mickey mouse safari baby shower

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37 Mickey Mouse Baby Shower Ideas

Updated on: Feb 18, 2024

You’re looking for an affordable Mickey Mouse Baby Shower? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Did you grow up watching Disney Channel like the rest of us? I’m sure you did. I know I did. Mickey Mouse is a favorite at my house; we all watched and loved it. Now imagine your own Mickey Mouse baby shower. Those characters just had a way of bringing joy. The perfect way to celebrate your new little bundle of joy is with Mickey Mouse, the beginning of Disney. It’s what we watched, our parents watched, our friends watched, and what our kids will watch. Planning the baby shower might seem stressful, but with our guidance , it’ll be a much smoother process.

Mickey Mouse Baby Shower Decorations

1. mickey mouse diaper cake.

A Mickey Mouse diaper cake can be a gift for someone or be a decoration that will be used later. The Mickey Mouse ears diaper cake is personally my favorite and one of the cutest and most special decorations you will ever find. It’s cheap and easy to make and adds an amazing touch to the party decor.

Making a Mickey Mouse diaper cake can be a bit more complicated when doing Mickey's ears. You’ll take rolled-up diapers and form them to look like Mickey Mouse ears and use ribbon and glue to keep them together. Do the same thing for the three-tier cake but for this, it will look more like a cake with multiple layers and the bottom layer the biggest.

2. Mickey Mouse Baby Balloon Box Cubes

Box Cubes are an easy and simple way to add some decor or even somewhere to just take some cute photos at the baby shower. All you have to do is get clear cube boxes with the letters “BABY” on them. After that, fill them with balloons that are the opposite color of the box.

For example, if they are black fill them with red, yellow, and white. If they are red, fill them with black, white, and yellow, and so on. But the important thing is to match the cube box colors to keep the party theme consistent and clean looking.

3. Mickey Mouse Balloon Arch

A Mickey Mouse balloon arch with Mickey-shaped balloons can be used to create a grand entrance or be used as a cute backdrop for photos. It’s a cheap decoration that adds a lot to the baby shower by covering a large amount of space. It’s a quick and easy setup for people who may need some extra time getting ready. You could also do a simpler arch that is black, red, white, and yellow or even half an arch with the same color scheme. The possibilities are endless; it all depends on the space.

4. Mickey Mouse Lollipop Tree

The Mickey Mouse lollipop tree is one of the cutest decoration ideas I have seen. You’ll need a red flower pot with two yellow buttons added on the front, this will be used as Mickey Mouse's body. Topped with styrofoam balls One large one for Mickey Mouse’s head and two small ones for the ears, glue them all together to get Mickey Mouse. After taking the dum-dums and sticking them all the way inside the styrofoam balls. It’s an affordable and versatile item; it can be a game, it can be a snack, it can be a prize, and it can be a decoration.

Mickey Mouse Dum Dums Centerpiece on a Red Base with Dum Dums Ears - Birthday, Disney, Candy Table, Dum Dum, Candy, Party, Birthday Party

Add a touch of character to any party with these candy table tops! Made with about 250 Dum Dum lollipops, these handmade creations can be used as a centerpiece at every table of your party. Use it as the perfect addition of flare at your candy table as well! You can buy one or buy in bulk. - Approximately 15 inches high x 14 inches wide - Color of bow is customizable - Weighs about 2 lbs - About 250 Dum Dum lollipops used - Sits on a 6" ceramic pot DISCLAIMER: Lollipops from the main head are easily removable and edible. However, the lollipops from the ears have been shortened during the creation of the centerpiece. We do not recommend eating the ear lollipops, especially younger children.

5. Mickey Mouse Table Setting and Centerpiece

For a Mickey Mouse baby shower, red, black, and white are the name of the game. For a centerpiece at the table, you could do followers that match the colors of Mickey Mouse character stuffed animals.

Anything works for a centerpiece for a baby shower as long as it’s Mickey-themed. Your imagination’s the limit when it comes to creative ideas . My personal favorite is a small black tin bucket with a foam bottom filled with confetti and Mickey-themed decor on a stick coming out of the bucket. It has a fun feel and it’s a cheap option.

6. Mickey Mouse & Friends Cardboard Stand-Up

Put up a life-sized Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, or any of the other franchise characters at your baby shower. These lovely decorations are great settings for guests to take photos. They are simple to set up and take down quickly.

7. Mickey Mouse Ears

Without Mickey Mouse ears, no Mickey Mouse party is complete. Fortunately, you can pick them up and set them in a container by the front entrance for each party guest to wear. Ears are a fun and inexpensive ways to celebrate your baby shower with your guests.

Mickey Mouse Baby Shower Party Favors

8. mickey mouse baby bottle.

The Mickey Mouse baby bottle is a baby bottle with a sticker of a Mickey Mouse, add some bows, ribbon and decorate it in your own way.

12 small 3.5" Minnie Mouse baby shower favors in pink and gold- Minnie Mouse bottle favors- pink baby shower- Minnie Mouse baby shower

Plastic bottles are 3.5" decorated with your baby shower theme. Does not include candies. Price is for 12 baby bottles Thank you!

9. Mickey Mouse Key Bottle Opener

The Mickey Mouse bottle opener is a nice touch to make beverages enjoyable. For a DIY approach, you can buy some plain bottle openers and customize them with Mickey Mouse colors and decorations.

10. Mickey Mouse Chapstick

Mickey-themed chapstick makes hydrating one’s lips fun. It’s a small party favor that can easily be carried anywhere in a purse or bag. With lovely Mickey Mouse stickers and patterns on it, this chapstick becomes something people can use daily.

Lip Smacker Disney Story Book Mickey Mouse and Friends Lip Gloss Set, 5 Count

11. Mickey Mouse Hand Sanitizer

Many people use hand sanitizer as a party favor. It's essential for keeping guests’ hands clean, particularly in the era of Covid-19. Buy them with a sticker or add a Mickey Mouse sticker to any kind of hand sanitizer bottle.

12. Mickey Mouse Candy Favor

Get red, and yellow M&M’s, or if you’d like to use another candy like jelly beans just stick to Mickey Mouse colors red, yellow, black, and white. After you get your candy for your candy favor add them to a jar or tube and maybe customize with some ribbon.

Mickey Mouse Baby Shower Food Ideas

13. mickey mouse cake.

The cake always feels like the most important thing. The thing everyone waits for and everyone can’t wait to see what it looks like. Whether you decide to display it or wait for a grand reveal, you can make it any flavor your heart desires. You can even make it a keto cake if that’s the way your lifestyle fits. Remember that some guests may be on strict diets for health reasons. You can ask ahead of time for when they RSVP to let you know of any food allergies. This will help ensure a safe and stress-free baby shower.

For a Mickey Mouse baby shower, you’ll definitely want to stick with the black, white, red, and yellow theme but the inside is yours for the choosing. At the top of the cake, you can have a mickey ear cake topper. And be sure to put “it's a boy” or “it's a girl” to complete the look. You can even do a simple sheet cake of any size and with the flavor of your choice. Remember, the cake is a statement piece for your baby shower.

Mickey Mouse Cake Topper | Mickey Mouse Party | Mickey Mouse Cake Decoration | Mickey Mouse Birthday | Mickey Personalised Birthday Cake

Mickey Mouse Cake Topper | Mickey Mouse Party | Mickey Mouse Cake Decoration | Mickey Mouse Birthday | Mickey Personalised Birthday Cake This listing price includes the Complete set of Mickey Mouse Cake Topper. Everything imaged is included. Colours may vary slightly due to lightning. Use our personalised cake toppers will help make your party more personalised and fun. Turn something simple to something amazing. When checking out, please let us know the names and age that you would like on the cake topper in the Notes to Seller section. The cake topper will be printed in a high quality glossy paper with clear sticks. Sizes can be changed. Please leave a note with the cake size. Please note all orders will be processed between 1-3 days. If you need it earlier than this please pop me a message and I will do my best to fit it in. We do not own any rights to any images used. All copyrights/trademarks belong to the original creators. You are NOT paying for the images. You are paying for my time and effort to assemble the product.

14. Mickey Mouse Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate-covered pretzels using red, black, white, and yellow will be a perfect treat. You design the pretzels any way you want and if you use these colors they will fit the theme perfectly.

15. Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutters

Mickey Mouse cookies are a good snack to have before cake and cookie cutters will make them come to life. Again, you could prepare keto cookies, make them yourself, or order them. Some cookie shapes that match a Mickey Mouse theme are bottles, raddles, mickey ears, or baby clothes.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Cookie Cutter Set - 2 Pc. Black

Bake up some treats for your little Mouseketeer's birthday bash using this Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter Set. Easily cut your favorite cookie dough into Mickey Mouse shapes for some delicious Disney delights! Great for any Disney fanatic, these cookie cutters will add an extra special touch to your birthday celebration. Metal. (2 pcs. per unit) Approx. 3" x 2 1/2". © Disney

16. Mickey Mouse Cupcakes

You can buy or decorate cupcakes Mickey style to make it a special and delicious treat. You can make them keto and pick theme color flavors like chocolate and vanilla. Two mini Oreos will be perfect to represent Mickey Mouse.

17. Mickey Mouse Waffles

Buy a waffle maker with Mickey's face on it. You can let guests make the waffles themselves and give them red, white, and black batter to really make them looks like Mickey Mouse. They’ll be fun to both make and eat.

18. Mickey Mouse Fruit Salad

For the fruit salad, you will need two watermelons with one significantly larger than the other. The larger one will be used as the head bowl and filled with fruit and the second half of the larger one can be cut into watermelon slices or anything else. The smaller watermelon you’ll do the same thing but these will be the ears.

19. Hot Diggity Dogs

Hot Dogs and special events always go well together. You may get anything from pigs in a blanket to original style hot dogs with this cuisine choice. You may be as creative as you want with the concept, from inventive condiment labels to bringing the entire theme home.

20. Mickey Mouse Trail Mix

Trail mix in all the Mickey colors is a quick "throw it together" snack item to have on hand for your party. Have you ever noticed how pretzels resemble Mickey Mouse? You can throw together pretzels, red and yellow m&ms, and marshmallows to make the perfect combination of Mickey Mouse's colors.

21. Mickey Mouse Pizza

A great way to encase the Micky Mouse theme is to order or make your own Mickey pizza. Pepperoni is a perfect topping for your pizza that can easily be shaped into Mickey Mouse. You can also serve your pizza with two dip cups at the top of the pizza that can resemble Mickey’s ears.

22. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Sandwiches

An easy food option for baby shower guests are sandwiches. With Mickey Mouse shaped cookie cutters, you can shape your meats and cheeses as Mickey Mouse and assemble them on your sandwich.

Mickey Mouse Baby Shower Games/Activities

23. mickey mouse cupcake decorating contest.

If you want to make it a contest, get or bake some plain red, black, and white cupcakes and buy decoration supplies like Mickey Mouse-shaped sprinkles. Guests will go wild as they use their imagination to make the best Mickey Mouse-themed cupcakes.

24. Mickey Mouse Themed Paper Games

There are paper games you can play such as baby advice, baby name race, my water broke, bingo, advice for mommy to be, and finish mommy's phrase. Just add these games and many more to Mickey Mouse's paper.

25. Mickey Mouse Baby Bottle Chugging

The Mickey Mouse baby bottle chugging challenge. You can find a way to make the bottles fit with the Mickey Mouse theme. To play this game, put some milk or another beverage into the bottles, and the first one to finish the bottle wins a prize.

26. Parenting Trivia

Test the guests on how much they know about babies and how to raise them with a trivia game. It can be set up as questions on a piece of paper or in an online format like Jeopardy. It’s a nice way for everyone, especially the to-be new mother, to learn more about parenting from one another.

27. Mickey Mouse Blindfolded Diaper Challenge

The blindfolded diaper challenge is a favorite for baby showers everywhere. In case you’re unsure of how it works, guests take turns changing the diaper of a doll with a blindfold on and you can turn it into a tournament or have multiple winners. To keep with the Mickey Mouse baby shower, you can use Mickey Mouse stuffed animals instead of dolls or Mickey Mouse blindfolds. Make sure the location of your baby shower has enough space to minimize chances of guests tripping or knocking over something.

Mickey Mouse Baby Shower Party Supplies

28. mickey mouse cups.

Mickey Mouse cups are essential items to complete the theme. Guests will love sipping on beverages in these cool cups. If you want to do some DIY, buy a pack of clean plastic cups and create a design to add to it with a sticker. If you’re looking to keep it environmentally friendly, reusable straws and cups are the way to go.

29. Mickey Mouse Straws

Give the guests something cool to sip their beverages with. These straws are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also sturdy and environmentally friendly. You can buy them in bulk for however many guests you have at your baby shower.

30. Mickey Mouse Coaster

Guests can easily set down their beverages on these fun coasters when it’s time to play games. You can get the coasters in many different colors with cheery expressions. They can make clean-up after the baby shower less of a hassle too.

Disney Parks Mickey Minnie Mouse Snack Icon Silicone Coaster Set of 4

31. Mickey Mouse Tablecloth

Drape your tables with Mickey Mouse patterned tablecloths for guests to take memorable photos as they munch on snacks and sip beverages. Spills and stains will be inevitable, but these tablecloths will save you time during clean-up.

32. Mickey Mouse Party Hat

You can buy some themed party hats for guests to take pictures in style. If you want to go the DIY route, you can get some glue and construction paper in red, black, white, and yellow to make standard party hats or even crowns. You can stick a cut-out of a baby bottle or a pacifier on the hat as well.

Mickey Mouse Baby Shower Invitations

33. oh boy invite.

This invite is a play on Mickey Mouse's catchphrase "oh boy". This invite looks classy and cute at the same time with the white background and cursive font.

34. Oh Toodles Invite

This Invite is a play on another catchphrase of Mickey Mouse's "oh toodles", while in a Disney-themed font. More playful and fun-looking.

35. Oh Baby Boy Invite

This invite is a cute invite that matches a Mickey Mouse theme perfectly and adds a little sparkle if that's something you like.

Baby Mickey Mouse Invitation Baby Mickey Mouse First Birthday Invitation Baby Mickey Mouse Birthday Invitation Baby Mickey Mouse Party

This listing is for one digital invitation personalized with your event details. You will receive a printable JPG file within 24 hours via your email. No physical items will be shipped. You will be responsible for the printing of your invitations. To PURCHASE, please do the following: - Add your invite to your cart - In the "Notes to Seller Box" provide all party information Name Age Date Time Address RSVP Additional info - Photo's send to [email protected] or send via etsy convo. Your invitation file will be sent to your email address within 24 hours once we receive your complete personalization information. Let me know any changes. Every proof sent is high resolution. Just simply save the files to your computer and print an unlimited amount of invitations at home, at a local photo lab. This is a digital format, once you have received your order, refunds are not available. Any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or etsy conversations. PLEASE NOTE All listings are for my creative service and time spent designing and personalizing your item. It's not a licensed product. I do not sell or claim ownership over the characters used in my designs. All copyrights and trademarks of the character images used belong to their respective owners.

The baby shower invites it cute and straight to the point. Although no clever sayings, just let the guest know it's for a baby shower. Also for the sparkle lovers, it has some sparkles. The umbrella with the Mickey Mouse ears is a cute design.

The invitations are the first thing people will see for the party. You’ll want to make it fun and embrace your baby shower theme. Stick to the black, red, white, and yellow color scheme. You’ll want to do that for the whole baby shower to keep the Mickey Mouse idea alive and the baby shower all coordinated.

The invite is where everyone decides whether or not they will be attending. Most people decide before they get it but the real decision comes here. Invites need to be specific, if you want people to rsvp then let them know where you are registered.

To ensure that there are no repeated gifts in the invitation, specify the importance of removing the item purchased from the resignify even if it was bought elsewhere. Other than that include date, time, place, baby name (if you want), boy or girl. Plus any other information you feel necessary. You will not want people messaging you over and over for more information.

If mailing invites isn't your go-to, there are options for online innovations .

Mickey Mouse Baby Shower: Conclusion

I hope these budget-friendly ideas are making you excited for your baby shower. With these decorations, games, and treats, your friends and family will treasure taking part in this celebration of you and your new baby. You’ll love spending time with your loved ones playing these games and celebrating the little boy or girl on their way. In addition to a Mickey Mouse baby shower, there are many other themes out there. The possibilities truly are endless.

Written by Brittany Beh; Contributors: Jack Leduc and Maggie Betros

Brittany Beh

Roberts Wesleyan College

• Mickey Mouse Baby Shower (Author)
• Paris Baby Shower (Author)

Visit profile:

Maggie Betros

Rutgers University Business School

• Backyard BBQ Ideas (Contributor)
• Boat Theme Party (Contributor)
• Castle Theme Party (Contributor)
• Galaxy Theme Party (Contributor)
• Glow in the Dark Theme Party (Contributor)
• Japanese Theme Party (Contributor)
• Luau Baby Shower (Contributor)
• Mickey Mouse Baby Shower (Contributor)
• Middle School Graduation Party ideas (Contributor)
• Spongebob Party (Contributor)
• What is a Twin Flame (Contributor)

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Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

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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In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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