< img src="https://mc.yandex.ru/watch/54617287" style="position:absolute; left:-9999px;" alt="" />< /div> The Story of Leo Tolstoy and a Cabby in Moscow

Leo Tolstoy's Football Debates in Moscow

Moscow, a city of many faces and layers, like an old box, holds many stories that float in its alleys and courtyards. And on that day, when the sky above the Red Gates was covered with a gray blanket, and the wind, as if in collusion with the clouds, tried to bring the first drops of rain to the ground, one of these stories played out against the backdrop of the majestic Stalinist skyscraper.

A cab driver rolled slowly along the cobblestones, an old man by the look of him, but with eyes full of youthful enthusiasm. He was not just a driver, but a keeper of Moscow secrets and gossip. His name was Ivan, and that day he was carrying an unusual passenger - Leo Tolstoy himself. The writer, known for his strict character and philosophical reflections, looked thoughtful this time, but with a shadow of a smile on his lips.

- You know, Ivan, - Lev Nikolaevich began thoughtfully, - lately I have been hearing more and more talk about a new kind of game called football. A wonderful pastime, they say, where people chase a ball like cats chase a ball.

Ivan glanced at his passenger and grinned:

- Oh, sir, it's something like a new fashionable hobby among young people. I saw them playing in Sokolniki. It's beautiful, of course, when the ball flies like a bird. But why this is - I can't imagine.

Tolstoy, lost in his thoughts, replied:

- However, Ivan, each of us finds something to our liking in this world. Some in books, and some in games. Maybe there is a philosophy to this too.

While they were talking, the skyscraper on Krasnye Vorota stood above them like a giant, calmly observing the bustle around them. Built in the post-war years, it symbolized the strength and power of the new era, but today, on this gray day, it seemed a little tired.

The old cab driver, thinking, added:

- And maybe it is true, Mr. Tolstoy, there is something of our time in this. After all, Moscow, like football, is movement, life, aspiration for something new and beautiful.

Lev Nikolaevich nodded, and they continued on their way, leaving behind them a noisy city full of both old and new stories.

Of course, this is a joke, and there is no real basis for this story - just a little imagination and for the sake of a smile! And if you are interested in real facts and events, we invite you to the excursions of the "Radius" bureau, where real history comes to life!

  1. Thank you for the interesting tour! It gave me a lot to explore!!!
    Note: Review of the excursion Zamoskvorechye with guide Maria
    Eugene December 7, 2025
  2. I'd like to express my gratitude on behalf of our team! Thank you for keeping to our scheduled schedule despite our lack of organization. Our colleagues appreciated your preparation for the tour! It was informative.

    Note: Review of the tour "Modern Residential Complexes, Factory Past, and Avant-Garde" around the ZILART residential complex with guide Maria. prepared and conducted a tour based on an individual request for employees of the development company GC "Samolet"
    Team of the Samolet Group December 7, 2025
  3. Thank you! You have great talent. Good luck! ☺️ You are a wonderful guide! Thank you again!

    Note: Review on corporate excursion "The Heart of the Capital" with guide Maria
    Dmitriy December 7, 2025
  4. Thank you for a wonderful day today!!))
    Note: Review of the excursion "The Soul of Moscow" with guide Maria
    Natalia December 7, 2025
  5. Let me thank you on behalf of my whole family for a very educational and interesting walk!
    Note: Review of the excursion Palace Dungeons with guide Maria
    Eugene December 7, 2025
  6. Good afternoon
    I'd like to express my gratitude and that of my supervisor for organizing the tour! We were very pleased.
    We would like to repeat this in October, but on a different route – ZIL.

    Note: This is about a tour for developers of the Samolet Group of Companies, conducted by guide Maria.
    Elya September 27, 2025
  7. Thanks to Alexander for the bar tour Baumanka! Fun, exciting and we discovered so many new places! Cool! New heights!
    Kira August 9, 2025
  8. Good afternoon
    Was on excursions along Sukharevskaya Square - we reached Tsvetnoy Boulevard, I didn’t expect it to be so interesting!
    For those who are in doubt whether to go or not - go, it really has become one of the cool summer memories!!!
    Kirill August 4, 2025
  9. Anastasia, good morning!
    Thank you and Masha for yesterday!
    The speakers are happy. The connection in the headphones often failed, especially at the checkpoint, but this is our current life situation. It was audible if they were standing close, no further than 1.5 meters. Colleagues have already asked for your contacts. I will gladly share and will be glad to have a new opportunity to work with you. Special thanks to the Director for the Bureau
    Note: excursion "Heart of the capital» for participants of the Moscow Oncology Forum 2025. Guides - Anastasia and Maria
    Tina July 8, 2025
  10. We would like to express our gratitude to Anton and Alexander for the conduct of the excursion!
    It was very interesting to hear how the Krasnaya district developed. Presni, how Prokhorov's figure influenced the development of our city. A pleasant dive into a quiet, previously unexplored area!
    Dmitriy July 8, 2025
  11. Good afternoon, thank you very much Anastasia, the excursion "Uncle Gilyai" just fire. Although we are Muscovites and know a lot about Moscow, the impressions were amazing, a lot of new and interesting, we will definitely contact you again.
    Victoria July 8, 2025
  12. Thank you for the excursions "The Heart of Moscow" And "Khamovniki". Anton, a man who knows and loves Moscow, took me around. A good storyteller, smart, well-read, able to captivate. You opened up my Moscow for me!!!! I will definitely come back next summer and walk around Moscow with you. I will recommend your wonderful excursion and walking program to all my friends!
    Julia July 1, 2025
  13. Excursions with the travel agency "Radius" are always positive emotions for you, if you have chosen this agency. On your next visit, you planned an excursion to Zamoskvorechye. This is not the first time we have met with the guide Anton. We definitely recommend him to all our friends. The tour is educational, not overloaded with dates, the information is voluminous, but easy to perceive, because it is presented not like in a history textbook, dryly and academically, but in a light narrative manner. Thank you for this approach. We will contact the Radius bureau more than once on our next visit to Moscow.
    Tatiana June 23, 2025
  14. Thank you so much for the tour ZamoskvorechyeDespite the weather, it was very interesting and educational!

    Note: we are talking about the excursion with the guide Anton
    Tatiana May 6, 2025
  15. Many thanks to Anastasia.
    There was a great tour of the area. Patricks.
    We learned a lot of new things. Anastasia is a master of her craft. The tour was exciting, not boring at all, lively and interesting. Everyone was satisfied. Full of new impressions. I definitely recommend it. You will be satisfied!
    Anna May 6, 2025
  16. Studied together with relatives and Radius The soul of Moscow on my birthday. Everyone enjoyed the walk immensely! Anton told us many interesting facts about the capital and its history, led us into such spiritual depths that no one present suspected. Although among us there were mainly those who either from birth or have been living in Moscow for a very long time and walk around it a lot. It was educational, soulful and unforgettable 🙂

    Overall, this wasn’t the first time I’ve walked around Moscow with Anton, and each time it was a real adventure!
    Olga May 4, 2025
  17. Anastasia, good afternoon!
    I wanted to express my gratitude once again for the wonderful excursion on Saturday - we really enjoyed the walk, the information and the communication with you, then we discussed for a long time what everyone remembered and what struck them. It would seem that you have lived in Moscow all your life, there was Moscow studies at school, but it turns out that you still don’t know so much!! In general, thank you very much, my mother said it was the best gift for her birthday!
    Note: this is about the excursion "Soul of Moscow«
    Arina January 13, 2025
  18. Good day to all! I would like to share my impressions of the excursion "Journey to Christmas". Our guide was Anastasia. So! Everything was just magical: a slight frost of -4, snow, numerous Christmas trees, decorations, lights, garlands and all this to the interesting educational story of Anastasia. Despite the fact that we knew something about the New Year, there was a lot that was new, unexpected and interesting. And all this to the music of Tchaikovsky. In general, we are delighted. Thank you for the New Year mood you gave us. It is priceless!!!! Thank you!
    Victoria January 5, 2025
  19. Thank you for the tour! Guide - Maria and driver Georgy. I liked everything very much! It was interesting, exciting! Good luck!
    Irina January 4, 2025
  20. Many thanks to Anton, who gave us a tour of VDNKh and the heart of the capital. There were many fascinating stories, practical advice and interesting facts. Excellent organization. Time flew by. I recommend!
    Tatiana December 25, 2024
  21. Our mixed-age company (from 16 to 80 years old) walked with Alexander along the alleys of Arbat... It was interesting for EVERYONE! There is still much to be surprised by in your hometown! Alexander opened up to us curious, touching, beautiful, poetic, historical, ... places. Thank you very much!!!
    I will definitely recommend this company to my friends and we will use its services ourselves.
    Excellent organization of excursions, all wishes were taken into account, punctuality at the highest level
    Olga December 11, 2024
  22. On my birthday, I went on an excursion with my friends. "Sinister Places". Excellent entertainment for a company. Professional guide Anton - special thanks to him for an interesting story and route. All recommended places and drinks were a hit with everyone. Lots of interesting, curious and funny facts. Thanks to this agency and of course to the tour guide Anton.
    Vyacheslav December 9, 2024
  23. The excursion is unusual, unconventional, I really liked it. The involvement of a girl in the role of Nina from "The Seagull" harmoniously fit into the narrative. I recommend developing in this direction. "Apartment 44" came in handy exactly at the moment when it was most needed. My wife is very pleased with both the excursion and the painting.

    Note: Review of the excursion-performance, which the guide Alexander specially developed as part of the order "Dream Tour".
    Alexei October 29, 2024
  24. We were on the excursion "Sinful Places", our group was small, three people, one of whom had a birthday, which we told the guide Alexander, and the format of the excursion turned into a real holiday! In addition to the walk and very interesting facts on the topic of the excursion, we went to incredibly creative establishments with delicious drinks and unusual serving, a cheerful contingent and a cool unusual interior, our guide Sasha took into account all our little wishes, conducted the excursion very cheerfully and sincerely! Thank you very much for a wonderful holiday! Very cool, we are delighted!
    Maria October 26, 2024
  25. This is the second time I've been walking and wandering around Moscow with the private excursion bureau Radius. The founder, native Muscovite Anton Latynin, a theater and art critic, leads the excursions himself and out of love.

    "Theater capital" - an author's route through the places of Meyerhold, Stanislavsky, Nemirovich-Danchenko, Tairov (undeservedly forgotten, it was he who created the current Pushkin Theatre on Tverskoy Boulevard).

    Two and a half hours of fascinating stories and urban theatre legends. I'll tell you one:

    The great composer Sergei Prokofiev lived in Kamergersky Lane. And he managed to die on the same day as Stalin. There was a terrible crush in Moscow, everything was blocked off, the entire capital wanted to say goodbye to the leader. So, to see Prokofiev off, the coffin was carried out from Kamergersky Lane on the roofs. I can vividly imagine this picture.

    Review from Alexandra's tg channel.
    Alexandra Tsvetkova, musician, singer-songwriter, finalist of the "New Wave" September 30, 2024

Benefits of individual excursions

  • All attention is on you. Answers to all your questions.
  • An atmosphere of tranquility and privacy.
  • You hear everything the tour guide says.
  • There is less strain on your hearing and attention, since the guide is literally right next to you and speaks only for you.
  • The guide doesn't make stops at points of sale (at least we certainly don't).
  • At individual excursion you dive deeper.
  • Possibility of adapting the route to your preferences and interests.
  • No one is in a hurry. Take a good look at the sights - they won't leave without you.
  • We pay special attention to the places that interest you.
  • Take a break when needed - to rest or take photos.
  • You don't have to get up early or come at an inconvenient time. You choose when.
  • Your photos will not be crowded with other participants.
  • Absence of outside pressure.
  • A personal guide remembers you, and you remember him. Such moments remain in memory.
  • The opportunity to discuss personal impressions and emotions with the guide during the process.
  • Opportunity to gain insight or exclusive information.
  • The excursion can be either educational or easy, depending on your wishes.
  • Without loud laughter and inappropriate jokes from other tour participants.
  • Possibility to visit places closed to large groups.

How much more expensive are personal tours than mass tours?

If you are alone or in pairs, then a sum of several thousand for a walking tour of the city or twenty thousand for a car excursion is significant.

But if you're going for a walk with family or friends, the cost for an individual participant approaches one or two thousand - the amount that each person would pay for a group excursion with strangers.

For your group of 8 or more people, the price becomes even lower when calculated per person, making a private tour truly attractive.

***
A mass excursion is tourism, an individual excursion is a journey through the city’s secrets with a personal guide.

A guided walk through Moscow can take you to the Red Gate or to the places where Leo Tolstoy lived. Immerse yourself in history and culture of Moscow, revealing its secrets in a calm and cozy atmosphere.

The Radius tour agency offers cultural and historical tours of Moscow in several languages, including English and Spanish. We create routes for individual walks and corporate clients, such as Yandex and Faberlic. Our team develops signature tours, including walking and car tours.

We are proud of our stylish and intelligent guides who avoid cliches and offer only live speech. For those who like non-standard solutions, bicycles and scooters are available. We also experiment with neural networks, coming up with funny stories for the site, for example, tales about Leo Tolstoy and the Red Gate.

Our excursions allow you to understand the history and culture of Moscow in greater depth. We offer gift certificates for excursions, which will be an original gift for your loved ones. An excursion with us is an opportunity to see the city in a new way and discover its secrets.