Hi, my name is Leila and I'm a governess from London working in Moscow for 2 years now. I have so much to say about this city that I've chosen as my home but I'll try and keep it short.
To give you some background, I'd had expectations of Moscow prior to arriving. My father had briefly studied here during the Soviet era before becoming a teacher in London and has always spoken highly of the city and the Russian people. My mother visited in 93' as a tourist and gave quite conflicting and not very encouraging reports of what is to be found here. However, what I found in the 21st century was a completely different story to either of their experiences!
Moscow is now an incredibly vibrant, cosmopolitan metropolis that is both a safe and extremely practical place to live. Rich in past history yet extremely progressive, this city is very much like London and New York in that it is in a class of its own, almost entirely disconnected to the country in which it's based.
This really is the city of convenience. Food and taxis arrive at your doorstep in record time. The selection of international restaurants is on a par with London only so much cheaper and practically all of them deliver here on a super easy app. Public transport is the best I've ever come across and also the cheapest. I'm in love with the beautiful metro system. And of course, you can always use the cycle lanes in the centre. Young Moscovites like to stay in shape and many cycle, rollerblade, and even skateboard to work. There is also the option of walking - the streets here must be the safest out of any European capital. Online shopping, whether it's a pair of Levis or a replacement MacBook, also works especially well, with next day delivery and convenient pick-up points in practically every street.
When it comes to spare time there are so many museums, art galleries, monuments, mega malls, and nightclubs, but that is often the case with capital cities. What is special here for me is the surrounding countryside which is so close by. Swimming in rivers, wakeboarding, windsurfing and even skiing in winter are so easy to do within 1h drive from the centre (and a 1h drive in a taxi costs so little here). People don’t realise - summers can be as gloriously as hot as the winters are white. As an outdoor sports enthusiast that really blew me away and was a big deciding factor in staying.
Of course, everywhere has its downsides. I would advise you to acquire at least elementary level Russian language in order to make friends here. Just take 1 or 2 online classes a week and it will come. Don't listen to those saying it's difficult - you don't need to read Tolstoy in its original format, just some simple phrases. However, even without a single word, Moscow loves foreigners, and you will find lots of people will be very happy to get to know native English speakers and help them when they have problems due to language difficulties. Not everyone can afford to study with one, so you could find yourself quite popular in the right social circle. In my opinion, Moscovites are very open-minded people but can come across as frosty at first. Just break the ice!
Accommodation can be good and bad. Many families provide good accommodation but if you look for your own live-out flat, most are either awful taste or just old school. Nonetheless, with a bit of effort, you can find a gem. I found my own spacious Stalin era place with an English speaking landlady and it's great value for money in a wonderful area with so many parks (another thing people don't realise - Moscow is super green with so many trees)
I understand that I am a seasoned professional when it comes to navigating the European and Asian capitals. I've already worked in Milan, Zurich, Munich, Saigon, Dubai to name a few...but Moscow is an experience I fully recommend and definitely an easy 'entry-level' city if you are new to working abroad. I hope this is helpful and good luck with the job search.