The
first mentioning of Moscow as
a settlement in the annals of
history dates back to 1147.
This very year is, thus,
considered to be the year of
its foundation. Moscow’s
founder is Yuri Vladimirovitch
Dolgorukiy, Prince of Suzdal.
His followers in forming
Muscovy were the famed Princes
and Czars Andrey Bogolubskiy,
Ivan Kalita, Dmitry Donskoy,
Ivan the 3d, Boris Godunov,
Mikhail Romanov and many
others. After Peter the Great
came to the throne cities and
towns of the Russian state
were assigned to provinces
headed by governors. Till 1917
governors of Moscow faithfully
served the city and the
Russian state. Muscovites
still remember names of many:
Boyar Streshnev, Count
Tchernishov, Prince Volkonskiy,
Count Rostopchin, Prince
Golitsin. All in all, there
were more than 50 of them.
Since 1917 the functions of
the local administration’s
head were carried out by
chairmen of executive
committees of the Moscow
Soviet of People’s Deputies.
Lately these functions have
been performed by mayors of
Moscow. Almost nine centuries
have already passed. Our city
was repeatedly conquered and
destroyed but again and again
it was successfully rebuilt.
At present Moscow is one of
the largest cities of the
world. The exceptionally
favorable location of Moscow
gave it advantages over other
cities of the emerging Russia.
From the very beginning the
territorial
development of
Moscow was determined by the
need to have a reliable
defense. There were
constant threats of invasion
by nomadic hordes
from the
South and East and by
Lithuanian and Polish
conquerors from the West.
During that time such famous
convent-fortresses as the
Simonov, Spaso-Andronikov and
Novo-Devichiy ones were built
on approaches to Moscow. After
the victory in the
Kulikovskaya battle (1380) and
the ’Ugra standing’ (1480)
that put an end to the
Tatar-Mongolian yoke the
might of Muscovy started to
quickly grow.
In the 15th century by the
size of its territory and
population Moscow surpassed
London, Prague and other
largest cities of Europe.
After the abolition of serfdom
(1861) and in the course of
developing capitalism in
Russia rates of Moscow’ s
growth increased and the city
became the largest commercial
and industrial center. By the
end of the 19th century there
were over 20 thousand
commercial and industrial
enterprises. Moscow’s
industrial structure was
dominated by textile,
building, woodworking and food
sectors. The period of the
industrial upsurge was marked
by vigorous advances of the
foreign capital penetrating
the Russian industry.
All chemical and electrotechnical enterprises
in Moscow were in the hands of
foreign companies. Moscow’s
machine-building industry
gathered momentum in its
deelopment after the October
coup. The Moscow of calico
gave way to the Moscow of
machine-building and
electrical engineering.
Retaining its very important
role in producing consumer
goods for the country as a
whole Moscow became the
powerful industrial center.
No new industrial enterprises
have been opened in the city
during the period of
democratic changes and this
has had positive effect on the
local ecology. What is more,
many old enterprises now
either curtail their
production or move beyond city
limits. At the same time new
buildings (mainly,
administrative, office and
trade ones) keep cropping up.
They are constructed by
special design and
architecturally are in harmony
with the existing city
structure.
For
hundreds of years Moscow has
been the center of the Russian
national culture. The city
possesses the most valuable
historical and architectural
monuments of world importance:
the Kremlin, Novo-Devichiy
Convent, Church of Pokrov in
Fili, Moscow State University,
Triumphal Arch, Memorial
complex of Victory on the
Poklonnaya Gora. The Temple of
Christ, the Savior, on
Kropotkinskaya embankment (it
became Moscow’s Cathedral),
the Kremlin’s Voskresenskiye
Gates together with the
Iverskaya Chapel and Temple of
Icon of Kazan Mother of God on
Red square were built anew.
A great number of historic
monuments are being
reconstructed and restored.
The process to preserve the
historic heritage goes on and
the Moscow government bodies
act as its sponsors and active
participants. A lot is done to
make Muscovites and visitors
feel nice and comfortable in
the streets of the capital
city. Pedestrian zones are set
up, new hotels, cafes and
restaurants are opened. Moscow
regularly hosts major
festivals, Olympiads, sports
competitions and various
international contests. Moscow
is famous for its museums and
such exhibition halls as the
Tretyakov Art Gallery, Pushkin
Museum, Manege. Those, who
already visited Moscow, are
sure to wish to come back to
our hometown again. Moscow is
considered one of the most
beautiful cities of the world,
is it not so?
Moscow’s
places of interest
Moscow
has a plenty of architectural
monuments, inseparably
connected with the history of
Russian State. In the 16th
century to commemorate the
annexation of the Mongol
states of Kazan to Russia St
Basil Cathedral was erected on
Red Square. In honor of
Russian army that had routed
troops of Napoleon the
Cathedral of Christ the Savior
was constructed.
In the 20th century famous
Stalin's sky-scrapers appeared
Arbat
The
Arbat, the famous street
between Arbatskiye Vorota
Square and Smolenskaya Square,
has become a true symbol of
old Moscow.
There are two versions of the
street's name origin.
According to the first of
them, the word Arbat is of
Slavonic origin and was formed
from the word "gorbat", that
signified "hilly ground".
According to the second
hypothesis, the name of the
street stems from the Arabic
word for suburb. That can be
easily explained as in the
15th century only the Kremlin
itself was considered to be
the town proper and all the
territories around it were
treated as outskirts and
suburbs.
In the ancient days on the
site of the present crowded
Arbat there was a thick forest
and a stream Chertory that now
runs in the underground pipe.
The street probably appeared
in the 14th-15th centuries,
not later, as in 1493 it was
mentioned for the first time
in Moscow chronicles. In that
year the majority of the
wooden construction of Moscow
were engulfed by terrible
fire, sparked by a candle in
the Church of St. Nicholas in
Peski, which is situated in
the Arbat.
In the medieval Moscow the
Arbat was one of the most
important streets, as it was a
conjunction of many roads,
leading to Kremlin. At first
mainly court craftsmen and
common people inhabited the
Arbat and the adjoining
streets. The names of side
streets - Plotnikov
(Carpenter's), Denezhny
(Money), Serebryakov (Silver)
Lane remind of the district
first residents. Besides in
the houses in the Arbat and
near streets soldiers of
Streletzky regiment were
quartered. The Streltsy
mounted guard in the streets
of Moscow, took part in the
military actions, and in their
free time occupied themselves
with trade and crafts.
In response to Streletzky
uprising of 1698 the Streltsy
and their families were
evicted from Moscow, and the
famous regiment was disbanded.
Gradually this part of city
developed into prestigious and
fashionable and was built up
with the mansions of Moscow
aristocracy and nobility. The
Arbat became, as Gertzen
wittily called it,
"Saint-Germain suburb of
Moscow".
After the terrible fire of
1812 the ashes was all left of
wonderful wooden buildings.
The Muscovites, striving to
raise Moscow from ruins as
quickly as possible, started
to rebuild the Arbat. New
stone one- and two-story
buildings belonging to the
merchants, gentry, officials
and creative intelligentsia
appeared in the Arbat.
Although in the first part of
the 19th century the Arbat
partly lost its former glory,
it stayed "Gospodskskaya"
Street ("masters' street") as
common people called it.
In the second part of the 19th
century the Arbat gradually
turned into a typical market
street of Moscow. Numerous
shops, hotels, inns and
eating-houses entirely
replaced the living houses.
The Arbat was one of the most
progressive streets of the
city: at the end of the 19th
century a horse tramway
traveled back and forth it,
and in 1904 the first tramway
went down the Arbat.
At the beginning of the 20th
century the Arbat turned out
to be in the center of crucial
events of Russian history.
Twice - in revolution of 1905
and 1917 - the street was a
place of fierce fighting for
freedom and new beautiful
world. During the Soviet times
the Arbat regained its title
of an aristocratic street, but
this time the aristocracy was
quite different - the elite of
Soviet bureaucracy.
Arbat Street was one of the
first included in the list of
reserved historical places of
Moscow. Thanks to the
painstaking restoration work
the facades of the old
buildings now look like they
did a century or two ago. The
pavement was cobbled, the
decorative street lamps
beautified the street, trees
were planted and lawns were
laid out. In 1986 the Arbat
became the first pedestrian
street of Moscow.
Nowadays the Arbat is
associated with innumerable
souvenir stands, fashionable
boutiques, numerous cafes and
restaurants. At any time of
the day and night the Arbat is
crowded with artists, eager to
draw your portrait, buskers,
poets, mimes, fortune-tellers
and beggars.
The Muscovites and the guests
of the city rank the Arbat, by
which is often understood not
only the street itself but
also adjacent small streets
and side lanes, among the most
popular walking places. This
area takes the walkers back to
the charming world of old
Moscow with its quiet lanes
and beautiful houses of
18th-19th centuries.
GUM Department store
In
Russia everything is possible.
For example you can go
shopping to some supermarket
and find yourself in a museum.
The building of GUM department
store on Red Square is not
only very beautiful but has a
great architectural and
historical value.
The
first shopping arcade along
the Eastern Wall of the
Kremlin appeared in the 15th
century when Ivan III ordered
to take down all the wooden
constructions around Moscow
and set on their place a
market square. The liveliest
market of medieval Moscow was
crowded with small stores and
stalls, where the Muscovites
could buy all sorts of things.
At
the end of the 16th century
the first stone Upper Trading
Rows were built. In the course
of the 17 - 18th centuries
they were reconstructed more
than once. According to the
ancient documents and city
plans, already in the 17th
century they played the
leading role in the commercial
life of Moscow, as it is there
all city retail and wholesale
trade concentrated.
During the invasion of
Napoleon and famous fire of
1812 Red Square suffered
greatly. Architect O.I. Bove
was entrusted the
reconstruction of the main
city square. He rebuilt the
Upper Trading Rows, having
preserved the characteristic
features of the original
construction. The new cupola
and portico with 12 columns
attached stateliness and
monumentality to the edifice.
But by the end of the 19th
century this building had
become dilapidated and out of
date. In Russian architecture
in that time pseudo Russian
style dominated, according to
which the most important
streets and squares of Moscow
were rebuilt. In 1888 a
nationwide tender for the best
construction project for the
Upper Trading Rows was
announced. The project of
Pomerantzev, which fully met
the tender artistic and
city-planning demands, was
awarded the first prize.
According to his project the
building consisted from three
arcades connecting Nikolskaya
and Ilyinka streets and
covered with a glass roof. In
the neighborhood to the Upper
Trading Rows in the same style
Middle Trading Rows were
erected by architect R. Klein.
In 1839 all the construction
and finishing works in the
Upper Trading Rows were
completed and they at once
became the favorite walking
place of Muscovites, that came
with their families to admire
the beauty of the building and
such wonders as electricity.
The trading square was divided
among the traders, this time,
not into stores but into
salons, that offered the
customers practically all
kinds of manufactured goods
and even some foodstuffs. The
most expensive and exquisite
furniture, giant mirrors and
rich decorations of the salon
amazed the visitors.
The Upper Trading Rows were
the most progressive shopping
center of those times. It was
the Upper Trading Rows where
price-lists were used for the
first time in Moscow. In other
shops the salesmen used to
name the price themselves that
was several times higher than
the real one, and then the
usual long haggle used to
start. The bargaining was one
of the most popular Russian
entertainments for centuries.
In the Upper Trading Rows the
first complains and
suggestions register book
appeared. For to make the
trading centers as attractive
as it was just possible, the
customers were offered a range
of extra services. In the
Upper Trading Rows there was a
bank department, a post, a
restaurant, jeweler's and
engraver's workshops,
hairdressing saloon, dentist's
office and many more. The
Upper Trading Rows became a
prototype of European
contemporary shopping centers,
where not only goods are sold,
but also different concerts,
exhibitions and shows are
organized.
In 1917 Soviet government
nationalized the Trading Rows,
as well as all other retail
outlets and wholesale outlays
of Moscow. But what to do with
them the new government
couldn't decide for quite a
long time. According to the
Utopian dreams of the
revolutionists, in Soviet
State all shops would be
useless, as each citizen would
get everything necessary from
the state, that could better
than anyone else determine the
needs of the each person. For
some time the building stood
devastated and ruined, and
then it was given over to
different soviet institutions.
In the years of NEP (New
Economical Policy) all of a
sudden trade was reestablished
in the Upper Trading Rows on
the Red Square. The majority
of the shops sold stationary
as the ever-growing Soviet
bureaucracy needed them
desperately. Thus the name and
abbreviation GUM, the State
Department Store, appeared. In
the early 30s the building was
again occupied by offices and
bureaus. Soon after the shops
were utterly crowded out by
them.
The year of 1953, when the
Soviet Government decided to
move all the institutes out of
GUM and resume trade there, is
considered to be the date of
its second birth. The building
desperately needed last-scale
reconstruction that was
carried out in record time.
The largest Soviet department
store, the GUM, was generously
supplied with goods produced
in different parts of vast
USSR. For the opening ceremony
GUM was filled up with goods.
Long lines regulated by
militiamen gathered in the
department stores and in front
of it. Those standing in the
lines to GUM, craving to buy
at least something in the
"time of total deficit", were
ironically called "gumanists"
(humanists).
It is not an overstatement to
assert that nowadays every
Russian knows GUM. It is a
prestigious department store
that for more than a hundred
years has remained the leading
shopping center of the
country. GUM managed to
successfully overcome the
consequences of the 1990s
economic crisis and stays one
of the best shops of Moscow,
offering its customers the
products of prestigious
leading world companies and
high level of services.
Kitai-Gorod
Kitai-Gorod
is one of the oldest and most
interesting historical parts
of Moscow. People that are not
very good in Russian history,
wonder whether medieval Moscow
had such strong economic,
diplomatic or spiritual
relations with China (Kitai-Gorod
in Russian is "China Town"),
that even a district was named
in its honor. In fact this
district is in no way
connected with the East. Such
a confusing toponym most
likely have been formed from
the archaic Russian word "kita",
that meant a sheaf of poles or
twigs that were widely used
for the construction of the
first fortification
structures.
The small settlement on this
place was known since the 11th
century. By the 14th century
the settlement, called
Bolshoi or Veliky Posad
("Large or Grand settlement")
had grown considerably and
occupied vast territory to the
south-east of the Kremlin.
In 1534 Veliky Posad was
encircled with earth mound and
giant wicker fence, made from
long poles vertically drove
into the ground. These poles
gave the name to the whole
district and in the 16th
century the name
Kitai-Gorod was used in
Moscow chronicles for the
first time. The Muscovites
considered earth mound not
safe enough and in 1535-38
stone defensive walls with 13
towers and 6 gates enclosed
Kitai-Gorod. The thickness
of unassailable walls (6
meters) was practically equal
to their height. Nowadays some
fragments of this unique
fortification structure,
destroyed in the early 1930s,
can be found. For example, in
the southern hall of
underground station "Kitai-Gorod"
the well-preserved white-stone
basis of an ancient tower can
be seen.
At the beginning of the 16th
century Kitai-Gorod was
inhabited by boyars, clergy
and nobility. Craftspeople and
merchants, that were the first
residences of this district,
were forced out to Moscow
outskirts from well fortified
and close to Kremlin
Kitai-Gorod. The number of
stores and stalls were
constantly increasing, and
Kitai-Gorod developed into
the trade center of Moscow.
In the 17th century the
territory of Kitai-Gorod
was rapidly built up. At that
time a lot of stone
residential constructions as
well as numerous churches,
schools and colleges, and
different public
establishments appeared in
Kitai-Gorod. In 1687 in
the Monastery of the Saviour
Behind-the-Icon-Stalls in
Nikolskaya Street the first
Slavic-Creel-Latin Academy was
opened. In 1697 the Mint was
erected and at the beginning
of the 18th century the
building of City Council
appeared.
In 1712 the capital of Russia
was moved to Saint Petersburg
and many residents of
Kitai-Gorod moved to
Northern Venice. Thus
Kitai-Gorod lost its fame
of aristocratic district.
Kitai-Gorod
suffered greatly in the
terrible fire of 1812. When
the district was being
rebuilt, mainly stone
constructions were erected.
Many of them have preserved
quite well till nowadays.
By the first decades of the
20th century the residential
constructions replaced by
numerous shops, banks and
different offices had
practically totally
disappeared from the district.
Kitai-Gorod, where
commercial and business life
of Moscow concentrated, turned
into a typical western
downtown.
Today Kitai Gorod is
part of the capital's public
and administrative center and
one of the capital's most
treasured preserves. On the
territory of Kitai-Gorod
one can find a lot of
architectural monuments dating
back to the 17 - 20th century.
The list of most famous
attractions includes the
Church of Prophet Ilya, Saint
Nicholas the Wonder-worker
Church, "Bolshoi Krest"
(Big Cross), the Church of
Protection Mother of God and
Great Matryr Varvara,
Sinodalnaya printing-house,
the Bogoyavlensky monastery
and the Monastery of the
Saviour
Behind-the-Icon-Stalls. and.
In the near future Nikolskaya
Street, that was called in the
18 - 19th centuries the street
of enlightenment and
education, is to be turned
into a pedestrian zone. In
this street many interesting
buildings are situated, like
the Slavic-Creek-Latin Academy
(the first Russian institution
of higher education), Russia's
first publishing house,
numerous bookshops and the
largest bookstore in the
pre-revolutionary Russia, that
was owned by famous Russian
publisher Sytin.
Nowadays Kitai-Gorod is
one of the most important
business districts of Moscow,
a sort of city within a city.
During the day it is crowded
and full of life, in the
evening this district becomes
a silent and deserted corner
in the very center of Moscow.
Novodevichy
Convent
There
are two places in Moscow that
each tourist, who come to the
capital of Russia, just must
visit. They are Red Square
with the Kremlin
and the Novodevichy
convent.
One
of the most beautiful
architectural ensembles of
Moscow, the Novodevichy
convent, was founded by Grand
Duke Vasily III, father of
Ivan the Terrible, in 1524
to commemorate the return of
the town of Smolensk to
Russia.
In contrast to another Moscow
Devichy ("maiden") convent
this monastery was called Novo
Devichy (literally "new
maiden"). In the 16th -
18th century the convent
enjoyed a privileged position
and was generously supported
by Grand Dukes and boyars.
This great interest is
explained by the fact, that
many women from the royal
family and top-ranking boyar
families
became
the nuns of the privileged
convent.
For
example, there the widow of
tsar Vasily Shuisky, Marina
Buinova Rostovskaya, the widow
of tsar Fyodor Ioannovich,
czarina Irina, sisters of
Peter the Great, Catherine and
Yevdokiya, were forced to take
the veil.
At the end of the 17th
century the Novodvichy
convent was engaged into
the race for power between
Peter the Great and his
stepsister Sophya. After the
Streletzkoye Uprising was
suppressed, Sophya was forced
to take the veil and spent the
rest of her life confined in
the Novodevichy convent.
In 1698 fallen into
disgrace Evdokiya Lopukhina
became a nun and was exiled to
the Intersection Cathedral in
Suzdal. In 1727 Emperor
Peter II allowed her to return
back to Moscow and to settle
in the chambers of the
Novodevichy convent that later
were called Lopukhinsky in her
honor.
The architectural ensemble of
the convent had been formed by
the end of the 17th
century and till nowadays
remains the gem of Russian
architecture. The central
place of the ensemble occupies
the five-dome Cathedral of the
Holy Virgin of Smolensk (1524
- 1525), modeled on the
Assumption Cathedral in the
Kremlin. Many well-preserved
buildings of Novodevichy
convent were built under
the supervision of Sophya who
by the twist of fate later
became the prisoner of the
convent.
As soon as the convent was
founded, in the early 16th
century, a cemetery was laid
out on its ground. It became a
traditional burial place for
Moscow clergy and nobility and
later on, in the 19th
century, of the intelligentsia
and merchants. At the end of
the 18th century beyond
the convent's south wall
so-called New cemetery was
established. Its territory was
enlarged considerably in
1949. On the
Novodevichy cemetery many
prominent public and cultural
figures are buried. There lie
the bodies of outstanding
writers V. Bryusov, Demyan
Bedny, D. Furmanov, V.
Mayakovsky, A. Tolstoy, A.
Fadeev, N. Ostrovsky, A.
Tvardovsky; composers N.
Rubinshtein. A. Skryabin, S.
Prokofiev; actors and
directors E. Vactangov, K.
Stanislavsky, V.
Nemirovitch-Danchenko, V.
Kachalov; scientisis V.
Komarov, S. Vavilov, V.
Vernadsky, V. Obruchev, N.
Burdenko and many others. In
the 1930s the remains of
writers S. Aksakov, N. Gogol,
A. Chekhov, artsists V.Serov
and I. Levitan and others were
buried on the Novodevichy
cemetery.
In 1922 the
Novodevichy Convent as a
unique cultural and
architectural monument was
turned into a museum. Since
the 1930s the convent
housed the branch of State
Historical Museum.
Such well-preserved
constructions as the
refectory, the gateway
churches, the Irinskiye and
Lopukhinskiye Chambers, the
bell tower and several cells
are reckoned among the best
monuments of 17th
century Russian architecture.
The walls of the ancient
Cathedral of the Holy Virgin
of Smolensk are ornamented
with 16th century
frescoes representing historic
episodes in the struggle for
the formation of a centralized
Russian state. The Cathedral
of the Holy Virgin of Smolensk
also treasures multitiered
gilt carved iconostasis - one
of the finest ornamental works
of the 16 - 17th
centuries. The icons,
decorating it, were painted by
famous Russian artisans, who
worked on the wall-paintings
of many Kremlin cathedrals.
The museum boasts an extensive
collection of Russian icons,
jewelry, embroidery and
manuscripts of the 16 -
17th centuries.
In 1994 the Holy Synod
blessed the re-opening of the
Novodevichy convent.
Although the entire complex is
now open to visitors, the
convent and churches stay
functional, that's why women
should wear heats or scarf on
its territory.
Poklonnaya Mountain
The
project of the Memorial and
Park of Victory were developed
well before the end of Second
World War. After the famous
Victory Parade on Red Square
there was even a suggestion to
build memorial complex right
in front of the Kremlin, on
Red Square, but to make room
for the memorial several
historical buildings in the
very center of Moscow were to
be demolished. Fortunately,
this project wasn't approved.
In the middle of the 1950s the
place for the future memorial
was chosen at last - it was
the Poklonnaya Mountain.
From
of old the Poklonnaya
Mountain was of special
importance to the city and its
citizens. In the old days all
Orthodox believers came to the
ancient capital of Russia,
went up the hill from where
they admired a breathtaking
panorama of the entire city
and bowed, thus greeting and
paying respect to uncountable
churches and monasteries of
Moscow.
This explains the name of the
hill - the word "Poklonnaya"
has been derived from
"poklon", that as translated
literary from Russian means
"bow". In Russian culture this
gesture was heavy with meaning
- people bowed to pay respect
to a person or object of high
reverence. Many glorious and
tragic chapters of Russian
history are connected with the
Poklonnaya Mountain. In
1812 on the
Poklonnaya Mountain
Napoleon waited in vain for
the keys from the city gates.
In 1941 from the
Poklonnaya Mountain Soviet
troops marched to the front.
On February 23, 1958
on Poklonnaya Mountain
a memorable granite sign was
established with the
inscription: "A monument to
commemorate the Victory of the
Soviet people in the Great
Patriotic War will be erected
here". In the 60s the Park of
Victory was laid out. In
1985 a new project of the
memorial was approved and the
construction of it, that would
last for almost 10 years, was
started.
The solemn opening of the
Victory Memorial on the
Poklonnaya Mountain was
timed to the Victory 50th
anniversary and was held on
May 9, 1995. The ensemble
of the memorial, that stays
the largest in the city, is
comprised of a museum,
sculpture groups, an open-air
exhibition and Orthodox
cathedral.
The central alley consists of
five terraces, symbolizing
five war years, and is
beatified with 1418
fountains, as Second World War
lasted 1418 days.
The
center of the whole complex is
a white stone Museum of the
Great Patriotic War of
1941-1945. Its exposition
tells about all the important
events of Second World War.
There visitors can learn many
interesting facts about the
eve of war, key battles,
military leaders, heroic deeds
of rank-and-file soldiers,
partisan warfare, soviet home
front, liberation of European
countries, war-crimes trials,
etc. The exhibition includes a
set of dioramas on the major
battles of the war - from the
defense of Moscow in winter
1941 to the fall of Berlin
in spring
1945.
The obelisk designed by famous
Moscow sculptor Tzereteli
soars above Victory Square,
where the museum is located.
At the foot of the monument
stands the statue of Saint
George the Victorious striking
the dragon with the spear. The
obelisk is crowned with the
bronze statues of Nika,
goddess of Victory, and angels
trumpeting the victory of
Russian people.
To the left from the central
alley there is the Cathedral
of Saint George, who is the
patron saint of Moscow. St
George Cathedral, designed by
architect Polyansky, combines
the traditional features of
Old Russian architecture and
modern elements (giant bronze
bas-reliefs, window walls,
etc.).
In
the Victory park there is an
open-air exhibition of Soviet
defense technology, displaying
weapons, tanks and armored
vehicles, fighters and
helicopters, submarines and
warships used by the Soviet
Army during Second World War.
The memorial complex on
Poklonnaya Mountain has
appeared in Moscow just
recently, but the project of
its reconstruction is already
discussed. On it site the
large cultural and
entertainment complex is
planned to appear in the near
future. There will be the
Memorial Alley, several
museums devoted to Russian
army and navy, monuments to
the heroes of wars. The
ensemble of religious
construction will also be
enriched - in addition to St
George Cathedral, Synagogue
and Musk, two more cathedrals
will be constructed - Armenian
and Buddhist.
The Theater of Singing
Fountains, the Parks of
Attractions, specially
equipped grounds for extreme
roller-skaters, the Oceanarium
and other entertainment will
make the Poklonnaya
Mountain an ideal place
for family rest. The
Oceanarium will be constructed
not on the Poklonnaya
Mountain, but in the
ravine near it (nowadays there
is dump there). The visitors
will walk through the
120-meters long underwater
tunnel and admire the several
thousands of amazing sea
creatures, the Oceanarium will
be home to. For those, looking
for something special, there
will be a sea restaurant and a
hotel where everybody will be
welcome to stay in the company
of sharks, cramp-fish and
crocodiles.
Red
Square
Red
Square is the main,
the oldest and undoubtedly the
most beautiful city square.
For five years of its
existence it has witness the
main events of Russian
history. In the Middle Ages
Red Square was the center
of Moscow life: there boyars
and merchants gathered to
discuss affairs of state,
common people came to listen
to royal decrees and to watch
public executions, on holidays
festive religious procession
walked across it. Under the
Soviets Red Square
served as the site of
countless military parades and
Workers' and Peasants'
demonstrations, regularly
organized by Communist
Government to inspire Soviet
people to work and struggle
and to show the West the
mighty of Soviet State. To sum
it up, Red Square has
always been the main city
square, its political and
commercial center.
According to the ancient
chronicles the square was set
up at the end of the 15th
century, when Ivan III ordered
to clear away the territory
around the Kremlin, while the
wooden building threatened
with fire to Grand Dukes'
palaces, and to allot this
area for a market. From every
corner of the country
merchants thronged to Moscow,
placed their stalls on Red
Square and built up a
lively trade.
At first the square was even
called Torg or Torgovaya
("Trade"). In the 16th
century the square was called
Troitskaya (Trinity) after the
Trinity Church that once stood
on it. Since the 17th
century the square was
mentioned in the chronicles as
Red Square, while the red
color in Old Russia considered
to be a symbol of beauty and
power. But officially the name
Red was assigned to the square
only in the 19th
century.
Red Square, often
called the heart of Moscow,
has been always dear to
Muscovites and all Russian. In
1712 Peter the Great
moved the Russian capital to
Saint Petersburg and for two
centuries Red Square
lost its leading role in the
life of the country. In
1918 the Bolsheviks moved
the capital back to Moscow and
soon after Red Square
became a recognizable symbol
of Soviet state.
The architectural ensemble of
Red Square was formed in
the course of several
centuries. Each century added
something to its ensemble. The
Kremlin walls with the
Spasskaya, Senatskaya and
Nikolskaya Towers appeared on
Red Square in the 15th
century. The 16th century
presented St Basil Cathedral
and the Lobnoye Mesto. In the
19th century the monument to
Minin and Pozharsky, the
Historical Museum and Upper
Trading Rows were erected. In
the 20th century Red Square
got Lenin Mausoleum without
which the square is difficult
to imagine now.
The
Lobnoye Mesto
is a circular white stone
platform, located next to
Pokrovsky Cathedral. There are
different hypotheses of its
name origin. According to the
most plausible of them, it was
named Lobnoye Mesto (literally
"Frontal Place") while it was
the highest point of the
square. The platform was
constructed in 1534 and
in 1786 reconstructed
by architect M. Kazakov, who
added white stone facing and
parapet. In the 16 - 18th
centuries Lobnoye Mesto
was the place where tsar's
edicts and the sentences of
convicted criminals were read
out, where on holidays and
important occasions tsars and
priests addressed the people
and where the heir to the
throne was traditionally
carried on his 14th birthday,
so that the people could see
their future Tsar and not
allow an impostor to assume
the throne.
The
Pokrovsky Cathedral
(Intersection Cathedral) was
erected in 1552 - 1554
to commemorate the great
Russian conquest of the
Khanate of Kazan and
Astrakhan. During the war
after each crucial victory a
small wooden church had been
built on Red Square, so by the
end of the war there had been
eight of them. After the final
victory Ivan the Terrible
ordered to replace the wooden
churches with the stone
cathedral. Some years later
the beautiful cathedral with
eight column-like churches
soaring up from a common
pediment, with a ninth,
central tent-like church
towering above the rest,
appeared on the square. Later
on, one more side-chapel was
added. Situated right above
the grave of God's fool Basil,
it gave the name to the whole
cathedral.
The
monument to Minin and
Pozharsky
was the first Moscow
monumental sculpture, designed
by I. Martos in 1818. The
entire nation participated in
the construction of the
monument to the heroes that
headed the struggle against
Polish invaders. The
inscription on the bronze
pedestal says "From thankful
Russia to citizen Minin and
prince Pozharsky". Originally
the monument was placed in the
center of Red Square opposite
the Senatsskaya Tower. But in
the 1930s it was moved to St
Basil Cathedral to make place
for demonstration and parades,
the Soviet Government favored.
The
State Historical Museum
was built in 1874-83 to
the design of architect V.
Shervud. As the building was
to house the museum charting
the development of Russian
civilization from Kievan Rus
to the present day, the design
of the building featured
recognizable details of famous
architectural monuments of Old
Russia. The State Historical
Museum harmonizes with St
Basil Cathedral and Kremlin
Towers and perfectly fits the
whole ensemble of Red Square.
The history of the former
Upper Trading Rows, nowadays
known as GUM department
stores, goes back to Middle
Ages. The first stalls selling
popular goods appeared on this
place in the 15th century. In
the 16th century the stone
Trading Rows, that later were
reconstructed more than once,
appeared. The building was
given its present form in
1894, when on the site of the
tumbledown building, not
corresponding to the
architecture of Red Square,
new Trading Rows, designed by
architect A. Pomerantzev, was
constructed.
Lenin's Mausoleum
is a famous futuristic granite
burial-vault where the crystal
sarcophagus with the embalmed
body of V. Lenin is kept.
Designed by Shchusev it was
erected right after the Leader
of mondial revolution died. In
1924 on Red Square
a first wooden structure in
the shape of a cube was
constructed, half a year after
it was replaced by the stone
one. In 1930 architect
Shchusev designed new
mausoleum, that was a replica
of previous ones but this time
the step-pyramid of cubes was
faced with red granite and
black labradorite, marble and
porphyry.
Moscow State University named
after Lomonosov
In
the first decades of the
Soviet regime the architecture
of Moscow was changed greatly:
many churches and cathedrals
were blasted, instead of them
new buildings were erected,
that corresponded better to
the spirit of the age. Moscow
changed beyond recognition. At
the end of 40 - beginning of
the 50s the unitary plan for
the reconstruction of Moscow
was adopted by the Soviet
Government, according to which
eight high-rise buildings were
planned to be constructed.
Each of them was supposed to
be no less than 25 - 30-story
high. These buildings were to
become a vivid example of
Soviet architecture, grand and
mighty, and demonstrate the
West the achievements of
Soviet constructors. Besides,
the construction of eight
buildings had another
important function - the
restoration of old Russian
architectural traditions, when
the numerous churches, Moscow
was famous for (there had been
about a thousand of them in
pre-revolutionary Russian
capital), defined Moscow
skyline.
The new high-rise buildings
were designed as strong
supporting points in the
cityscape, marking the most
significant and prestigious
sites of Moscow and setting a
certain architectural rhythm.
The grandiose construction
project can also be treated as
a sort of challenge to the
main rival of the USSR after
Second World War - the USA:
Moscow giants were planned as
a fitting response to American
skyscrapers.
And at the beginning of the
50s in different parts of the
city seven gothic-soviet
buildings were erected. They
included two office blocks
(headquarters of Ministry
of Foreign affairs and
Ministry of foreign commerce
of USSR on the Smolenskaya
Square and the office block on
Red Gate Square), two hotels
(the Leningradsksaya
and the Ukraine), two
apartment houses (on
Kotelnicheskaya Embankment
and Vosstaniya Square),
the seventh is the building of
Russia's most prestigious
university on the Lenin Hills.
But for some reasons, the
project wasn't completely
fulfilled - the most grandiose
building, the Congress Palace
crowned with the giant
sculpture of Stalin, has been
never built. On its basis
later a large swimming pool
was built, and in the 1990s on
its site the reconstructed
cathedral of Christ the
Savior, blasted to Stalin's
order in the 1930s, appeared.
The highest and the most
imposing building of Moscow
became the new building of
State University named after
Lomonosov.
Originally the building was
intended for a hotel, but
later it was given over to the
natural-science and
mathematics departments of the
university. The architect
couldn't decide for quite a
long time where to put this
miracle of Soviet architecture
but at last chose Leninsky
(now Vorob'evy - "Sparrow")
hills. This place was chosen
not by chance - the university
was to attract attention from
afar, and Leninsky hills, one
of the Moscow highest points,
ideally met this condition.
The university building is a
grandiose symmetrical complex,
con
