The Boulevard Ring - a landscape landmark of Moscow - arose at the end of the 18th century on the site of the Belgorod wall, a defensive fortification, which was abolished and dismantled as unnecessary. The towers of the wall were also destroyed, and in their place squares were formed, the names of which recall their past destination. The names mention the gate: Pokrovsky Gate, Arbat Gate, Nikitsky Gate, etc.
How many boulevards in the Boulevard Ring?
In total, ten boulevards were formed, which were arranged one after another in the shape of a horseshoe, surrounding the center of Moscow. The ends of the “horseshoe” abut against the embankments of the Moscow River, forming directly the Boulevard Ring. The map of Moscow contains full information about all the boulevards along with the squares. Unlike the Garden Ring, the Boulevard has a more compact outline.
Boulevard Ring (Moscow, as you know, long built) in its current form did not appear immediately. The first boulevard, Tverskaya, was laid in 1796 by the architect S. Karin, and then nine other boulevard avenues spread out on both sides of Tverskaya Boulevard. Finally, the Moscow Boulevard Ring was formed in the first half of the 19th century.
It originates from Soymonovsky passage on Prechistenka and continues from Prechistenskie Vorota Square to Arbat Square. This site is called Gogolevsky Boulevard. Arbat Square passes into the Arbat Gate Square. From the Arbat Gate begins Nikitsky Boulevard, which rests on the Nikitsky Gate Square . At this point, the Boulevard Ring intersects with Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street overlooking Manezhnaya Square.
After the Nikitsky Gate, the ring continues to Tversky Boulevard, which abuts Pushkin Square. Strastnoy Boulevard departs from A.S. Pushkin Square ; its end is Petrovskie Vorota Square, which crosses the famous Moscow Petrovka Street. After Petrovsky Gates, Boulevard Ring continues to Petrovsky Boulevard, which extends to Trubnaya Square.
Further, Rozhdestvensky Boulevard departs from Trubnaya Square , connecting it with Sretensky Gates Square, which is the beginning of Sretensky Boulevard. Streets from Bolshaya Lubyanka and Sretenka depart from the square.
Sretensky Boulevard ends with Turgenev Square, connecting Myasnitskaya Street and Academician Sakharov Avenue. At the end of Sretensky Boulevard there is Myasnitsky Gates Square, from which Chistoprudny Boulevard originates, passing into Pokrovsky Gates Square. The next square, Khokhlovskaya, is the place where Pokrovsky Boulevard begins, which immediately goes into Yauzsky Boulevard.
Yauzsky Boulevard ends with the Yauzskie Vorota Square , from which the Ustinsky Passage, the last link of the Moscow Boulevard Ring, departs.
Boulevards and their differences
Some of the 10 boulevard rings have their own distinguishing features. Gogolevsky Boulevard runs on three levels. The internal highway runs along the upper level, the average along the middle tier, and the external passage passes along the lowest line. The boulevard received such stepping due to the different height of the banks of the Chertora stream, which once flowed on the site of the Gogolevsky Boulevard.
The "youngest" boulevard of all is Pokrovsky, for a long time Pokrovsky barracks and a huge parade ground with them interfered with its formation. The parade ground was demolished in 1954, and only after that the alley was turned into a full-fledged boulevard.
The shortest boulevard is Sretensky, its length is only 214 meters, and the longest is Tversky Boulevard, 857 meters. Record width - 123 meters - different Strastnoy Boulevard.
Monuments
The Boulevard Ring is famous for its monuments:
- A.S. Pushkin on Pushkin Square.
- Vladimir Vysotsky and Sergei Rachmaninov on Strastnoy Boulevard.
- N.V. Gogol and Mikhail Sholokhov on Gogolevsky Boulevard.
- A.S. Griboedov on Chistoprudny Boulevard.
- On Tversky Boulevard Sergei Yesenin and K.A. Timiryazev.
- At the exit from Sretensky Boulevard, a monument to V. G. Shukhov was erected.
Metro stations
The following metro stations are located around the perimeter of the Moscow Boulevard Ring:
- Kropotkinskaya station (Sokolnicheskaya line);
- Arbatskaya station (Filevskaya line);
- Pushkinskaya station (Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line);
- Tverskaya station (Zamoskvoretskaya line);
- Chekhovskaya station (Serpukhov-Timiryazevskaya line);
- Trubnaya station (Lublin-Dmitrov line);
- Turgenevskaya station (Kaluga-Riga line);
- station "Sretensky boulevard" (Lublin-Dmitrov line);
- Chistye Prudy station (Sokolnicheskaya line).
Konka and tram
There was no transport on the Boulevard Ring, Muscovites managed the cabs. However, in 1887, horse-drawn carriages appeared on the boulevards. Konka worked until 1911, then a tram was launched along the Boulevard Ring. The route was considered a ring, although the cars went only to the embankment of the Moscow River in both directions.
In 1947, the Boulevard Ring was partially restored to the 800th anniversary of Moscow. The outdated benches in the squares were replaced with new, modern ones. Completely replaced the mesh fence, by then already rusted. Instead, cast iron barriers were installed. Since 2011, the Boulevard Ring has become a favorite place for all kinds of protest rallies and demonstrations.