Moscow Solo at 85: Bente’s Chronicle

Bente Petersen is 85, from Denmark, and has spent a lifetime travelling and working all over the planet. Russia, though, was the one place that always felt both mysterious and strangely familiar to her — and when she finally started going, in her late seventies and eighties, she fell for Moscow completely. This isn’t a single-trip account: it’s the story of several summers in Moscow and the surrounding region (2017, 2023 and 2024), told by a solo traveller who overcame her nerves one metro ride at a time. If you’re older, travelling alone, or just wondering whether it’s “too much” to attempt, Bente’s chronicle is for you.

What follows is Bente’s own story, in her words, gently tidied so it reads at an easy pace. The photos are hers too. Thank you, Bente, for sharing them.

A country that always drew me

I am now 85. I have always found Russia mysterious, and yet it seemed familiar to me. Back in 2010 I had two Russians on my team in Vietnam, and I learned a great deal about the country from them. Even though I had travelled and worked all over the planet my whole life, going to Russia felt like a very special adventure — and, I admit, I was quite timid about it at first.

The visa process was nerve-racking. Your application has to be 100% perfect, you have to submit it in person and pick it up in person, and in 2024 they introduced an automatic appointments system that keeps you waiting what feels like ages. But it can be done.

Conquering the metro, one ride at a time

In 2017 a friend took me by the hand, literally, and showed me around Moscow so I wouldn’t have to be afraid of getting lost. In 2023 he bought a metro card for me, and I ventured out a few times on the metro on my own. And by 2024 I had overcome my fright entirely and used the metro as if I’d been doing it all my life. For an 85-year-old who arrived timid, that felt like a real victory.

The practical side: SIM cards, banks and a MIR card

SIM cards were easy to get in 2023 and 2024 — no problem at all. The rules have tightened since, so for my next trip a friend will help me register in order to get one, because without a working phone daily life becomes so much more difficult.

For hotels I choose places in the 50–60 € range. This year I’ll pick one with air-conditioning, as Moscow in summer gets rather hot for me when I’m running around all day. In 2024 I also opened a bank account so I can pay with a MIR card, though I’ll only be able to use it once I have the new SIM card sorted. Getting a Russian card as a foreigner is fiddly but possible.

On money: in 2024 I changed euros at the airport in order to pay for my hotel on arrival, and the rate was very, very bad. The rest I changed at a proper bank with no problem. This year I’ll only change enough for my first four days in Moscow at Istanbul (a bad rate, but fine for just four days’ worth of hotel), and do the rest at a proper bank. I know only three or four words of Russian and rely on my phone translator — but people are so kind and helpful that it has never been a problem.

One hurdle worth mentioning: I can’t get a visa to Russia without travel insurance, but I also can’t buy insurance that covers Russia in Denmark. Irena helped me, and I bought a Russian policy instead. If you’re in the same bind, her guide on travel insurance for Russia explains how to do exactly that.

A reader’s card at the Lenin Library

One of the things I’m proudest of is that I registered at the Russian State Library — the old Lenin Library — and can use it for five years. That such a service is extended to all of us is just fantastic.

I’ve long been fascinated by the geology and archaeology of Siberia, so being able to talk about it with experts in Moscow was a joy in itself.

Out of the city: Gzhel, Zvenigorod and the Moscow river

In 2023 I visited the Gzhel porcelain factory, about 60 km south-east of Moscow, and Zvenigorod, roughly 50 km to the north-west. Both places were lovely. And I did a mini-hike along the Moscow river that was simply wonderful — one of those mornings you carry with you long afterwards.

Coffee, honey cake and the city itself

Some of my happiest hours were the simplest: sitting with a coffee and a slice of honey cake, watching Moscow go by. Walking down Prospekt Mira, past all those grand buildings from the 1950s and 1960s, I kept being struck by how different the real city is from the one I’d imagined for most of my life.

Having been born in Denmark in 1941, I grew up hearing all sorts of things about Russia. To finally walk around Moscow and see for myself how life is lived there has been very, very special. Wherever I’ve been in Russia so far, I have felt at home. I’ve filmed a lot of it — here is my walk along Prospekt Mira:

Next stop: Murmansk and the far north

This year, God willing, I shall take the train to Murmansk and see the great Russian land through Karelia. In Murmansk I want to look for the rocks that are 3.4 billion years old, and drive all the way to the sea — to stand there imagining a straight line to the North Pole with no land in between. And, of course, to admire the icebreakers.

There are many hurdles to overcome to get to Russia. But once I’m there, I forget every one of them. I can’t wait to be back.

Have you travelled to Russia recently and want to share your own experience? Tell me about your trip here and I’ll publish it in this section, with your name or anonymously, whichever you prefer. You can also drop by the Russiable forum to ask questions or compare notes. Stories like Bente’s are the ones that give other travellers the courage to go.