Moscow from Above

Top contributor pushkinflyteam brings us this incredible albeit shocking drone video from Moscow as Europe's largest city was virtually shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020. This DVOW nominated film opens with a shot looking toward the ultra-modern Moscow City skyscraper district.  Starting at about 1:20 there's a shot flying over the nearly-empty Krymsky Bridge, and at 3:35 you'll see the Church of Christ the Savior.  This video earned a nomination in the Lockdown category at the NYCDFF. 

This 2017 AirVūz Video of the Year by contributor Timelab.pro showcases the beauty of Moscow, the great capital city of Russia. Shot with a Zenmuse X7 camera on a DJI Inspire 2 drone, the video captures "three Moscows": (1) the original core around the Kremlin complex and the adjacent St. Basil's Cathedral; (2) the Seven Sisters Stalinist-era skyscrapers, led by the Moscow State University building; and (3) the sleek skyscrapers of the new Moscow International Business Center, west of the city center.

Check out this stunning drone video of Moscow in the throes of the Russian winter, compliments of former DVOW winner pushkinflyteam. At the :30 mark, there's an incredible shot looking over the Kremlin walls on the Moskva River.  At about 1:05, you'll see Red Square, on the opposite side of the Kremlin from the river. At 1:30, you'll see the Krymsky Bridge, just upstream from the Kremlin.  Other featured spots include the star-topped MSU building (1:55), the Pushkin Bridge (2:00), the Moscow City District (2:05), and more. 

Check out this jaw-dropping drone video of holiday-festooned Moscow, Russia by new AirVuz contributor pushkinflyteam.  The video opens with an epic shot of the Kremlin and the adjacent St. Basil's Cathedral, the aesthetic heart of Europe's largest city.  The focus of much of the rest of the video is in and around Red Square, the city's largest public gathering place.  Located just north of the Kremlin, the square takes on an almost other-worldly look during the Christmas season, replete with a giant ice-skating rink.  

Top AirVuz contributor pushkinflyteam does it again with this stunning sunrise drone video of Moscow, Russia.  The video opens with an epic sweeping shot looking over the Kremlin toward the west.  Starting at the :30 mark, there's a great "climbing shot" of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building (one of the Stalinist era "Seven Sisters"), Starting at about 1:45, you'll see some outstanding footage of the Moscow State University building (the best known of the  Seven Sisters), followed by an epic view of the Moscow City skyscraper district.

Former DVOW Finalist nikybwd brings us this excellent "four season" drone video of the great city of Moscow, Russia.  The video opens with some shots looking towards the Kremlin and Red Square.  At the :11 mark, you'll soar past the massive Ostankino transmission tower.  At the :16 mark, there's a great shot looking over a gold-domed church towards the skyscrapers of the Moscow International Business Center.  Other featured locations include the Zhivopisniy Bridge (:21), the Lenin Statue at VDNKh (:39), VTB Arena (:42), and more.  

The title of this video, "Desperation of Moscow in Winter" is evocative of the evacuation of Napoleon's starved Grand Armee from the Russian city in the winter of 1812 and the stopping of Adolph Hitler's Wehrmacht just outside the gates of the city in the famously cold winter of 1941. Award-winning contributor Timelab.pro shot this amazing aerial tour of Moscow in the frigid winter of 2017-18. Shot with a DJI Inspire 2 drone carrying a Zenmuse X7 camera, it is nothing short of an aerial masterpiece.

"Moscow City" is the informal name for the Moscow International Business Center, a newer commercial district of the Russian capital city known for its towering skyscrapers.  Contributor MichaelMsk77 used a DJI Mavic Pro drone to create this beautiful video of the modern district.  At about the :17 mark, you'll ride along for a climb up to the top of these behemoths.  Here are five of Europe's seven tallest buildings as of 2018, the group's tallest  being the 95 story, 374 meter (a bit over 1.2k ft.) Federation Tower.

University campus buildings are often beautiful but they seldom dominate the landscape with their height.  Not so the Main Building of Moscow State University, in the Russian capital city.  Its construction was directed by Joseph Stalin, who died the same year that the building was completed - 1953.  With a rooftop height of just over 180 meters (just under 600 ft.), it's the tallest educational building in the world.  Here it is via drone, compliments of contributor and drone pilot Teckatlipoka.

The Moscow Kremlin is the most visible landmark in the Russian capital, the largest city in Europe.  Originally a walled fortress, it's been the home of Russia's leaders for many centuries, excepting a roughly 200 year period when the capital was in St. Petersburg.  Over those long years, it's likely never appeared as empty as it does in this eerie drone video by AirVuz contributor nikybwd.  He was able to film its distinctive spires and domes when the city was under a near lockdown to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in April, 2020.  

Check out this stunning drone video from Moscow, compliments of top AirVuz contributor pushkinflyteam.  Shot during the dusk and evening hours, some of the highlights include (in order of first appearance) the Moscow State University complex, the Stalinist era architectural masterpiece; the sleek modern skyscrapers of the Moscow International Business Center (Moscow City) high rise district; the Kremlin; and the brilliantly lit Luzhniki Stadium, the main venue for the partially-boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics.

This aerial tour of Moscow by contributor and drone pilot VadimUshKa does a phenomenal job of bringing out the remarkable mix of old and new which characterizes Russia's (and Europe's) largest city.  It opens with an excellent shot of the city's ultra-modern Moscow City district, home to five of the continent's seven tallest buildings as of 2019.  Other highlights include some of the Stalinist era Seven Sisters skyscrapers, the Peter the Great Statue on the Moscow River, the Ostankino radio and TV tower, and much more.  

While Russia initially saw few confirmed Covid-19 infections, by early April the country was reporting over a thousand new infections per day, with many more suspected.  By then it was clear that the epicenter of the outbreak was in the capital: Moscow, which is also Europe's largest city.  On March 29, Moscow's population was placed in partial quarantine, with orders to stay home and avoid non-essential travel.  In this drone video by nikybwd, you'll see the giant Ostankino TV tower lit up to get the word out.

Contributor Valius Video used a drone to create this bird's eye view of the New Jerusalem Monastery, which is not located anywhere near Israel.  Rather, it is in metropolitan Moscow, the great Russian capital city.  It was built in the 17th century on a site which was (vaguely) reminiscent of the "real" Jerusalem.  The monastery was heavily damaged by invading German troops in late 1941, marking very nearly the furthest advance made by Germany during that campaign before being driven back.

Contributor and pilot Valius Video created this beautiful drone video of the largest Catholic Church in Russia.  The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in this heavily Eastern Orthodox country was conceived and built during the last days of the Tsarist Empire.  It was closed in 1938 during the height of Stalin's persecution of all forms of organized religion, and re-opened as a church a few years after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.  It's one of three Roman Catholic churches in the Moscow area.  

Moscow International Business Center (sometimes called Moscow City) is the Russian capital's swank new business district which lies west of the core city.  In recent years, it has become the skyscraper capital of Europe: as of early 2019, it is home to six of the ten tallest buildings in Europe.  The allure of its gleaming towers has caught the eye of top FPV pilots like contributor craig_dt; in this video you will see him take on the tallest of them in an epic FPV skyscraper diving session.  

Prior to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the city of Moscow was the home of many of Russia's greatest noble families.   Three of the best known families, the Galitzine, Trubetskoy, and Bibikov clans, also had country homes in the area of Grebnovo, within the Shchyolkovsky District just to the northwest of central Moscow.  In this drone video from Vizaero, you'll get a bird's eye view of one of these great manors, which was the site of several fires in recent decades and is currently in a ruined state.  

Moscow's VTB Stadium is one of the city's main sporting venues.  It includes both a football stadium and a hockey arena.  Opened in late 2018 at a cost of about US$1.5 billion, it's built on the site of the old Dynamo Stadium northwest of the center city, just outside the second ring road.  The stadium's "official" capacity is 27k, although it can be adjusted to accommodate as many as 45k fans; the ice arena can hold between 12-15k fans depending on configuration.  You can check out the modern marvel from above in this drone video by nikybwd.

Over the last 25 years, no European city has changed as much as Moscow.  Despite the dislocation caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the financial crisis which engulfed Russia in the late 1990's, the capital city has grown enormously and emerged as a leading international business center.  While much attention has been focused on the skyscrapers of its Moscow City district, many of the city's districts have been nearly as transformed.  In this drone video by MoscopterR, you'll get a bird's eye view of the "New Moscow".  

Check out this fantastic droen video of the giant Ostankino TV Tower in Moscow, Russia, compliments of top AirVuz contributor pushkinflyteam.  Situated a bit to the northeast of the center city, the massive tower carries signals for virtually all of the TV and radio stations available in the Russian capital.  Standing 540 meters (just under 1.8k ft.) tall when it was completed in 1967, it was the tallest structure in the world for nearly a decade.  The tower remains the tallest freestanding structure in Europe as of 2020.  

As Moscow has emerged as a leading international business center, it has struggled to provide adequate housing for its population.  Perennially short of housing in the Soviet years, the problem has in many respects grown worse with the advent of capitalist Russia: it's the main reason why Moscow is now one of the world's most expensive cities.  In this video by MoscopterR, you'll get a bird's eye view at a giant new housing complex called Solntsevo on the outskirts of the great city, now Europe's largest. 

Brand new AirVuz contributor SKYCINEMADRONES brings us this fantastic drone video from a residential area of Moscow during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020.  Chertanovo is a historical region which lies south of central Moscow, between the second and third ring roads.  Once an independent village, the area was absorbed by Moscow during the Soviet period.  In the video, you'll see the effect of the social distancing measures imposed to fight the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus, which hit Greater Moscow with particular ferocity.

On the banks of the Moskva River in western Russia lies one of the world's most important cities: Moscow. The capital of Russia is known for many famous buildings, including the Kremlin, Red Square, Lenin’s Mausoleum, St. Basil’s Cathedral and so much more. The bustling city is no less beautiful in the dead of winter; in fact one could argue the white backdrop of snow makes the city all the more spectacular. See some of this city, thanks to this drone video by Efremov.cinematography.

While Moscow has long been one of the world's most important cities, it's only in recent years that it's developed a world-class skyline.  The epicenter of the transformation has been the Moscow International Business Center, a district whose development was conceived in the early 1990's shortly after the end of Communist rule.  Situated just east of one of the ring roads, the district is home to six of Europ'e eight tallest buildings as of 2019.  In this drone video, you can get a bird's eye view of this remarkable project.

Check out this beautiful drone video of a town on the Moscow Canal, compliments of brand-new AirVuz contributor and pilto Nikitosiooo. The town is called Dolgoprudny, and it's located about 20 km (around 12 mi.) north of Central Moscow, just outside of the second ring road which encircles the great Russian capital city.  The canal, which connects the Moscow (Moskva) River to the Volga River, runs for a length of just under 130 km (about 80 mi.).  It was built by prisoners of the Gulag system during the Stalinist 1930's.  

Since it was completed in 1953, the Main Building of Moscow State University has been the most visible landmark in Moscow.  And yet, you've probably never seen this (rare) Stalinist architectural masterpiece from the perspective of a racing drone.  That's right.  Flying his racing quadcopter with first person view (FPV) goggles, award-winning contributor pushkinflyteam took a dive down this massive structure, for decades the tallest building in Europe, winning a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in February, 2021.

Sokolniki is a northeastern district of Moscow, Russia.  The natural centerpiece of the district is Sokolniki Park, whose name (derived from "falcon") references the hunting birds which were bred here for hunting use by the Royal Family several centuries ago.  It's been designated a municipal park since the late 1800's.  In this drone video by Lego, you'll get a bird's eye view of the park as well as the surrounding district.  The video was shot in the winter months, when the great city was blanketed in snow.

Chedck out these excellent drone views from Greater Moscow, compliments of Nikitosiooo.  He filmed the area around the town of Balashikha, which lies on the Pekhorka River just east of the Mosow Ring Road.  The town came to prominence by virtue of its location along the Vladimir Highway, a historical road which led east of of Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod and in its modern form is known as the Volga Motorway.  Beginning in the 19th century, the extensive waterpower resources here led to Balashikha becoming an important industrial center.  

Covering around 465 hectares (1,150 acres) of forest, playgrounds, hiking and biking trails, and cross country skiing tracks, Meschersky Park in Moscow is a massive city park.  It's located southwest of the city center, just outside of the outer ring road.  In this drone video by AirVuz contributor and pilot nikybwd, you'll get some great aerial views of this vast, well-manicured green space, just as the leaves have started to change from a blanket of green to spots of yellow, brown, and orange. 

Moscow's Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNH) is one of the great public spaces of the Russian capital.  The giant complex includes exhibition pavilions, an amusement park, and large open outdoor spaces.  It's located in the Ostankinsky District, north of the center city and close to the Ostankino Tower.  Originally constructed during the Stalinist 1930's, it's recently been extensively renovated.  Seen here in this drone video by Evan-Armas, the complex covers a land area larger than the state of Monaco.  

Top AirVuz contributor and drone pilot VAdimUshKa put together this brilliant aerial collage of the great Russian capital city of Moscow.  The video will take you all over this city, whose metropolitan population of 20 million is the largest in Europe.  While you'll get some great views of some more familiar sights like the Neva River and the Moscow City skyscraper district, the video also features some outstanding footage of the city's giant highways, it's massive railroad yards, giant apartment blocks, and sprawling suburbs.  

Home to nearly 12 million people, Moscow is the powerful capital of Russia. At its core is its seat of power, the Kremlin. Other famous locations include the Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum, and the Bolshoi Theatre. Capturing unique shots, like a soccer field in the middle of a circular building complex, or the glistening lights of the endless sea of glass buildings, this drone video gives us a different taste of the Europe's largest city, courtesy of contributor nikybwd.

AirVuz contributor Supasanya used a DJI Mavic Mini drone to create this fantastic aerial tour of Moscow, Russia.  The video opens with a shot of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill, followed by the Ostankino Palace, just north of the central city.  Starting at about the :33 mark, there are some great views of the skyscrapers of the Moscow International Business Center.  Other highlights include the Kudrinskaya Square Building starting at about the :40 mark; this was one of the Stalinist era "Seven Sisters" skyscrapers.

Moscow's Kremlin is actually a fortified city with a city.  It was the seat of Russia's Tsars until Peter the Great moved the capital to the new city of St. Petersburg on the Baltic Sea.  After the Bolshevik Revolution, the capital shifted back to Moscow, and the Kremlin reverted to its role as the home base for the country's leaders, a practice which survived the dissolution of the USSR.  Here is a short but informative drone video of the great Kremlin, compliments of contributor Eddysdrone.  

Check out this drone video of a very famous former Royal Russian estate located just outside of Moscow.  It's called  Kolomenskoye, and it's situated on the banks of the Moskva River, southeast of the city center.  The centerpiece of the site is the royal palace, which was built in the 17th century and was sometimes called the Eighth Wonder of the World.  The video also includes footage of the "White Column" church, which was built in the 16th century to celebrate the birth of what turned out to be Ivan the Terrible. 

Contributor Viacheslav brings us this excellent drone video of a well-known Russian manor on the outskirts of Moscow.  It's called the Vorontsova-Dashkova Estate, and it's located in the village of Bykovo, southeast of central Moscow and between its first and second ring roads.  The estate was originally built in the 18th century for the Vorontsov family, a noble family of Tsarist Russia, whose power and wealth once rivaled that of the ruling Romanovs.  Nationalized after the Russian Revolution, a renovation for the estate is being planned.

Here is a beautiful drone video of a well-known church in central Russia, compiments of Valius Video.  The Znamenskaya Church is located in Dubrovitsy, in the Moscow Oblast (province).  It's near the town of Podolsk, south of the capital city and between the two great Moscow ring roads.  An Eastern Orthodox church which was constructed at the turn of the 18th century, it's located in an area which was well known for its country manors, which were summer homes for the great noble families of Moscow.  

The Ostankino TV Tower is situated a bit to the northeast of the core of Moscow, Russia's capital city.  The massive tower carries signals for virtually all of the TV and radio stations available in the Russian capital.  Standing 540 meters (just under 1.8k ft.) tall when it was completed in 1967, it was the tallest structure in the world for nearly a decade before being topped by the CN Tower in Toronto.  In this drone video by contributor FPVbro, you'll get a drone's eye view of this amazing structure.

This video is an excellent example of dynamic first person view (FPV) flight.  Brought to us by talented AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot craig_dt, the filming is a combination of tracking FPV shots and GoPro footage, however it is the location that makes this flight dynamic. This is not your average BASE jumping video, this jumper is leaping off a skyscraper in the middle of Moscow, Russia. You can see Evolution Tower and Mercury City Tower in the background right as the BASE jumper leaps off the building. 

Top AirVuz contributor and pilot craig_dt brings us this fantastic first person view  (FPV) drone video of a famous landmark of Moscow, Russia: the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (abbreviated as VDNK), a trade show venue and amusement park in the Ostankinsky District in the northeastern part of the city.  Designed as a "City of Exhibitions", the site opened in 1939.  The video features some excellent shots of the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman Statue, which was originally built for the 1937 World's Fair in Paris. 

Take a first person view (FPV) tour of wintertime Moscow, Russia in this fantastic piece by top contributor pushkinflyteam.  Stating at the :45 mark, there's a shot skimming the River and ending with a view of the Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, the tallest in Europe when completed in 1952.  Then you'll head to the main building of the Moscow State University, another Stalinist era skyscraper which is arguably the city's second-most recognized landmark after the Kremlin.  This video was picked for the FPV Pilots to Watch list.  

Fresh from winning Drone Video of the Year in the first AirVuz Drone Video Awards for his epic video of his hometown Moscow, top contributor and drone pilot TimeLab.Pro chats with Tyler in this edition of the Drone Dish. With its vivid visuals, cinematic music arrangement, and breathtaking landmarks, it’s easy to see how “Moscow Aerial 5K” became an award-winner.  His video of St. Petersburg, "City of White Nights", since garnered a nomination in the Cities category for the second annual DVA Awards.