Moscow is an incredibly interesting city, and every traveler will find something to their taste here: entertainment, museums, attractions. Old Arbat is one of the main places that every tourist should see in the capital of Russia. The spirit of old Moscow is still preserved here , and in addition, there is a special, bohemian atmosphere that creates the charm of this area.
History
Moscow is an ancient, diverse and very large city. Tourists always want to find a place where there would be a lot of interesting and numerous attractions. Old Arbat, whose history dates back to at least the 15th century, allows you to see several historical eras, feel the spirit of old Moscow, and at the same time buy souvenirs and even eat. This is probably why most travelers after Red Square most often flock to Arbat.
The first mention of the area was found in the annals of 1493, it described a terrible fire from a candle not extinguished in the church. Until the 18th century, the word "Arbat" was used to mean a district that included the surrounding streets right up to Vozdvizhenka, and only later it became the name of a separate street. A road to Smolensk once ran along it. But already at the end of the 18th century, Arbat became a prestigious place to live, the local noble settled here, new buildings were being erected.
After the fire of 1812, a new life begins for the street, all wooden buildings disappeared from it, and empty spaces begin to be built up with new houses. At the end of the 19th century, the final appearance of the Arbat was formed. Unfortunately, construction in Soviet times dealt a blow to the Arbat streets and alleys.
But Old Arbat as a whole survived; in 1974, it was freed from transport, but historical pavers also disappeared. In 1986, the street was again paved with stone, and lanterns "antique" were installed. Today, Arbat is a place that all foreign tourists must visit, it is for them that daily merchants and souvenirs and artifacts line up here. But, despite all the alterations, the street still retains the spirit of old Moscow, so there is something to see here.
Walk on Arbat
There are several walking areas in Moscow, and one of the most popular streets is Old Arbat. Sights, a walk through which can be a real encyclopedia of metropolitan life, keep the memory of many famous people and events. In addition, a trip to the Arbat is an immersion in a special atmosphere. Street artists, artists and musicians, the theater. E. Vakhtangova, the House of the actor - all this creates a special mood, the spirit of creativity. Walking along the Arbat, you can meet many interesting people, buy traditional Russian souvenirs and, of course, see the traditional Moscow architecture.
Arbat Square
What is the best way to see the sights? Old Arbat awaits us ahead. But you need to start the walk from Arbat Square, which since the 18th century has been called the Arbat Gate and is a kind of starting point for exploring the entire area. The square offers beautiful views of 4 important streets: Novy Arbat, Gogolevsky Boulevard, Vozdvizhenka and Stary Arbat. It’s worth going around the square to see the Khudozhestvenny cinema, the famous house with the inscription “Nowhere except in Mosselprom” - a masterpiece of Moscow constructivism, the temple of Boris and Gleb.
Cinema "Artistic"
Before you begin to explore the sights (Old Arbat holds many secrets), it is worthwhile to linger for a while at the Khudozhestvenny cinema. This is not only a temple of cinema, but also a monument of architecture, and a significant historical place. The building acquired its modern look in 1910-1912, when it was rebuilt by the architect F. Schechtel. This was the first building that was specifically conceived as a movie theater. It was in it that the first premieres of Russian cinema took place, here a sound film was shown for the first time. At the beginning of the 20th century, “Khudozhestvenny” was the gathering place of Moscow intelligentsia, it is known that A. Bely, V. Bryusov, L. Tolstoy visited here.
Restaurant "Prague"
To start a walk along the Arbat stands from the first attraction (Old Arbat, 2/1) - the Prague restaurant. The building appeared in the 18th century, then the apartment building was located here. Later it was rebuilt several times, and its current appearance takes on the house in 1914-1915, when it was completely remodeled by architect A. Erichson. The restaurant was first opened here in 1896, it got its famous name from the tavern, which was once here. The owner of the restaurant, the merchant Tararykin, did everything to make his restaurant one of the most fashionable places in Moscow. And today “Prague” continues to work, here you can taste many delicious dishes, one of the most famous of which is the cake of the same name.
Arbatskaya metro station
Two entrances to the Arbatskaya metro station deserve special attention - the Arbat-Pokrovskaya and Filevskaya lines. Both stations are cultural monuments of federal significance. At the Filevskaya line station, you must definitely see the ground pavilion. It was created by the architect L. S. Teplitsky and in plan has the shape of a five-pointed star. The ground lobby is a real symbol of the Moscow metro. At the station of the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line, the most remarkable place is the station hall. A spectacular, grandiose building with a length of 220 meters (this is the second longest metro station), decorated in the style of Moscow Baroque, is striking in its splendor and elegance.
Residential buildings Arbat
The main attractions of the Old Arbat are the buildings of the second half of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. Street is a real guide to architectural styles. Here you can see houses in the traditional Classicism style, in the avant-garde Art Nouveau style, in the “Russian style”, non-barreled buildings, constructivist houses. But, in addition to architectural features, the houses are interesting for their inhabitants, because at different times A.S. Pushkin, B. Okudzhava, A. Rybakov, A.F. Losev, A. Bely and many other celebrities lived here. Almost every house is the subject of various legends and myths, so you can study the history of each house.
Theater named after E. Vakhtangova
Old Arbat (sights), a photo of which can be found in the album of every tourist who has visited Moscow, is known not only for its long history, but also for its special, creative atmosphere. The theater, located in house number 26, contributes to this a lot. The building was built in the middle of the 19th century, after the revolution it was nationalized and transferred to the theater studio of E. Vakhtangov. Many famous Russian actors played here, prominent directors created, and today the theater is a place of attraction for creative intelligentsia and youth.
Wall of Viktor Tsoi
In 1990, the sights of Arbat were enriched by the appearance of a new, spontaneous memorial in honor of the deceased rock musician Viktor Tsoi. Anyone can leave an inscription on the wall. There are portraits, including those that have already become famous. Several times the vandals tried to destroy the wall, but each time it was reborn by the forces of the musician's fans.
Monuments of Arbat
In addition to buildings, Arbat, of course, is interesting for its monuments. On both sides of Arbat Square there are two monuments to the great Russian writer - N.V. Gogol. You can compare the visions of the sculptors Andreev and Tomsky and decide which Gogol is closer to you. At the intersection of Arbat and Plotnikov Lane there is another monument - a monument to the writer, poet, singer Bulat Okudzhava. The sculpture of G. Frangulyan often becomes a place for photographing tourists. Already almost a monument turned into a cow, which stands near the cafe “Mu-mu”, visitors to the Arbat also consider it their duty to take pictures.
The apartment of the poet A. S. Pushkin
Of the several historic houses, especially the Old Arbat in Moscow, whose sights are famous all over the world, is proud of the memorial apartment of the great Russian poet A.S. Pushkin. House number 53 is one of the oldest buildings in the Arbat. Here, in 1831, the poet lived for several months, it was here that he brought his young wife N. Goncharov after the wedding and, according to him, spent the best time of his life here. True, he was not written at all here. Today, the apartment contains objects of the Pushkin era, reconstructed the environment in which the poet lived. Today the whole house is given over to a museum where you can not only remember Pushkin, but also learn a lot of interesting things about the history of Moscow.