shut the box travel edition

Traveler Shut the Box Game

Introduction: Traveler Shut the Box Game

A travel-sized version of Shut The Box has been on my project list for over a year, but I was indecisive on the design and materials. Sometimes (not all the time), I find that limitations can breed inspiration and creativity and in this instance, a 2x4 contest provided the necessary constraints.

A pine 2x4 answered my material question and the 3 1/2 width limited construction size ... unless I wanted to glue up panels ... which I didn't. All I needed for additional materials was the hardware ... 1/8" steel rod stock and a pack of flat washers.

Step 1: Milling the Parts

You can make this box a 27" long section of a 2x4, but I'd recommend giving yourself wiggle room. Alternately, you could use short sections (scraps or offcuts) if you don't care about continuous grain orientation on your box. There are plenty of ways to dimension the parts, but the following was my process.

1. Cut off a 28" length of a 2x4. 2. With the board laying on it's wide face, trim just enough so that you have a nice flat edge (as opposed to the rounded factory edge). 3. Rotate the board 90 degrees and with the blade at 1/4" - 1/3" of the board's overall height, rip a groove down the middle on each side. 4. You could raise your blade to finish ripping this board, but I feel safer making the cut using the bandsaw. The top and bottom grooves made by the table saw blade help guide the bandsaw blade and in my opinion, reduce drift. I don't have a bandsaw fence and it my saw has a fair amount of drift. 5. Reduce the thickness of these two boards to 1/2". I removed the bulk of the material using the planer and finished with the drum sander.

One of these boards will become the sides of the box ... pick the one you like best and set it aside. We'll keep processing the other board.

6. Cut a 9" (minimum) length off of the second board and set it aside. This will become the tiles and tile rest. [See math at the bottom] 7. Re-saw remaining length of this board in half like before ... table saw, bandsaw, drum sander. You'll end up around 3/16". One of these boards will become the top and bottom panels of your box ... pick the one you like best and set it aside. 8. Reduce the remaining board to the thickness of your table saw blade. This stock will be used for the miter splines, as well as spaces when separating the lid from the box. Note: If you're batching these out, you wouldn't have as many processing steps per board. You could dedicate one 2x4 for box sides and another for the panels and splines. That could be more interesting if your 2x4 are noticeable different in color and grain for example. Tile Material Math: 12 Tiles: 5/8" wide (.625) x 12 = 7.5" 11 Blade kerfs: 1/8" wide approx (.125) x 11 = 1.375" Total = 8.875"

Step 2: Fabricating the Tile Board

First up are the tiles because their overall length determines the box dimensions. When possible, I cut my material larger than the final dimension so that I can fine tune them .... AKA - so I can screw up. The tiles are coming from our 9" section of the 1/2" stock. 1. Rip the board to a width of 1 1/2". Set the cutoff aside as it will be used for the tile rest in a later step. 2. Set your blade to 3/8", orient the board so you are cutting into the narrow face, and rip a centered groove into one side of the board. Flip the board around and make another pass to center the groove. Adjust your fence and recut as necessary until you have a groove wide enough to accept the 1/8" steel rod. 3. With the steel rod in place, fill in the gap with a strip from your saw kerf stock. Glue and clamp. Note: If this gap is wider than your saw kerf stock, you'll have to make your filler material from the tile cutoff. My spring clamps left dents in the wood, so I had to run it through the sander to remove them. Learn from my mistake and don't use strong spring clamps. 4. Trim the board to an overall width of 1 1/4". For me, the center of the steel rod is 1/4" in from one edge. I made that cut first and then trimmed off the "top" to get my 1 1/4" width.

Step 3: Cutting the Individual Tiles

Next up is cutting the individual tiles. As long as you keep them in order after being cut, they will have that nice continuous grain look. I set all my small parts on a cookie sheet that I "borrowed" from the kitchen and destroyed years ago. I cut the tiles to a width of 5/8" and I used a small cross cut sled and a 60 tooth combination blade to with very minimal tear out. Once all the tiles were cut, I threaded them onto the steel rod with washers in between each. This measurement is my minimum internal box dimension. In my case, it ended up being 8 1/8".

Step 4: Box Sides With Continuous Grain

The sides of the box are ripped to a width of 2 1/8". I picked that during a mock up to keep things compact and it happened to work out. Set the cutoff aside in case you need it down the line for spines or the tile rest (you might mess up). I used a shop built miter sled to cut my miters (obviously). They are built so that you cut one side or your joint on each side of the sled ensuring a perfect 90 degree corner. I make my first cut on the left and then the final dimension cut on the right ... so the right side has a stop block. I set this stop block for a length of 9 1/8" Math: Necessary internal dimension of 8 1/8" + 1/2" stock on each side = 9 1/8" Since I wanted continuous grain around my box and didn't want to have to reset this stop block, which would result in errors, I need a spacer so I could cut the short sides. For me that spacer was 5 1/16". If you cut your initial 2x4 long, you can be somewhat selective of your starting point ... if not, just go with it. 1. Cut your first miter on the left side of the sled. 2. Move the board to the right side and cut the miter. This is your first long side. 3. Move the board back to the left side and you'll see the miter is backwards, so we need to true this up for the continuous grain. The pictures make this more clear. 4. Add the spacer block in from of the stop block and clamp it in place. Move the board to the right side and cut the miter. This is your first short side. 5. True up the miter for the continuous grain. 6. Remove the spacer block. Move the board to the right side and cut the miter. This is your second long side. 7. True up the miter for the continuous grain. 8. Add the spacer block in from of the stop block and clamp it in place. Move the board to the right side and cut the miter. This is your second short side.

Step 5: Grooves for Panels and Holes for the Steel Rod

Grooves These sides need grooves to accept the top and bottom panels. I went with 3/16" deep grooves ... so I set the blade height with my Wixey gauge. I set my fence to 1/8" and made a first pass on each side of each section (for top and bottom panels). Pay attention so that you don't cut on the outside faces. It didn't happen to me, but it could easily happen. Also ... make the same cut in a test board. With the first pass done, I nudged my fence and made a cuts in my test board until I got a perfect fit to the 3/16" panels. With the fence set, I ran each side of each section. NOTE: If you decide to use a thinner acrylic for the top panel, which I did on a few boxes, you may not have to make the second cut for a wider groove. Holes Each side panel needs a hole to accept the 1/8" steel rod and it's gonna be easier to drill them now ... before the box is assembled. My placement is 1" in from the back and 3/4" up from the bottom. I found this through some trial and error with mock up parts. It all depends on now the tiles rotate on the steel rod. If your tiles are thicker, sit higher, or sit lower, you may have to adjust the location of these holes. With the placement marked, I started the holes with an awl and then drilled 1/4" deep with a 1/4" forstner bit. I then switched the bit to a 9/16" and finished drilling through the part. This will allow me to insert the rod and then plug the hole with a piece of 1/4" dowel. Another option would be to just use a bit large enough for the steel rod, leave the rod long, and sand it flush to the box.

Step 6: Top and Bottom Panels

The top and bottom panels are cut from the 3/16" stock we milled down earlier. Their width and length is cut to fit within the box. You can use a long side to find the length and a short side to find the width. For me that was 8 1/2" x 3 1/4" I set up a stop block on the miter saw to make repetitive length cuts and then ripped them to width using the table saw. Since I did make a few with acrylic top panels, I switched to an acrylic blade, used a sled to cut the length and then ripped the width against the fence.

Step 7: Glue Up

Glue up was pretty straight forward. 1. Lay out all the boards to ensure the continuous grain is in the correct order. 2. Connect them all with tape ... I used packing tape. 3. Mask the corners with tape to keep glue squeeze out off of the wood. This step was HUGE for me. My mock up was a gluey mess ... this resolved the issue. The box will be sealed, so you can't clean up the internal squeeze out. 4. Add glue to the miter joints. 5. Set the top and bottom panel into one of the long sides. You can let them free float, but I added some glue so they wouldn't rattle. 6. Wrap the sides around the panels and tape the last seam. Tape would probably be a sufficient clamp, but I added a strap clamp for good measure.

Step 8: Miter Splines

I decided to add miter splines to strengthen the corners, as well as for visual interest. I used a shop built spline sled modeled after the American Eagle design. I clamp a stop block to the back of the table saw, which keeps me from pushing the sled further than it needs to go. Next I set the fence on the jig. I wanted my spines 3/8" in from the edge. Lastly, run each corner through the saw. From the stock I milled down to my blade kerf, I rip 3/4" strips using the table saw. Then I cut them into 1 3/4" long sections using the bandsaw. I spread glue on each spline using an acid brush (plumbing supply) and inserted them into each corner notch. Since I had the glue out and a plethora of sawdust, I filled in any corner gaps I ran across. Once the glue was dry, I cut most of the excess spline material using the bandsaw. NOTE: Cut in from the corner to avoid blowing out/chipping out your spline. Ask me how I know? Yep .. I messed up. I used the Oscillating Belt Sander to do most of the flushing up of the splines, but once I got them all close, I switched the the orbital sander to finish the job. The belt sander is aggressive and can really alter the shape of your box quickly.

Step 9: Lid Separation

To separate the lid from the box, I used the table saw. If you have a reliable bandsaw with a fence, you could use that, but my bandsaw has neither of those qualities. 1. Raise the blade just a bit past 1/2". 2. Set the fence to 1 1/8". 3. Set the bottom side of the box against the fence (I like the grain in a certain orientation). 4. Cut the groove through the short sides. Go slow ... I did get some tear out, but luckily it all stayed in the blade kerf area. 5. Cut through one long side. 6. Using some of your blade kerf stock, "shim" or fill the long side cut you just made. 7. Cut through the last long side. If you apply moderate holding pressure to the top, are careful and go slow ... no problems. If you squeeze too hard, you might get an angled, inaccurate cut. If you are loosey goosey, you could bind on the blade. NOTE: If any of this makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe ... find another way.

Step 10: Tile Rest

You could leave the tiles as is and live a happy life, but I wanted them to sit level when shut. Most likely, you'll be able to use leftover blade kerf stock, but if not, use cutoffs from the tile block or sides. In my case, I need 1/8" in height and I made it from the side cutoffs (ripped on the table saw and then sanded to perfection). I ripped this stock into 3/8" strips and cut them to length using the small crosscut sled. The tiles will determine your set off from the back edge ... since the corner needs to clear this rest. For me, that spacing was 7/8" and I made a spacer block using more side scrap. I spread glue on the tile rest, put my space block in place, and set the piece in place. I let the glue tack up a bit before removing the space and no clamps were necessary.

Step 11: Sanding

To remove the minimal tooling marks left by the table saw blade and flatten the mating surfaces of the box and lid, I ran them through the drum sander taking very light passes until the fit perfectly flush against each other. If you don't have a drum sander, you could attach some sand paper to a flat surface and move the piece across it like Danielson from the Karate Kid. The box faces were already smooth from when I sanded the the miter splines flush, so I just broke all sharp edges by hand with 150 grit paper. The tile faces were already smooth from the fabrication process, so I just broke all sharp edges by hand with 150 grit paper.

Step 12: Oiling

To bring out the depth in the grain, I oiled all the pieces with 50/50 boiled linseed oil/mineral spirits.

Step 13: Numbering the Tiles

Initially, I wanted to apply the numbers using a toner transfer with acetone method, but my OCD was defeated. I couldn't see through the paper well enough to get the number centered and that just wasn't good enough. However, I happened to have a stencil set from Micheal's and one of them was adequate in scale. I taped it to a piece of wood so I could get consistent vertical placement ... the wood became a fence basically. Center your desired number and color it in. I tested with a fine tip sharpie, but there was too much bleed/dithering ... so I ended up using a mechanical pencil, which worked very well. A light coat of lacquer seals in the graphite and ensures no smudging.

Step 14: Lid Connection

There are endless options for lid attachment. I didn't want to use hinges and a latch because for one, I'm cheap, and for two, I wanted to more minimal look. My first though was a short dowel/peg in each corner. Second thought was a single peg in each side. I decided on using dominos since I have the machine and I tend to use it for everything other than for what it was made. I used the 4mm cutter and Domino, which is about 3/4" in length.

1. Mask each short side of the box and lid with tape ... so as not to mark up the wood. 2. Mark the center ... I used a combination square. 3. For the Lids, I set the tool to the narrow setting (exact domino width) and a depth of 1/2". 4. For the boxes, I set the tool to the middle setting (wider slot) and a depth of 1/2" (it could be 1/4" if you desire)

NOTE: I cut the box grooves wider because I tried the exact setting and it wasn't working. Things either didn't line up perfectly or it was near impossible to remove the lid since it was so perfect and would bind. NOTE 2: I cut the slots in the top and bottom of the box section ... you'll see at the end. Dominos were glued into the lids and after I cleaned up the squeeze out, I used the box section to keep them aligned/straight as the glue dried.

Step 15: Finishing the Tiles and Interior

Finishing the interior of the game once assembled wouldn't be impossible, but it would be difficult and frustrating. I applied two coats of spray lacquer to the tiles and the box. You can see I actually made 6 boxes in order to show some variations.

Step 16: Felt Lining

I lined the box with felt from Michael's. You can get different colors and prints in 8 1/2" x 11 sheets. Basic felt is $0.39 each and the faux prints are $1.19 each. For the featured box, I'm using a faux crocodile pattern.

I cut them to fit using a metal ruler for marking and my expensive (remember I'm cheap) scissors. I tried adhering the felt to the wood with spray adhesive, but it didn't hold. Maybe because of the cold temps or because of the BLO. However ... hot glue was not defeated.

Lid Felt: 8 1/8" x 3 1/16" Box/Tray Felt: 8 1/8" x 1 3/4"

Step 17: Assembly and Hole Plugging

Assembly is easy and rather quick. 1. Cut the steel rod to length - 8 5/8" in my case. I deburred the ends using the oscillating belt sander. 2. Insert the rod through one side, thread on a washer, then a tile, then repeat until ending with a washer. NOTE: Pay attention to your number order. You won't be pleased if you have to redo it. Ask me how I know? 3. Thread the rod into the opposite hole. To plug the holes, I used 1/4" dowel stock. I cut small sections off using the bandsaw, added a blop of glue, and smashed them in with a hammer .... don't smash them in ... go easy champ. After the glue set, I sanded the excess plugs flush using the orbital sander. The oscillating belt sander was too aggressive. How do I know you ask? You can probably guess that I sanded through some of the finish on the box sides doing this .. yep. I touched it and the new plugs up with the 50/50 BLO mix.

Step 18: Finishing

Once the touch up oil dried, I put the lids on all of the boxes and hit them with another coat of spray lacquer. This covered the oil touch up and made me feel better about everything basically. Once the lacquer dried, I added a coat of paste wax and once it dried to a haze, buffed it out. Just for fun ... the last picture in this section includes my box sides mock up, side mitering spacer, and tile rest spacer. I have to label them all or I'll forget by next week. I'll save these in case I ever make more of these games.

Step 19: Glamour Shots

There you go ... it started out a bit wordy with the milling process and it took a few step to get here, but now we have an addictive game. I took it to work and it has had non-stop action ... I'm a bit jealous really. My variations included different felt colors and the wooden top panel vs. acrylic top panel. You could add paint or graphics (toner transfer or wood burning come to mind). Since I glued the Dominos into the lid and cut slot into both the top and bottom of the box, you can "dock" the playing area on onto the lid .. but since I added felt to the lid, you can also use that as a dice tray. Example: A table affords more room .. car or subway is less space. You could scale the box up for 9 tiles and I've seen version with 2 rows of tiles. Have fun with it and if you make one, stop back in with an "I made that" click and post a picture. Dimensions: Long Sides: 9 1/16" x 1/2" x 2 1/8" Short Sides: 4" x 1/2" x 2 1/8" Top and Bottom Panels: 8 1/2" x 3 1/4" x 3/16" (1/8" for the acrylic) Tiles: 1 1/4" x 5/8" x 1/2" Tile Rest: 8 1/6" x 3/8" x 1/8" Steel Rod: 1/8" Diameter x 8 5/8"

Step 20: The Build Video

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Wooden Shut the Box - Travel Edition

By: Intex Entertainment

Type: Boxed Game

Product Line: Premier Classic Games Collection (Intex Entertainment)

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Product Description

This Mini Travel Shut the Box game is a fun new addition to our line of Shut the Box wood games! The mini size easily fits in a carry-on bag, purse, or backpack. Take it with you on the road, to school, or the park. Makes a great stocking stuffer for the holidays.

• One-piece wooden game set with felt playing surface
• 9 number game board
• Includes 2 dice & game instructions
• Excellent way to teach young kids basic mathematical skills
• For kids and kids-at-heart age 9+

History of Shut the Box and How to Play

A traditional game of counting, addition, and probability, Shut-the-Box dates as far back as the 12th century when this game was enjoyed by Norman fishermen after a long day at sea. Roll the dice and lay down any numerical combination of tiles that match your roll. Just keep on rolling until you can no longer match your roll on the remaining tiles. The lowest score wins the game. If you lay down all the tiles, then you've "shut the box."

WARNING - SMALL PARTS.  Not for children under 3 years.

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The Rules of Shut the Box

Re. Covid 19: We remain open and most games are still available...

Shut the Box is also known as Canoga. Being a traditional pub game without any national governing body, variations of equipment and rules abound. Where there is doubt, locally played rules should always apply. Shut the Box can be played by any number of players although it is most enjoyable with two, three or four. Some people even play the game solo as a pastime akin to patience. As played traditionally in English pubs, Shut the Box is a gambling pastime with each of the players paying an agreed amount into the "pool" at the beginning and the winner collecting the pool at the end of each round. However, it isn't necessary to gamble in order to play the game.

See also: Shut the Box .

Shut the Box

Out of stock.

Shut the Box, 12 Numbers

£ 21.49

2 Player Shut the Box

£ 18.49

4 Player Shut the Box

£ 25.49

Description of equipment

The "box" is an open tray with a baize interior. A row numbers one to nine also appear along the top length. Each number has a corresponding square panel cover which can either slide or swing to cover the number. Two dice are the only other requirement, although a dice cup may be used if desired.

A round of the game consists of each player taking one turn to try to shut the box. A turn consists of a player repeatedly throwing the dice until he or she cannot continue. Each throw of the dice is taken as follows:

• If 7, 8 and 9 are all covered, the player decides whether to throw one die or two.
• If any of these 3 numbers are still uncovered, the player must use both dice.

Shut The Box for 4 Players

It is possible to buy a Shut the Box game featuring 4 sets of flaps and sometimes 4 sets of dice. Just use the normal Shut the Box rules in one of the following 2 ways: 1. If there are just 2 dice or the dice are the same colour, people take turns to throw the dice and flip their flaps until they can't go any longer. 2. If the central area is big enough and each player has a pair of dice of different colours, then everyone throws the dice at once each turn until they can't go any longer.

A popular variant for two players is called the 'long game'. The player who goes first attempts to shut the box exactly as above. When the turn ends, the other player takes over the board as it is and attempts to uncover all the covered numbers using exactly the same rules. When a double is thrown, the player gets an extra turn. The player who shuts the box or uncovers the box first, wins. Another way of playing is to add the number of points each round to a player's score. A player has to drop out when that player's score reaches 45 and the last player remaining wins the game. Some people play that the single die option comes into force once the total of the remaining numbers is less than six. An alternative way of calculating the score is occasionally used whereby the number read directly from the available digits on the box is the score for the player. E.g. if the numbers 1, 5 and 9 are uncovered, the score is 159.

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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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Tens of thousands protest in Russia calling for Navalny's release

More than 1,870 arrested across country in one of largest demonstrations against Putin’s rule

Tens of thousands of Alexei Navalny supporters have protested across Russia in one of the largest demonstrations against Vladimir Putin’s rule in the past decade.

More than 1,870 people were arrested by riot police on Saturday at dozens of unsanctioned rallies throughout the country, spanning from Kaliningrad in the west to Vladivostok in the far east, as the turnout of those calling for the opposition leader’s release from jail far surpassed many protesters’ expectations.

Navalny’s allies hope they can force the Kremlin to release him through a show of strength, but it is unclear whether the protests will break the government’s resolve to send him to prison for as long as a decade.

Clashes broke out as police wielding truncheons ran protesters off main squares in Moscow and several other cities, and columns of demonstrators broke through police lines in Moscow and St Petersburg, leading to pitched battles.

The police at times appeared to be losing control. In Moscow, video showed protesters trading blows with riot officers near the main protest square, as younger participants nearby kicked a police officer’s riot helmet around like a football. In St Petersburg, protesters shut down the city’s main street, Nevsky Prospekt, and Navalny’s team eventually issued a call for the demonstrators to go home.

Russia’s investigative committee said it had opened an inquiry into violence against police officers on Saturday evening. A spokesperson for the US embassy condemned the violence against demonstrators, accusing Moscow of suppressing Russians’ rights to peaceful protest.

Pro-Navalny protests have kicked off in the Far East and now in Siberia, where 100s and 1000s coming out. Their size could influence whether he's released from jail. Pics and vid coming out from Vladivostok, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, even Yakutsk, where it is -50C. So far 56 arrested. pic.twitter.com/PZSZbgteVU — Andrew Roth (@Andrew__Roth) January 23, 2021

Several thousand protesters took to the streets in the far-eastern port city of Vladivostok, as well as hundreds more in nearby Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk. That region has been a hotbed of protest since last year’s arrest of the Khabarovsk governor, Sergei Furgal.

Many more came out in cities across Siberia, with thousands in the city of Novosibirsk and hundreds in Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, and even dozens in Yakutsk, where temperatures dipped as low as -50C (-58F). In Irkutsk, protesters shouted: “We will not go!” Some in Omsk carried pairs of underpants in a reference to the suspected FSB poisoning of Navalny last August.

Navalny’s allies have said the rallies are their best chance of convincing the Kremlin to free him.

Navalny was arrested on Sunday after returning from treatment abroad after the poisoning attempt, which was traced to Russia’s FSB security service. A parole board could reverse an earlier sentence and send him to a penal colony as early as the end of January.

The Moscow mayor’s office has told the public not to attend the rallies and the powerful investigative committee has opened a criminal investigation into a flood of calls on social networks, including TikTok, Facebook and others, for young people to join in.

Authorities claimed social networks had complied with their demands to delete the content, saying TikTok had deleted 38% of posts promoting the rallies and that YouTube and VKontakte had each deleted 50% of similar posts appealing to underage protesters.

In remarks from a Moscow jail released on Friday night, Navalny told supporters he was in good spirits and, in case anything mysterious happened to him, that he was emotionally stable and not planning to harm himself. “I definitely know that outside of my prison there are many good people, and help is on the way,” he said.

Who is Alexei Navalny?

Born in 1976 just outside Moscow, Alexei Navalny is a lawyer-turned-campaigner whose Anti-Corruption Foundation investigates the wealth of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. 

He started out as a Russian nationalist, but emerged as the main leader of Russia's democratic opposition during the wave of protests that led up to the 2012 presidential election, and has since been a thorn in the Kremlin’s side. 

Navalny is barred from appearing on state television, but has used social media to his advantage. A 2017 documentary accusing the prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, of corruption received more than 30m views on YouTube within two months. 

He has been repeatedly arrested and jailed. The European court of human rights ruled that Russia violated Navalny's rights by holding him under house arrest in 2014. Election officials barred him from running for president in 2018 due to an embezzlement conviction that he claims was politically motivated. Navalny told the commission its decision would be a vote 'not against me, but against 16,000 people who have nominated me; against 200,000 volunteers who have been canvassing for me '. 

There has also been a physical price to pay. In April 2017, he was attacked with green dye that nearly blinded him in one eye, and in July 2019 he was taken from jail to hospital with symptoms that one of his doctors said could indicate poisoning . In 2020, he was again hospitalised after a suspected poisoning , and taken to Germany for treatment. The German government later said toxicology results showed Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent .

Navalny was sent to prison again in February 2021 , sentenced to two years and eight months, in a move that triggered marches in Moscow and the arrest of more than 1,000 protesters. By April he was described as being "seriously ill" in prison .

Police have arrested Navalny’s press secretary, two lawyers and a top investigator who helped to prepare an investigation into a £1bn palace on the Black Sea they claim was bankrolled by Putin’s friends and state companies. As of Friday, the video of the investigation had been watched 50m times on YouTube.

Navalny supporters were also arrested in Krasnodar, Kaliningrad, Vladivostok and cities across Russia, as protest coordinators planned rallies in at least 65 cities and towns.

Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s press secretary, said police threatened to break down her door while detaining her before the protests. She continued to tweet from custody, saying that attending the demonstrations was “everyone’s duty, if we want prosperity, freedom and the wellbeing of our country. And so that Alexei and all those illegally behind bars are set free.

“January 23rd should become legendary,” she wrote from a jail cell before signing off for the night.

Navalny could be sent to a prison colony if a parole board decides to revise a three-and-a-half-year sentence handed down in 2014. Russian investigators are also preparing criminal cases that could carry more than a decade of jail time if Navalny is charged.

Opposition rallies have attracted more young Russians, including many teenagers, since Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Fund began releasing online investigations into senior politicians and others close to Putin. In 2017, protests largely attended by young Russians shut down Tverskaya Street in central Moscow after Navalny released an investigation into the prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev.

Influencers on TikTok and other social networks have come out in support of the rally, bringing warnings from Russia’s general prosecutor that the social networks should take down the content or face fines or other sanctions.

In one viral video, an English-language teacher, @neurolera, gives tips for how people can pretend they are American tourists if caught by police. “You are violating my human rights!” she says with an American intonation. And if all else failed, she added, then tell the police: “I’m gonna call my lawyer.”

On Friday, the Moscow city police department said it would prosecute anyone calling on people to join the protests “in the media, on the internet, and on social networks”. In particular, the city prosecutor singled out calls for minors to participate in mass riots.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, said on Friday that the investigation into Putin and the Black Sea mansion was a “lie” and a “cut-and-paste job”.

• Alexei Navalny
• Vladimir Putin

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