Boulevard Ring. Boulevard Ring Walking tour along Taganka

And only centuries later, when traffic in the city became more intense, the walls were demolished and boulevards - streets with alleys - were laid out in their place. Later they were equipped with benches for relaxation and illuminated with lanterns. And now the boulevards perform the same functions as they did centuries ago, however, due to the constant increase in the number of cars on the streets of Moscow, it was decided to make Sretensky Boulevard passable. Yet, despite this, the Boulevard Ring remains the favorite walking route of Muscovites and guests of the capital.

But let’s look a little at the history of this famous walking route. The famous “Boulevard Ring” is formed by ten boulevards and is shaped more like a horseshoe, resting on the embankments of the Moscow River. Its history dates back to the middle of the 16th century, when, to protect Bolshoy Posad, which had long gone beyond the borders of Kitai-Gorod, an earthen rampart was poured, on which, by order of the son of Ivan the Terrible, Fyodor Ioannovich, in 1585 the construction of a fortress wall, called White City.

They say that you can get an idea of what the wall of the White City looked like from the Smolensk fortress wall, which was built after the Belgorod wall under the leadership of the same architect. The total length of the walls of the White City was 10 kilometers, height - 10 meters and width 4-6 meters.

By the beginning of the 18th century, the wall lost its fortification significance and began to be dismantled into bricks. The dismantling of the walls was supervised by the Stone Order. Under Catherine II, a decision was made to completely demolish the wall and towers of the White City. Trees and shrubs were planted in their place.

Despite the demolition of the walls, the gates with towers still stood for some time. They were named exactly like most modern boulevards. The boulevards themselves and adjacent alleys were named after gates and towers: Yauzskie, Pokrovskie, Frolovskie (Myasnitskie), Sretenskie, Dmitrovskie, Petrovskie, Tverskie, Nikitskie, Arbatskie, Chertolskie (Prechistenskie), Vsekhsvyatskie (Vodyanye). After the gates were demolished, squares were formed. The last to be demolished, in 1792, were the Arbat Gates.

The names of Moscow squares preserved the memory of the destroyed gate towers: Prechistenskie Gate Square, Arbat Gate Square, Nikitskie Gate Square, Sretenskie Gate Square, Myasnitskie Gate Square, Pokrovskie Gate Square, Yauzskie Gate Square. The current Pushkin Square has long been called Tverskaya Gate Square. Belgorodsky passage should also be included here.

Despite its name, the Boulevard Ring is not closed; it is limited on the south by the Moscow River. Most long boulevard- Tverskaya (857 m). The shortest is Sretensky (214 m). The widest is Strastnoy (123 m).

Traditionally, a walk along the Boulevard Ring begins on Gogolevsky Boulevard, next to the Kropotkinskaya metro station and Kropotkinskaya Square, where the Chertolsky Gate of the White City once stood, since 1658 renamed Prechistensky, after the name of the street leading to the icon of the Most Pure Mother of God in Novodevichy Convent. Until 1924, the boulevard was called Prechistensky, but was renamed Gogolevsky during the celebrations of the 115th anniversary of the great Russian writer. It ends at Arbat Square, one of the oldest squares in Moscow.

Walking further, we find ourselves on Nikitsky Boulevard; in 1950 it was briefly renamed Suvorovsky. Previously, there was a women's Nikitsky monastery here. The monastery was abolished in the mid-1920s, and the buildings were dismantled by 1933, only the body of the cells remained. In 1935, a metro electrical substation building was built on the site of the monastery.

Tverskoy Boulevard has always been a walking place for those who want to “show themselves and see others,” and it was better equipped than others. It consists of a main alley and a more shady side alley. At the end of the boulevard, from 1880 to 1950, there was a monument to Pushkin. Later it was moved to Pushkinskaya Square, crossing which we find ourselves on Strastnoy Boulevard, starting behind the building of the Rossiya cinema, opened in 1961.

The longest boulevard is Tverskoy (857 m). The shortest is Sretensky (214 m). The widest is Strastnoy (123 m)

From Strastnoy to Trubnaya Square there is Petrovsky Boulevard, which is 449 meters long. In the fire of 1812, many houses and trees on the boulevard burned down. In 1818 the boulevard was restored. In the 1880s, a horsecar line was laid along the boulevard, which was replaced by a tram in 1911. At the beginning of 1941, a trolleybus was launched. In 1947, the boulevard was fenced with a beautiful cast-iron lattice, and the entrance to it from Trubnaya Square was decorated with two granite pedestals with cast-iron flowerpots. In 1963, the tram line was removed from the boulevard.

Sretensky Boulevard, notable for the fact that along its outer side there is a preserved slope - the remnant of the fortress rampart. Named in the 1830s as starting from the square on the site of the Sretensky Gate of the White City. At the end of the boulevard there is the Turgenevskaya metro station and the Sretensky Boulevard station, opened in 2007.

Through the Myasnitskiye Gate Square the ring continues with the 822-meter Chistoprudny Boulevard, which can rightfully be called the most elegant. Framed by lamps and stone benches, the granite barrier of the Griboedov monument opens up the green alleys of the boulevard, the second in area after Tverskoy. At first, the ponds decorating the boulevard were called Nasty, as they stank of the waste of slaughtered cattle. But the favorite of Peter the Great, Prince Menshikov, who bought land nearby and cleaned the ponds, strictly forbade them to be polluted, after which they became Clean. The Cathedral of the Archangel Gabriel (Menshikov Tower) rises like a candle above the boulevard, also built by order of the all-powerful favorite Peter.

The youngest boulevard is Pokrovsky; The fact is that until 1891, on its stretch to Kazarmenny Lane there was a spacious parade ground for the Pokrovsky barracks. The parade ground was finally liquidated only in 1954, after which the alley was transformed into a full-fledged boulevard.

Yauzsky Boulevard is the most secluded and quiet. It is located away from noisy highways and neighborhoods. However, this area has always been quiet and comfortable.

In the 14th-15th centuries, the road to Kolomna and Ryazan passed through the Yauz Gate, to the north of it were the Grand Ducal Gardens, and to the southeast was Vasilievsky Meadow. Near the current boulevard in the 17th century there was a Streltsy settlement of Vorobin’s regiment (Nikolovorobinsky lanes), and below, near the Yauza, there was a settlement of serebryaniki (mint masters), immortalized in the name Serebryanichesky embankment. Here were the yards of merchants, officers, clerks and church clergy. On the other side of the fortress wall, inside the White City, the nobility settled - the Yusupovs, Eropkins, the outstanding Russian statesman F.A. Golovin and others. By the end of the 18th century, the courtyards of G. A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky and Princess Shcherbatova appeared here, displacing the lower classes to the outskirts of the city.

I start my walk from Novopushkinsky Square (the boulevard appeared in 1970, when the residential area between Tverskoy Boulevard and Bolshaya Bronnaya Street was demolished, forming the so-called Novopushkinsky Square) next to the Pushkinskaya metro station. By the way, despite its name “Boulevard Ring”, it is not closed. Near the fountain there is a stone that says: “Here will be installed memorial sign in honor of the winners of the Moscow City Hall Legend of the Century Award"

There are bicycle taxis near the metro that will take you anywhere in the city, although it is not known how much this trip will cost :)

Monument to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, where Muscovites make appointments

I have already seen such things in many places in Moscow. The meaning of the system is this: you take a bike in one place and return it at any other similar parking lot. Short trips they cost almost nothing. This is necessary for more convenient movement in the center. Instead of taking the metro one stop, you can ride a city bike, let's see what happens

Pushkin fountain. The fountain was built in 1950, since then it has traditionally become a place where dates and meetings are made

Here stood the Holy Virgin Monastery during the passionate miraculous icon of the Mother of God. Founded in 1654 - destroyed in 1937 In memory of the Passion Monastery and the 200th anniversary of the first Divine Liturgy for the liberation of Moscow from Napoleonic troops in 1812

It seems that this plate and poster were not there before

In the center of Strastnoy Boulevard there is a monument to Rachmaninov

at the address: Strastnoy Boulevard, 15/19 building 1, the restoration of the “Novo-Ekaterininskaya Hospital” is underway; the building, by the way, was built in 1775

At the end of Strastnoy Boulevard there is a monument to Vladimir Vysotsky. Authors: sculptor G. Raspopov, architect A. Klimochkin, 1995

On Petrovka Street we spotted the bell tower of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery

There are several temples, cathedrals and monasteries on the territory

Cathedral in the name of St. Peter Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' 1514-1517.

Temple in honor of the Bogolyubsk Icon of the Mother of God with the tomb of the Naryshkin boyars, 1680s.

Temple of St. Sergius of Radonezh (late 17th century)

The refectory church was built in 1690-94. in gratitude to St. Sergius for saving Peter I in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery from an assassination attempt by archers. It was built as a smaller copy of the refectory church of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. The temple was closed for worship in 1924. During the atheistic times, it was rebuilt and secular institutions were located in it. Worship services resumed in 1992

Fountain with swans and a small waterfall on the territory

Belfry

some churches are undergoing lengthy restoration

The place is very interesting, so if you are nearby, stop by, there is something to see

we pass by Trubnaya metro station

at the address: 15 Trubnaya street there is graffiti "Circus" painted by writer Alexey Medny

The Nativity Monastery is located on Rozhdestvensky Boulevard

On the slope of the boulevard as it exits onto Trubnaya Square, a cultural and entertainment center building is being built, which has received the unofficial name “dung beetle”. The history of the object began with the decision in 1996 by the city authorities to build a fountain and a one-story cafe with 75 seats on this site, with with total area 590 sq.m. The project and the initial permitting documentation were revised several times, as a result of which the area of the “cafe” increased to 770 and then to 2205 sq.m. In the spring of 2009, the inspection of the Moscow City Committee for cultural heritage conducted a construction inspection, during which it turned out that the area of the facility was one and a half times greater than permitted and amounted to 3388 square meters. m.

Rozhdestvensky Boulevard itself

This worship cross was installed with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' in the summer of 2012. from the Nativity of Christ in memory of the patroness of Moscow, the Venerable Euphrosyne - in the world the Grand Duchess of Moscow Evdokia Dmitrievna (1353-1407), by whose will in 1395. The miraculous icon of the Mother of God was transferred to Moscow

A monument to N.K. was erected on Sretensky Boulevard. Krupskaya. Sretensky Boulevard itself is closed, there are people walking there renovation work(although they have been going on for a very long time)

At the end of Sretensky Boulevard there is a monument to V.G. Shukhov

Bronze "Benches of Science" are installed around the monument to the outstanding Russian scientist and inventor, academician Vladimir Shukhov. Two of them are in the shape of a split log with a vice, hammers and other carpentry tools lying on them.

Boulevard Ring - the main city promenade, a continuous sequence of 10 boulevards and 13 squares surrounding historical Center cities. Being one of the traditional rings of Moscow, in reality the Boulevard Ring is not closed and has the shape of a horseshoe, starting and ending near the embankments of the Moskva River.

The total length of the Boulevard Ring is about 9 kilometers, and every meter of it is literally elevated to a cult: a walk along the boulevards, which are lined with cozy green squares, is considered high-quality cultural leisure for citizens and one of the mandatory points of the tourist program of guests of the capital. The urban environment boasts a quality historical setting with old mansions, tenement houses and churches, and the length of the route is ideal for a long walk. In addition, they often host exhibitions and city festivals, which makes the leisure time of citizens even more interesting.

History of the Boulevard Ring

The Boulevard Ring owes its origin to the Belgorod Wall, which surrounded Moscow's White City in the 16th-18th centuries. Initially, the fortress wall was built for protection and had important defensive significance, but at the end of the 18th century, when the city grew, it completely lost its relevance, and they decided to dismantle it.

In the 1770-1780s, the walls and towers of the White City were dismantled, and in their place boulevards were subsequently laid and squares were organized, many of which retained the names of the fortress gates in their names: Prechistenskie Gate Square, Nikitskie Gate, Petrovskie Gate and others. However, the Boulevard Ring was not formed immediately: the first boulevard - Tverskoy - was developed in 1796; the last was Pokrovsky Boulevard, part of which was occupied by the parade ground of the Pokrovsky barracks, which was finally liquidated only in 1954. In general, the ring of boulevards was formed after 1812.

In 1887, a horse-drawn horse was launched along the Boulevard Ring, and in 1911, an electric tram. The ring route ran along all the boulevards and ended at the Kremlin embankment, but has not survived to this day - tram traffic remains only on Chistoprudny, Pokrovsky and Yauzsky boulevards.

Interestingly, under Soviet rule, the Boulevard Ring almost became a physical ring: the General Plan for the Reconstruction of Moscow in 1935 assumed that it would be extended to Zamoskvorechye and closed, but later the plan was abandoned due to lack of necessity. In 1947, in honor of the 800th anniversary of Moscow, the boulevards were landscaped and reconstructed according to the design of the architect Vitaly Dolganov: instead of the old mesh fence, patterned cast-iron fences appeared, new benches were installed and more than 4 thousand trees and 13 thousand shrubs were planted.

Since 1978, the Boulevard Ring has been recognized as a monument landscape art.

Boulevards and squares of the Boulevard Ring

The Boulevard Ring includes 10 boulevards and 13 squares, most of which have public gardens (all boulevards and some squares).

Gogolevsky Boulevard has a length of about 750 meters and runs from Prechistenskie Gate Square to Arbat Gate Square. The boulevard is well landscaped and landscaped; along it there are a number of city estates and apartment buildings, as well as various administrative buildings, including a massive one.

Nikitsky Boulevard about 500 meters long, located between the Arbat Gate and Nikitskie Gate squares. The boulevard owes its name to the Nikitsky Gate of the Belgorod Wall.

Tverskoy Boulevard has a length of 875 meters and runs from Nikitsky Gate Square to . This is the oldest and longest of the boulevards of the Boulevard Ring and, probably, the most fashionable boulevard of the capital: since the time of Pushkin, who visited here several times, Tverskoy Boulevard has become favorite place for walks of townspeople - and these days city festivals often gather whole crowds of people there. In the past, buildings along Tverskoy Boulevard consisted of noble mansions in the classicist style; today you can see apartment buildings and a number of city estates, residential buildings of pre-revolutionary, Soviet and post-Soviet times, as well as various administrative and office buildings, including an unusual one near Nikitskie Square Gates.

Strastnoy Boulevard about 550 meters long runs from Pushkinskaya Square to Petrovskie Vorota Square. Although not the longest, it is the widest on the Boulevard Ring: the width of the boulevard reaches 123 meters. It got its name from the Strastnoy Monastery, which was demolished in 1938.

Petrovsky Boulevard has a length of 449 meters and runs from Petrovskie Vorota Square to Trubnaya Square. Along the boulevard, quality historical buildings, including apartment buildings and a number of city estates, as well as the building of the Hermitage restaurant by Lucien Olivier - the same one who invented the famous salad - and some remake.

Rozhdestvensky Boulevard about 400 meters long runs from Trubnaya Square to Sretenskie Vorota Square. The powerful wall of the Nativity Monastery overlooks the boulevard; historical buildings have also been preserved along it, including mainly apartment buildings and a number of mansions and city estates, slightly diluted with modern remodeling.

Sretensky Boulevard With a length of only 214 meters, it runs from Sretenskie Vorota Square to Turgenevskaya Square, this is the shortest boulevard of the ring. A significant part of the boulevard is occupied by a huge monument to Nadezhda Krupskaya, installed at its beginning. The development includes a number of residential and apartment buildings, as well as administrative buildings; facades overlook the boulevard and . It is curious that on the outer side of the boulevard the remains of the fortress rampart have been preserved.

Chistoprudny Boulevard 822 meters long runs from Myasnitskie Vorota Square to Pokrovskie Vorota Square. This is the largest in area and second in length (after Tverskoy) boulevard of the Boulevard Ring, and also the only one with a pond. In the summer, musicians play here and various exhibitions take place - and although it is not as fashionable as Tverskoy, Chistoprudny Boulevard has become one of the centers cultural life Moscow. In winter there is an ice skating rink on the pond. The all-season attractiveness of the boulevard and its recreational qualities - one might say, it is a whole small park - have made it an iconic place on the map of Moscow.

Pokrovsky Boulevard has a length of about 600 meters and is located between Khokhlovskaya Square and Yauzsky Boulevard. At the beginning of the boulevard there is an open fragment of the White City wall found during excavations; The surrounding buildings consist mainly of apartment buildings and a number of city estates; one of the most notable buildings is the building of the Pokrovsky barracks.

Yauzsky Boulevard about 400 meters long, located between Pokrovsky Boulevard and Yauzsky Gate Square - this is the last link of the Boulevard Ring. The development of the boulevard includes pre-revolutionary and Soviet residential buildings, as well as a number of apartment buildings and city estates.

If we take into account all the boulevards and squares that are usually classified as part of the Boulevard Ring (the squares are considered as part of the boulevards), then full list its components will look like this (clockwise):

1. Prechistenskie Gate Square;

2. Gogolevsky Boulevard;

3. Arbat Square;

4. Arbat Gate Square;

5. Nikitsky Boulevard;

6. Nikitsky Gate Square;

7. Tverskoy Boulevard;

8. Pushkinskaya Square;

9. Strastnoy Boulevard;

10. Petrovskie Vorota Square;

11. Petrovsky Boulevard;

12. Pipe area;

13. Rozhdestvensky Boulevard;

14. Sretenskie Vorota Square;

15. Sretensky Boulevard;

16. Turgenevskaya Square;

17. Myasnitskie Vorota Square;

18. Chistoprudny Boulevard;

19. Pokrovsky Gate Square;

20. Khokhlovskaya Square;

21. Pokrovsky Boulevard;

22. Yauzsky Boulevard;

23. Yauzskie Gate Square.

Also, Soimonovsky and Ustinsky passages, which complete the chain of boulevards and squares along the banks of the Moscow River, are sometimes considered to be part of the Boulevard Ring, however, strictly speaking, they do not belong to the Boulevard Ring.

Chistoprudny Boulevard:

Alexander Griboyedov;

Abai Kunanbaev.

Yauzsky Boulevard:

Rasul Gamzatov.

Among other things, a worship cross was installed on Rozhdestvensky Boulevard in memory of the patroness of Moscow, the Venerable Euphrosyne, in the world - the Grand Duchess of Moscow Evdokia Dmitrievna, and on Gogolevsky Boulevard - several small concrete sculptures depicting animals from Russian fairy tales.

In fact, the Boulevard Ring has not so much recreational as cultural significance for the city. Because of large quantity cars on both sides of each boulevard, busy intersections and even tunnels in the squares between them and other nuances that residents of the metropolis have to put up with, a walk along the modern Boulevard Ring may not appeal to everyone.

But, being one of the historical rings of Moscow, it still evokes special experiences and preserves the atmosphere of Moscow antiquity - and at least for this it is already worth loving.

The Boulevard Ring is ten Moscow boulevards created on the site of the fortress walls of the White City. The formation of the Boulevard Ring was completed at the end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th centuries, and currently these are wonderful recreation areas for Muscovites and guests of the capital.

The boulevard ring, stretching for 9 km, has the shape of a horseshoe and is more like a semi-circle, facing the Moscow River on both sides.

The first boulevard appeared in the center of Paris on the site of the destroyed fortifications built by King CharlesVand the word "boulevard", according to one version, comes from the Dutch bolewerk, which means "fortification".

According to another version, when an alley with trees and bushes appeared on the site of the fortifications in the center of Paris, along which Parisians walked, the new resting place began to be called “boules vertes,” that is, a green rampart or ball. Later, the same word began to be used to refer to many parks and coastlines decorated with green spaces.

And in Russia, the squares where the sophisticated public walked were called gulvars (from the word to walk).

The Boulevard Ring is sung by many poets and composers, and wonderful songs have been written about it. The most famous of them is “Chistye Prudy” performed by Igor Talkov, the words of which “One day you will pass the Boulevard Ring and in your memory we will probably meet” will not leave anyone indifferent.

From the history

By the end of the 16th century, the construction of the White City was completed - the third defensive belt of Moscow after the Kremlin and China City, which reliably protected the capital from enemy invasions.

At the same time, during the events of the Time of Troubles (late 16th - early 17th centuries), the fortress walls were badly damaged, and by the middle of the 18th century they completely lost their significance. The gates were no longer guarded and locked at night, and the bricks of the walls were slowly taken away by Moscow residents; they were also used to construct city buildings. In particular, one of the buildings erected using this stone is the City Hall building on Tverskaya.

In July 1774, it was decided to completely dismantle the walls of the White City and plant trees and shrubs in their place. The work was carried out under the leadership of the architect Pyotr Nikitich Kozhin, and the construction was supervised by the Governor-General of Moscow Mikhail Nikitich Volkonsky.

Thus, on the site of the fortress walls of the White City, the Boulevard Ring appeared - a chain of ten park areas - beloved by Muscovites and guests of the capital, starting with Gogolevsky and ending with Yauzsky Boulevard. Moreover, before the revolution, the numbering of houses on the Boulevard Ring was continuous.

Excursion along the boulevards of Moscow

It is best to start a walk along the Boulevard Ring from the Kropotkinskaya metro station.

Starts here Gogolevsky, formerly Prechistensky Boulevard, along which the writer loved to walk, here, in house No. 7, is the apartment where he lived until his death. Monument to N.V. Gogol, created by the sculptor Nikolai Andreev, was installed at the beginning of the 20th century, but in Soviet time it was replaced by a monumental figure of the writer, and the old sculpture was moved to the Gogol Museum on Nikitsky Boulevard.
One of the modern monuments - sculptural composition, depicting Mikhail Sholokhov sitting in a boat and swimming horses. It should be noted that the work of sculptor Iulian Rukavishnikov evokes mixed reviews from Muscovites and guests of the capital; the heads of the horses look especially strange when the fountain is not working.

We all remember Gogolevsky Boulevard from the film “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears”, here the main character Katya meets cameraman Rudolf twice, with a difference of 20 years
The next boulevard is Nikitsky, one of the attractions of which is the famous Lunin estate, which currently houses the Museum of Oriental Art. At the Nikitsky Gate, in the temple of St. Theodore the Studite, A.S. Pushkin married Natalya Goncharova, and in 1999, in honor of this event, a rotunda fountain was installed on the square
Next is the oldest and longest boulevard - Tverskaya, its length is 857 meters. Among its attractions are monuments to Sergei Yesenin and Timiryazev, as well as the Romanov House, built at the beginning of the 19th century, often called Romanovka. Initially, the building belonged to the merchant Golitsyn, who became famous for the fact that he built multi-colored lanterns on both sides of Tverskoy Boulevard with his own money. Later this building belonged to engineer-colonel Dmitry Ivanovich Romanov. IN late XIX centuries, the house contained furnished rooms, and the musical figure Semyon Kruglikov settled in one of them. Here he organized a private music salon, which was attended by Fyodor Chaliapin, Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov and Mikhail Vrubel, and also a private Russian opera, which included its conductor Sergei Mamontov.

The widest boulevard Passionate, its width is 123 meters. There are three monuments here - to Alexander Pushkin, Sergei Rachmaninov and Vladimir Vysotsky. Until 1937, Pushkin Square was called Strastnaya, after Strastnoy convent, located in the place where the monument to the poet is currently erected
At the end of Strastnoy Boulevard there is Petrovsky Gate Square and beyond Petrovsky Boulevard, stretching to Trubnaya Square. In this place, the Neglinnaya River is “hidden” in an underground pipe. In the old days, there was a market on this square and there was a tradition - to buy a bird in a cage at the market and release it. Trubnaya Square also became famous for the fact that the Hermitage restaurant was located here, the owner of which, Lucien Olivier, treated his guests to the new Olivier salad he invented.
Rozhdestvensky Boulevard- one of the most beautiful, it got its name from the Nativity Convent, built under Catherine II
Through Sretensky Gate Square you can go to the shortest Sretensky Boulevard, its length is only 214 meters. Here is a monumental monument to Nadezhda Krupskaya, erected in 1975 for Children's Day
Having passed through Turgenevskaya Square and Myasnitskie Gate Square, we will go out to Chistoprudny Boulevard. Previously, there was a slaughterhouse in this area, the waste from which was dumped into a pond called Poganym. When Alexander Menshikov bought this land, he cleared the pond and since then this place began to be called Chistye Ponds, although there is only one pond. Now this is a popular recreation area for Muscovites and guests of the capital, in the summer - beautiful place for walking, and in winter for skating
Pokrovsky Boulevard- the youngest, it appeared in the 1820s and until 1891 it was a huge parade ground with no greenery at all. Later, part of the parade ground was occupied by a small narrow alley, and only in 1954 a wide boulevard was built
Yauzsky Boulevard got its name from the Yauza Gate of the White City, located near the Yauza River. One of the attractions of the boulevard is a two-story house resembling knight's castle with a turret, created at the beginning of the 20th century by architect Andrei Krasilnikov in a romantic style.

The boulevards of Moscow, like a green necklace, surround the city center. This is a unique monument of landscape gardening art, including 13 squares, parks and alleys, churches and monasteries, monuments and old estates, telling about the history of Russia and its outstanding personalities.

The choice of route along the boulevard ring for an evening bike ride was obvious - I wanted to ride through the entire city, in the coolness of the greenery, contemplating the architectural beauty. In principle, this is what happened, apart from a few unforeseen nuances. For example, the gaps in the ring between boulevards in most cases presented an obstacle course for the cyclist - underpasses, stairs, squares and busy streets and traffic lights. In some places I had to carry the bike on myself or roll my iron friend next to me. But there was one big undeniable plus - at any time you can “park” on the grass or take a break on a bench. By the way, practically no fellow cyclists were seen along the route. Passers-by react friendly - they give way and smile.
So, I started from Taganka, went down to Yauzsky Boulevard, followed the boulevard ring to Gogolevsky, went down, passing the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, to the embankment, rode with the breeze past the Kremlin and its reflection in the Moscow River, and from there returned home - to Taganka . I want to tell you a little about my mini-trip, which took me only 2 hours, oddly enough.

In fact, the boulevard ring is not actually such a thing; it looks more like a horseshoe. Starting its run from the Moscow River embankment, it ends at the embankment. And within its “ring,” the cascade of boulevards is continually interrupted by streets and squares crossing it, as if granting the right to self-determination to each of its links. This division of the ring is determined historically - previously there was a wall along the line of the boulevards " white city", and in those places where it is interrupted there were entrances to the city with gates. The imprint of history is preserved in the names of these places: Pokrovsky Gate, Yauzsky Gate, Nikitsky Gate, etc. Where the beginning and where the end of the boulevard ring is - everyone decides for himself. But no matter where you start the route, all 10 of its segments will bring a lot of interesting things and everyone will definitely be able to find their favorite.

Yauzsky Boulevard. There are only linden trees and peaceful silence here. There are few people, no children, lonely contemplators and sometimes “filmmakers” who fell in love with this area for its preserved Moscow nature. And quite a bit has been preserved here - for example, the house with the statue of a miner and a collective farmer, famous for the film “Pokrovsky Gates,” is worth it. On both sides of the boulevard, Moscow districts that have preserved their history climb steeply up to Pokrovsky Boulevard

Pokrovsky Boulevard is a little busier than its brother, but essentially everything is the same - trees, benches, walks. Here, on a hot day, you are covered with the coolness of old linden trees, which converge like a dome high above your head, and on a rainy day they carefully protect you from the weather. The few inhabitants of this boulevard do not distract from philosophical solitude. The proximity of the noisy and densely populated Pokrovka turns this boulevard into an invaluable island of safety, because further on the boulevard ring is noisy, buzzing and sparkling.

Chistoprudny Boulevard: in winter there is a free skating rink, in summer it turns into a pond with swans and boats, as well as a restaurant on the water, a sports complex, fountains, posters, street musicians, exhibitions, rallies, chess on a bench, petanque, children, tourists, goths, a monument to a Kazakh poet (there are rumors that it was erected because the Kazakh embassy is nearby, which promised to sweep the area near the monument), a monument to a Russian writer, the wonderful Sovremennik theater, the iconic Roland cinema. This boulevard satisfies the needs of everyone who comes here. And a lot of people come: they take walks before and after performances, wander around thoughtfully after work or just on a day off, skip lectures, go on a promenade with their loved ones, with their children.

Sretensky Boulevard, in its attempts to match its “clean prud” neighbor, surprises from the first meters. At the foot of the monument to Shukhov that heads it, there are benches, which are a monument in themselves - bronze structures call for an immediate stop, not so much to rest as to examine the structures in detail - tools, details of the engineer’s work, notes, books - all in bronze. The children are delighted. Adults too.

Rozhdestvensky Boulevard, with such a life-affirming name, is actually abandoned. A “frozen” unfinished, crumbling mini-amphitheater. It's a pity. But the boulevard has a view of the stunning monastery. This alone is worth taking a coffee to go and hanging out in this space-time portal.

Petrovsky Boulevard...In 1812, this boulevard and the buildings on it burned down. Along with all the green spaces. It took six years to restore it. By the way, it is not so easy to restore flora in a fire. Therefore, while walking along this boulevard, raise your head up and look at the trees. It took them a lot to grow there.

Strastnoy Boulevard, the widest of the entire boulevard ring, easily accommodates a children's playground, a cafe and three monuments under its crowns. The most famous is the monument to Vysotsky, which gathers fans of the work of Vladimir Semenovich. The boulevard also stands out because, unlike its straightforward counterparts, it is divided into several paths, leading various visitors to their secluded corners.

Tverskoy Boulevard is the most aristocratic, historically it was a place for walks and meetings of the aristocracy. “They arranged dates there, shared news, slandered and made the necessary acquaintances.” Today it’s basically the same here - the Pushkin restaurant on the left side obliges. Photo exhibitions are held periodically open air, city holidays.

Nikitsky Boulevard ( I honestly admit - this is my favorite - ed..) was distinguished by a highlight - a narrow landscape path that goes into a dead end of an openwork fence provokes one to walk along it. The most unpredictable and atypical boulevard is the haven of Pushkin, Tolstoy and Gogol. The latter burned the second volume of Dead Souls here. The boulevard still stands out today for its parked duck car, the French cafe “Jacques-Jacques” and the British pub “John Donne” with tables almost on the roadway, in the European style.
Many consider Gogolevsky Boulevard the most beautiful and it’s hard to argue with that. The boulevard really has a special aesthetics. The owners here are artists who create and immediately hang their masterpieces on metal stands and sincerely hope that someday this boulevard will become Moscow's Montmartre. Wait and see.

In fact, the boulevard ring has its beginning and end. And it starts precisely from Gogol Boulevard and goes exactly in the opposite direction of this article. But in order to go through this entire route and end up with the flickering reflections of the lights in the Moscow River, it’s worth going this route in the suggested direction.
Text - Yana Savina. Photos (except the first and last) - Yana Savina.