St. Basil’s Cathedral crowns Moscow’s Red Square like a colorful gingerbread house. Fitting, as Moscow is becoming a hot food town. (Sasha Vasilyuk / For The Times)
The venerable GUM department store is outlined in lights on Moscow’s Red Square. (Sasha Vasilyuk / For The Times)
Sprats, not usually known as an exciting fish dish, is transformed by chef Dmitry Shurshakov at Vatrushka in Moscow. (Artuom Bogdanov / For The Times)
A gourmet food market occupies the fifth floor of the trendy Tsvetnoy shopping center in central Moscow. (Sasha Vasilyuk / For The Times)
Salt-cured smelts go for 1,240 rubles ($30) per kilogram at Tsvetnoy shopping center’s gourmet food market in Moscow. (Sasha Vasilyuk / For The Times)
Gzhel, traditional Russian blue and white pottery, is sold at Arbatskaya Lavitsa on Moscow’s Arbat Street. (Sasha Vasilyuk / For The Times)
Colorful matryoshka nesting dolls are a popular find on Moscow’s pedestrian Arbat Street. (Sasha Vasilyuk / For The Times)
Stolle Bakery, with locations in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, offers scrumptious pies with fish, meat, mushroom and berry fillings. (Sasha Vasilyuk / For The Times)
A traditional Russian folk ensemble performs at Russkaya Charka restaurant in St. Petersburg. (Sasha Vasilyuk / For The Times)
Grisha is a local bartending legend who works his magic at the Hat, a jazz bar in St. Petersburg. (Sasha Vasilyuk / For The Times)
