After our flight was cancelled, we had an extra day in Moscow so we decided to go to Lenin’s Tomb. It is open Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday and Sunday, 10 to 1 and is free to enter. After getting our brief on when we would leave the next day, we headed of to the Metro to start our journey. We got to the entrance 15 minutes before it ‘closes’ only to have the guards tell us no more visitors for the day. We asked them about the time and they just shrugged their shoulders. The tour guides were circling around us like sharks.
The first one came up informing us that for 500 rubles each he can get us in. Apparently there is an agreement that when no more visitors are allowed in for free but before the tomb closed, tour guides could get us in. We said no to his offer and he puts on the pressure like a good con-man saying I hope you can come back tomorrow. When we leave and look for another way in, we are approached by anther saying we are very late but for 1200 rubles he can get us in and give us. I tell him the other guy would do it for 500. He said his price includes a tour of all the other 4 graves including Yuri Gagarin, Stalin, and Brezhnev. This is interesting because we have 10 minutes until it closes and this tour seems longer than 20, yet the guards won’t let us in just to see Lenin. I start to see the scam.
Next he says for 700 Rubles he can let both of us just see Lenin and we agree and he sets the hook. As we get closer, the guide looks at his watch and the starts running this is to see how bad we want to get in. As he runs, he says we are very late and tries to bid the price up saying historical facts along the way. He then says for 900 rubles we can get more information. We say no then he passes another guide and they exchange words. We go a little farther and he says we cannot get in because we are too late.
So if you are going to Lenin’s Tomb make sure you get there at least 30 minutes before it closes. Otherwise you will be charged 1200 Rubles, around $40, to see something that is for free. Also, be careful of the guides and know some are ‘hyper-capitalistic.”
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