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Jungle Cruise

Based on Disneyland's theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals and reptiles but with a supernatural element. Based on Disneyland's theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals and reptiles but with a supernatural element. Based on Disneyland's theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals and reptiles but with a supernatural element.

• Jaume Collet-Serra
• Michael Green
• Glenn Ficarra
• Dwayne Johnson
• Emily Blunt
• Edgar Ramírez
• 1.2K User reviews
• 297 Critic reviews
• 50 Metascore
• 5 wins & 9 nominations

• Frank Wolff

• Lily Houghton

• MacGregor Houghton

• Prince Joachim

• (as Quim Gutierrez)

• Sir James Hobbs-Coddington

• Chief's Daughter

• Society Guard

• Society Member

• Society Worker
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Dwayne Johnson & Emily Blunt Answer Burning Questions

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Did you know

• Trivia Many of the puns Frank uses are taken directly from the Disney Parks attraction on which the movie is based. These "so bad they're good" jokes are one of the reasons why Jungle Cruise skippers are so important to the ride experience.
• Goofs Prince Joachim knows where the trapped Spanish are located. There was no record of this because only Skipper knew where he trapped them.

Frank Wolff : If you're lucky enough to have one person in this life to care about, then that's world enough for me.

• Crazy credits The bay in the Disney logo is seen to have the water glowing purple, and after the Disney logo fully appears the camera dives into the water and leads to the Tree of Life, which opens the film.
• Connections Featured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: D23 Expo 2019 Extravaganza (2019)
• Soundtracks Nothing Else Matters Reimagined by Metallica and James Newton Howard With featured performances by James Hetfield , Lars Ulrich , Kirk Hammett , Robert Trujillo Written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich Associate Producer and Engineer Greg Fidelman

User reviews 1.2K

• Oct 14, 2021
• How long is Jungle Cruise? Powered by Alexa
• Will 'Weird Al' Yankovic's song 'Skipper Dan' about Disney's Jungle Cruise ride be featured in this movie?
• July 30, 2021 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Thám Hiểm Rừng Xanh
• Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA
• Davis Entertainment
• Flynn Picture Company
• Seven Bucks Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $200,000,000 (estimated)
• $116,987,516
• $35,018,731
• Aug 1, 2021
• $220,889,446

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 7 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• IMAX 6-Track

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The Jungle Cruise

BACKSTORY (July 17, 1955–Present): Inspired by a “True-Life Adventure.” Boats modeled after “The African Queen,” which Harper Goff loved. Bill Evans (Disneyland landscaper) uprooted trees, replanted them upside-down, then grew vines on the exposed roots, thus creating “new” plants. Imagineers dyed the water brown so guests couldn’t see the river bottom which varies from 3'—8' deep. Marc Davis created the wading elephant pool and the rhino/safari/totem pole scenes. Supposedly this ride caused Walt’s obsession of “plussing the show” when he overheard a mother telling her child that they’d already been on the ride and didn’t need to go on it again; Walt had Imagineers add more scenes.

1962: Indian Elephant pool 1964: African Veldt & Lost Safari 1993: more additions 1994: Boathouse queue 1995: Rerouting of river for Indiana Jones 1997: Original river boats replaced 2005: Rebuilding, Piranhas, and updates to trashed camp.

Boats: Amazon Belle, Congo Queen (painted gold for the 50th), Ganges Gal, Hondo Hattie, Irrawaddy Woman, Kissimmee Kate, Nile Princess, Orinoco Adventuress, Suwannee Lady, Ucayali Una, Yangtze Lotus, & Zambezi Miss. Retired in 1997: Magdalena Maiden & Mekong Maiden.

• CONCEPT ART/ CONSTRUCTION
• ENTRANCE/DOCK
• DISNEYLAND LINE 8/25/77
• RAIN FOREST
• ANCIENT SHRINE, SUNKEN CITY
• DISNEYLAND LINE 5/9/73
• FUTURE ELEPHANT WADING POOL, 1955—60
• ELEPHANT WADING POOL, 1962—70's
• JOEL HALBERSTADT: 60's SKIPPERS
• SAFARI OUTPOST
• SCHWEITZER FALLS
• BULL ELEPHANTS
• AFRICAN VELDT
• TRAPPED SAFARI
• SKULL CANOE & NATIVES
• BEHIND SCHWEITZER FALLS-BACK SIDE OF WATER
• WATER BUFFALO & TRADER SAM
• RETURN TO CIVILIZATION
• Jingle Cruise

CONCEPT ART/CONSTRUCTION

ENTRANCE/DOCK, 1950’s

“Those of you adventurers entering the world-famous Jungle Cruise, please notice there are two lines, one on the right, and the other on the left. If you’d like to keep your family together, please stay in the same line. However, if there is someone in your family you’d like to get rid of, just put them in the opposite line and you’ll never see them again.”

ENTRANCE/DOCK, 1960’s–1980’s

“Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please. Would the party that lost the roll of 50 $20 bills, wrapped in a red rubber band, please report to the shipping office…we have good news for you. We found your red rubber band.”

ENTRANCE/DOCK, 2000—Now

“Your attention, please. We do not allow cutting in line here at the World-Famous Jungle Cruise. Anyone caught with a pair of scissors will be asked to leave.”

“Come all the way up to the front…up by me. There’s no truth to the rumor that you get a longer ride in the back. Slide all the way forward now…that’s how we keep the cushions clean!”

THE DISNEYLAND LINE, AUGUST 25, 1977

Disneyland Taxidermy: From Cover to Cover What do you do with a greasy, holey, hairless moose? Why you change its fur, of course. And that's just what Bob Johnson does. Few people in the world have a job like Bob has as a Staff Shop Artificial Taxidermist. He has been doing fur and hair transplants on Audio Animatronic animals for over 14 years here at Disneyland--ever since the transition was made from authentic to artifical furs for heartier environment endurance and wildlife preservation purposes.

This artificial taxidermy required an artificial taxidermist. "The real taxidermist left because his experience was with the real stuff," Bob said. "On my first day I went to my supervisor and said, 'Okay, now that I have the job, how do I do it?' and he said, 'That's your problem!' The job had never been done before so nobody knew where to start. I spent the whole first year experimenting," Bob recalls. "When I finished my first few animals and put them in the Park people kept asking, 'What is it?'"

Being the first (and only) artificial taxidermist seemed to be quite a trial-and-error job for a while, but there really was little time for guessing with about 210 immediate unfurred and unfeathered customers. New materials had to be ordered and experimented with quickly. Bob worked on acrylic, nylon and orlon furs, tried all kind of dyes to see which would work on water animals, which would fade in the hot summer sun and which could withstand constant animation movements. The fur and feathers on audio animatronic birds and animals had to be constantly replaced because of the grease and wear and tear that ruin its Disney appearance.

White artificial fur is dyed in various shades and colors of shoe dye according to pictures of the animals in such references as the National Geographic Wild Animals of North America. Then, needing something a little more durable than Aquanet hairspray to hold and protect the dyed fur, Bob applies about four coats of spray varnish to do the trick of holding every hair in place--for years.

Besides an interesting job, the taxidermist also has an interesting office with migratory wall decorations. The particolored feathers covering his wall are constantly being used and replaced to attire over 100 birds. The taxidermist outfits a variety of birds from Jose the parrot to "odd-ball feathered things." Plumes, turkey feathers and ostrich feathers, among others, come in 400 t 500 sizes and colors. Each feather is individually glued to the bird, but contrary to popular belief, birds are not all feathers--at least not Disney birds. The undersides of most birds and the entire bodies of other birds are done in short fur material--the same material used for the former Mine Train marmots, six of which also decorate his office. Taking shortcuts such as these, some birds take little over an hour to attire.

Animals are more time-consuming due to their complexity. The Jungle Cruise gnu, for example, has three types of hair on its face and all down its back. This doesn't even include the individual horsehairs that must be inserted with a needle into its ears, tail, eyelashes, etc. Bears, after being outfitted in fur, must be inserted with horsehair whiskers, earhair and rubber claws.

It took some time working with every detail of every animal to get his artificial taxidermy to a science, but now when Bob places one of his works in the Park nobody has to ask him "What is it?" They know--it's a work of art.

RAIN FOREST  |  ANCIENT SHRINE  |  SUNKEN CITY, 1950’s

“Everyone turn around and wave good-bye to the folks back on the dock…come on, wave! You may never see them again. But then again…you’ve never seen them before.”

RAIN FOREST  |  ANCIENT SHRINE  |  SUNKEN CITY, 1960's—1970's

“We’re leaving the last outpost of civilization and entering the jungle by way of the Irrawaddy river of Asia. We’re now entering the rainforest, wait it’s not a rain forrest, it’s a mist forrest. But you probably mist (missed) it!”

RAIN FOREST  |  ANCIENT SHRINE  |  SUNKEN CITY, 2000—PRESENT

“As you can see, those crocodiles provide the Temple with a very effective security system. They are completely reliable and they never ask for a dime.”

“Up on the steps—two King Cobras, some of the world’s deadliest snakes. Hmmm…there used to be three of them. Wonder where the other one is?”

“Don’t make any sudden moves. That’s a Bengal Tiger there on the left! Those tigers can jump over 20'. But not to worry. We must be at least…19' away, he’ll jump right over us!”

“Here is a statue of Ganesha, the Elephant-Headed God and guardian to the sacred bathing pool of the Indian elephants. Ganesha is the only concrete evidence we have that elephants exist here in the jungle.”

THE DISNEYLAND LINE, MAY 9, 1973

THE LOST AND FOUND DEPARTMENT OF THE JUNGLE CRUISE

The articles pictured above are a small sampling of some of the various things that were found in the now dry Jungle Cruise river which is currently undergoing a three week rehab. The rehab will involve cleaning out the almost 2,000 foot long river, installing a new switch in the host storage area, re-working all of the animation, checking and repairing the guide rail, and rebuilding the sides of the river bank which have worn down from the constant action of the river.

The Decorating Department is giving Mother Nautre a little assist by completely rebuilding the rain forest section of the river and our Landscaping Department is doing a general rehab of the entire jungle area.

The bottom and sides of the river are of gunite construction and the river has an average width of thirty feet and an average depth of five feet. Each ungle Cruise boat is independently powered by inboard natural gas engines, riding on the 1,920 foot long guide rail. Natural gas was chosen because of its clean burning characteristics.

It will take approximately two and a half million gallons of water to fill the river when the rehab is complete.

Some of the articles found after the river was drained include:

A matched pair of Instamatic Cameras Five used flash cubes Two lens covers for a 35mm camera Six combs A blue filter for a 35mm camera Three hose clamps One flashlight One cream server complete with coffee cup Assorted pieces of rope Two quarters Four nickels One Lincoln penny dated 1956

FUTURE ELEPHANT WADING POOL AREA, 1950’s–1960

“And look at all the elephants on the river today! This comes as a complete surprise to me ‘cause I had no idea these guys were going to be here. If you want to take pictures, go right ahead. All the elephants have their trunks on.”

ELEPHANT WADING POOL, 1962–1970’s

In 1962, the elephant wading pool scene was added to the Jungle Cruise attraction. Here are the publicity blurbs that accompanied the three concept art shots seen below:

ELEPHANT WADING POOL, 2000—PRESENT

“Oh, no. There on the right. That big elephant is coming up and it looks like he’s aiming for us! On no! He’s coming up again…you folks in the back…get down! Well…I guess he didn’t have time to reload.”

JOEL HALBERSTADT: 1960's Jungle Skippers...A Different Breed

Former Disneyland Cast Member Joel Halberstadt (and Daveland reader!) graciously shared some of his memories from his days in Adventureland. In Joel's words:

As an ex-Disney employee, with six years in Adventureland, two as head of Disneyland communications and four years in management at Imagineering, I still count the Jungle Cruise as my "home." Much to my amusement, the jungle cruise spiel, which I re-wrote in it's entirety in 1976, still contains most of the jokes and lines I incorporated into it 36 years ago. At Imagineering in the mid-seventies, I had the honor to work along side many of those who you have pictured in your historical photos, such as Marc Davis, Herb Ryman, X. Attencio, Bob Gurr, and John Hench, among others.

To many of the jungle cruise skippers who existed in the late 1960's and early 70's, the spiel was everything.

In 1968, I had the privilege of being trained by an older guy named Lee David, an Hawaiian performer who had worked in vaudeville and on stage in a previous life. In fact, he was the designated skipper Walt always asked for when he went on the jungle cruise. Lee taught me everything he knew about timing, voice inflection, delivery, eye contact, involving the audience, humor in good taste, and overall stage presence.

And, I also benefited from working along side several professional actors, school teachers and others who were used to speaking in front of others---Mike Lorenz would be at the top of that List, along with Don Munsell, Bob Glassman, Doug Miller, John McCoy, and Bob Levering. They knew so well the adage "whatever you put into your spiel, you'll get out of it..."All great examples for me to be sure and I constantly honed my spiel and looked forward to every trip---pure entertainment.

The result was a small group of perhaps 6-7 skippers whose humor could be described as a mix of Steve Martin, Chris Rock, and a touch of Don Rickles. It was all carefully thought out ahead of time, since a major aspect of our fun and success was audience involvement in our spiel. I personally took every chance I could to involve each kid, grandmother, or family in my spiel to make them feel as special as possible.

And so after more than six years on the Jungle Cruise, more than 20,000 spiels/trips, and countless interactions with guests of all kinds, I never thought I would be at a loss for words....except for, well, uh ...those three times!

July 1969: #1 Loss for Words - At the attacking native scene, a frequent bit I used was pretending to carry on a conversation with them, and then turning to one of my crew and informing them that the natives wanted to trade three coconuts for their wife/sister/mother-in-law...and suggesting "...I'd hold out for four if I were you.!" Always got a hilarious reaction from everyone...well, almost every one. On one particular trip, as the crew exited my boat, a middle aged man of foreign origin who had been sitting in the middle, turned to me and said, with squinted eyes and a growl to his voice, "I did NOT appreciate you trying to trade my wife for three coconuts!" Of course, my immediate reaction was to respond with, "Well, okay...what do you think she's really worth? Four? Five? But it was instantly clear that this man was deadly serious, and was NOT happy. Perhaps in his country women were held in such high regard that the mere suggestion of trading them for anything was an outrageous insult. Perhaps in his country no one had a sense of humor. Either way, I opened my mouth, but nothing came out...all I could muster was to suppress my laughter and shake my head, trying to convince myself that this wasn't happening.

August 1971: #2 Loss for Words - One of our jobs taking E tickets at the turnstile (when they had tickets) was to make the guests' boring wait in line as enjoyable and as quick as possible. And there were perhaps a dozen stories/announcements/bits we had crafted to achieve that thru the microphone in front of us. For better or worse, a few of us discovered that the the turnstile was our stage and the queue area was the audience. Indeed, many guests as they handed us their E coupon actually commented on how much they enjoyed out patter. One of the bits that got the biggest reaction was to announce: "Once again, we are still looking for that little lost girl who got separated from her family ...please keep your eyes open for her. She has blonde hair, shorts and a halter top -- and is approximately 22 years old. If you see her, please take firmly by the hand and bring her over to us at the turnstile...we'll know what to do."

One summer day in 1971, about a minute after making that announcement, I look up and approaching me was another reason for me to temporarily lose my ability to speak: There she was...the consummate California surfer girl, 5 foot 6, long blonde hair, tan - in a halter top and shorts yet - and with a face and body that I was sure had made grown men weep. As she confidently brushed her hair back, she said with a playful smile, "I think I may be the little lost girl you've been looking for." With a wink, she pushed through the turnstile and was gone. I laughed out loud, but no words would come. Fortunately, I resumed normal breathing a few moments later.

September 1972: #3 Loss for Words - Working on front load late one afternoon, I turned around to see a three year old girl waiting in line with her family near the turnstile. Unbelievably, her father had allowed her to slip under the railing and protective netting that separated the guests from the water. She was now standing two inches from the edge of the queue area over five feet of cold, filthy water. I started to walk toward her and to yell out a warning to her father, but the words stuck in my throat and never came. The three foot high child had fallen backwards and upside down into the water below. Although I was still about fourteen feet away, I took a long running jump from front load toward the spot where she had disappeared, realizing in mid-air that she had not yet come up. Closing my eyes, I submerged myself over my head, grasping under the dark dock for what seemed forever. My hand felt her arm near the bottom, and I propelled her up and out of the water into the waiting arms of a few fellow skippers who had run over to the edge of the dock to assist. Other then some coughing up water and crying, she seemed to be okay as the nurse and security officer from First Aid took her away in a wheelchair. A serious injury avoided? Almost certainly. A life saved? Possibly. But any other vigilant skipper would have done the same thing if put into that identical situation.

And to the Adventureland manager and supervisor on duty in 1972, who never acknowledged the incident ever occurred or offered one word of appreciation... "you're welcome."

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Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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