west indies yacht club resort when cultures collide

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Learning Portfolio (LABU2040 Presentation Reflection)

Here, I revisit the preparation process and final outcome of my LABU2040 Oral Group Presentation (Case 1: West Indies Yacht Club Resort; When Cultures Collide ) and reflect upon my group members’ and professor’s feedback.

Practice Presentations + Peer Evaluation

Frequent mock presentations allowed my teammates and I to pinpoint and refine inconsistencies in our draft script and restructure our presentation in a manner that flowed logically. It also let us acquaint ourselves with each others’ nonverbal cues (facilitating smooth transitions between speakers), provide constructive feedback on each other’s body language (e.g. swaying, making overly repetitive gestures) and evaluate each other’s use of voice.

Though we had a few practice run-throughs beforehand, doing a trial run in front of the classroom felt much more daunting. Being able to see how I performed in a “realistic” setting was very helpful as we tend to be harsher on ourselves, and spot flaws often overlooked by others. Key weaknesses that I identified from the above video include:

• POOR COMMAND OF AUDIENCE ATTENTION : By frequently breaking eye contact with the audience, I diverted attention away from the context of my speech whilst exuding a sense of shiftiness and uncertainty.
• NOT ENGAGING : My gestures were robotic, my posture closed off, and my tone monotonous. Indeed, my teammate Gigi pointed out the absence of variety in my gestures. My stiffness and lack of enthusiasm caused my speech to sound more like a lecture than a persuasive pitch/ proposal.
• DIMINISHED CLARITY : Pacing was a little hurried and thus hard to follow. Aside from slowing down, I also needed to take more pauses to draw attention towards key points and indicate changes in topic. I followed Gigi’s recommendation to prioritise improving “pace, pausing, and intonation” when practising for my second oral presentation.
• FAILED TO SHOW TEAM UNITY : I unintentionally spoke over my teammate Adrian to direct a question to our other teammate Gigi, which was disrespectful and made our team appear disorganised during the Q&A segment.

Oral Presentation 1 + Professor’s Feedback

In our actual presentation, I overcame the four aforementioned weaknesses exhibited during our practice presentation. Having memorised my part, I was able to develop rapport with audience members via eye contact and direct more attention to enhancing communication through gestures, facial expressions (eyes and eyebrows due to mask) and tonal variation. Frequent practice reduced my anxiousness, allowing me to speak at a relaxed pace, and led me to develop confident, natural, and varying gestures.

To display confidence in each other’s remarks, we expressed agreement to the preceding speaker, and demonstrated unity via body language. For instance, exchanging eye contact and nodding while smiling. Our mutual endorsement furthered the persuasiveness and perceived credibility of our recommendations. However, although our recommendations were coherent and teamwork evident, this video brought to light many flaws in our performance.

At a group level,

Time allocation/management stands as our greatest area of improvement. As our professor Dr. Siyang (Yolanda) Zhou noted, less time should have been allocated towards recommendation details and more towards a “ short and powerful conclusion… and calls for action” .  I agree that a more concise explanation followed by a recap would have made for a more memorable and impactful presentation. Our lengthy descriptions likely overwhelmed the audience and drew attention away from our key message (need for and logic behind our proposals), exacerbated by the absence of a conclusion. Yolanda also pointed out that our usage of academic jargon was inappropriate. Indeed, upon re-watching our presentation, it contradicted our conversational tone and may have alienated our target audience, Resort managers who were unlikely well versed in behavioral theory and cultural dimensions.

At an individual level,

I was satisfied with my intonation, hand gestures, and eye contact. However, when trying to remember my lines, I frequently rolled my eyes and took unnatural pauses which was distracting and diminished the credibility of my ‘consulting advice’. Additionally, voicing “I forgot my part” during a memory lapse challenged my professional authority and thus my recommendation. In hindsight, I could have eliminated distracting mannerisms by practicing in front of a mirror, and should have stalled time using a rhetorical question to conceal my blunder.

Peer Evaluation

To further refine my presentation skills, I evaluated my groupmate Adrian’s performance.

I found Adrian’s visual delivery pleasant. His hand movements enhanced his message and did not distract from it. Adrian also gestured to corresponding visual aids, which helped convey the contextual relevance of his words to our proposals. However, this led him to frequently glance at our slides and break eye contact with the audience. Given the importance of eye contact in capturing attention, building trust, and showing respect, I would point in the general direction of the slide while maintaining eye contact instead.

Adrian also employed effectual vocal delivery appropriate for addressing clients. He was well paced and effectively used pausing to highlight key points. Direct address was also used to build rapport with audience members whilst maintaining professional authority via a composed tone and semi-formal language. Further, I appreciated his varied intonation, which engaged and retained audience attention while conveying sincerity.

This evaluation reminded me of the significance physical and vocal delivery has towards the impression made by and interpretation of audience members, despite having zero relation to ideas presented – ineffective communication robs a golden idea of its allure.

Other Sources of Learning

To prevent blanking out again in the second oral presentation, I consulted online resources for advice. I found two tips recommended by Frantically Speaking extremely helpful in my final stages of preparation. In his video , the Youtuber proposed two ways for speakers to stall time for regaining composure:

• Redirection Tools – prepared questions or media to deviate to (e.g. “What is the main challenge we are trying to solve?”)
• Thorough Line – a key, defined idea the speech revolves around that can be repeated for emphasis when our mind goes blank

Inspired, I planned to reiterate the nonexistence of a shortcut to success and consequent importance of a long term, sustainable approach to business if lost my train of thought during the Recommendation 2 Oral Presentation.

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Welcome to the West Indies Yacht Club

Welcome to the home of yachting in the Caribbean ! Both on and off the waters, the West Indies Yacht Club would be delighted to welcome you on our premises !

Between Tradition and Modernity

At the West Indies Yacht Club, we are very proud of the heritage of classic yachting which leaded toward the establishment of the Club as an home for yachtsmen, sailors, sailing enthusiasts and boat lovers in the Caribbean.

Relax in Style & Elegance

At the West Indies Yacht Club, the Clubhouse is like a second-home for Members and Guests. Whether you would like to enjoy the company of your loved one, with your family or for business, the Club is open throughout the year and provides a cosy and elegant venue.

The Home of Yachting in the Caribbean

Mooring and berthing facilities are offered to Members and Guests throughout the year. At the West Indies Yacht Club, we proudly provides moorings spots which are respectful of the environment and local biodiversity.

The Commodore’ welcome letter.

Welcome aboard !

On behalf of myself and the General Committee of the West Indies Yacht Club, we are most happy to have you on board!

The West Indies Yacht Club was founded for yachtsmen, marine officers, sailing enthusiasts and vessels owners, whether with engine or sails, to promote sailing and classic yachting, maintain, protect maritime heritage and improve sailing techniques as well as vessels performances.

Members, Reciprocal Members and their guests are very welcome to use the Clubhouse which provides a place in which to relax and an elegant and convivial rendez-vous for families and friends to meet, a base for members’ business use and a variety of bars, restaurants, bedrooms, yachts berthing and mooring for members’ enjoyment and convenience.

Members are warmly invited to make the necessary efforts to maintain and develop the Club’s Social life, as well not sparing efforts on the waters to bring home trophies and distinctions which would be displayed in the Clubhouse.

Members and Staff of The West Indies Yacht Club, home of Yachting in the Caribbean, would be happy to welcome you in our new clubhouse or aboard the Club’s Flag Vessel, Fair Lady.

Warmest regards

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International management : managing across borders and cultures

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• PART I: THE GLOBAL MANAGER'S ENVIRONMENT
• Chapter 1 Assessing the Environment - Political, Economic, Legal, Technological
• Chapter 2 Managing Interdependence: Social Responsibility and Ethics COMPREHENSIVE CASES Case 1 Reebok: Managing Human Rights Issues Ethically Case 2 Treating AIDS:A Global Ethical Dilemma Case 3 Footwear International (Setting: Indonesia) PART II: THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT
• Chapter 3 Understanding the Role of Culture
• Chapter 4 Communicating across Cultures
• Chapter 5 Cross-cultural Negotiation and Decision Making
• Chapter 6 Formulating Strategy (Setting: Malaysia) COMPREHENSIVE CASES Case 4 Dell's Dilemma in Brazil: Negotiating at the State Level Case 5 General Motors and AvtoVAZ of Russia Case 6 TelSys International: A Marriage of Two Cultures (case or negotiation simulation) Case 7 Guanxi in Jeopardy: Joint Venture Negotiations in China Case 8 Moto: Coming to America (from Japan) PART III: FORMULATING AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGY FOR INTERNATIONAL AND GLOBAL OPERATIONS
• Chapter 7 Global Alliances and Strategy Implementation
• Chapter 8 Organization Structure and Control Systems COMPREHENSIVE CASES Case 9 FedEx versus UPS: Competing with Contrasting Strategies in China Case 10 Pepsi's Entry into India: A Lesson in Globalization Case 11 Starbucks' International Operations Case 12 DaimlerChrysler AG in 2004: A Global Strategy Gone Sour (Setting: Germany/U.S.) Case 13 Global E-Commerce at United Parcel Service PART IV: GLOBAL HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
• Chapter 9 Staffing, Training, and Compensation for Global Operations
• Chapter 10 Developing a Global Management Cadre
• Chapter 11 Motivating and Leading COMPREHENSIVE CASES Case 14 Management of Human Assets at Infosys (Setting: India) Case 15 West Indies Yacht Club Resort: When Cultures Collide Case 16 A First-Time Expatriate's Experience in a Joint Venture in China INTEGRATIVE TERM PROJECT Integrative Case: Wal-Mart's German Misadvanture ENDNOTES CREDITS NAME AND SUBJECT INDEX.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

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West Indies Yacht Club Resort: When Cultures Collide

West Indies yacht club resort: When cultures collide West Indies yacht club resort: When cultures collide Introduction The purpose of this study is to expand the boundaries of the author's knowledge by exploring some relevant facts related to international culture differences. In this paper, the author will analyze a case study i.e. West Indies Yacht Club Resort: When Cultures Collide. Cultural Differences and Barriers to Change within Companies operating company is a major issue under today's global business cross culture workforce is the primary need of any multinational company like Companies. It can be stated that those who are vested with leadership for global enterprises must be in a position to know what to do when competitive advantage is deteriorating, when change is ever-present, as well as when home base is the globe . It is significant to be aware of the business environment, its economic, social and political influences so as to ensure business success (James, 2009). Due to unstable regulations which change on daily basis, consideration in locating a new business is essential. Lack of firsthand knowledge of important can lead to failure of a global business. Case Analysis The yatch club resort is facing the issue of cultural differences, the issues concerning expatriate turnover, increasing guest complaints, and the level of tension between some of the expatriate managers and the local employees. The first wave of peak season guests would arrive tomorrow and stretch the resort's resources to their limits. Discussion The yatch club resort is faced with three problems: expatriate turnover increasing guest complaints and the level of tension between some of the expatriate managers and the local employees To accommodate some diversity, yatch club resort has to respect and recognize the needs of expatriate. Consequently, the Diversity Management regards the integration of ideas and practices diversity in management and learning process within a company and its ...

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its the case study on WIcYRit's a very simple presentation that would aid the students.

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WELCOME TO THE PRESENTATION

A CASE STUDY ON

WEST INDIES YACHT CLUB RESORT: WHEN CULTURES COLLIDE

PRESENTED BY MD. RAJIB HOSSAIN (MBA-090302) HOSSAIN AHMAD (MBA-090310)MD. SAIFUL ISLAM (MBA-090311)

SITUATIONAL OVERVIEW

Head office located in chicagoCompetitive advantage – largest boat fleetThe resort is in highly competitive virgin islandStaff comprised of expatriate management and local employees

Difficulties in cross cutural communications has caused strained performance

High expatriate turnover

Rising tension between expatriate and local staff

making the organization experience cultural

Rising number of guest complaints and Low

employee motivation

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLAND’S TOURISM MARKET

36 islands- 16 inhabited

Area 59 sq mile

Planned and restricted growth ensured by government

Bareboat chartering introduced in 1970

Main attractions - rich natural beauty and intrigueing

UPSCALE HOTELS IN BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Jost Van Dyke

St. John(USVI)

Norman Island

Peter Island

VirginGorda

Salt Island

Cooper Island

Ginger Island

Beef Island

Guana Island

Little JostVan Dyke Island

Great CamanoeIsland

Great Thatch

Little Camanoe

Necker Island

MosquitoIsland

Fallen Jerusalem

Key:Peter Island Yacht Club

Little Dix Bay Resort

Drakes Anchorage Resort

Biras Creek Resort

West Indies Yacht Club Resort

Exhibit 1Map of the British Virgin Islands

and location of luxury hotels and resorts

Piter Island Yacht Club50 rooms.$395-$525

Prickly PearIsland

Drake’s Anchorage

BirasCreekResort

West IndiesYacht Club

Little DixBay Resort

Spanish Town

Gorda PeakNational Park

SouthSoundSavannah

One nautical Mile

Exhibit 2Virgin Gorda and its luxury hotels

34 rooms$395-$695

One restaurant.3 tennis court

A private beach with a bar.A small marina.

Several miles of natural trails.

12 roomsA beachfront restaurantA protected anchorage

for charter boat.Sandy beach.$400-$600

98 rooms.$480-$1000A fine-dining restaurant.Small boats(Sunfish,Lasers)Waretskiing ,day excursionsDiving sites for guests.

95 rooms.$390-$595

(with meal & access to all water sports equipment)

PresidentJoe KimballChicago, IL

Chicago OfficeChief Financial Officer

and approximately 7 peoplein reservations, marketing,

and accounting

Marketing and SpecialPromotions Director

Tom FitchExpatriate – U.S.Greenwich, CT

General Manager Jim Johnson

Expatriate – U.S.Virgin Gorda, BVI/Miami, FL

Property ManagerKent MawhinneyExpatriate – U.S.

Virgin Gorda, BVI

Rooms Division Manager

Kristin SingiserExpatriate – U.S.

Location: Virgin Gorda, BVI

Watersports DirectorEnrik Harrigan

Expatriate - DominicanVirgin Gorda, BVI

Approx. 15 employees

Food & Beverage Director

Steve LucasExpatriate – U.S.

Marina DirectorNick Smith

Expatriate – U.S.Virgin Gorda, BVI

Approx. 7 employees

Front DeskApprox. 10 employees

HousekeepingApprox. 80 employees

Engineering DepartmentApprox. 25 employees

Two restaurants andCommissary

Approx. 90 employees

Exhibit 4West Indies Yacht Club Resort Organizational Chart

Waterfront DirectorPosition vacant

Operations levelAccounting & Finance

Virgin Gorda, BVIApprox. 7 employees

BVI Labor Market Laws and Regulation and its Impact on Success of WIYCR

First, expatriate work permits are granted only on the basis of the total number of employees working at a resort and the availability of locals who possessed these skills requisite for the position

Second, organizations are not permitted to lay off staff during slow seasons.

Third, policies restricting the conditions under which an employee could be fired severely limited an organization’s ability to retain only the best workers and

Finally, organizations were under extreme pressure to promote BVI locals into management positions whenever possible

The organization in the eye of different employees

Dave Pickering

Fake Compensation System

Not interested in tips

Difficult to convey message to top management

Hard to make relationship with locals

Kent Mawhinney

Worst problem: Getting plans to be executed

Employees not motivated by advancement

They know- local employment law guaranteed jobs

They don’t prefer added responsibility

Steve Lucas

No planning

No commitment

No enthusiasm

Kristin SingiserMismanagement

Overbooking by Chicago Office

Declaration of telling guest to stay on board

Children and parents in opposite extreme

Continuous mismanagement

Local staffs are not motivated by money or advancement

Dowd’s Observation

Locals are motivated by personal relationship

Some employees hide from work for lack of proper guideline

Staffs are not courteous

Mumbles to answer queries of the guests

High turnover made locals reluctant to make friendship with expatriates

High Expatriate Turnover

Expatriates find it difficult to adopt to local culture

Increased stress and tension

Low Motivation of Employees

Task not completed

Unable to meet

expectations

Rising tension between Expatriate and Local Staff

Growing gap between Local and Expatriate Staff

Lacking direct management

Management style does not suit local

Communication problem

Low employee motivation

Senior staff are as lazy as the junior staff

Tips are not attractive

Only serve close customers sincerely

Cultural difference:

Foreign staff:Achievement

Local staff:Nurturing

Rising Number of Guest Complaints

There is a decline in the service provided to guests by the West Indies Yacht Club Resort

Causes:Lack of trainingLack of communicationLack of motivationLocal culture

Analyzing Opportunities and Threats

Opportunities Threats

Political Strict Government regulation ensure local jobs

Strict Government regulation dissuaded developers

Economical Established Industry provides job security

Lack of proper transportation hinders growth

Social Cultural diversity promoted Cultural difference may tap vast to cope with

Competition/ Consumer

Targeting families and catering to their needs

Extensive water-sport facilities

Declining customer service may decline standard of service

Marketing Strong marketing director, successful recent campaign

Demographics are changing

Management Seeks professional help

Division between HO and resort management

Accounting Lower wages for local employees

Hourly salary-costs are variable

Organize a holiday party prior to the peak week

Partner with Commisionary, the local bar

Encourage staff to become friends and to respect each other as people and to look outside titles

Create a slogan or pamphlet to hand out to guests upon arrival, in which local culture is explained as well as embraced

Long Term Establish a WIYCR management training program encourage employees and managers to have an open

dialogue In the off season, establish a social interaction

committee Implement a self service food and beverage sector Develop evaluations based on a cross cultural training

Building Strong Leadership

It should be controlled and employees should be motivated by a authority figure present in the resort

Managers should delegate authority to subordinates

Increased Communication- Building Brust

Managers and employeesManagers should have cultural trainingMix private and business lifeFormal meeting and informal gathering

Resort and headquartersRegular meeting to discuss progress, concerns and promotions

Improving the team

Retain employees in groups

PersistenceImplementing job rotation

Increase job satisfaction

Effective performance measures

Motivation-Pay for performance and collective achievement

Have informal reviews-Group meeting

Emphasize on win-win relationship

By improving the organizational culture WIYCR can concentrate on its core competencies and work to regain industry leadership status

Alternative Solution

Replace existing team and management with locals

Replace existing team and management with expatriates

Change the mindset- create new organizational culture

YACHT EXPO - ARImedia.channelblade.com/EProWebsiteMedia/6884/Sea Ray Yacht Expo... · We are pleased to bring Yacht Expo back to the beautiful South Seas Island Resort on Captiva

WALT DISNEY WORLD DISNEY’S YACHT & BEACH CLUB RESORTS · WALT DISNEY WORLD DELUXE RESORT The elegant lakeside accommodations of this sand-and-surf motif Disney Deluxe Resort and

The West Indies

Mindoro, marinduque, masbate & romblon · Puerto galera yacht club Aninuan beach resort . Talipanan beach Marco Vincent dive resort . Steps garden resort Mangyan heritage center

YACHT Solutions Yacht Ownership Flyer

1221 ROSECRANS STREET, SAN DIEGO, CA 92106...MARINAS & YACHT CLUBS Point Loma has several marinas; Bay Club Hotel & Marina, Kona Kai Resort & Marina, San Diego Yacht Club, Southwestern

December 6 – 9, 2018 s Yacht lub Resort Orlando Florida

West Indies Yacht Club Resort.pdf

West Indies

Montauk Yacht Club Resort & Marina 2011 Arrival Guide

Boston Indies Lightning talk

Oxfordshire Indies

Producing for indies

Social In Your Indies

Creole West Indies

WEST INDIES LEGISLATION - University of the West Indies

West Indies Yacht Club Resort: When Culture Collides

West Indies - CIFAS

Montserrat, West Indies

OI revamping yacht marina houseboat resort

T20 West Indies 2010

Indies go global AdNews

Marketing For Indies

Business versus indies

West Indies Cricket Bibliography

LE MERIDIEN PHUKET BEACH RESORT…SECLUDED 500 -METRE BEACH NEXT TO THE HOTEL ... aboard the Born Free yacht by Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort. Perfect for day -trips and sunset cruise

Manning Number Plates Indies

POPS AND INDIES #1

RESORT AND PRIVATE BEACH CLUB - Mount Cinnamon Grenada Resort · Mega Yacht Marina accepts yachts up to 120 meters with full customs and immigration. The marina offers 5-star services

Maritime Museum Museum Marina Friends Good Will Tall Ship Last Resort Idler Riverboat ... Yacht Club n Bicycle Rentals Trailheads Lodging Restaurant

City life: Moscow

With a resurrected trainline, a high-concept park, edgy art spaces and changing attitudes, in moscow old and new are starting to dance — and it's a fascinating show to watch.

A wind orchestra plays in the small park beside Red Square

Inside the moodily lit Moskovsky Bar in the Four Seasons hotel, Ilya, the barman, is making me a Moscow Mule. It's a quiet evening and the ground-floor watering hole is almost empty, but Ilya is performing with a panache that suggests an audience. In goes the vodka with an arc of the arm, lifting the bottle like a ballerina in flight. The ginger beer is added with a splash. Then, like a magician unveiling an assistant who, it transpires, has not been sawn in half, he reveals the secret ingredient: kvas, the Russian version of coca cola, glugged from St Petersburg to Vladivostok in the Soviet era. The final touch has come from just as far. "The ice is from Lake Baikal, in Siberia," he tells me, producing a cube the size of a brick. As he hands me the copper mug I half expect him to say "ta-dah!"

I take the cocktail from him, noticing his tattoos as I do so. Snakes coil their way around his wrist, poking out from underneath his crisp white shirt. For a moment, they throw me, seeming to posit this cool cat of a cocktail maker in Shoreditch, Brooklyn, Kreuzberg or some other hip area of a city that has embraced the 21st century. Not in the Russian capital, where, some might argue, the 20th century is still alive and glowering.

Outside, Moscow is keeping up appearances. Two minutes walk south west, the soldiers who protect the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — the monument dedicated to Russia's dead from the Second World War — are ending the day in a choreographed march back to barracks. Above them, the wall of the Kremlin looms. Behind this stark red barrier, the lights are on in the Senate building where the Russian president has his office. There's rain on the breeze, and the city is lost in a gloom redolent of Bond films and Le Carré novels. Back in Moskovsky Bar, Ilya reaches for the apricot brandy and asks: "How about a Pavlovan Mystery?" There'll be no frosty relations tonight. At least, not in here.

Despite its old-fashioned elements, however, in Moscow old and new are starting to dance ­— and it's fascinating to watch the show. On a Saturday morning I glimpse their faltering steps, their unsure foxtrot. It's 22 April, Lenin's birthday and a fortuitous time to be in Red Square. A crowd of well-wishers has congregated at the revolutionary icon's tomb to mark the anniversary. The red flags of the Russian Communist Party are waved in the misty air. Three elderly gentlemen, stooped and frail, are assisted by a son or daughter towards the tomb. Adjacent on the slippery cobbles, millennial Moscow looks on in bemusement and then passes by. There are selfies to be taken, smartphone conversations to be had and trainers to be bought in GUM, a department store that faces the mausoleum. Mirroring the trio of septuagenarian soldiers saluting their hero, metres away three teenage girls skip through the shop's giant entrance, arms linked, giggling in unison.

But it's too simplistic to say that Russia in 2017 is witnessing a schism between yesterday and tomorrow. Moscow is being pulled slowly and subtly in all manner of directions — by financial changes; by a glacial infrastructure overhaul; by cultural undercurrents; by the motion of youth and social media. Each tugs at the moorings of tradition, politics and ingrained attitudes. The process isn't tearing the city apart, but it's certainly stretching the stitches.

Some of the signs are obvious. Moya Ulitsa ('My Street') is an ambitious, overdue programme that began in 2014 to remove the city's electrical cables from overhead pylons and bury them beneath the pavement. In a metropolis of 13 million residents, it has only added to the traffic chaos — jams are constant. Some of the gridlock has been eased by the resurrection of the Moscow Central Circle, a 34-mile ring railway line around the centre. It was initially constructed in 1908, closed to passengers in 1934, and reconfigured as a fast commuter service last September. Travellers can ride it to Delovoy Tsentr station and the Moscow City business district, an image of 'new Russia', where buildings like the 1,227ft-tall Federation Tower scratch at the heavens.

A mile south west of the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour encapsulates Russia waltzing between old and new. It was originally built between 1839 and 1883 in thanks for Russia's deliverance from Napoleon, but was obliterated by dynamite on Stalin's orders in 1931, in the epoch of state atheism. Its replacement was built between 1990 and 2000 under the more benevolent eyes of Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin, a looming giant of white walls and gold domes that admires its reflection in the River Moskva.

And yet, though a child in years, the cathedral belongs to a Russia of unflinching centuries. It was here, on 21 February 2012, that the all-female rock band Pussy Riot played a guerilla gig, an act of political defiance aimed at Vladimir Putin that would see three of its members tried on charges of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, and jailed for nearly two years in the harshest case. Watch the YouTube video of the incident and it appears utterly innocuous, but standing in the same vast space on a Saturday lunchtime, I'm suddenly not surprised that it provoked such a severe response. This cathedral represents the Russia of fervent Orthodox faith and extreme devotion. Elaborate mosaics and frescoes adorn the walls. The aroma of incense floats on the air. Women in headscarves rub tirelessly at brass candle stands, quietly angered by the wax that drips from burning wicks.

It's beautiful but stifling, an improbable context for protest, and I feel the need to flee to the roof, where an observation deck offers views of a shapeshifting conurbation. Moscow City is visible in the distance, but the past is also swarthily insistent. In the distance I spy the Seven Sisters, the septet of colossal gothic skyscrapers, commissioned by Stalin between 1947 and 1953 and an inalienable part of the Moscow skyline. They are magnificent in size and scope, serving as (among other things) Moscow State University, the five-star Hotel Ukraina and its luxury sibling the Hotel Leningradskaya. But with clouds gathering behind them, they also resemble hands clawing their way up from a grave.

Going underground The sense of a Russia braced against dissent is amplified by a ride south-west on the tube. The Moscow metro is a masterpiece, surely the planet's most spectacular subterranean transit system, but it pledges visual allegiance to the Soviet straitjacket. Park Kultury station, on Line 1, is a Stalinist celebration of Russian prowess, the concourse between its platforms peppered with marble statues of godlike youths, carved between 1931 and 1935: gorgeous boys reading literature, aspiring actors performing, athletic girls triumphing at tennis. It was carved out between 1931 and 1935, and does not seem too concerned that the world has moved on.

But a defiant flame flickers above ground. At first glance, Gorky Park — Moscow's prime green enclave — would seem to toe the party line as well, named after Russian literary giant and Stalin's favourite author Maxim Gorky, and featuring an enormous seven-archway entrance that booms with Soviet grandeur. The year 1955 is imprinted on its facade next to Lenin's face.

Yet inside, the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art is a clever question mark, probing at the fabric of the society around it. Its moniker is a red herring, referring to the former bus depot in which it was originally housed. It now occupies the shell of the Vremena Goda ('seasons of the year') restaurant, the park's culinary focal point in the Soviet decades. A mosaic of a female autumn clad in orange still adorns the main hall. The whole gallery, in fact, might be an act of misdirection, showcasing art that could be considered critical of the status quo, yet which wraps its barbs in ambiguity. 'Numbers', a 2015 work by the 28-year-old Chechen artist Aslan Gaisumov examines the destruction of his home city of Grozny by Russian forces in 1999. It reconstructs a street via the silent device of fixing salvaged house numbers — one to 99 — to a board. The reasons for the gaps' placement, in a pattern that approximates a mouth of broken teeth, are left to your interpretation. Similarly, photos by Anastasia Bogomolova capture the bleak mundanity of life in the city of Bakal (1,000 miles east of Moscow), without explicitly stating that it was born out of slavery, the site of one of Stalin's Gulags from 1941 to 1943.

Russia's left field is also identifiable two miles east of the Kremlin at Winzavod, another contemporary art hub cocooned in a onetime brewery and wine factory. Travelling to find it feels like a journey beneath the city's skin. Line 5 of the metro goes both above and below ground, surfacing next to Kurskaya railway station, from which drab armies of carriages trundle off in search of Moscow's southern suburbs. Further on, it passes through narrow roads lined with warehouses and splattered with graffiti. The gallery is entirely at home in this post-industrial realm. Since 2007, its brick outhouses have displayed the work of many of the country's brightest young visionaries and will continue to do so this summer via its Farewell to Eternal Youth exhibition. Video artist Evgeny Granilschikov will take centre stage until 16 July, and sculptor Irina Korina will come into focus for two months from 15 August. Both will enjoy audiences larger than you might expect of so scuffed a location. Hidden in the corner of the compound, diner-drinkery Kraftwerk is testament to Winzavod's popularity. A chalkboard behind the bar lists 29 beers, with titles as evocative as Red Sonya and Fucking Perfect. A DJ booth promises loud, late nights. I ask the waitress dashing between tables what time it closes. "We're open until our last customer leaves," she says with a shrug that suggests she is used to lengthy shifts.

A fragment of a less introverted, more expressive Russia? Maybe. And maybe Zaryadye Park, Moscow's current big creative project, is part of the same thing. Here is a flight of fantasy — a green lung. Due for completion in 2018, the space will incorporate everything from ecological zones that represent the flora of the Russian landscape to an orchestral concert hall and a half-bridge made from glass that will jut partially out over the Moskva River. That this will be the first new park in Moscow in 50 years is remarkable. That it's being crafted to the blueprint of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the New York design team who created Manhattan's iconic High Line walkway, is even more so. That this place of public promenade will sit directly next door to the Kremlin, on the footprint of the demolished Rossiya Hotel, the 3,000-room kraken that became an emblem of squat Soviet sixties architecture, seems almost impossible to conceive.

"Part of the idea is to open up the city for pedestrians," Timur Bashkaev, one of the architects responsible for the interiors of some of Zaryadye's futuristic buildings, tells me as we examine a scale model of the site at his office in the shadow of Christ the Saviour. "People will walk out of Red Square and into the park. It will alter the centre."

Later that day I take a stroll to inspect it, peering over wooden barricades to spy on the work in progress. All around, 20-something Muscovites are scurrying into the dusk, aiming for the shops of the Okhotny Ryad mall, a retail temple wedded to American capitalism with such enthusiasm that it offers Dunkin' Donuts. But around the corner, guards are still statuesque at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Mother Russia watching her children, uncertain where the future will carry them.

Getting there & around British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, which lies 26 miles south east of the city centre. Russian national carrier Aeroflot serves Heathrow and Gatwick from Sheremetyevo Airport, 18 miles north west of the Kremlin. The Moscow Metro covers the city in depth and, including the Moscow Central Circle, it incorporates 15 lines, 245 miles of track and 237 stations. Single journeys are R55 (75p). The Aeroexpress aeroexpress.ru train service links Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports to the centre (the Belorussky and Paveletsky train terminals respectively), from R420 (£5.75) one way.

When to go The Russian winter can be notoriously fierce, but Moscow can hit temperatures of 23C in July and August. September, with average temperatures of around 16C, is also an ideal month to visit.

Places mentioned Bolshoi Theatre Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Four Seasons hotel Garage Museum GUM Kraftwerk Kremlin Museum Winzavod

More info visitrussia.org.uk

How to do it Steppes Travel , a Russia specialist, offers five-day breaks at the Four Seasons hotel, B&B, from £1,975 per person, including British Airways flights, a private guide, transfers and visa assistance.

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Published in the Jul/Aug 2017 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)

• Travel and Adventure