Arbat is one of the central Moscow districts, best known for its
pedestrian street of the same name. There are two Arbats in Moscow - Old
and New - and they are strikingly different from each other, although
they are very close. Old Arbat (or simply Arbat) is the first pedestrian
street in Moscow, leading from the Arbat Gate to Smolenskaya Square. New
Arbat is a wide highway running from the same Arbat Gate strictly west
all the way to the Moscow River, where, behind the Novoarbatsky Bridge,
the same straight Kutuzovsky Prospekt, the western gate of the city,
begins.
The microdistrict of the same name, part of the Central
Administrative District, gravitates towards Two Arbats. The southern
border of the Arbat microdistrict runs along Sivtsev-Vrazhek, and the
southern part of Gogolevsky Boulevard, Vozdvizhenka, Prechistenka and
Ostozhenka streets belong to the Khamovniki microdistrict, but
Muscovites themselves more often call Khamovniki the area beyond the
Garden Ring, so in this guide Arbat refers to the entire territory
bounded by the river on the south, the Garden Ring on the west, and
Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street on the north.
Library them. Lenina, Arbatskaya, Alexander Garden
1
Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" at Sheremetev Yard,
Romanov per. 2, p. 8. The current church, which was built in the late
1680s (according to other sources in 1691) by Lev Kirillovich Naryshkin,
became the ancestor of the Naryshkin baroque style.
2 Russian State
Library. New building, st. Vozdvizhenka, 3/5. Built in 1929-1941.
3
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Stary Vagankovo,
Starovagankovsky per., 14.
Arbatskaya, Borovitskaya
Kropotkinskaya
4 Entrance hall of Kropotkinskaya metro station
(Corner of Volkhonka and Gogolevsky Boulevard). Unlike the station
itself, the southern vestibule was designed by architect Samuil Kravets.
It was opened simultaneously with the station in 1935. The pavilion is
made in the form of an arch, through which the prospect of Gogolevsky
Boulevard is visible (however, not very far, as the boulevard turns). On
the pavilion itself, they did not begin to replace the inscription
"Moscow Metro named after V. I. Lenin." On both sides of the arch,
behind the columns, is the entrance and exit to the station.
5 Cathedral of Christ the Savior
(1994-1997) , st. Volkhonka, 15-17. Mon–Sun 10:00–18:00. 370 rub.
Despite its youth, the cathedral church of Christ the Savior is perhaps
the most famous in the country. It was conceived in December 1812 as a
memorial church on the occasion of the victory over the French and as an
eternal commemoration of the dead. In accordance with the first project
of K. Witberg, the construction of a huge temple was started on Sparrow
Hills in 1817. However, it had to be stopped in 1825, either because of
embezzlement - and Witberg and other construction managers were later
put on trial for damage to the treasury - or, as the official version
said, "due to insufficient reliability of the soil." In 1831, the
construction process was started anew and this time Nicholas I appointed
K. Ton as the author of the project, and in order to clear the place
indicated by the emperor, the old buildings, including the Alekseevsky
Convent, had to be demolished. Tradition says that the abbess of the
monastery, outraged by this turn of affairs, cursed this place and
predicted that nothing would stand on it for long.
The construction
and interior decoration took 44 long years and the consecration took
place only in 1883. Less than 50 years later, in 1931, the temple was
blown up to build the Palace of the Soviets. They even began to build
it, but the war prevented it, and as a result, in 1960, instead of the
palace, the Moskva pool was built on the site of the former Cathedral of
Christ the Savior. True, in direct accordance with the curse, and he did
not last long here. At the end of the 20th century, a new Cathedral of
Christ the Savior was erected, and, according to the assurances of the
guides, its upper part - the upper church - is an exact copy of the
historical building.
The newly built Cathedral of Christ the Savior
is the highest (103 m) cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church and is
designed for 7,000 people. It operates a museum of the history of the
temple, where this whole dramatic story is told in detail. Entrance to
the temple is free, but paid excursions are available for those who
wish, including climbing to four observation platforms located at a
height of 40 meters and oriented to the four cardinal points.
6 Antipius Church on Kolymazhny yard, Kolymazhny per. 8.
Kropotkinskaya, Park of Culture
7 House of Pertsova,
Kursovoy per. 1 (the last building on the embankment in front of the
Patriarchal bridge).
8 Zachatievsky Monastery, 2nd Zachatievsky per.
2. Founded in the second half of the XIV century as Alekseevsky. After
the fire of 1547, the Alekseevsky monastery moved and eventually got
lost somewhere in the Krasnoselskaya area, and a new one gradually
appeared in its place - Zachatievsky. The destruction of the Soviet era
survived only one temple, the gate of the Spassky Church (1696) in the
Naryshkin baroque style. The five-domed Nativity Cathedral was built in
2008-10. in the forms of Russian churches of the 16th century, as it
really once was, although not for very long. Also on the territory of
the monastery you will see the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit
with a hospital building (mid-19th century, in recent years restored
almost from scratch), the Church of the Conception of Anna (completely a
remake), as well as walls and towers of a decorative fence (mid-19th
century). Against the backdrop of new buildings in the Ostozhenka area,
the Zachatievsky Monastery remains, albeit with some stretch, a quiet
and cozy corner of old Moscow.
9 Church of Elijah the Prophet
Everyday, 2nd Obydensky Lane, 6.
10 Church of the Intercession of the
Virgin on Ostozhenka, Turchaninov per., 4.
11 Lobby of the Park
Kultury metro station, Krymskaya Square (almost under the Krymskaya
overpass). The architects of the pavilion are Nikolay Kolli and Sergey
Andrievsky. This is, quite unusually for the Moscow metro, a round
pavilion with a window around the entire circumference and square
columns outside. The pavilion itself is painted yellow, the columns are
white.
Kropotkinskaya
Arbatskaya, Smolenskaya
12 Church of the Transfiguration
on Sands, Spasopeskovskiy per., 4a.
13 Church of Saints Athanasius
and Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria, on Sivtsev Vrazhek, Filippovskiy
Lane, 3.
14 Church of the Resurrection of the Word on the Arbat,
Filippovsky per., 20.
15 Church of the Hieromartyr Vlasy, Gagarinsky
lane, 20.
16 Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin on
Mogiltsy, Bolshoy Vlasyevsky lane, 2/2.
Arbatskaya
17 Church of Simeon the Stylite on Povarskaya, st.
Povarskaya, 5.
Smolensk
18 Ministry of Foreign Affairs building,
Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square, 32/34. ☎ +7 (499) 244-16-06. The building
houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
1
Pushkin
State Museum
of Fine Arts (Pushkin Museum), Volkhonka Street, 12 (
Kropotkinskaya). ☎ +7-(495)-697-7998, 697-9578. Tue-Sun, 10.00–19.00,
Thursday until 21.00. One of the main art museums in Moscow. Expositions
of works of ancient, ancient Eastern, ancient Egyptian, medieval periods
and the Renaissance. The museum operates the "Gallery of European and
American Art of the 19th-20th Centuries" (Volkhonka Street, 14) - the
second collection of Western European paintings in Russia (after the
Hermitage), composed mainly of the works of the Impressionists.
2
Museum of Private Collections, st. Volkhonka, 10 ( Kropotkinskaya). ☎
+7-(495)-697-16-10. Wed-Sun, 12.00–19.00. First created in 1985 as a
branch of the Pushkin Museum. To date, the museum presents exhibits from
almost twenty private collections and, along with the Russian Museum,
the Tretyakov Gallery or the Central House of Artists, is one of the
best places to get acquainted with Russian painting of the late XIX - XX
centuries. Here you can see the late works of Polenov and Repin,
paintings by L. Pasternak, A. Rodchenko, A. Tyshler and many other
artists, collections of crystal and graphics. The museum hosts regular
exhibitions. Also in the building there is a cafe with hot food and
quite affordable prices.
3 State Museum of Architecture named after
A.V. Shchusev, st. Vozdvizhenka, 5/25. Tue–Sun 13:00–20:00, more details
on the website. 250 rub. The museum is designed more for connoisseurs of
architecture, and its main exposition is not particularly spectacular.
Perhaps its main exhibit is an excellent wooden model of the Grand
Kremlin Palace, representing an unrealized project by Vasily Bazhenov.
The museum is located in the noble estate of the Talyzins, the main
building of which was built in the 18th century in the style of
classicism. Two other exhibition spaces, the vaulted Aptekarsky Prikaz
and the Ruina wing, are used for thematic exhibitions.
4 Skryabin House Museum,
Bolshoy Nikolopeskovsky per. 11. 11:00–19:00 except Mon and Tue; on Thu:
13:00–21:00. 200 rub. One of the most authentic museum houses in Moscow.
The composer’s apartment was declared public property back in 1922, just
seven years after his death, so the situation has been preserved in its
entirety, and even the elderly caretakers, with their slightly prim
manners, seem to have come out of that pre-revolutionary era. The museum
is not very large, but there are many interesting exhibits in it - from
the original lighting device that accompanied Scriabin's poem
"Prometheus", the most avant-garde work of Scriabin, to documents from
the first years of Soviet power, which honored Scriabin on a par with
the heroes of the revolution. The exposition is accompanied by
Scriabin's music, and chamber concerts are held in the museum in the
evenings. Very atmospheric place.
5 Gogol's House (memorial museum
and scientific library), Nikitsky Boulevard, 7A. 12:00–18:00 except Mon
and Tue; on Thu: 14:00–20:00. 200 rub. The old city estate of Count
Alexander Tolstoy, where N.V. spent his last years of life. Gogol. The
writer lived with the count's family from December 1848, working on the
chapters of the second volume of Dead Souls. Here, in the fireplace of
the living room, Gogol burned his manuscripts, ten days before his
death. The great writer died on February 21, 1852 - his death mask is in
the memory room of the museum. The exposition of the museum is located
in six rooms on the first floor of the house. Historical interiors
repeat the situation during Gogol's stay here, but most of the pieces of
furniture and things were not directly related to the life of the
writer, but were collected later from the collections of his close
friends. On the second floor there is a scientific library and lecture
halls, and on the first floor, in addition to the museum, there is also
a coffee shop. This is the only museum of N.V. Gogol. In the park in
front of the museum there is a monument to the writer of 1909 by the
sculptor N.A. Andreeva. Gogol is depicted immersed in mournful
reflections, which corresponds to his state of mind in the last years of
his life. On the bas-reliefs of the monument you can see the characters
of famous works of the writer.
6 October, Novy Arbat, 24 (Arbatskaya,
Smolenskaya).
7 Khudozhestvenny, 14 Arbatskaya Square (metro
station Arbatskaya). ✉ ☎ +7(495) 691-9624, fax: +7(495) 202-1120.
9.30-23.00. Ticket prices range from 50 to 220 rubles. A cinema focused
on Russian cinema, "cinema is not for everyone."
1 Restaurant "Baba Marta", Gogolevsky blvd. 8.
12:00–23:00. Hot: 700-800 rubles. The only Bulgarian restaurant in
Moscow cannot boast of a rich choice (there are about as many dishes on
the menu as there would be only salads in Bulgaria itself), but the
interior and the quality of the food are quite up to par.
2
"Bosphorus" restaurant, st. Arbat, 47/23. 9:00–24:00. Hot: 700-900
rubles. A rare Turkish restaurant in Moscow, where kebab is understood
not as shawarma, but as a normal meat dish. There are other Turkish
classics - kavarma, rice pudding syutlach and the sugary-sweet dessert
kunafe. The food is quite authentic, although not the most outstanding
by Turkish standards, and Turkish coffee is better quality in the city.
3 "Ezo" restaurant, st. Arbat, 31. 11:00–23:00. Hot: 300-500 rubles. An
unpretentious Georgian restaurant with reasonable prices for the Arbat
and decent food.
The district is located in the central part of Moscow
as part of the Central Administrative District.
The border of the
Arbat district runs: along the axis of Smolenskaya Street, then along
the axis of Novoarbatsky Bridge, the axis of the Moscow River bed, the
axes of Konyushkovskaya Street, Bolshoy Devyatinsky Lane, Novinsky
Boulevard, Povarskaya Street, Skatertny Lane, Khlebny Lane, then along
the southern borders of the property No. 8 on Merzlyakovsky Lane and
property No. 7b on Nikitsky Boulevard, along the northern borders of
property No. 6 on Nikitsky Boulevard and property No. 1 on Kalashnoy
Lane, the axes of Kalashnoy, Kislovsky, Bolshoy Kislovsky Lane, Bolshaya
Nikitskaya Street, Mokhovaya, Znamenka, Bolshoi Znamensky Lane ,
Kolymazhnaya Street, crossing Gogolevsky Boulevard, along the axes of
the western passage of Gogolevsky Boulevard, Sivtsev Vrazhek Lane,
Denezhny Lane, Glazovsky Lane, the southern and western borders of
Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square to Smolenskaya Street.
The area of the
district is 276.15 hectares.
The coat of arms and flag of the intra-city
municipality were approved and entered into the Heraldic Register of the
city of Moscow with the assignment of a registration number on October
5, 2004.
The coat of arms of the intra-city municipality is a
golden shield of the Moscow form, which depicts a blue Ionic capital
with an open handwritten book on it in a red binding with silver pages -
the left one is filled and the right one is blank. Below the capital is
an upward-facing blue brush with a red handle and a downward-facing
superimposed silver quill pen with a blue edge. The golden shield
symbolizes the sandy soils on which the area is located. The Ionic
capital is a symbol of the spiritual richness of the area - culture,
architecture and history. The open handwritten book also symbolizes the
rich history of Arbat and speaks of a number of high-rise buildings in
New Arbat, as well as the Moscow House of Books. The pages of the
handwritten book symbolize the movement of the history of the area. The
brush and pen symbolize many creative personalities - writers, poets,
artists and other artists who have lived on Arbat for many years.
The area got its name from the Mongolian (Buryat) word Arbat - ten. This portion was paid by local merchants to tax collectors.
According to historians, the Tatars stayed in Arbat during their visits to Moscow. This name was first recorded in the Moscow chronicle at the end of the 15th century. Later, the current Arbat was an area where mainly palace employees, artisans and archers lived. The memory of this is preserved in the names of the adjacent lanes.
Despite the absence of industrial zones on the territory of the municipality, the environmental situation is unsatisfactory due to factors such as a small amount of green space and a high concentration of vehicles.
According to the District Administration, the total
green area of Arbat is 21 hectares. There are no large park areas in the
area; there are 19 public gardens. In addition, there are iconic public
spaces and promenades. Some of these areas are listed below.
Bunin Square is a green square located between Povarskaya Street and
Borisoglebsky Lane. It was formed in the 1980s on the site of demolished
houses in the second half of the 19th century. For a long time, the
attraction of the square was an old elm tree, now cut down, whose age
exceeded 200 years. There is also a monument to Ivan Bunin in the
recreation area (the writer lived in the area of Povarskaya Street
before emigrating from Russia). The recreation area received its current
name - Bunin Square - in 2015.
Smolenskaya embankment is a
landscaped public space, united with Rostovskaya and Savvinskaya
embankments into a common recreation area. Here the sidewalks were
widened, viewing platforms near the water were created, benches and
trash bins were installed. The pedestrian area was paved with large
granite tiles, which are comfortable to walk on, and green spaces
appeared along the roadway.
Gogolevsky Boulevard is part of the
Boulevard Ring of Moscow, partly also located in the Khamovniki
district. On the territory of the boulevard within the boundaries of the
Arbat district there is a monument to N.V. Gogol by the sculptor Nikolai
Tomsky.
Arbat Street is a pedestrian street in the central part
of the district, running between the Arbatskaya and Smolenskaya metro
stations. As a public pedestrian space, it was formed in the 1980s.
Museums, theaters, restaurants and shops, and monuments are concentrated
along the street.
New Arbat Street is a street running from Arbat
Gate Square to Free Russia Square. Part of the street is occupied by a
shopping and pedestrian zone. After reconstruction as part of the “My
Street” program in 2016, sidewalks on New Arbat were widened, trees were
planted, and recreation areas with swings and benches of different
designs were created. The so-called “longest shop in Moscow” is also
located on Novy Arbat, the length of which is 300 meters.
The
square in Spasopeskovsky Lane (on Spasopeskovskaya Square) is a
recreation area located north of the Church of the Transfiguration on
Sands. The square was laid out at the end of the 19th century and named
“Pushkinsky”, but over time this name ceased to be used. The monument to
A.S. Pushkin was erected in 1993.