performing in one of the country's five designated tour regions: West Coast, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast and Midwest. Concerts last two hours and take place evenings Monday-Saturday and Sunday afternoons. These events are free and open to the public, generously sponsored by local community organizations such as schools, veteran groups and performance venues.

The Marine Band also uses its tour as an opportunity to make an educational impact. Each year, thousands of music students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds have the opportunity to interact with Marine Band musicians through free clinics, classroom performances and discussions. These clinics often reach music programs that could not otherwise host professionally-trained musicians in the classroom.

The Marine Band continues to tour the country year after year, just as it first did in 1891, bringing a White House experience to grand concert halls in major cities and school gymnasiums in small towns alike. For many, seeing “The President’s Own” play on tour is a beloved memory shared across generations, and it remains an important facet of the American musical experience.

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"The President's Own" United States Marine Band National Tour Concert

Symphony Hall

Symphony Hall , Boston, MA

This concert is part of the 2022 U.S. Marine Band Concert Tour to the Northeast and is sponsored by Boston Friends of the Marine Band. The concert is free, but tickets are required. Tickets are limited to 4 per request. The Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Founded in 1798, the band has performed for every U.S. President since John Adams. Known as “The President’s Own” since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the Marine Band’s primary mission is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. In the style of the band’s 17th Director John Philip Sousa, who initiated the concert tour tradition in 1891, Marine Band Director Col. Jason K. Fettig has chosen a diverse mix of programs, from traditional band repertoire and marches to instrumental solos.

Tickets valid until 7:15 p.m.; open seating thereafter. No large bags or backpacks allowed into the concert.

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The US Marine Band featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet

The president's own, united states marine band, featuring jean-yves thibaudet.

Tues. March 15, 2022 | 7:30pm

FREE, limit of 4 per request

The Music Center at Strathmore

As “The President’s Own” triumphantly returns to live performances, the centerpiece of the 2022 Showcase Concert series is this special gala concert at the beautiful Music Center at Strathmore. This concert takes stock of the challenges of the last two years and serves as a celebration of the arts and live music. Appropriately beginning with legendary American composer Adolphus Hailstork’s opener entitled “Celebration!,” the program continues with a world première of a new piece by celebrated composer and violist Jessica Meyer, written especially for the Marine Band and this occasion. The Marine Band also revisits Leonard Bernstein’s classic Symphonic Dances from West Side Story in time for the show's newest iteration for film, and collaborates for the first time with world-renown pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, performing a brand new transcription of a Concerto based on the tango that was written specifically for him by Aaron Zigman, famed composer for both film and the concert stage.

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Reserve Tickets: United States Marine Band to perform at the Warner Theater

Let Freedom Ring! 

Join JET 24 and FOX 66 for a free concert by the president’s own United States Marine Band. 

On Tuesday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m., the U.S. Marine Band will grace the Warner Theatre for one grand performance.

We are proud to support veterans and their families. Salute our heroes and reserve your tickets now.

Click here for more information on the show. Tickets are now sold out.

This concert is part of the 2022 U.S. Marine Band concert tour to the northeast. The concert is free, but tickets are required. Tickets are limited to 4 per request.

The Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Founded in 1798, the band has performed for every U.S. president since John Adams.

Known as “the president’s own” since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the Marine Band’s primary mission is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

In the style of the band’s 17th director John Philip Sousa, who initiated the concert tour tradition in 1891, Marine Band Director Col. Jason K. Fettig has chosen a diverse mix of programs, from traditional band repertoire and marches to instrumental solos. 

Learn more about the United States Marine Band:  www.marineband.marines.mil

Questions: call (202) 433-5809 Restrictions: tickets valid until 7:15 p.m.; open seating thereafter. No large bags or backpacks allowed.

Warner Theatre 811 State Street Erie, PA 16501

For other upcoming events, check out the calendar: https://marineband.ticketleap.com/

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The Reflector News

Featured stories, marine band san diego brings music to campus as part of recruitment tour.

The United States Marine Band San Diego performed in the Ruth Lilly Performance Hall as part of their RS Indianapolis Recruiting Tour, promising a variety of music to students, faculty, and community members who attended, according to an announcement on UIndy 360 . 

The concert program featured performances from the band’s brass quintet, ceremonial band, rock band, jazz combo and brass band with multiple pieces played by each musical group. The rock band and ceremonial band featured UIndy alumni and Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Logan Fox. Fox said he finished his undergraduate degree in music performance in 2017, went to graduate school at Roosevelt College, and then auditioned for the military band as a percussionist in 2020. 

“I had been wanting to do military bands for quite some time,” Fox said. “I had a friend who is now over in Cherry Point, Carolina. He’s a trombone player, and we went to grad school together. I set up an audition ironically enough here and entered into the delayed entry program, and then shipped out to boot camp in October of 2020.”

According to Fox, lots of hard work went into planning for the performances. Though he is part of the reason why the military band performed at UIndy, Fox said that through the tour, the band ultimately aims to increase awareness about opportunities in the military and, as a result, find recruits in new locations around the United States. 

“The performance tonight was the culminating event for us of about, I would say two months of work,” Fox said. “And, we had been prepping for multiple recruiting tours … These past four weeks, roughly, have been solely dedicated to the recruiting mission in the Marine Corps, as well as just building a relationship with the public that is kind of far removed from San Diego, California.”

Fox said he hopes that viewers of the performance will take away knowledge of opportunities in the Marine Corps they may not have known before. If these performances can help get a person’s wheels turning about their future, the musicians in the military band have done their job, according to Fox. 

Though Fox has several favorite memories of being in the Marines, he said performing around his hometown has made for a very special week. Fox said having those he is close with see his roots has been something he has cherished. 

“Ironically enough, this week is easily turning into the most memorable time I’ve ever had,” said Fox. “Especially getting to show people that I’m very close with, that I spend more time with than my own family, where I grew up and where I came from. It has been an absolute blessing.”

Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps Kasie Wagner is the lead singer in Marine Band San Diego’s rock band. After taking a break when she finished attending the University of Florida for vocal performance and classical music, she said she felt called back to music and decided to audition for the Navy Band, but was persuaded to join the Marine Corps by a recruiter. 

“Music always calls you back,” said Wagner. “I ended up really wanting to continue to pursue a music career, and the Marine Corps provided me with that.”

Wagner said that the Marine Band San Diego has a long history of tradition. According to Wagner, being a part of several events as musicians can go unnoticed at times, but it plays a very vital role in several ceremonies and customs. 

“You could call us almost like ‘the keepers of tradition,’” said Wagner. “We’re a part of a lot of the traditions that are seen in the Marine Corps such as relief and appointments, change of commands and the cake-cutting ceremony for our Marine Corps birthday.”

Wagner hopes that others will take notice of the chances that the Marines can provide, especially musicians. She said there is a large span of musical opportunities for those involved. 

Fox said the Marine Corps can align with someone’s goals and dreams, even if it is in the performing arts. There’s a lot of traveling, chances to see several different things, community outreach and ways to learn different genres of music for those involved in the military bands according to Wagner. 

“We’re the number one in the world of employing musicians. So, it’s a big thing,” said Wagner. “If you have a love of music, it’s kind of hard you know … it’s a smaller field. Nowadays, there’s a lot of good players. But with the Marine Corps or any other military branch, they provide a lot of security while also pursuing what you love.”

Freshman studio art major Sophie Tintera attended the performance on March 26 and said she enjoyed every minute of the show. They said they wanted to get up and start dancing, as she loved the event so much. Tintera said that she knew the military performed music as she has family in the military but learned from the production more about the performing arts in the military. 

“I didn’t know about the rock band. When they started singing. I was astounded,” Tintera said. “That was so amazing. I didn’t know that they went around and did concerts like this. I found out about this one last minute, even, and I am so glad I came.”

Tintera said that from the performance, they hope people will become more open-minded to opportunities in the military. It is a great thing that those in the Marines, as well as other military branches, can pursue what they love while serving their country, according to Tintera. 

“When you think of the military or the Marines, you think of war, or fighting … You don’t think of how these are real people,” said Tintera. “They got majors in music and music could be their passion, and they want to continue that, and they can in the military. That’s such an amazing thing that they can do both at the same time.”Marine Band San Diego’s midwest tour ended March 29, with the final performance at North Vermillion High School, but more information about upcoming events and recruitment can be found on their website and social media .

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In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

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• Moscow Travel and City Excursions

Our 20 Best Moscow Day Tours of 2022

See all that Moscow has to offer by choosing one or more of our incredible Moscow day tours. Visit Red Square , St. Basil’s , the Kremlin or perhaps a vodka museum and the fantastic Moscow metro system , we have it all. Our expert, informative and fun guides will help you get to know Europe’s largest city. Please click on the day tour details to learn more or contact us for more information about our Moscow tours using the form at the side of the page.  You can also schedule a call with one of our Russian travel specialists to learn more.

Head to the heart of Moscow with a professional guide on a 4-hour private walk through the city center. See Tverskaya and Old Arbat streets, Theatre Square with the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre, and the former KGB headquarters...

• Schedule Daily 09:00 - 20:00
• Languages English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
• Walking tours Transportation is not included
• PRIVATE TOUR This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group

Panoramic City Tour. This Moscow tour is a great start to your trip and the best way to get acquainted with many of the city’s major highlights. Our professional guide will escort you on a route that includes Vorobyevi...

• Schedule Daily 09:00 - 18:00
• Tours by car Transportation by private car/minivan is included

This tour offers a detailed look into the history and present-day life of the Jewish community of Moscow. On the tour, you will visit sites connected with the cultural and religious life of different Jewish families, as well...

• Schedule Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 11:00 - 20:00 Friday 10:00 - 14:00 Saturday not available

The tour begins with a drive or walk down Tverskaya Street – a Soviet masterpiece. In the years of Soviet power, Tverskaya began to undergo a transformation: it was widened to two and a half times its original size,...

This is a very interesting and insightful tour. You will visit places connected with Stalin’s terror - a time of great repression and fear. You will be shown monuments to the victims of the repression. You will then...

You will be told of the street’s interesting history and view the street’s artisan culture. You will also have the opportunity to view and purchase souvenirs from the street’s many craftsmen....

The Kremlin is truly a fascinating structure, at the same time it is an ancient tower, the city’s former military fortification, a palace, an armory, the sovereign treasury and the workplace of the Russian President....

• Schedule Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 - 17:00 Thursday not available

This world-famous gallery contains masterpieces of Russian art beginning in the 10th century up until today. You will view exquisite Russian icons and paintings from the 18th and 19th century including works by Rublyov, Karavak,...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday 10:00 - 17:00 Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 - 20:00

Tour of the Novodevichy Monastery. Founded in 1524 by Grand Prince VasiliIoanovich, the original convent was enclosed by fortified walls and contained 12 towers. The structure served as a convent for women of noble birth...

• Schedule Daily 09:00 - 17:00

The Moscow Metro is one of the largest and most grandly built metro systems in the world. It was meant to be a showcase of the Soviet Union’s achievements for both the Russians themselves and for visitors from abroad....

• Schedule Daily 10:00 - 17:00

The history of Kolomenskoye stretches back for centuries. In 1380, Dmitri Donskoi’s army passed through Kolomenskoye on their way to the Kulikovo battlefield, and it was here that Donskoi celebrated his victory over...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday 10:00 - 17:00 Saturday 11:00 - 18:00

Considered by some to be the Russian Vatican, Sergiev Posad is the temporary residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Trinity St. Sergius Monastery (Lavra) was built in the first half of the 1340s by...

The Tsaritsyno Estate is located in the southern part of Moscow. The estate was constructed for Catherine the Great by the Russian architects Bazhenov and Kazakov in a romantic gothic style. The complex includes a landscape...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 11:00 - 17:00 Saturday 11:00 - 19:00 Sunday 11:00 - 18:00

The Kuskovo Estate often called the Moscow Versailles due to its perfectly preserved French park, is an example of an 18th century, luxurious Moscow summer residence. Its history dates back to 1715, when the village of Kuskovo...

• Schedule Monday, Tuesday not available Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 - 18:00

Vodka is an important component of Russian life, an element of national identity and everyday culture. We invite you to visit the Vodka Museum and feel the atmosphere of long-gone centuries. You will get to know the story...

• Schedule Daily 10:00 - 19:00

Take this opportunity to learn more about the Russian writer Lev Tolstoy. During the visit to the museum you will see part of a vast collection of exhibits connected to Tolstoy and his family including books and personal...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 - 17:00 Thursday 12:00 - 19:00

This apartment museum located close to Patriarch Ponds became the prototype of the "bad apartment" described in the novel "The Master and Margarita." Currently the museum's collection includes more than three thousand...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12:00 - 19:00 Thursday 14:00 - 21:00

Express to Russia specializes in Moscow city excursions, an essential part of your Moscow travel itinerary. We offer a large variety of day excursions throughout Moscow and its suburbs. From  Red Square  and the  Kremlin  to a city tour of Moscow’s  Old Arbat Street  or the  Moscow metro , an excursion specializing in Stalin and the KGB and much more. No travel to Moscow is complete without taking a few of our day tours that most meet your interest in Russia.

Moscow City Tours

Our Moscow day excursions can be organized on foot or with transport. All of our excursions are led by an experienced guide, specializing in the subject matter of the tour. Excursions are privately run and can be booked for 1 traveler all the way up to large groups of travelers. We run our Moscow city tours in every season. This is because travel to Moscow is excellent in any season. In the summer take a stroll through  Gorky Park  or take a riverboat tour along the Moskva River. In the winter, see Moscow’s winter wonderland of ice and snow and then settle in for a cozy lunch or dinner with a hot bowl of borsht. In winter, spring and fall, you can beat the crowds at all of Moscow’s main attractions and museums. Regardless of when you come, Express to Russia will make sure that your trip is one of your best vacations ever.

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Meet the 2024 Outstanding Graduating Students 

Twelve undergraduates have been named 2024 Outstanding Graduating Students at the University of Maine. Read their short biographies:

Tobey Crawford Connor

Tobey Crawford Connor of Sullivan, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Division of Lifelong Learning. She is a university studies major in the Maine studies track. Connor completed an internship in 2022 with the Sullivan-Sorrento Historical Society, which led to her part-time job as communications coordinator for the organization. Her academic research focuses on Downeast Acadia prior to New England settlement in 1760, including facets of Passamaquoddy life and culture through both occupations. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Sigma Lambda honor societies. Connor plans to continue her UMaine education as a graduate student in the history department. She will continue her research on Downeast Maine and the Borderlands, which will complement her work at the historical society and within her community. 

A full Q&A with Connor is online.

Devin Frazer

Devin Frazer of Danbury, New Hampshire, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. He is a mechanical engineering technology major with a minor in naval science. He was awarded the Navy ROTC 4-year National Scholarship and has received the Navy ROTC Academic Excellence Award. Most recently, he received the Marine Corps Association’s Honor Graduate award and the Military Officers Association of America ROTC award. During his time at the University of Maine, he designed, conducted and analyzed remotely conducted experiments for the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. He has held the positions of platoon sergeant, assistant operations officer, platoon commander and battalion commanding officer in the ROTC. Upon graduation, he will be commissioned into the United States Navy as a submarine officer.

A full Q&A with Frazer is available online.

Chappy Hall

Chappy Hall of Brunswick, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Honors College. Hall is a history major who pursued his passion for music by playing the trombone in several campus musical groups. In addition to participating in the UMaine Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Concert Band, he joined several campus clubs, was inducted into three honors societies and presented at academic conferences on topics including Protestant Christianity’s role in Afro-British advancement. His research and studies while a student expanded his perspective and understanding of social issues, unconscious biases and the importance of diversity. In fall 2023, Hall was named one of four McGillicuddy Humanities Center undergraduate research fellows and completed a project for his honors thesis titled “Playing History: How Video Games Can Change The Way We Understand the Past.” Hall plans to pursue a graduate degree in French or European history after spending time working and making music.  

A full Q&A with Hall is available online.

Morgan Inman

Morgan Inman of Wales, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Education and Human Development. She is an elementary education major with a concentration in mathematics and a minor in business administration, she is also a member of the Honors College. During her time at UMaine, she produced a thesis for the Honors College titled “Sexuality Education In Central Maine High Schools: What’s Happening Now and What’s Changed In Two Decades.” The qualitative study examined sex education in central Maine high schools by interviewing teachers in those schools. Inman has also been involved with a local after-school and summer camp program for three years, acting as an assistant director for the program for the last two years. She is a Maine Top Scholar and recipient of the Galen Cole Family Foundation Teaching Scholarship. After graduating, Inman plans to enter the education field as a classroom teacher and pursue a master’s degree.

A full Q&A with Inman is available online.

Ida Kuoppala

Ida Kuoppala of Pedersöre , Finland is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the College of Education and Human Development. She is a kinesiology and physical education major with a concentration in teaching and coaching, and a member of the Women’s Ice Hockey team. A standout forward, Kuoppala was named to the All-USCHO Rookie Team her first year at UMaine in the 2019-2020 season. In her fifth and final season, she served as the assistant team captain and was named first team all-star and scoring champion. Pushed by her coaches to succeed as a hockey player and academic, Kuoppala researched how the amount of physical activity impacts academic performance in a comparison between the American and Finnish school systems. She plans to play hockey professionally in the U.S. or Europe.

A full Q&A with Kuoppala is available online.

Paige McHatten

Paige McHatten of Mapleton, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She is an English and journalism double major with a minor in media studies and a concentration in creative writing. While at UMaine, she was a McGillicuddy Humanities Center Undergraduate Fellow, completing a collection of poetry titled “GOODNESS,” which revolves around relationships between women. She has also served as a tutor in the Writing Center; a journalism intern for UMaine’s radio station, WMEB 91.9 FM; and as editor of the university’s undergraduate literary magazine, “The Open Field.” After graduating, she will pursue a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. She hopes to publish a full-length collection of fiction and poetry while continuing to develop her skills as a writer, teacher and learner. 

A full Q&A with McHatten is available online.

Elise Morphy

Elise Morphy of Regina, Saskatchewan, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. She is majoring in biology, with a concentration in pre-medical studies and a minor in chemistry. Morphy has played for the Women’s Ice Hockey team since she was a first-year student in 2020 and served as captain during the 2023–24 season. An enthusiastic student-athlete, she has volunteered with the team’s skill development program for young, local female hockey players. Her other activities on and off campus included tutoring student-athletes through UMaine Academic Support Services, volunteering with Dirigo Pines and working for the UMaine BARD Institute as a research assistant. After graduation, Morphy plans to continue learning at UMaine through a graduate study program and playing for the Women’s Ice Hockey team for a fifth and final year. She is a three-time recipient of the Highest GPA Award from the School of Biology and Ecology. 

A full Q&A with Morphy is available online.

Kian Murray

Kian Murray of Brunswick, Maine is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Maine Business School. Murray is triple-majoring in business administration in marketing, finance and sport management; and has a dual degree in psychology with an abnormal/social concentration. Creating positive memories at UMaine by striving to find the fun moments in and out of the classroom has been at the forefront of his experience. For three years, Murray worked for UMaine Athletics in various roles, including as a sports marketing assistant, sports marketing administrative aid and student ticketing supervisor. There, he discovered his love for the sports community and desire to work directly with people. The social, volunteer and fundraising chair for Club Soccer and a two-time champion in intramural soccer, Murray was introduced to opportunities with UMaine Athletics after he participated in a home football game contest and successfully kicked three field goals. He plans to move to Boston with several other Black Bear graduates to start a career in sports or finance. 

A full Q&A with Murray is available online.

Victor Ostman

Victor Ostman of Danderyd, Sweden is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Maine Business School. He is double-majoring in business administration in finance and in sport management, and is a member of the Men’s Ice Hockey team. Before joining UMaine in 2020, Ostman played in the U.S. Hockey League for the Chicago Steel. As a student, he has welcomed the opportunity to gain an education while devoting his time to UMaine’s top-competing DI team. Ostman has received several weekly and monthly honorable mentions as a goaltender, as well as having been named a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the nation’s top goaltender. In his third season with the team, he was also named the Hockey East Second Team All-Star. Ostman plans to play ice hockey professionally for as long as he is able, then work in sports or finance.

A full Q&A with Ostman is available online.

Jiyeon Park

Jiyeon Park of Incheon, South Korea, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. Park, who is majoring in electrical engineering technology, enrolled at UMaine in fall 2022 after graduating from Eastern Maine Community College. During her senior year, she helped upgrade the paper-making equipment at UMaine’s Process Development Center. She also served as a teaching assistant in spring 2023 and has volunteered at various events during her college career, including engineering career fairs and an engineering expo. In the summer 2023, she interned with RLC Engineering and plans to continue working for the company alongside pursuit of a graduate degree at UMaine. During her time at UMaine, she received the International Presidential Scholarship and an electrical engineering scholarship. 

A full Q&A with Park is available online.

Zoe Pavlik of Durham, New Hampshire, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. She is a double major in ecology and environmental science and wildlife ecology and is also a member of the Honors College. During her time at the University of Maine, she completed an honors thesis titled “Does urbanization surrounding stopping sites affect migratory behavior in American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)?” Pavlik has also been involved with research involving rockweed food webs and insect biomechanics. She is a New England Outdoor Writers Association scholarship recipient and received the Ashman/Demeritt scholarship. After graduating, Pavlik plans to explore employment as a field tech and gain additional research experience. 

A full Q&A with Pavlik is available online.

Ece Yeldan of Kadıköy, Istanbul, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Honors College. She is majoring in wildlife ecology and minoring in renewable energy, economics and policy. Through her studies, Yeldan aimed to broaden her cultural perspective on conservation and exposure to different environments, which was enriched by her study abroad program in Tanzania where she learned about conservation of large African carnivores. Her honors thesis titled “Understanding the Connection Between Water, Fish and PFAS Concentration: Implications of Fish Diet and Species Specific Variability,” prepared and encouraged Yeldan to continue wildlife conservation research. During her time at UMaine, she served as president of the International Student Association, helping organize events for international students and participating in the International Dance Festival, Culturefest and International SpringFest. She plans to continue her education at the University of Glasgow in a Master of Science program in conservation management of African ecosystems and hopes to later transition into African carnivore conservation.

A full Q&A with Yeldan is available online.

Contact: Shelby Hartin, [email protected]

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