Moscow Diaries: Thinning Crowds and Late Breakfasts

Some of the changes in the city are subtle, while others are very obvious and visible.

The Moscow Metro is easily one of the best public transport systems in the world. The earlier-built stations are like underground museums and palaces and the newer ones look ultra-modern and luxurious. The underground always had a tendency of getting crowded at peak hours, but many initiatives such as different working hours for different government departments has helped spread out the rush.

Unable to find my multi-purpose transport card before leaving India, I decided to buy a new one yesterday. Lo and behold, the ticket counters at the nearest station were unmanned. This is a relatively new development. Of course I managed to get a new card following the instructions in Russian, and did not need them in English.

I know this is a trend in many countries with population problems but I really believe that places like railway stations should have humans operating ticket booths. Not only are the elderly not fully tech savvy, but they also tend to be lonely and need some kind of social contact.

This is purely anecdotal, but I generally feel that the metro is a lot less crowded than it was before. So are the roads, cafes and public spaces. Of course, this is the end of February and temperatures are well below zero, so that could explain the fewer numbers in public spaces but I have had nothing but sunny days since I came here and wonder…

The last time I was here (end of 2021) Moscow was undergoing its fifth Covid wave and I noticed how restaurants closed early.

In 2019, I was used to having early morning breakfasts at cafes that stayed open 24 hours. But then rules about paying employees more for working late or early hours were strictly enforced. Now, it’s not easy to find an eatery that is open at 7 am in the heart of the city. My area has a couple of places that are open from 8. As an early riser I feel this to be quite displeasing. The breakfast options, though, are top class, and I have found my fair share of lovely places for the first meal of the day.

A Moscow Government official told me that there are some restaurants and cafes that cater to night owls who like to walk around the historic centre when the rest of the city sleeps. A city as great as Moscow definitely needs more of an early morning culture. I think the continuous improvement in public comfort and facilities in the city had led to the city developing into a more easy-going place.

One unintended effect of navigation tools not working properly on telephones (a move enforced in the city because of Ukrainian drone strikes), is that people tend to ask other for directions. Rushing for a meeting I found myself asking a man in his 30s about how to get to a particular street. Not only did the man smile in a totally un-Russian manner but after I thanked him for helping me he wished me a good day. Such things reaffirm my faith that if people’s basic comforts are improved they would definitely be nicer to each other. In India we have a very long way to go for that.