Moscow is a central nervous system of Russia, where thousands of roads, rails and flights resemble nerve fibre connecting all nerve knots with the brain itself. It really wouldn't be an exaggeration to say, that Moscow is the point where all Russian roads come sooner or later. And by train you can get from Moscow to almost any Russian town that can be found on a medium-scale map and to lots of towns and cities abroad.

There are nine main railway terminals in Moscow: Belorussky, Kazansky, Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky, Kievsky, Paveletsky, Rizhsky, Kursky and Savelovsky. These constructions are so huge, that one could easily get lost being in Moscow for the first - or even the fifteenth time. And unfortunately there are only two effective means to find the right way: either ask your guide, or know Russian language on a basic level at least so that you could read the directions and ask someone how to get where you need. There are surely information desks, but chances that your English, German, French or any other language would be understood are unfortunately not too big. Unable to describe here all directions and all possible routs, we would like to give you common information about Moscow railway stations and some useful tips.

All railway stations are situated less then 5 minute walk away from metro stations of the same name. But it should be noted that Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky and Kazansky stations are located at the so called "Ploshchad treh vokzalov" (“Three stations square”) near metro station Komsomolskaya. The square, also known as Komsomolskaya (and Kalanchevskaya before 1932), is one of the busiest squares in Moscow, noted for its impressive blend of revivalist Tsarist and Stalinist architecture. Now thousands of personal autos and taxis pass through the square every hour, setting down and picking up passengers, hundreds of shops and stalls, tens of trains going to different directions every minute.

Leningradsky Rail Terminal is the oldest of Moscow’s principal railway stations. The station was constructed between 1844 and 1851, designed by Konstantin Thon as the terminus of the Moscow–Saint Petersburg Railway, a pet project of Emperor Nicholas I. Regular connection was opened in 1851. From here trains go to Saint-Petersburg, Murmansk, Helsinki (Finland), Borovichi, Novgorod, Ostashkov, Petrozavodsk, Pskov, Tallinn, and Tver. Traveling by train from Leningradsky station is really the most convenient way to get to "Piter" (St. Petersburg). It takes about 5,5 to 9,5 hours to get there depending on the train class. But in summer one should buy a ticket a couple of weeks before departure, or even earlier: it's a good tradition to spend weekend in St. Petersburg, especially in summer, and all the tickets are usually sold out long before the date of departure.

From Kazanskiy Rail Terminal which is considered to be the largest in Europe, trains depart to many southern and eastern directions: Kazan, Adler, Samara, Ufa, Alma-Aty, Barnaul, Bishkek, Vladikavkaz, Grozny, Dushanbe, Ekaterinburg, Kislovodsk, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novorossiysk, Rostov, Ryazan, Tashkent, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, and many other cities of Russian Povolzhye, Ural, Siberia, and the Middle East. This station was constructed in 1864 across the square from Leningradsky Terminal.

Yaroslavsky Rail Terminal, built nearby Leningradsky station in 1862, is a terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway – the longest railway in the world. Connecting Moscow and Vladivostok, it is around 9,300 kilometers (5,800 miles) long and spans 8 time zones. This terminal is a transport knot, connecting Moscow with North regions, Ural, Siberia, the Far East, China, Mongolia and North Korea. Because of diversity of routs Yaroslavsky station is even more crowded and chaotic than other railway stations and considered to be one of the busiest in Russia.

Nastya Makryashina