What square connects Petrovsky and Rozhdestvensky boulevards. The Boulevard Ring is a landmark of the Russian capital

Tell us about the Boulevard Ring? This means to talk about your life, which is all tied up and wrapped around this Ring. You won't be able to escape from it. You started with it, saw the world on its boulevards and constantly return to it. There is no other street on earth that would be so eternally yours. The strange power of the Ring! You are in some kind of mystical dependence on him: so you went to Kaluzhskaya, then even further, and then God knows where, but the Ring does not let you go. And the whole city also belongs to the Ring, and no matter how it spreads out or flies into the sky-high distances, the Ring grabs it with its round powerful paw - so small in the vastness of the city! - and holds tightly.

The Boulevard Ring is a hoop holding this huge barrel together, a comb in a bunch of gigantic hair flowing endlessly, without it the rivet will fall apart and the hair will fall apart. Without it you can’t breathe because the Ring is the lungs. Tired from centuries of work, wheezing can be heard in them, they need treatment, special nutrition, thousands of cars kill them with a gas attack. And yet they work, resist, absorb, supply. And the city breathes with the Ring. Not all of it, of course, it is too big - its core is what was once called the White City.

Strastnoy Boulevard. Approximately 1937. Dismantling of the Passion Monastery begins.

Boulevard half-ring

Boulevard Ring sometimes called the capital's "green belt". It is located in the city center and includes ten boulevards: Gogolevsky, Nikitsky, Tverskoy, Strastnoy, Petrovsky, Rozhdestvensky, Sretensky, Chistoprudny, Pokrovsky and Yauzsky. The length of the Boulevard Ring is 7.2 km.

The chain of boulevards surrounding old Moscow from the north has the shape not of a ring, but of a semicircle. With its western and eastern links it abuts the river, and beyond the river it has no continuation. But everyone says: “Ring.” We're used to talking like that. I once read Alexandre Dumas’s novel “The Three Musketeers” and was surprised - why three when there are four? But then I got used to it, like everyone else in the world got used to it. Although in fact it is four, but everyone says it is three. Although in fact it’s a half ring, but everyone says: “Ring” . I know Muscovites who have lived here their whole lives, and they have no idea - it doesn’t even occur to them that it is correct to say - Boulevard half-ring.

Boulevard Ring on the map of Moscow

Mighty Impulse

The skeleton of the small one that after several centuries turned into a giant can be seen from above. First - a thin palisade of a small fortress on the bank of a river. Then - wooden walls, wooden towers, called the “Kremlin”. The prince turned into a king, became richer, and fear increased. And then, when the state was strong and famous, the wooden walls inevitably had to turn into something formidable, strong, stone, expressing at the same time the greatest fear and the greatest power.

Not a real gate

Tsar Vasily the First decided to protect the city from Lithuanian raids with an earthen rampart with a moat - and this is exactly the semicircle where the Boulevard Ring is located. The ditch was first mentioned in chronicles in 1389. And even then there were gates on the rampart: Chertolsky (later they began to be called Prechistensky, and in Soviet times Kropotkinsky), Arbatsky, Nikitsky, Tversky, Dmitrievsky, Petrovsky, Sretensky.

The gates have long ceased to exist, but Muscovites still call the small squares between the boulevards “gates.” “Nikitsky Gate”, “Sretensky Gate”, “Pokrovsky Gate” - this is the same myth as the Three Musketeers and the Ring.

In the western part, the Zemlyanoy Wall began from the Moscow River, from the present Prechistinsky Gate (at this place the Chertory stream flowed into Moscow, its waters filled the ditch, later the stream was filled up and became the Ring), and the eastern part of the ditch reached the Yauza River, a tributary of Moscow, this part was built later.

In the 18th century, by decree of Peter I, the streets of Moscow were paved with cobblestones. In 1775, according to the plan for the reconstruction of Moscow, they wanted to build boulevards on the site of the Zemlyanoy Rampart and Ditch according to the Western model, but the Moscow nobility and rich merchants opposed and seized most of the vacated space for their courtyards. Boulevards were created only at the beginning of the 19th century.

Starting point

But where can we find the starting point in the semicircle of the Ring? Yes, probably where I first saw him, on Tverskoy Boulevard. I said that life is connected to the Ring. These are not empty words. Near Nikitsky Boulevard - it used to be called Suvorovsky - there was a maternity hospital, where in 1973, in December, we were born. Then, for five years, we lived with our twin sister in a large house in the middle of Tverskoy, on the third floor, with windows overlooking the boulevard.

View of Tverskoy Boulevard from the bell tower of the Strastnoy Monastery. 1888 Photogravure by Scherer, Nabholz and Co.

The deep spirit of the city

And the sad, pensive Pushkin? In 1880, at the unveiling of the monument, Dostoevsky made his famous speech: “Humble yourself, proud man!” This was still a desperate appeal to the Russian people, to the youth, the strength and passion of which should have forced young people to come to their senses and throw away their revolvers and bombs forever. But the young people did not come to their senses. A year later, Emperor Alexander II was killed by a Narodnaya Volya bomb.

The monument to Pushkin, like the Bulgakov tram, does not exist today in its original place - it was moved to the park on Pushkin Square.

The square on Pushkin Square was laid out in 1949-1950. Thus the gap between Strastnoy and Tverskoy boulevards disappeared. Photo: N. Khorunzhego.

Old Muscovites were not happy with this decision at that time. It seems that what difference does it make: to the right or to the left of the road there is a cast-iron monument with cast-iron lanterns in chains? And there, around the monument, there were benches on which, on sunny days, pensioners dozed closely, shoulder to shoulder, as if at a sit-down parade, and in the evenings, lovers toiled in languid anticipation, and here, in the new place, it’s the same. A circle of benches, children, pensioners, lovers, but something was broken then. Yes, yes, it was uniquely violated. So irreparably and mercilessly that the old Muscovites, many of whom are no longer alive, were then offended to the point of tears.

Oh yes, change! Some houses are being demolished, gratings are being replaced, but some eternal essence, atmosphere, character of the old city has remained unchanged on the boulevards of the Ring. This is what has been preserved from the deep spirit of Moscow.

Reckoning on Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard. View towards Strastnaya Square. 1827 Hood. O. Kadol

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest among the boulevards of the ring (857 m).

Tverskoy Boulevard was also a place for walking in Pushkin’s time; there was a famous “Arab” confectionery here. Single ladies came here to look for acquaintances, Moscow old women “salopnitsa” crawled here for news. Small newspapermen, unemployed actors, card players who had lost overnight, met briefly here, at the tables of a summer teahouse, and fierce battles between Red Army soldiers and cadets took place here in 1917. The dead lay on the lawn under the linden trees, the wounded on the benches.

Red Army artillery from Pushkinskaya Street fired at the house of Prince Gagarin at the other end of the boulevard and burned this house. Three hundred cadets were captured, and the battle for the center of Moscow was won by the Reds.

And in 1941, the monument to Timiryazev was smashed by a bomb, fell into pieces, but it was collected and put in its original place. During the war, a silver balloon lay in the middle of the boulevard. And then book markets were held here, single ladies walked again, schoolchildren ate ice cream, dogs appeared on leashes. And again, like a hundred years ago, small writers, unrecognized penniless playwrights, chess, checkers and, of course, the eternal Russian “goat” players, that is, dominoes, began to gather in groups.

Dominoes are the favorite game of Soviet people. Photo: V. Akhlomov / Main Archive Department of Moscow

The place here - Tverskoy Boulevard - is convenient, central, close to all ends: theaters are around, the editorial offices of newspapers and magazines were nearby, so on warm days they made a rendezvous here, settled scores, met to ask for a loan, sometimes returned debts, exchanged brilliant thoughts .

Margarita in Herzen's house

House-Museum of A. I. Herzen. Photo: KateCommunicate

In the 1920s, the house was described in the feuilleton novel “The Twelve Chairs” by Ilya Ilf and Evgeniy Petrov as the “Monk Berthold Schwartz Hostel”:

“...we stopped at Sivtsev Vrazhek.

-What kind of house is this? - asked Ippolit Matveevich.

Ostap looked at the pink house with a mezzanine and answered:

— Dormitory for chemistry students named after monk Berthold Schwartz.

Another attraction of Tverskoy Boulevard is located deep in the garden. The house belonged to Senator Yakovlev; in 1812, the writer Alexander Herzen was born in this house. For many decades after the revolution this house was called "Herzen's House" .

Here in the 20s there were literary organizations, the restaurant “Pegasus Stall”, where Yesenin and Mayakovsky reveled; in this house and in the outbuildings surrounding it, the writers Mandelstam, Alexei Tolstoy, Platonov and others, who later became famous, lived in those years.

Bulgakov immortalized Herzen's house in the novel - here, in the premises of the MASSOLIT literary union, a fire occurs at the behest of the wizard Woland. And it was here that the Literary Institute was opened in 1933, where my sister and father, a writer, and I often went.

As you can see: there is no escape from the Ring!

There was, perhaps, no other such institution anywhere in the world at that time. This immediately suggests itself: Alexey Tolstoy did not study at the Literary Institute! And Mayakovsky too! And in general, none of the greats studied specifically “to be a writer.”

“I’m looking for a tennis partner, 20-25 years old”

Moscow. The building of the Izvestia newspaper. 30s.

The editorial office of the Izvestia newspaper is located on Pushkinskaya Square. In Soviet times, photographs of powerful hydroelectric power stations, foundries, oil workers in helmets, laying rails in the taiga and other fascinating subjects of socialist realism were usually displayed in the windows of the Izvestia building, built in the style of constructivism in the late twenties. Photos were updated every week.

Several people invariably stood near the photographs and looked at them thoughtfully. These are people who have always been in all the cities of the world - they wander around without any particular purpose, looking for something, waiting for someone, thinking, dreaming. What they love most is reading announcements: the secret call for a change of fortune.

The notice board was placed right next to the display of photographs. Well, what could you then read in the window of one of the main Soviet newspapers? They sell floor lamps. They change apartments. They sew youth trousers. They give lessons in English, French, Spanish. They recruit students to the “harmonious development of personality” circle, and in parentheses there is an explanation - rhythm, plasticity, conversations about art. Looking for a tennis partner, 20-25 years old. They teach yoga. Parapsychology classes. The Irish Terrier Society has announced when its next meeting will take place.

Ice crowd in 1953

Pechatnikov Lane

Near the Sretensky Gate there is an old Pechatnikov Lane, so named because there once was a Pechatnaya Sloboda - the printers of the Tsar's Printing House lived here.

In March 1953, many people came out from here onto Rozhdestvensky Boulevard and watched a giant slow crowd of people moving down towards Trubnaya Square, wanting to look at the deceased Stalin: he was lying in the House of Unions. This tightly knit crowd, having neither end nor beginning, slid down like a glacier.

Stalin's funeral, March 1953

The cries of the crushed and hysterical cries of “Save us!” were heard. On this day, from several hundred to two to three thousand people died on the Ring (official data on the number of victims is classified).

Deputies in the princely chambers

Gagarin's estate on Strastnoy Boulevard. photo.

Strastnoy Boulevard, the shortest in the chain of boulevards. The beauty of the house on the corner of Petrovka always catches your eye. In the house of the Gagarin princes, built in the 18th century by the famous architect Kazakov, the dinner described by Tolstoy in “War and Peace” was held in honor of Prince Bagration and Dolokhov’s impudent phrase was heard: “We must cherish the husbands of pretty women.” After this - Pierre's duel.

Stendhal, who served in Napoleonic army, visited this house. It was here that the great writer understood nothing about Russia.

Then there was the Novo-Ekaterininskaya Hospital, in Soviet times the clinic of the Medical Institute was located here, and today Moscow deputies chose this house for their meetings. During the restoration work on this house, many disputes and disagreements arose. But they were left behind.

Ah, we can talk for a long time about the Ring!

I love him so much. And it's great that it still exists.

The antiquity has not yet completely disappeared from these mansions, tenement houses of the last century, preserved in some places landowners' estates with front gardens and outbuildings, and in some places from the rusty-white brick of the monastery walls.

31.12.2018
2018, the year of the yellow dog, ends and 2019, the year of the yellow pig, begins. A playful and cheerful dog hands over the reins to a well-fed and calm pig.

31.12.2017
Dear friends, on the last day of the 2017 year of the fiery rooster, we want to congratulate you on the advent of the New Year 2018, the year of the yellow dog.

31.12.2016
In the coming new year 2017, we wish the fiery rooster to bring you good luck, happiness and bright and positive impressions during your travels.

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On the last day of the passing year, we would like to congratulate you on the advent of 2016, the year of the energetic and cheerful monkey.

16.10.2015
On October 16, 2015, a monument to People's Artist of the Soviet Union Yevgeny Leonov was stolen.

A country: Russia

City: Moscow

Nearest metro: Kropotkinskaya

What could be easier than this walking route? But admit it, have you walked along the Boulevard Ring from beginning to end? And now, with the advent of bicycle rental stations along its entire length, a walk along the Boulevard Ring will not exceed an hour. However, to enjoy the walk, you shouldn’t rush headlong, and then the ten boulevards of the Boulevard Ring will reveal their best side.

Let us remind you that the Boulevard Ring consists of ten boulevards: Gogolevsky, Nikitsky, Tverskoy, Strastnoy, Petrovsky, Rozhdestvensky, Sretensky, Chistoprudny, Pokrovsky and Yauzsky. But as you can see on the map, the Boulevard Ring is not a ring, since it is not closed on the south side, but abuts the Moscow River. Although, to complete the circle of the route, you can walk along the embankment, which will add pleasant impressions to your walk and logically complete it.

We will start our walk from the Kropotkinskaya metro station and go clockwise. The first thing that will catch your eye is the Kropotkinskaya metro station itself, made non-standardly, in the form of an arch. Gogolevsky Boulevard, the symbolic beginning of the Boulevard Ring, begins here, and two steps from the metro there is a bike rental station, and if you don’t want to walk, you can easily and inexpensively take a bike and hit the road. The boulevard stretches from Prechistenskie Gate Square to Arbat Gate Square. A notable feature of the boulevard is that it is three-level, that is, the outer, central and inner parts are at different heights.

There are a large number of houses and mansions from the late nineteenth century on Gogolevsky Boulevard. Almost in the center of the boulevard there is a monument to Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov. There are also two branches of the Museum of Modern Art on Gogolevsky Boulevard. And at the end of the boulevard there is a monument to Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol.

After passing Arbat Square, we find ourselves on Nikitsky Boulevard. At the beginning of the boulevard in the courtyard of the Gogol House - the memorial museum of the scientific library, you can find another monument to Nikolai Vasilyevich, which stood on the site of the current monument to Gogol at the end of Gogol Boulevard.

And in house No. 9, the famous Arctic explorer Mikhail Prokofievich Belousov and People’s Artist Vitaly Solomin once lived. And also on Nikitinsky Boulevard there is the estate of Count Alexander Tolstoy. Niktitsky Boulevard ends with Nikitsky Gate Square. As you cross it, pay attention to the rotunda fountain “Natalia and Alexander”, installed in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.

On Pushkin Square in front of the Russia Theater you will be greeted by a monument to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. And right behind the cinema begins Strastnoy Boulevard, the widest boulevard of the Boulevard Ring. Here you will find a monument to the composer Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov and a monument to the actor, poet Vladimir Semenovich Vysotsky.

Strastnoy Boulevard ends with Petrovsky Gate Square and Petrovsky Boulevard begins. On Petrovsky Boulevard you will not find a single monument to famous personalities, but like all boulevards of the Boulevard Ring, there are architectural monuments along the boulevard. After Trubnaya Square, which ends with Petrovsky Boulevard, Rozhdestvensky Boulevard begins. The history of the boulevard began with the emergence of the Nativity Convent and Sretensky Monastery on this site. And in 2012, a worship cross was erected on the boulevard in honor of the patroness of Moscow, St. Euphrosyne.

Behind Rozhdestvensky Boulevard, from Sretensky Gate Square, the shortest boulevard of the Boulevard Ring begins, Sretensky Boulevard. At the beginning of the boulevard there is a monument to Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya. On the side of Turgenevskaya Square at the exit from Sretensky Boulevard there is a monument to engineer V.G. Shukhov. The boulevard is currently under reconstruction.

At the entrance to Chistoprudny Boulevard you will be greeted by a monument to Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov. In the depths of the boulevard you will be greeted by a monument to the Kazakh poet Abay Kunanbayev. Chistoprudny Boulevard is the only boulevard of the Boulevard Ring, on the territory of which there is a pond, “Chistye Prudy”.

After passing the square, Pokrovsky Gate and Khokhlovskaya Square, we find ourselves in the penultimate boulevard of the Boulevard Ring, Pokrovsky Boulevard. Pokrovsky Boulevard can be combined with Yauzsky Boulevard, since one imperceptibly flows into the other and are not as famous as Tverskoy or Chistoprudnye Boulevards, but they are also full-fledged participants of the Boulevard Ring of Moscow.

Well, it is not the boulevard that completes the Boulevard Ring, but the last link of the Boulevard Ring of Moscow, this is Ustinsky Proezd. In the park of Yauz Gate Square you will find a monument to the Border Guards of the Fatherland.

We may not have told you everything that you can find and see on the Boulevard Ring, but we have given you a reason / clue to go for a walk along the unpreserved border of the White City, which, if you noticed, most of the squares connecting the boulevards remind you of. The squares are named after the places in the White City wall enclosing Moscow where there were gates. Enjoy your walk!

The golden-domed capital offers a huge number of opportunities for fans of city walking. There are many hidden courtyards where it’s nice to sit on a summer day, alone or with a group. In Moscow guidebooks you can find a comprehensive guide in the spirit of “Look to the right - you will see one attraction, look to the left - and here is another one.” Now just lower your eyes to your feet - if at this moment you accidentally found yourself on the Boulevard Ring, then you are lucky, and you have just seen another interesting attraction.

At first, the Boulevard Ring may seem of little interest to foreign guests of Moscow - there seems to be nothing outstanding on it that would be world famous or catch the eye. However, this is not at all the case; fans of history and architecture can learn and see a lot of interesting things on these streets. The boulevards are also loved by residents of the capital; you can take a walk along them and relax a little during the weekend or after a hard day.

From distant France...

The word “boulevard” did not immediately acquire its meaning, and several centuries ago, if you uttered the phrase “we took a walk along the boulevard in the evening” in a conversation, you could quite surprise your interlocutor. The fact is that until the 17th century the word boulevard meant a fortification, a wall, the width of which, of course, allowed walking along it, but perhaps only for the city guards. Although, if you delve a little deeper into the history of the Boulevard Ring, it may become clear why they began to call it that way.

From the general history of the Boulevard Ring

Neither historians nor architects have yet been able to find out why the Ring is called the Ring. Perhaps it’s all about the euphony, but in fact ten boulevards, with a total length of about nine kilometers, are shaped like a horseshoe and do not close in a circle. The boulevard ring was founded on the site of the walls of the old White City, a defensive structure that was founded by Fyodor Ioannovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible, in 1585. The thickness of the walls was 5-6 meters, and the total length of the structure reached 10 kilometers. Of course, the building was not completely silent and gates were erected at the intersections with the streets. This is how eleven gates appeared: Vasilyevsky, Yauzsky, Pokrovsky, Myasnitsky, Sretensky, Petrovsky, Tversky, Nikitsky, Arbatsky, Trekhsvyatsky and Prechistensky, which were originally called Chertolsky. The wall performed protective functions for a relatively short time - a little more than two centuries. After this, the walls began to deteriorate and collapse, and in 1796 part of the structure was dismantled, and in its place, imitating Europe of that time, an alley with green spaces was created. The first to be founded was Tverskoy Boulevard, which is rightfully considered the “ancestor” of the entire Ring. The fort structure was finally destroyed by the War of 1812, and by 1820, trees and bushes were planted along all nine boulevards, and cast-iron fences were installed.

As befits city dwellers, Moscow residents did not immediately accept and love the innovation, and the boulevards gained at least some popularity only towards the end of the 19th century. This was facilitated by the launch of a horse tram, the routes of which were later replaced by trams. In almost all guidebooks you can find information that the Boulevard Ring has survived many military actions and confrontations: the barricades of the early 20th century, the revolution of 1917, the Great Patriotic War. By the way, during the hostilities, the Boulevard Ring returned to its protective function: air defense balloons and anti-aircraft guns were located on its streets.

The peak of popularity, when the boulevards began to be used for walking, came in the post-war period, although more than three thousand trees and more than one hundred thousand shrubs had to be planted to restore their former beauty.

Nowadays, the alleys are constantly being improved: seasonal flowers are planted, children's playgrounds are installed. Alas, if we take into account the almost constant traffic jams of the capital, then the pleasure of walking along the Ring can only be obtained at a time when the walker is not sandwiched between two traffic jams - early in the morning or late in the evening.

Walk along the boulevards

Each of the ten boulevards has its own history, which most often only tour guides know. But you can always correct the situation - let's see what is special on each of the boulevards and what interesting historical facts you can learn about these pedestrian streets.

(Tverskoy Boulevard, 1825)

Of the ten boulevards, Tverskaya is perhaps the most famous among tourists and guests of the capital. The street originates from the Nikitsky Gate, where the numbering of houses begins and ends with Pushkinskaya Square. From the main street, travelers can get to several alleys: Sytinsky and Bogoslovsky, as well as Bolshaya Bronnaya. The structure of the boulevard is represented by a central main alley and a side alley.

The official date of foundation of Tverskoy Boulevard is considered to be 1796; the last major reconstruction was carried out in 1947. The total length of the street is 872 meters - this is the longest boulevard of all Moscow. Initially, the street was planted with birch trees, but the trees did not take root and it was decided to plant linden trees. A little later, maples, Pennsylvania ash, oaks, spruce and thuja appeared from the vegetation.

It was here that one of the most famous monuments in Moscow was installed - the monument to A.S. Pushkin. Money for the monument was collected by subscription, and installation took place at the end of 1880. Many famous people attended the opening, including speeches by Turgenev and Dostoevsky. A little later, the monument was moved to Pushkin Square and became a meeting place, one of the most famous in Moscow. Around the same time, a horse tram was laid along Tverskoy Boulevard, which was later replaced by tram tracks. The 20th century also brought its changes: book markets appeared on the boulevard for the first time, which over time became traditional, a public garden was laid out on the site of an entire block of demolished houses, and at the end of the century the first McDonald's in Moscow was opened.

The architectural diversity of buildings still never ceases to amaze architects and history buffs. Despite the fact that the oldest houses date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, a wide variety of architectural styles can be found among the buildings. Among the architectural monuments on the boulevard, the Golitsyn estate museum, the Literary University named after. Gorky, the house of the Chamber Theater and house No. 17, which once belonged to the famous rich man V.P. Ostashevsky.

Gogolevsky Boulevard

Another famous place among tourists, which many consider the most beautiful of all Moscow boulevards, is Gogolevsky Boulevard. Starting from the Prechistensky Gate and ending at the Arbat Gate, the boulevard stretches for 750 meters and ranks third in length among Moscow boulevards. Initially, this street was called Prechistensky Boulevard, and in 1924, when the city celebrated the 115th anniversary of the great Russian writer N.V. Gogol, the boulevard was renamed. Gogolevsky Boulevard has a very interesting three-stage relief structure, the reason for this was that the Chertoroy Stream had banks of unequal height.

Fans of architecture and monuments will find many interesting objects on the boulevard. Justifying the name, on the side of the Arbat Gate there is a monument to N.V. Gogol, and in the middle of the boulevard there is a rather unusual monument to Mikhail Sholokhov, created according to the design of A. Rukavishnikov. The monument is represented by a boat in which the writer sits, and on different sides of his transport there are horses sailing in different directions. According to the idea embodied in the stone, the animals symbolize the “red” and “white” of the Civil War. The most desperate climbers can try to climb into Sholokhov’s boat, which is located at a fairly high elevation, or sit on the heads of horses “sticking out” from the water stream.

On the odd side of the boulevard are the estates of P.F. Sekretarev (house 5/2) and P.P. Khrushchev (house 31), which are included in the architectural heritage fund. On the even side of the street are the Lodyzhensky-Stolypin estate (house 2/1/18), the house-estate of Prince I.M. Obolensky - I.I. Nekrasov (house 4/3), and in the 14th house there was the estate of E.I. Vasilchikova.

Nikitsky Boulevard

Continuing Gogolevsky Boulevard, Nikitsky Boulevard, formed in the 1820s, begins from the Arbat Gate. The total length of the boulevard is 520 meters; from 1950 to 1993 the street was called Suvorovsky Boulevard. A peculiarity of the numbering of street houses is that the houses begin not from the first, but from the fifth, which sometimes confuses visitors. This is explained by the fact that in the sixties of the twentieth century a transport tunnel was built on the site of the first houses.

In house number seven there is a museum named after N.V. Gogol - this is where the Russian classic lived for quite a long time, and this building is also notorious for the fact that it was in it that Gogol burned the second volume of Dead Souls. A scientific library is open on the territory of the museum, and the collections of permanent exhibitions contain unique exhibits: rare documents and books, personal belongings, photographic materials, archaeological finds. Another rather interesting building is house number 13, built by the architect K.K. Kaiser. Initially, it housed the Society for the Diffusion of Knowledge among Educated Women, after which the house belonged to the private gymnasium E.N. Dolu. In 1920, the building was occupied by a medical and pharmaceutical plant, which was transformed into the Moscow Pharmaceutical Institute.

House 8a, which many years ago belonged to Prince Gagarin, is of great importance for modern culture. Nowadays, the House of Journalists is located there, which is often abbreviated as “Domzhur”. The territory of the Central House of Journalists hosts screenings of intellectual films, exhibitions, theme evenings and concerts.

Petrovsky Boulevard

From the Petrovsky Gate to Trubnaya Square runs Petrovsky Boulevard, so named because of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery, from which the street begins. The total length of Petrovsky Boulevard is 449 meters, the numbering of houses starts from the Petrovsky Gate. From the boulevard, travelers will be able to get to 3rd Kolobovsky Lane and Krapivensky Lane.

Over its long history, the appearance of the boulevard has undergone several significant changes. Founded at the beginning of the 19th century, the boulevard was badly damaged during the fire of 1812, when a large number of buildings and plants of Petrovsky Boulevard were destroyed. It took almost six years to restore the street's appearance. During this period of time, the street began to be populated mainly by merchants, which turned the boulevard into unofficial shopping arcades. Due to the new residents, the nature of the houses being built has also changed. In an effort to save a lot of money, merchants began to build relatively tall buildings with narrow and sometimes inconvenient staircases. At the beginning of the 19th century, Trubnaya Square was significantly expanded and the so-called main entrances were built on Petrovsky, Tsvetnoy and Rozhdestvensky boulevards. In 1941, a trolleybus was launched along the boulevard for the first time.

In house number 6-8 there is a curious example of architecture from the reign of Paul I. This house belonged to the historiographer Tatishchev, then the house came into the possession of the Russified French Catoires. And house number 17, which catches the eye with its elegant architecture and bright decoration, belonged to the wine merchant Despres.

Pokrovsky Boulevard

This is the youngest boulevard, it appeared only in 1891. The street starts from Khokhlovskaya Square and ends with Vorontsovskaya Street, which in turn turns into Yauzsky Boulevard. Pokrovsky Boulevard was not very well-maintained for quite a long time, and only in 1911 a tram was launched here and landscaping was carried out.

In the first half of the 20th century, linden, birch, honeysuckle, poplar, and larch trees were planted along the alleys, and 13 benches were placed on stone pedestals. On the boulevard there used to be a stationary Boundary Garden, which was later renamed the Milyutinsky Garden. Dances, performances, and mass games were held on the territory of the kindergarten. Currently there is a children's playground there.

Along the boulevard there are several interesting buildings that undoubtedly deserve attention. Not far from the Pokrovsky Gate there is the building of the former hotel “On the Pokrovsky Gate”, which was recognized as an architectural monument, but is currently, unfortunately, in a rather deplorable state. If you turn a little away from the boulevard and walk a little along Pokrovka, you can see a low, beautiful sky-blue building - this is the Apraksin-Trubetskoy estate (an architectural monument of the 18th century). If you wander along the alleys, you can see the Church of the Ascension of Christ in Barashi and the Church of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Barashi, and on the Pokrovsky Gate there is the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Gryazi.

On Pokrovsky Boulevard itself there is a monument to N.G. Chernyshevsky, author of the philosophical novel “What is to be done?” Long house number three on the boulevard is a barracks, the total length of which is more than a hundred meters. The ninth house is the former estate of the Krestovnikovs, and house 11 is recognized as the best monument of mature classicism; the Durasovs’ house is located here.

Rozhdestvensky Boulevard

This boulevard is essentially a five-hundred-meter steep slope that once descended to the banks of the Neglinka River. The street got its name thanks to the Mother of God Nativity Convent, the territory of which was located on the site of the current Trubnaya Square.

The fire of 1812 almost completely destroyed the outer side of the boulevard, on which the shops were located. The inside of the boulevard remained intact, but the boulevard had to be restored anyway. In 1820, landscaping of the street was carried out.

During Soviet times, attempts were made to rebuild the boulevard several times, sometimes without caring about the cultural and aesthetic side of life. So, the fountain that stood here was dismantled, and a public toilet was installed in its place, and they were going to build an overpass across Trubnaya Square. The boulevard also became notorious thanks to March 6, 1953, when there was a stampede of people who came to say goodbye to Stalin.

The architecture of the boulevard is a mosaic of the aesthetics of past centuries and the progress of the present. For example, on the odd side in house number three there is a huge business center “Legends of Tsvetnoy”, which can be seen from afar and certainly cannot be missed at all. Most of the old houses are apartment buildings of famous people; the time of construction of the buildings is the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries.

Sretensky Boulevard

One of the shortest boulevards, its length is only 214 meters. The street starts from the Sretensky Gate and ends at Turgenevskaya Square. From Sretensky Boulevard, travelers will be able to get to Milyutinsky, Frolov and Kostyansky lanes. The founding date of the boulevard is considered to be 1830; the development of the street took place at a fairly fast pace for those times. By 1850, there were already 17 houses located along Sretensky Boulevard, of which only five were made of wood, the rest were made of stone. In 1880 a horsecar line was installed, which was later replaced by a tram.

In 1976, a monument to N.K. Krupskaya, created by architect V.L., was erected on the boulevard. Voskresensky and sculptors Belashov. In 2008, a monument to V.G. appeared on the same street. Shukhov by the sculptor S. Shcherbakov.

In terms of architecture, you can look at several beautiful residential buildings from different times of creation. House number 9 was created in 1924-1920, under the leadership of architect N.I. Zherikhova, house 4/19 was built in 1927 under the leadership of L.S. Zhivotovsky. In the house at number five there was a residential building of the People's Commissariat of Communications of the USSR, and currently there is the Svyazist Plus hotel there.

Strastnoy Boulevard

Strastnoy Boulevard is also a record holder in its indicators. It is the widest of all the boulevards in the ring, its width is 123 meters. The numbering of houses and the beginning of the boulevard goes from Pushkinskaya Square and ends with Petrovsky Gate. The street received its name in honor of the Monastery of the Passionate Icon of the Mother of God.

In the 19th century, the boulevard was conditionally “divided” in a somewhat unusual way. On one side there was a monastery, and on the other - Sennaya Square, known for the fact that hay was actively traded here during the day, and dishonest businessmen worked in the evenings and at night. On the other hand, such a combination of the highly spiritual and the very ordinary has always been in Moscow, and this is no longer surprising.

Strastnoy Boulevard is also known for its three monuments. At the beginning of the street, directly on Pushkinskaya Square, there is a monument to Pushkin, in the middle of the boulevard you can find a monument to S.V. Rachmaninov, erected in 1999, and walking to the end of the boulevard, travelers will see a monument to Vladimir Vysotsky, erected in 1995.

In fact, every house built along the boulevard is an architectural monument; it is almost impossible to describe the history of each one. Particular attention can be paid to house number 15\29, in which the Catherine Hospital was located, house number 4, in which the apartment building of Prince K.A. Gorchakova and 16\27 - “Petrovskaya Hotel”, which was rebuilt several times, but is known for the fact that it is the former building of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery.

Chistoprudny Boulevard

Even those who have never walked along the Boulevard Ring know about this place and cannot list all the boulevards that are part of it from memory. Chistoprudny Boulevard is one of the most famous places in Moscow, which is never quiet and deserted. A large pond with birds and boat rentals, a large number of shops and restaurants, street musicians and themed exhibitions - all this attracts residents and guests of the capital here like a magnet.

The boulevard starts from the Myasnitskie Gate, where the houses are numbered, to the Pokrovskie Gate, its length is 822 meters. Almost everyone probably knows the history of the name “Chistye Prudy”. Initially, the pond was called nasty because waste from meat production (from Myasnitskaya Street) was dumped into it. A.D. Menshikov, who settled near the pond, ordered the pond to be cleaned and given a new name. Historians have not come to a consensus why the current name has a plural form, although in fact there is only one pond.

The development of Chistoprudny Boulevard was completed by the 19th century, by which time a clear division into the outer and inner sides of the boulevard had been formed. The inner side of the boulevard was formed by two-story houses of wealthy people, the outer side by one-story buildings of less wealthy people.

In 1959, a monument to A.S. was erected on Chistoprudny Boulevard. Griboyedov. The installation location was chosen due to the fact that the writer lived on Myasnitskaya Street for quite a long time. In 2006, a monument to Abai Kunanbayev was erected in the center of the boulevard. The famous tram “Annushka” runs from the Chistye Prudy metro station, which is beloved by out-of-town tourists.

Yauzsky Boulevard

From Vorontsov Field to the Yauz Gate, Yauzsky Boulevard is located, perhaps the least famous of all the boulevards of the Ring. The origin of the boulevard began in 1760, when the wall here was demolished. However, it was here that the Yauzskaya road passed, along which the Russian army retreated in 1812, and the fire completely destroyed this area. The boulevard was restored to its normal appearance only in 1824, the same year when Khitrovskaya Square was founded.

There are no monuments on the boulevard, but there are several houses that you cannot pass by without admiring them. House 13 is an example of Moscow Art Nouveau, a house built by architects G. A. Gelrich and N. P. Evlanov. In the ninth house there was the city estate of M.G. Spiridonov, an architectural monument of the 19th century.

Of course, these are not all the attractions of ten Moscow boulevards. Books are written about them, boulevards become the “heroes” of novels, songs, films, and poems. Find time to take a quiet walk along the Boulevard Ring on your day off - you won’t regret it.

grandfatherkin1 — 03.01.2010 Since I managed to catch a cold somewhere, I won’t be able to go for walks for the next couple of days. So let's at least take a virtual walk along Moscow boulevards.

Photo of 1937 by I. Tuvin from the Velichko archive. Strastnoy Boulevard.
The inscription on the postcard - "Passage of Petrovsky Boulevard" - is erroneous.

In the old days, in place of the strip of boulevards there was a wall of the White City - the third (after the Kremlin and China) defensive belt of Moscow.

Unfortunately, in those “terrible” times, “there was fish in the Kama,” but, alas, there were no photographs. Therefore, we can imagine what the wall of the White City looked like only from reconstructions

Panorama of the wall of the White City from the north along the valley of the Neglinka River in the 17th century. M.P. Kudryavtsev.

And according to the preserved foundations (for example, in the excavation site on Khokhlovskaya Square).


Photo 2007 hitrovka .

The wall was built in the 16th century under Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich by the remarkable Russian architect Fyodor Kon. Over the years, the wall gradually began to collapse, enterprising Muscovites began to take it away brick and stone for their personal household needs, and began to plant vegetable gardens on the ramparts. And under Mother Catherine, the decision was made to dismantle it (this is where the roots of our destruction are). And in its place it was ordered to lay out the boulevards in the manner of Parisian ones. The boulevards were destroyed and planted with stunted birch trees. Muscovites called them “gulvars” from the word “to walk”.
All these boulevards burned down in the Fire of 1812. The second birth of the boulevards happened in the late 1810s - early 1820s. In several stages, the boulevards were landscaped, planted with linden trees, and they became a favorite place for Muscovites to walk.
Moscow boulevards begin from Gogolevsky (formerly Prechistensky). And they end with Yauzsky. By the way, before the revolution, even the numbering of houses on the boulevards was uniform (without division into separate boulevards).

Gogolevsky (formerly Prechistensky) Boulevard

Photo from the 1930s. Previously, on the site of the ground pavilion of the metro station there was the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit at the Prechistensky Gate.

Photo from 1882 from Naydenov’s albums.

Photo 1959 Carl Mydans from the Life archive.

Photo from 1910 Monument to N.V. Gogol on Gogolevsky (until 1909 - Prechistensky) Boulevard (sk. N.A. Andreev). In 1952 it was replaced with a monument by the sculptor Tomsky. And the old one (the so-called “little Gogol” - a favorite place to drink port wine in the 70-80s) was installed in 1956 in the courtyard of house No. 7 on Nikitsky Boulevard.

Nikitsky Boulevard

Photo 1948

Photo from the early 1970s. Kokoshin's House (6) or "Nightingale House". Recently demolished. Now in its place is a pit...

Photo 1932/2009 The author of the modern photograph and collage is A. Sorokin.

Photo from the 1920s. House at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard near Nikitsky Gate (formerly Stasovskaya hotel).

By decree of Emperor Paul I in 1800, hotels were to be built at all former gates of the White City (in the toponymy of Moscow, long-defunct gates have been preserved to this day). This was carried out in the next two years according to the standard project of Arch. Stasov. Some of these hotels have survived to this day (mostly in a heavily rebuilt form), and some were demolished in the 20th century, such as both hotels at the Nikitsky Gate. The hotel at the Pokrovsky Gate has been preserved in its most authentic form (at the same time, both hotels have been preserved there - in the only place on the boulevards).

Tverskoy Boulevard

The oldest and most famous boulevard in Moscow. You can find out more about it in the community tver_bul .

Photo from the late 1960s. Monument to Timiryazev (or “pissing boy Timirzyaev”) on the site of a demolished hotel.

Photo from the 1920s.

Photo 1947

Photo from the 1910s. High school students on the "sausage".

Photo 1913

Photo from the 1900s. "Pampush on Tverbul" and Strastnoy Monastery. In 1950, the monument to Pushkin was moved to the opposite side of Tverskaya, to where the bell tower is visible in the photo.

Photo from the 1930s.
In the foreground you can see the old fence of the boulevards - with a slanting latticework. In 1947, for the 800th anniversary of Moscow, the boulevards were refurbished once again. New fences appeared (fences according to this project are still on Moscow boulevards today). The last old fence, moved from Pokrovsky Boulevard, remained in place until the early 1990s. at the end of Podkolokolny Lane. It enclosed a public garden next to Karzinkin-Teleshov’s house (now the summer garden of the Dacha restaurant).

Strastnoy Boulevard

The widest boulevard of the Boulevard Ring.
The concept of the Boulevard Ring appeared already in Soviet times. As we know, Moscow boulevards are a semi-ring, its ends abutting (well, almost abutting) into the Moscow River. The ring appeared in connection with the General Plan of Moscow in 1935, when it was decided to close the boulevards through Zamoskvorechye (the “false jaw” of New Arbat takes its roots from here). The beginning of these senseless works can be seen at the exit from the M. Ustinsky Bridge - in the Sadovnichesky project. These are just the first steps of this, fortunately, unrealized project.

Photo 1975 M. Alexandrova.

Newsreel frame from 1957. Strastnoy Boulevard at Petrovsky Gate. Behind the trees you can see the building of the Gagarins' estate - the English Club (until 1812) - the New Catherine Hospital.

Petrovsky Boulevard

You can read more about Petrovsky and Rozhdestvensky boulevards in neglinka_msk .

Photo from 1905. Tryndin's house at the Petrovsky Gate, at the end of Petrovsky Boulevard (one of the surviving former Stasovsky hotels).

Photo from the 1900s.

Photo from the early 1910s. View from Rozhdestvensky Boulevard to Trubnaya Square and Petrovsky Boulevard. From the Velichko archive.

Rozhdestvensky Boulevard

Photo from the mid-1990s. I. Yanova.

Photo from the 1980s.

Photo from the middle of the 20th century.

Photo from the 1990s. D. Borko ( borko ). The famous toilet on Rozhdestvensky Boulevard.

Now in its place, “city developers” are illegally building a “dung beetle” kebab shop:

Photo 2008 by A. Dedushkin.

And Rozhdestvensky Boulevard is one of the “drunk” boulevards in Moscow. But still not the same as Yauzsky.

Photo 2009 by A. Mozhaeva ( mozhav ).

Photo 2009 by A. Mozhaeva ( mozhav ). Rozhdestvensky Boulevard at night.

Sretensky Boulevard

Photo from the beginning of the 20th century. House of the Rossiya insurance company on Sretensky Boulevard.

Photo 1975 V. Tsarina. Sretensky Boulevard. Kostyansky lane.

Photo from the late 1930s. Album "Old Moscow in photographs" ("Moscow that does not exist").
View from the Myasnitskie Gate to Sretensky Boulevard. On the right is the demolished (along with the entire block) building of the Turgenev Reading Room, located on the current vacant lot called Turgenevskaya Square.

Chistoprudny Boulevard

Photo 1959 by Ray Degroote, Wolfgang Schreiner and Jim Northcutt.© Aare Olander.
Tram on Chistoprudny Boulevard near the station. m. "Kirovskaya" ("Chistye Prudy").

Photo from the late 1930s.

Photo from the late 1880s. from Naydenov's albums.

Photo from the 1900s.

Why is there only one pond at Chistye Prudy? The thing is that in the old days there were two ponds and they were located on the inside of the wall of the White City. Then they were filled in, the place was gradually built up, a new pond was dug on the boulevard itself in the 20s. 19th century. But the name in the plural has been preserved.

Photo from the 1910s. Wooden pavilion built for the panorama of Franz Roubaud “The Battle of Borodino” for the centenary of the battle. It existed until 1918. This is where the old ponds were.

Photo 1938 by V. Oleynik.

Pokrovsky Boulevard

You can read more about Pokrovsky and Yauzsky boulevards in ivanovska_gorka .

Photo from the middle of the 20th century. Khokhlovskaya Square. View of Pokrovsky Boulevard.

Pokrovsky Boulevard is the youngest boulevard in Moscow. Until 1954, its part up to Kazarmenny Lane was a narrow alley and a large parade ground in front of the Pokrovsky barracks. And until 1891 there was no greenery here at all, and the entire space between the passages was occupied by the vast parade ground of the Pokrovsky barracks. In 1891, the parade ground was reduced, surrounded by a fence, and a narrow alley was built on the right, up to Kazarmenny Lane. Her traces are two parallel rows of poplars on the right side of the boulevard. In 1954, the parade ground was abolished, the alley was turned into a boulevard of normal width, and a passage for transport was opened along the barracks.

Photo from the 1910s. Pavlova. Pokrovsky barracks and Pokrovsky parade ground.

Photo from the late 1920s - early 1930s. Internal passage towards the Pokrovsky Gate.

Photo from the 1870s. Behind the nearby houses is Pokrovsky Parade Ground (future Pokrovsky Boulevard) and Khokhlovskaya Square. The storage sheds that were located on the site of the Olovyanishnikov income house (corner of Khokhlovsky Lane) are clearly visible. On the left - c. Trinity in Khokhly, above the storehouses is the Church of Peter and Paul (built in 1862), on the right rises the c. Dormition on Pokrovka.

Photo from the 1950s.

Photo from 1900. Practical Academy on Pokrovsky Boulevard.

Photo from the 1980s.

And traditionally, Yauzsky Boulevard is the most “drunk” boulevard in Moscow:

“It happens at night on Yauzsky Boulevard.” Photo by S. Fridlyand. 1928 "Ogonyok" No. 33, August 12, 1928
So, despite the holidays, there is no need to get drunk! Especially considering the current frosts!

Photo from the 1980s. N.N. Rakhmanova.

Photo from the 1970s. Yauz Gate Square.

So we walked with you all the Moscow boulevards.

As an epilogue:
Boulevard Ring (19.5 hectares) - Gogolevsky, Nikitsky (Suvorovsky), Tverskoy, Strastnoy, Petrovsky, Rozhdestvensky, Sretensky, Chistoprudny, Pokrovsky, Yauzsky boulevards - an object of cultural heritage.
"Citizens of the Russian Federation are guaranteed the safety of cultural heritage sites in the interests of present and future generations of the multinational people of the Russian Federation in accordance with this Federal Law." - Clause 1 of Article 7 of the Federal Law of June 25, 2002 N 73-FZ “On objects of cultural heritage (historical and cultural monuments) of the peoples of the Russian Federation.”
“Objects of cultural heritage are subject to state protection in order to prevent their damage, destruction or destruction, changes in appearance and interior, violation of the established procedure for their use, movement and prevention of other actions that could cause harm to objects of cultural heritage, as well as for the purpose of protecting them from adverse effects environment and from other negative impacts." - Clause 1 of Article 33 of the Federal Law of June 25, 2002 N 73-FZ “On objects of cultural heritage (historical and cultural monuments) of the peoples of the Russian Federation.”

The Moscow Boulevard Ring is the longest pedestrian zone in the capital. It is a continuous sequence of squares and boulevards stretching over a distance of about nine kilometers. True, it can be a stretch to call it a ring, since in fact its shape is more like a horseshoe and is interrupted at the Prechistensky Gate squares in the southwest and the Yauzsky Gate in the southeast.

The boulevard ring stretches along the line of the fortress wall of old Moscow - the White City. The Belgorod wall was built back in the 16th century, and the city inside it was named White based on the color of its walls. Gates were made at the intersection of city streets with the walls of the fortress, and each gate was named after the names of the streets adjacent to them: Nikitsky, Sretensky, Petrovsky, etc.

At the end of the 18th century, the territory of the city expanded, went beyond the Belgorod Wall and, by decree of Catherine II, the wall was dismantled, and boulevards began to be laid out in its place. Tverskoy Boulevard was the first to be built; it appeared in 1796. Today, the Boulevard Ring includes Gogolevsky, Nikitsky, Tverskoy, Strastnoy, Petrovsky, Rozhdestvensky, Sretensky, Chistoprudny, Pokrovsky and Yauzky boulevards. And now only the names of the squares located in their place remind us of the fortress gates and towers. In 1978, the Boulevard Ring was given the status of a monument of landscape art.

You can start a walk along the Boulevard Ring anywhere; there are several central metro stations near the ring, and public transport runs along the ring. This review will describe the route of a walk through the entire Boulevard Ring from Gogolevsky to Yauzsky Boulevard, clockwise. The numbering of houses along the entire Boulevard Ring also goes clockwise when looking at the map. The Boulevard Ring is also a cycling zone, with Velobike bike rental points quite common along its entire length.

The boulevard ring begins from Prechistenskie Vorota Square (formerly Kropotkinskaya Square). There is a monument to Friedrich Engels on the square; from the Gogolevsky Boulevard, the western lobby of the Kropotkinskaya metro station overlooks the square.

From the Prechistensky Gate, the streets Prechistenka, Ostozhenka, Simonovsky Proezd, Volkhonka and Gogolevsky Boulevard diverge in different directions. From here you can see the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and behind it, just 350 meters away, is the bed of the Moscow River, but the river is not visible from the square.

Gogolevsky Boulevard stretches north from the Prechistensky Gate to the Arbatsky Gate, its length is about a kilometer and its width is 36 meters. It was broken up after 1812. Previously, the boulevard was called Prechistensky, but in 1924, during the celebrations of the 115th anniversary of the great Russian writer N.V. Gogol, it was renamed Gogolevsky. Gogolevsky Boulevard is rightfully considered the most beautiful in the Boulevard Ring; in addition, it ranks second in length among all Moscow boulevards. The boulevard and its passages are on three different levels: the outer passage (relative to the ring) is on the lower level, the internal passage is on the upper level, and the boulevard itself is at the middle height between the passages.

In the central part of the boulevard - opposite the Sivtsev-Vrazhek lane - there is a monument to M.A. Sholokhov, and at the end, near Arbat Square - a monument to N.V. Gogol. Gogolevsky Boulevard often appeared in Soviet films, for example, scenes from the films “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears” and “Pokrovsky Gate” were filmed here.

It’s nice to walk along the boulevard; here, under the crowns of tall trees, there is a wide dirt road, benches are installed, flower beds are laid out, and there is a children’s playground. In the part of the boulevard that is closer to the Kropotkinskaya metro station, exhibitions of artists are often held.

There are many notable buildings on Gogolevsky Boulevard, for example, the Sekretarev city estate (house 5), the Bocharov apartment building (21), the Zamyatin-Lvov-Tretyakov estate (house 6); the Naryshkin estate (building 10), the Vasilchikov estate and the Chess Federation of the Russian Federation (building 14).

The second square of the boulevard ring is Arbat Gate Square (previously it was part of Arbat Square). It is located at the intersection of New Arbat, Arbat, Povarskaya Street and Nikitsky Boulevard. Here is the famous restaurant "Prague", the cinema "Khudozhestvenny", the lobby of the metro station "Arbatskaya", the church-chapel of Boris and Gleb.

The second boulevard - Nikitsky - is located between the Arbat Gate and Nikitskie Gate squares. From 1950 to 1993, the boulevard was called Suvorovsky in honor of the great Russian commander A. Suvorov, who lived very close - on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street. The boulevard was laid out in the early 1820s. It is inferior in length to Gogolevsky, its length is only half a kilometer and its width is 19 meters.

Along the entire length of the boulevard there is a paving stone path, benches are installed, flower beds are laid out, tall trees grow, some of them are more than 150 years old. Chestnut trees bloom here in spring. Among the attractions of Nikitsky Boulevard one can mention the “House of Polar Explorers” (house 7 where many legendary discoverers of the Arctic lived); House of N.V. Gogol Memorial Museum and Scientific Library (7A); Vlasov House (house 11, old estate); Church of Theodore the Studite at the Nikitsky Gate; the Lunin estate (house No. 12, building 3 - a classic mansion built according to the design of the famous D. Gilardi); Museum of Oriental Art (house No. 12 A).

The square separates Nikitsky and Tverskoy boulevards and is located at the intersection of Bolshaya and Malaya Nikitsky streets and the Boulevard Ring. Here is the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, in which in 1831 Alexander Pushkin married Natalya Goncharova (Bolshaya Nikitskaya, 36); theater "At the Nikitsky Gate"; the famous ITAR-TASS building. From the west (between Bolshaya and Malaya Nikitskaya streets) the square is adjacent to a small square with a rotunda fountain “Natalia and Alexander”, also dedicated to A. Pushkin and N. Goncharova.

Tverskoy Boulevard is the third and oldest in the Boulevard Ring. It stretches between Nikitsky Gate Square and Pushkin Square for 875 meters, the width of the boulevard is about 50 meters. At the beginning of the boulevard, at the Nikitsky Gate, there is a monument to K. A. Timiryazev, erected in 1923. Previously, there was a residential building on this site; it burned down during armed clashes between Bolsheviks and Junkers in 1917. There is also a functioning public toilet here.

In the central part of the boulevard, opposite house 19, there is a monument to S.A. Yesenin. Around the monument there are flower beds with figures of Pegasus and birds of paradise, and carved bronze benches are installed behind the monument to the poet. There is a dirt road and paved paths along the boulevard; along the main alley there are benches, lanterns, and many flower beds. Opposite house number 14 there is a very old oak tree, its age exceeds 200 years. The oak is called "Pushkinsky" and is fenced with a forged chain.

There are three theaters on Tverskoy Boulevard: the Moscow Drama Theater named after A. S. Pushkin (building 23), the Moscow Academic Art Theater named after M. Gorky (building No. 22), and the Aparte Theater (building No. 8). The Moscow Museum of Modern Art is located in house no.

Photo exhibitions are often held on the boulevard, closer to Pushkinskaya Square. There are two playgrounds here, one is located next to the Timiryazev monument, the other is in the middle of the boulevard.

Closer to Pushkinskaya Square there are many restaurants: McDonald's (Bolshaya Bronnaya, 29), Cheburechnaya USSR (Bolshaya Bronnaya Street, 27/4), restaurant "Pushkin" (Tverskoy Boulevard, 29), restaurant "Armenia" (Tverskoy Boulevard, 28).

Tverskoy Boulevard ends at Tverskaya Street, and here, before crossing Tverskaya Street and going to Pushkinskaya Square, it is worth turning into Novopushkinsky Square. It is located between the boulevard and the McDonald's building; you just need to cross the outer passage of Tverskoy Boulevard (on the odd side) via the ground crossing. In the center of the park, surrounded by flower beds, there is a Novopushkinsky fountain. There are benches and lanterns installed around it, lawns are laid out and tall trees grow. Holidays and festivals are regularly held here; in the summer, hammocks are hung in the park; in winter, trees are decorated and a New Year tree is erected.

Pushkinskaya Square (formerly Strastnaya and Tverskaya Gate Square) separates Tverskaya and Strastnoy Boulevards at their intersection with Tverskaya Street. A park was laid out on the square in 1950; now the Pushkin Fountain and the Monument to A.S. are installed here. Pushkin. The fountain is surrounded by flower beds and a lawn, benches and lanterns are installed around it, and the area is covered with paving stones. Quite a pleasant place, people make appointments here and spend time at the fountain, and from here you can start a walk along the Boulevard Ring.

On Pushkinskaya Square there are also: the building of the Izvestia newspaper (Pushkinskaya Square, 3); exits of the Pushkinskaya, Chekhovskaya and Tverskaya metro stations; theater "Russia" Shopping and business center "Gallery Actor" (Tverskaya street, 16).

Let's continue our walk along the Boulevard Ring. From Pushkinskaya Square we walk further forward, past the Rossiya Theater, and move onto the fourth boulevard in the ring - Strastnoy. It stretches between Pushkinskaya Square and Petrovsky Gate Square for 550 meters. The width of the boulevard is 123 meters, it is the widest in the Boulevard Ring. There are several alleys covered with paving stones along the boulevard, there are benches and lanterns, and there is a children's playground.

There are three monuments on the boulevard: the monument to A. T. Tvardovsky - located at the beginning of the boulevard, near Naryshkinsky passage; monument to S.V. Rachmaninov - located in the central part of the boulevard; and at the end of the boulevard there is a monument to Vladimir Vysotsky. Previously, Strastnoy Boulevard was a narrow alley, but in 1872, local landowner E. A. Naryshkina, at her own expense, turned the square into a boulevard, which was later called the Naryshkinsky Garden or Square for a long time.

Formally, this square separates Strastnoy and Petrovsky boulevards. It is located at the intersection of the Boulevard Ring and Petrovka Street. Here you can cross Petrovka Street along the ground crossing and go to Petrovsky Boulevard.

The fifth boulevard - Petrovsky - stretches from Petrovsky Gate Square to Trubnaya Square for 450 meters. The boulevard is fenced with a beautiful cast-iron lattice, and the exit from it to Trubnaya Square is decorated with two granite pedestals with cast-iron flowerpots. The width of the boulevard is just over 20 meters, so there is only one dirt path.

Along the path there are benches, flower beds, and tall old linden trees. Petrovsky Boulevard is not remarkable for anything special, there are no monuments or fountains, but it has its own charm. The boulevard is very short, and if we don’t stop here to sit under the old linden trees and take a break, then pretty quickly we reach the end of the boulevard and end up on Trubnaya Square.