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• May 11, 2023

Voyager's Top 10 favourite songs from their back catalogue

Voyager are a familiar name to Eurovision fans - being both the Australian Eurovision representitives this year and participating in the Australian national final 'Eurovision - Australia Decides' in 2022. For many of us, 'Dreamer' and 'Promise' might have been the only Voyager songs to have graced our ears...today that's going to change!

The Perth based progressive metal bands career spans over four decades, seven albums and dozens of songs - there is no shortage of ripper Voyager tunes to sink your teeth into!

In some exciting news - they've announced an eigth album 'Fearless in Love' - details here .

We went to the band members Simone (Guitars), Ash (Drums), Alex (Bass & backing vocals), Scott (Guitars) and Danny (Vocals and keytar) and asked them: "Which three songs from Voyager's back catalogue do you think fans should check out?" and these were some of their suggestions:

'Ascension': Ghost Mile (2017)

Track Number: #1

"If it’s our best songs for grabbing a listener's immediate attention, I’d say 'Ascension' from our sixth album Ghost Mile" -Simone

"You can’t really go wrong with 'Ascension'; it’s still one of my favourite songs to play live." -Scott

'Broken': The Meaning of I (2011)

Track Number: #4

"Before I was a member of the band, I got hooked on the song 'Broken', it’s a great modern-sounding fusion of EDM and metal that’s become a big part of our sound." - Ash

'Prince of Fire': Flearless in Love (2023)

Track Number: #2

Fresh off their new album 'Fearless In Love' set to release July 14 2023. The new album will also feature previously released singles 'Submarine' and their Australia Decides 2022 entry 'Dreamer' .

Pre-save and pre-order 'Fearless In Love' here .

'Severomance': Colours in the Sun (2019)

"'Severomance' is a song that really gets under my skin and gives me the feels." - Ash

'Close Your Eyes': I Am the Revolution (2009)

Track Number: #5

"'Close Your Eyes' is a song that the band wrote before I joined, and I think it’s amazing. The chorus has this awesome vocal layering that sent chills down my spine the first time I heard it." - Scott

'To the Morning Light': Element V (2003)/'The Morning Light': V (2014)

Track Number: #2 (Element V) & #11 (V)

"'To The Morning Light ' was the first Voyager song I ever heard, and we re-recorded it for our fifth album, V . It’s a Voyager classic, yet still encapsulates what Voyager does even today." - Scott

'Misery is Only Company': Ghost Mile (2017)

"I’m very proud of the song 'Misery is Only Company', the chorus is so anthemic and the song is quite intricate under the surface." -Ash

'Sober': from Univers (2007)

Recommended by the enthusasic bassist and backing vocalist Alex who gave us MANY song suggestions. Fair enough - with a back catalouge like Voyager's it's almost impossible to choose just a handful!

'Colours': from Colours in the Sun (2019)

Track number: 1

"I’d say 'Ascension' from our sixth album Ghost Mile, 'Hyperventilating' from our fifth album V and probably ' Colours ' from our last album Colours in the Sun. All three are tunes that have stayed in our set list since releasing, and not just because they are fan favourites, but some of our favourites to play live too and really encapsulate everything that makes a Voyager tune." -Simone

At Eurovison

The band have been busy rehearsing for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Voyager will be competing in semi-final 2 on May 11 (May 12 early morning in Australia) .

Get to know each member of Voyager in our Q&A profiles.

Follow and support Voyager at: https://ffm.bio/voyagerau

For continued updates on all the Eurovision 2023 news follow Aussievision on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. All links at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet

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Voyager: "We are progressive in many ways"

With Voyager on album number six, it feels like the melodic prog metallers are now truly finding their feet in the prog world. The Aussies open up about their impressive new effort Ghost Mile…

Voyager are in a pretty darn good mood. As the Australian prog metallers speak down the phone from their home city Perth, you can hear guitarist Simone Dow’s infectious, bellowing belly laugh from the other side of the world as it picks up like gusts of wind, setting off her bandmates, too.

They have every right to be feeling jolly. They’re on the cusp of releasing the best album of their career, Ghost Mile . It seems, after six records and a slew of line-up changes, the band have finally found their groove.

“With each album it’s definitely been more and more of a band writing exercise, whereas it never used to be like that,” Dow says. “We’re writing in the jam room now, all five of us together. We’ve got the same line-up again, and it’s very cohesive.”

The only mainstay in Voyager since their inception in 1999 has been singer and keyboard player Daniel Estrin. “I used to be the youngest member of the band, but now I’m the oldest,” he quips.

Take a listen to the eye-wateringly compelling and catchy Ghost Mile and you can tell that Voyager have grown up. It’s focused and firm, leaning towards contemporary tech riffs for its gruffer moments, but still slathering itself with all the luminescent melody in the world.

Stomping lead track Ascension sounds defiantly massive as it juxtaposes snarly, pointed riffs with Estrin’s lofty, wouldn’t-sound-out-of-place-in-the-80s vocals, while What A Wonderful Day is an intriguing cocktail of electronic flourishes that exemplifies how Voyager aren’t ones to shy away from more typical song structures. Disconnected , meanwhile, explodes with snarling machine gun guitar work that actually wouldn’t sound out of place on a Meshuggah record.

Voyager’s line-up – completed by Scott Kay on guitar, drummer Ashley Doodkorte and bassist Alex Canion – has remained in place since their last album V , and you can tell, with their sound evolving organically after the record’s release in 2014.

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The tech crew who worked on that album remained on board too, and the sound is truly fit for mainstream consumption, with its hues crisp and clear, booming and bright. It’s clinical without feeling colourless.

“I think it’s a natural progression from where we left off, and we seem to have been doing that with our last few albums,” Estrin says. “Just taking the main elements and building on that, and I’d say this is probably our most modern one to date. I think in terms of some of the things we’re trying, it’s also probably our most daring one. There are some pretty different things on there.”

“I don’t think it’s really a forced change, it just happened naturally, from what we’d been listening to,” Kay adds. “We’d been listening to a lot less of just heavy music in general, and as a group, listening to all kinds of other stuff. I think that’s kind of seeped its way into what we’re doing. It’s less of a strictly metal record – there’s all these different elements to it.”

Some of the influences swirling in the buzzing minds of Voyager during the writing of Ghost Mile included the likes of the djent-leaning Periphery and TesseracT , but there was ambient and indie too.

It’s a contrast to Voyager’s earliest material, which erred on the side of power metal, while later releases promoted a modern-day theatricality linked more with the likes of arena mainstays Avenged Sevenfold . Largely gone, too, is the gothic look which permeated some old promotional photos.

“I compare it to Pantera , because they started as a power metal band and went into a completely different direction,” Estrin says. “There are some similarities. Voyager started very much out of a genesis of power metal and progressive metal, and I think it’s come a long way from there. That wasn’t a conscious thing, it was a natural progression. It’s become what it has today.

“You can tell, even on the first few albums, there are some elements of what we’re doing now. But one thing that will never change is the catchy choruses, the big anthemic poppy top that Voyager is used to. We’ve combined that more with the heavy grooves and complex riffage underneath, to appease the prog fans and to make it more fun to play because otherwise you’d just be playing boring pop songs, and who wants to do that?”

The band quickly gained traction worldwide despite hailing from Australia, as they landed slots at the likes of the ProgPower festivals and were snapped up by Dutch label DVS.

They had to cut their teeth, though, playing local gigs alongside acts from genres like grindcore and death metal because of the compact size of the country’s scene at the time.

“It was almost a struggle to make an impact in Australia,” Estrin reflects. “Being an Australian band in the early days was really to our advantage, and we had a bit of a cult status I guess all over the world. The scene in Australia was really small back in the day. I guess we were sort of pioneers in starting it, and making melodic and progressive music that little bit more accessible. Now, I wouldn’t say it’s mainstream, but it’s a very healthy scene.”

This time around, Voyager are self-releasing their album, and perhaps highlighting how today’s industry is forcing musicians to explore new revenue streams, they launched a successful PledgeMusic campaign to offer fans pre-orders alongside unique items, such as signed gig banners and handwritten lyrics.

“I don’t see it as being too different to what the old funding model was, it’s just that we’re doing this without a label fronting money for pressing and everything like that,” Kay says.

“I don’t think labels front money anymore these days,” Estrin adds. “I think it’s very rare. It definitely changes the band’s need to approach things. But also, it’s a huge new world of opportunities that we didn’t have before the internet. I think gone are the days of Bon Jovi and the private jets of the 80s and massive record deals. I think it’s a completely different paradigm, a completely different framework in which we’re working.”

Despite the band hurtling down a more adventurous path in the last few years, Estrin knows that some naysayers still argue against Voyager being called prog. While he admits that might be because “we don’t have 17 ⁄ 8 time signatures going through the whole thing”, the Aussies have plenty going for them in the thinking-outside-the-box stakes.

It’s left-leaning music which isn’t afraid to take twists or turns, despite often tunnelling down the well-trodden, melody-ridden route of ‘verse, chorus, verse’.

“I don’t mind the progressive label,” the vocalist adds. “We are progressive in many ways – we’re constantly evolving musically and we do have a lot of complexity in our songs. It’s kind of like ABBA. They write amazing pop songs, but when you dissect them, they’re extremely complex inside. They have their complexity, to make their songs interesting, but also have that catchy pop element. If that’s progressive, I don’t know? Are ABBA a prog band? Possibly…”

“I guess what makes us experimental, if you want to call us that, is our willingness to try things and just be open-minded with ideas and see where they go,” adds Kay. “I wouldn’t say there’s any conscious effort to be deliberately experimental or different. It just seems to be a matter of the sum of our parts coming together and producing whatever it is that comes out.”

There is much to be optimistic about in the Voyager camp right now. They’ve been promoting their record on Australia’s live circuit alongside wacky electronic prog metallers The Algorithm, and you would expect a full global assault to follow.

It’s likely that those attending the Ghost Mile shows will leave high on life, heart lifted. And, most tellingly, stuck with Voyager songs rattling around their head for days.

“You want a hook,” Dow says. “That’s what grabs you when you listen to a band, either a catchy vocal hook or guitar lick. Then you’ve got bands like Meshuggah… they’re fantastic, but there’s not anything that’s hooky that’s going on. There’s a lot of fantastic bands that are like tech death, but I can’t listen to that all the time, because it’s just riff after riff after riff.

“I think what we’ve got special is the music that we write. It gets stuck in your head. Maybe that’s annoying to some people, but I think it’s a good trait to have.”

Ghost Mile is out now on IAV Records. See www.voyager-australia.com for more information.

Voyager - Ghost Mile album review

Karnivool and Voyager, live in Melbourne

A writer for Prog magazine since 2014, armed with a particular taste for the darker side of rock. The dayjob is local news, so writing about the music on the side keeps things exciting - especially when Chris is based in the wild norths of Scotland. Previous bylines include national newspapers and magazines.

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Promise​/​Dreamer

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Voyager Perth, Australia

Get ready to witness a genre-transfiguring quintet take the stage like never before! Hailing from Australia, Voyager has shattered expectations with their resilient and determined attitude. The new album 'Fearless in Love' is next-level prog metal mastery that shatters all archetypes and expectations. Available NOW! ...   more

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Voyager – Fearless in Love (Album Review)

Posted on July 5, 2023 by kjdraven

Voyager – Fearless In Love Released: July 14, 2023

Danny Estrin // vocals Simone Dow // guitar Scott Kay //guitar Alex Canion // bass Ashley Doodkorte // drums

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It’s an exciting time for Perth band Voyager . Fresh off their ninth-place finish in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest ( recap here ) , the band embarked on a sold out Australian tour ( gig review here ) ahead of the release of eighth album Fearless in Love . They’ve timed the release beautifully to take advantage of the mainstream press that Eurovision brought them, but there’s a question of whether the new fans that ‘Promise’ has attracted will be into a full LP of synth-prog-metal. After all, ‘Promise’ noticeably turns down the heavy riffs compared to their back catalogue, so Fearless in Love has the delicate job of acknowledging long-time punters and satisfying those looking for a post-Eurovision fix. Thankfully the band is up to the task. 

Even though it doesn’t pop up until the album’s second half it is worth reviewing ‘Promise’ first. It’s easily my most streamed song of 2023 and elicits the same sing-a-long in my car that it did when it was released. The energy that Voyager put into on stage in Liverpool rubs off and the guitar solo into the keytar lick still rules. It is quite simply a banger and builds to the final minute where we can get a juicy breakdown and growl from Alex. It’s worth noting it is the same version that has been a single without any additional embellishments. As far as album centrepieces go, it is hard to beat. 

Those new to the Voyager world will be asking if there is anything to back up  ‘Promise’ and um, deliver on the, uh, promise of that tune. Their Australia Decides 2022 contender ‘Dreamer’ is here as the next track for Eurovision fans. It’s heavier than ‘Promise’ but has another great emotional hook. It builds through the synth but is much quicker to showcase the band’s metal riffs, making it a great bridge between their core sound and synth-pop leanings. The breakdown is more badass than I remember and Danny’s vocals are arguably even bigger. It certainly grabs your attention and holds it for the three minutes. 

There’s plenty of album tracks that scratch the 80s synth itch. ‘Ultraviolet’ sounds like a song from a Tom Cruise movie that time forgot with a quick tempo and a drum sound that owes more than a debt to Dire Straits . It’s got some gnarly modern guitar and a screamy cameo from fellow Perth native, Sean Harmanis of Make Them Suffer , who joins the party with an ominous growl.  It captures the glorious collision of influences in a way only Voyager can. ‘The Lamenting’ mines similar 80s vibes in a ballad form that serves as a nice change of pace, even if the hook isn’t as memorable as some of the other songs. Likewise ‘Daydream’ is more pop-rock than metal and would be a great single that will appeal to fans of ‘Promise’ . 

As an album Fearless in Love isn’t so much of a shift from their previous work, but a continued evolution from Colours in the Sun (2019). The fans who have been on the journey with them for twenty years will get a kick out of first track ‘The Best Intentions’ as it drips with spaced-out prog synths and keys. It jumps straight into the most recent single, ‘Prince of Fire’ , which is unmistakably a metal song with chunky djent riffs. Their great strength as a band is their ability to create a sonic scene that suits the lyrics, painting a musical picture that implants an image in your head. ‘Prince of Fire’ is a bleak dystopia, particularly when compared to the previously mentioned singles, capturing the solitude of the song’s protagonist. There is a cool interlude though so Danny can get his croon on before the big note. 

As far as prog-metal albums go, Voyager have loaded this with anthems. ‘Submarine’ has all the markings of an odd novelty song with a cute riff and big hook. The solo echoes Queen’s Brian May with Simone Dow dropping all sorts of tricky taps and whammy bends. But it’s a little darker than that when it gets to the final stanza and Alex screams that he is “coming up for air” . If there’s another Guardians of the Galaxy movie, this should be the end credits tune.

‘Twisted’ is a more electro take on prog-metal but also has a massive inspirational chorus that will play well live. ‘Listen’ also gets the Queen vibe right with plenty of guitar hero action. (Or as my wife just observed, it sounds a bit like Ghost , which is not a bad thing in my house.) Longtime fans will also get a kick out of the final track ‘Gren (Fearless in Love)’ . It’s much more of a traditional prog song with ethereal keys that sound transcendent in that space rock way. 

Voyager have successfully walked the tightrope between drawing in new fans from their Eurovision run, while rewarding longtime followers for their devotion. Fearless in Love has enough riffs, synths and hooks to catch the ear of anyone with a passing interest in 80s style rock and metal without ever sounding like a complete vintage act. It is certainly epic and accessible and demands a bigger audience than their recent club tour. I dare say I’ll be singing its praises among the best albums of the year. 

Voyager – Fearless In Love Tracklisting :

1. The Best Intentions 2. Prince of Fire 3. Ultraviolet feat. Sean Harmanis of Make Them Suffer 4. Dreamer 5. The Lamenting 6. Submarine 7. Promise 8. Twisted 9. Daydream 10. Listen 11. Gren (Fearless in Love)

Rating: 9 / 10 Fearless in Love is out July 14 via Seasons of Mist . Pre-Order here . Review by KJ Draven ( Twitter and Instagram ). 

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Voyager formed in Newbury (Berkshire) – originally as The Paul French Connection –  and charted in 1979 with their debut single Halfway Hotel  which reached #35 in the UK (#15 in Australia) and became the title track of their debut album.

Their second album – Act of Love (1980) – produced the single Sing Out (Love Is Easy) which received saturation radio airplay in Britain but did not chart.

A third (self-titled) followed in 1981 with Dominic Telfer on bass, replacing Chris Hook. The single from this album, Rosie , did not chart either.

After touring extensively, and in the absence of any further chart hits, Voyager disbanded in 1981.

Drummer John Marter joined the lineup of Marillion while guitarist Paul Hirsh played on tours with Status Quo and Chris Rea.

Singer Paul French took a different musical direction becoming a full-time composer.

Following the release of a retrospective CD in 2004, the original lineup reunited for an album of original material in 2006 entitled Eyecontact .

Paul French Vocals, keyboards Paul Hirsh Vocals, guitar, keyboards Chris Hook Bass, vocals John Marter Drums Dominic Telfer Bass

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Der serbische Rapper und Sänger Mihajlo Veruović, besser bekannt unter seinem Künstlernamen Voyage, wird am 15. September 2001 in Belgrad geboren. Bereits zu Schulzeiten gründet er die Rap-Gruppe Company, die ab 2015 Singles wie „ Come Closer" (2015) oder „ Until the End" (2017) veröffentlichen. Einem breiteren Publikum wird Voyage 2019 durch die Zusammenarbeit mit Breskvica an dem Song „ Vrati me" bekannt. Im November 2019 folgt sein zweites Duett mit Breskvica unter dem Titel „ Budi tu" . Auch im Jahr 2020 veröffentlicht Voyage weitere Duette mit Breskvica, bevor 2021 eine Zusammenarbeit mit J Fado unter dem Titel „ Plesi" erscheint. Ebenfalls 2021 entstehen Kollaborationen mit Nucci ( „ Balkan" ) und Rasta ( „ Aman" ).

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Le Corbusier’s triumphant return to Moscow

The exhibition of French prominent architect Le Corbusier, held in The Pushkin Museum, brings together the different facets of his talent. Source: ITAR-TASS / Stanislav Krasilnikov

The largest Le Corbusier exhibition in a quarter of a century celebrates the modernist architect’s life and his connection with the city.

Given his affinity with Moscow, it is perhaps surprising that the city had never hosted a major examination of Le Corbusier’s work until now. However, the Pushkin Museum and the Le Corbusier Fund have redressed that discrepancy with the comprehensive exhibition “Secrets of Creation: Between Art and Architecture,” which runs until November 18.

Presenting over 400 exhibits, the exhibition charts Le Corbusier’s development from the young man eagerly sketching buildings on a trip around Europe, to his later years as a prolific and influential architect.

The exhibition brings together the different facets of his talent, showing his publications, artwork and furniture design alongside photographs, models and blueprints of his buildings.

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Irina Antonova, director of the Pushkin Museum, said, “It was important for us to also exhibit his art. People know Le Corbusier the architect, but what is less well know is that he was also an artist. Seeing his art and architecture together gives us an insight into his mind and his thought-processes.”

What becomes obvious to visitors of the exhibition is that Le Corbusier was a man driven by a single-minded vision of how form and lines should interact, a vision he was able to express across multiple genres.

The upper wings of the Pushkin Museum are separated by the central stairs and two long balconies. The organizers have exploited this space, allowing comparison of Le Corbusier’s different art forms. On one side there are large paintings in the Purist style he adapted from Cubism, while on the other wall there are panoramic photographs of his famous buildings.

Le Corbusier was a theorist, producing many pamphlets and manifestos which outlined his view that rigorous urban planning could make society more productive and raise the average standard of living.

It was his affinity with constructivism, and its accompanying vision of the way architecture could shape society, which drew him to visit the Soviet Union, where, as he saw it, there existed a “nation that is being organized in accordance with its new spirit.”

The exhibition’s curator Jean-Louis Cohen explains that Le Corbusier saw Moscow as “somewhere he could experiment.” Indeed, when the architect was commissioned to construct the famous Tsentrosoyuz Building, he responded by producing a plan for the entire city, based on his concept of geometric symmetry.

Falling foul of the political climate

He had misread the Soviet appetite for experimentation, and as Cohen relates in his book Le Corbusier, 1887-1965, drew stinging attacks from the likes of El Lissitsky, who called his design “a city on paper, extraneous to living nature, located in a desert through which not even a river must be allowed to pass (since a curve would contradict the style).”

Not to be deterred, Le Corbusier returned to Moscow in 1932 and entered the famous Palace of the Soviets competition, a skyscraper that was planned to be the tallest building in the world.

This time he fell foul of the changing political climate, as Stalin’s growing suspicion of the avant-garde led to the endorsement of neo-classical designs for the construction, which was ultimately never built due to the Second World War.

Situated opposite the proposed site for the Palace of the Soviets, the exhibition offers a tantalizing vision of what might have been, presenting scale models alongside Le Corbusier’s plans, and generating the feeling of an un-built masterpiece.

Despite Le Corbusier’s fluctuating fortunes in Soviet society, there was one architect who never wavered in his support . Constructivist luminary Alexander Vesnin declared that the Tsentrosoyuz building was the "the best building to arise in Moscow for over a century.”

The exhibition sheds light on their professional and personal relationship, showing sketches and letters they exchanged. In a radical break from the abstract nature of most of Le Corbusier’s art, this corner of the exhibition highlights the sometimes volatile architect’s softer side, as shown through nude sketches and classical still-life paintings he sent to Vesnin.

“He was a complex person” says Cohen. “It’s important to show his difficult elements; his connections with the USSR, with Mussolini. Now that relations between Russia and the West have improved, we can examine this. At the moment there is a new season in Le Corbusier interpretation.” To this end, the exhibition includes articles that have never previously been published in Russia, as well as Le Corbusier’s own literature.

Completing Le Corbusier’s triumphant return to Russia is a preview of a forthcoming statue, to be erected outside the Tsentrosoyuz building. Even if she couldn’t quite accept his vision of a planned city, Moscow is certainly welcoming him back.

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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Moscow’s best free city tour

I love Moscow – this charming metropolis, its people, its history and its unique cityscape. I would like to share my passion for this city with you. It is my job to show you the most exciting corners of this fascinating metropolis. That’s why, as a travel specialist and your private tour guide Moscow in Russia, I organize a guided free city tour Moscow – so that everyone, regardless of their budget, would be able to enjoy the insider’s view of Moscow.

You get to see what only Moscow residents know and what other tourist guides keep from you. I am a licensed travel specialist in Russia and would like you to enjoy all facets of the capital of the largest country in the world, without demanding any money from you. I’ll show you the city on my free Moscow walking tour for 1.5-hours on foot.

Everything you need to know:

• My tours take place daily by arrangement, I am the only English-speaking licensed tourist guide Moscow, who offers a free city tour.
• My 1.5-hour free tours Moscow do not cost you a cent, I also offer other great paid tours as well.
• I am an experienced local, I make the tours informative, but at the same time relaxed and not off the plane.

Free Tours Moscow – Daily

My free tours Moscow city starts on Slavonic Square (Kitay-Gorod Metro Station), passes the world-famous St. Basil’s Cathedral, which was built by Ivan the Terrible on the south side of Red Square in the 16th century and where the tsars were once crowned. Then it goes across the Red Square at the Lenin Mausoleum, the luxury department store GUM and with a view of the Kremlin towards the historical museum. Of course, you will also learn more about the stories that once happened behind the thick walls of the Kremlin – from the Tsars and Napoleon to Stalin. Then we continue through the idyllic Alexander Garden.

An advance booking is required!

Practical information:

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 1.5 hours Price: Free Language: English

«First acquaintance with Moscow» – a 2.5-hour city tour in the center of Moscow

This Moscow city tour starts on the Theater Square, past Lubyanka Square and the KGB-building, then through Kitay Gorod district and Varvarka Street, past the world-famous St. Basil’s Cathedral. Then it goes across Zarjadje Park, over Red Square at the Lenin Mausoleum, the GUM-department store and towards the Historical Museum. We walk through the Alexander Garden.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 2.5 hours Price: 17 $ Students and children: 6 $ Language: English

A 3.5-hour car/bus tour of Moscow.

This is the best tour of Moscow city as all the important sights are visited. I am your Moscow city guide who will walk you through the city explaining the charming history of the city. This tour begins with picking you up from the hotel. 3 breaks are offered for photographing.

First, we will visit the most famous riverside streets and bridges in the center of the city with the most beautiful views of the Kremlin and the Moskva River (e.g. the Kremlin embankment and the Great Stone Bridge).

The first photo break is made at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. We then pass by the district with numerous museums, Prechistinka Street and the district with numerous medical areas.

We again stop at the Novodevichy Convent, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the other bank of the Moskva River to click pictures.

Then we visit “Sparrow Hills” where you can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city of Moscow from the observation deck. Then there are the skyscrapers of Moscow-City, the Kutuzov avenue, the New Arbat, Tverskaya Street, the world-famous Bolshoi Theater, the KGB building and Varvarka Street. Here there are ample spots to click pictures.

We then drive past the Kremlin again and finally reach Red Square. We take a short tour of Red Square and say goodbye in the Alexander Garden.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 3.5 hours Price for a group: 170-200 $ (depending on the number of travelers) Language: English

Metro tour – daily

Palaces for ordinary people – that was what Stalin promised to the people when the construction of the Moscow Metro began between the World Wars. The communist dictator hadn’t promised too much. No other underground system in the world can boast such spectacular architecture – chandeliers, decorations, stucco, paintings on the walls – each station is individually designed. No wonder that Moscow residents love their metro. I will guide you through the bustle of one of the busiest subways in the world and show you the most beautiful stations Moscow city has.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 2 hours Price: 21 $ Students and children: 17 $ Language: English Included in the price: Metro tickets / the guided tour

Tour of Communist Moscow – every day

After the Communist October Revolution in 1918, Moscow became the capital of the Soviet Empire and was the center of socialist orbit for more than 70 years. This left its mark on Moscow, even if the USSR disintegrated more than a quarter of a century ago. The city streets are full of remnants of the communist regime and the Cold War. This is a walking tour where I will show you the most exciting places in Soviet Moscow: from the notorious KGB headquarters, also known as Lubyanka to the Karl Marx Monument to small hidden remains from the time of hammer and sickle. You will also learn about Stalin’s Great Terror political campaign and the system of the GULAG and how the USSR, the communist Russian republic, became modern Russia.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 2 hours Price: 21 $ Students and children: 17 $ Language: English Included in the price: the guided tour

Alternative Moscow Tour – daily

Explore the unseen Moscow with your Moscow private guide and discover a range of sights during this alternative walking tour.  Away from the main tourist spots (in the central district of Kitay-Gorod), just a short walk from Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral, you suddenly find yourself in one of the trendiest districts of Moscow. This place not only has trendy cafes and green squares, but here you can see the most beautiful spray works (according to Albrecht Dürer), hangout-places of the youth and hipsters, as well as learn what Moscow looked like in the 19th century. Here you will also learn exciting and even bloody stories about famous gangsters, eccentric business people and legends like the wandering preacher Rasputin, who is known in Russia either as the “holy devil” or the mad monk. To learn a little more about Moscow’s culture, this is the tour for you. On my alternative tour, you will get to know Moscow away from the tourist hotspots. This tour is of 2 hours duration and you will experience the following on the tour:

• St. John’s Hill, a quiet oasis right in the center, where time has stopped as it did in pre-Communist times
• Khokhlovka Art Center, where Russian hipsters and street artists hang out
• Samoskvorechye District where you can see beautiful streets and hear stories from old Moscow

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 2 hours Price: 21 $ Students and children: 17 $ Language: English Included in the price: the guided tour / tram ticket

Kremlin tour – daily (closed on Thursday)

With its 20 towers and high walls, the Kremlin rises imposingly over Red Square. This world-famous fortress with its area of ​​28 hectares is home to over 800 years of Russian history. Described as the eighth wonder of the world, this historic fortress complex is the principal symbol of Russia that sits on the banks of the Moscow River. Today the Kremlin still harbors numerous secrets and has palaces and cathedrals, surrounded by Kremlin Wall. The current wall was constructed between the 15 th  and 16 th  centuries, but the original wall was made of wood around the year 1147. The Kremlin Wall became an important symbol of Moscow’s importance in the Russian Empire. This top tourist destination attracts millions of people every year and there are various sights to see. With my Kremlin tour, you will see the oldest square in the city in the heart of the Kremlin, the once largest cannon in the world and the scene of numerous dramas – from Ivan the Terrible and Napoleon to Stalin. You cannot miss this unique experience.

An advance booking and prepayment for tickets are required.

Time: by arrangement, daily (closed on Thursday) Duration: 2 hours Price on request Students and children: on request Language: English Included in the price: Kremlin tickets / the guided tour

Moscow pub crawl – Friday / Saturday

Experience the real nightlife of Moscow with my Moscow Pub Crawl and enjoy 4 pubs/bars plus 4 welcome shot drinks. Move from one bar to another and get to know travelers from around the world as well as the locals. Play fun adventure games and contests in addition to getting perks in the bars. Between the bars, move from one place to another on foot. The routes are organized as such that you will walk no more than 10 minutes between the bars. Visit the most exciting events, parties, concerts, and dance in the bars. Moscow Pub Crawl is a tour that you will never forget.

This tour runs every Friday and Saturday evening at 8 PM and you need to bring along your passport or an ID card, comfortable shoes, and wear smart casual clothes.

An advance booking and a small prepayment are required!

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 4 hours Price on request Language: English Included in the price: the guided tour, 4 shot drinks

1.5-hour boat trip on the Moskva River.

Taking a boat tour in Moscow on the Moskva River is a very pleasant experience. It allows you to know the city from a totally different perspective and admire the beautiful bridges. In this 1.5-hour river trip, you will sail past many beautiful sites in Moscow, so you can take the best photos to commemorate this day. The ship makes several stops on the way. The trip starts from the Ustinskiy Bridge near Sarjadje Park and ends at the Kiev train station.

On this Boat Trip, you can see sights such as: the former Imperial Education House, Sarjadje Park, the “flowing”, “floating” bridge, the most beautiful view of the Kremlin, the Great Stone Bridge, the legendary House on the Quay, the Christ the Savior Cathedral , the monument to Peter the Great on the ship, the central sports arena Luzhniki, the Sparrow Hills, 240 meters high Lomonosov University, the numerous architecturally spectacular skyscrapers of Moscow-City, the Novodevichy Convent, the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs etc.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 1.5 hours Price on request Language: English

A military tour – riding on tanks in Stupino (Moscow region)

Russian Military is one of the largest military forces in the world formed in 1992. With my Military Tour experience what it likes to be in the Russian military, shooting guns, ride the Tank T-34 and various models of German tanks from the Second World War, as well as armored personnel carriers and vehicles. You will also shoot from the AK-47 and another combat weapon.

The tour will begin with your private tour guide Moscow in a Soviet army van accompanied with some tasty snacks and tea for a tasty start. Upon arriving, you will have to put on the army safety clothing and climb the Russian armored vehicles. The tour will take you on the noisy, smoky tank, driving through mud roads. All participants will get the chance to drive the tank which is coordinated by the Russian military.

Time: by arrangement, daily Price on request Language: English

Alexander Popov

Welcome to Russia! My name is Alexander, I was born in Moscow and I'm a passionate tour guide. I want to share my passion for Russia and my hometown with you. On my website you will find useful information to make your individual trip to Russia as interesting as possible.

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@2019-2020 - Moscow Voyager. Alexander Popov

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