Ramenki District, Moscow: Things to Do, Restaurants and Hotels

Ramenki is a district in south-west Moscow, built around Moscow State University, Sparrow Hills and a run of metro stations on two lines. Its best-known visits are a famous film studio, a huge circus with a glazed dome and the campus beneath a Stalin-era skyscraper.

The list on this page covers those sights and the stations that serve them. Use the text below to decide which to pick, since some can be walked in and others cannot: the university's main building is closed to the public, and the film studio is visited only on a booked guided tour. Opening times change, so check the official sites before you go.

Choose by what you want to see

Choose Moscow State University if you want a view and a walk. Visitors can walk the campus and look at the 240-meter tower from outside, but the main building is not open to the public. Allow one to two hours. Sunset and early evening give the best light on the tower.

Choose Mosfilm for cinema. It is a working studio, so visits are by guided tour only, lasting about an hour and a half, through the museum, street sets and stages. Tours must be booked ahead, and walk-in visits are not possible. The tour is at a moderate level (₽₽).

Choose the Great Moscow State Circus for a show of about three hours. It has 3,400 seats and five interchangeable arenas, and weekend matinees are the busiest.

Metro stations and how to arrive

Universitet, on the red Line 1, is the station for the university, the circus and Mosfilm. It has white marble pylons, tiled walls and two round vestibules on either side of the avenue. Kievskaya is the other option for Mosfilm.

Ramenki, Lomonosovsky Prospekt and Michurinsky Prospekt stand on the yellow Line 8 in the south of the district. Michurinsky Prospekt also has a transfer to the Bolshaya Koltsevaya Line.

Mid-morning, early afternoon and the evening after the rush are the calmest times on the metro. Weekday rush hours are busy, and term time brings extra students around Universitet.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go inside the main building of Moscow State University?

No, the main building is a working university and is not open to the public as a sight. You can walk the campus in front of it and see it from outside, free of charge.

Can I visit Mosfilm without booking?

No. Visits are by guided tour only, at fixed times, and tours must be booked ahead. Walk-in visits are not possible.

Which metro station is best for the circus and the university?

Universitet on Line 1 serves the university, the Great Moscow State Circus and Mosfilm. Check the circus program for show times.

How long does a circus visit take?

A performance takes about three hours. Weekend matinees and school holidays have the most shows and the biggest crowds, and weekday and evening shows are calmer.

Which lines serve the south of Ramenki?

Ramenki, Lomonosovsky Prospekt and Michurinsky Prospekt stations are on the yellow Line 8. Michurinsky Prospekt also connects to the Bolshaya Koltsevaya Line.