How to get to Sparrow Hills. Vorobyovy Gory - an observation deck, the nearest metro station, interesting facts of history. Sparrow Hills Attractions

This slope was formed 150 million years ago, when there was a sea on the territory of Moscow. When it retreated, the Mamonovo settlement appeared here - one of the oldest settlements. Little is known about him. And in 1453, Princess Sofia Vitovtovna bought the village of Vorobyovo near Moscow from a priest nicknamed Vorobey. Hence the name of the area. Although sometimes it is understood literally, supposedly there were many sparrows.

Sofya Vitovtovna arranged a summer residence in Vorobyovo. Not surprisingly, this village was listed among the most valuable property in the wills of the great princes.

Sparrow Hills were often attacked. Under Vasily III, the Crimean Khan Magmet-Girey approached Moscow, from whom the Grand Duke escaped in a haystack. In 1571, Khan Divlet-Girey attacked Moscow. And after 20 years, Kazy-Girey, standing on the Sparrow Hills, examined the city. In troubled times, the hetman Hatkevich fled here and then retreated to Mozhaisk. Vorobyovy Gory was also one of the points of defense against Napoleon's army in 1812. But the position under the city was uncomfortable, and the army of Kutuzov left Moscow.

The royal palace on the Sparrow Hills was built under Princess Sofia Vitovtovna. It was rebuilt many times. But only stone foundations have reached us.

The kings willingly used the Vorobyov Palace as an entertainment residence. Peter I even laid down the tradition of shooting from guns here: in 1683 he set up a fortress with guns, from which he celebrated his birthday with shooting. And in 1707, Peter came to the Vorobyovy Gory to inspect Russia's first mirror factory. It appeared here due to the exceptional quality of sand, which even in the 20th century was used instead of blotting paper.

When the conclusion of peace with Turkey was celebrated in Moscow, a new palace was moved from Prechistenka to Vorobyovy Gory. It was refreshed several times, and finally destroyed during the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. True, the temple was never built, and in its place on August 12, 1912, a mortgage cross was placed.

In Soviet times, only a pedestal remained from it. Just in this place in 1978, a memorial sign of N.A. Shmakov in honor of Alexander Herzen and Nikolai Ogaryov.

We went ahead of them and, far ahead of us, ran up to the site of the foundation of the Vitberg church on the Sparrow Hills. Out of breath and reddened, we stood there, wiping sweat. The sun was setting, the domes were shining, the city fell into the boundless expanse under the mountain, a fresh breeze blew at us, we stood, stood, leaned on each other and, suddenly embracing, swore, in the sight of all of Moscow, to sacrifice our life for our chosen struggle. This scene may seem very strained, very theatrical, but meanwhile, after twenty-six years, I was moved to tears, remembering her, she was sacredly sincere, our whole life proved it.

The monument consists of two parts, symbolizing the friendship of young men, and ends with two lamps - the symbols of the magazine "Polar Star" and the newspaper "Bell". On the low wall behind are the bas-reliefs of Herzen and Ogaryov.

And in the huts that remained after the unsuccessful construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, a transit prison was set up in the 19th century. Criminals were brought here before being sent to Siberia. It was in this prison that Fyodor Haaz came every week to learn more about the life and conditions of prisoners. He did a lot to ease the suffering of the detainees, and for this he received the nickname "Holy Doctor."

Few people know that on the Vorobyovy Gory there is a Rublevsky water supply tank with a capacity of 170,000 cubic meters of water.

By the 20th century, the Mytishchi water supply system could no longer cope with the increased needs of Moscow. A possible source of water was the Moscow River. September 1, 1900 architect M.K. Geppener laid a reservoir on the Sparrow Hills. After 2 years, he was ready, and even a pavilion with a viewing platform was arranged over the tank.

At the same time, construction was underway in Rublev under the project of engineer N.P. Zimina. And by 1904 there appeared a water intake, a pumping station, sedimentation tanks, filters and a laboratory. From here the water went to Vorobyovsk reservoirs and then distributed to the Kaluga outpost and Bolshaya Pirogovskaya street. The station is still operating, but access to the Vorobyov reservoir is closed.

With the installation of a water supply system, the Moscow City Duma decided to set up a park on the Vorobyovy Gory, but the matter did not move beyond the idea. Nevertheless, Muscovites traveled here to drink tea and listen to gypsy songs. As far back as 1924, one could see peasant gardens with tables, benches and handwritten signs “Wave”, “Date of Friends”, “Eldorado” dug into the ground.

Before the revolution, a three-story building of the restaurant of Peter Krynkin was on the observation deck. All Moscow was visible from its terrace, and visitors were even given binoculars.

In Soviet times, the building stood for a long time on the street, and then the main house of the Red Stadium was built in it. They wanted to build a stadium for 40,000 spectators, a sports palace, an open theater and a park named after the Revolution. But the main house burned down, and the idea was forgotten. Only part of the Ostroumovskaya grove was built up with the mansions of the party elite. Muscovites called them the precepts of Ilyich.

Vorobyovy Gory has always been a popular holiday destination. In summer, families and large companies came here all day. In winter they skied here. A continuation of this pre-revolutionary tradition was the construction in 1953 of a ski jump, ski slope and funicular. Another large-scale construction project unfolded in 1949-1953 - a high-rise building of Moscow State University appeared.

Now the observation deck on the Sparrow Hills is one of the most popular places for Muscovites to relax and one of the main places visited by wedding processions. And on the slopes there is a nature reserve where you can visit free ecological trails, see rare species of plants and animals and such unique natural objects as, for example, St. Andrew's Ponds.

They say that...   ... there is no exact date for renaming the Sparrow Hills to Lenin Hills, because it was unofficial. It appeared after the mistake of a tired newspaper typesetter, who indicated that a holiday in honor of Lenin would be held on the "Lenin" mountains. And since the whole country saw this incident, in 1936 this name appeared on the maps of Moscow. And in response to a proposal to return the historical name to the Sparrow Hills they said:
  - Comrade Lenin is known all over the world, but who knows Comrade Sparrow? .
  ... French artist Vigee Lebrun at the invitation of Emperor Paul arrived in Moscow to write a view of the city from the Sparrow Hills. She stood for a long time and looked at the panorama that opened. And then she threw the palette and said: "I dare not ...".
  ... on the Sparrow Hills a birch grove planted by Peter I grew.
  ... Fedor Chaliapin often visited Krynkin’s restaurant. And every time he sang, standing over a cliff and looking at Moscow.
... when they shot the film "Alexander Nevsky", the sand on the Sparrow Hills depicted snowdrifts.
  ... originally the Palace of Soviets was proposed to be put on the Sparrow Hills. It was supposed to be a giant hemisphere, reminiscent of the sun rising above the horizon.
  ... people come to the Vorobyovy Gory in the hope of starting a new life, because it is here that the Moscow River makes a bend in the form of a huge horseshoe. You need to look for a magical place at sunset and certainly alone.
  ... during the start-up and filling the Vorobyovsk reservoir with water, the engineers poured a bottle of champagne bought at the Krynkin restaurant so that all Muscovites would celebrate this event.
  ... all the main buildings on the Sparrow Hills are connected by underground tunnels.

We know at least seven possibilities to have a great rest in Moscow in the winter of 2019. And we are happy to share addresses and lifehacks with you.

It is far from always necessary to go to the other side of the world in order to enjoy travel, lots of bright and unexpected emotions and unique impressions. Start with Moscow. Next winter, the capital is ready to offer you a whole bunch of amazing entertainment.

Go to the Sparrow Hills

It is from here that you can easily reach the famous skyscraper - the main building of Moscow State University, and the views of the city from the Sparrow Hills are the best. The fabulously beautiful winter is impressive, but not only for admiring the city views and Stalin's skyscrapers come here. The park on the Sparrow Hills will appeal to fans of quiet unhurried walks along beautiful snowy alleys, and fans of winter sports will also appreciate it - the local ski track is very popular.

Do not forget to visit Red Square

Otherwise, it will be possible to say that you did not see the very heart of Moscow - a huge pedestrian space, really beautiful (it was not for nothing that the square was called Red Square). Over the centuries, the square managed to visit a huge market, a venue for coronations, parades and rock concerts. In recent years, winter Red Square is also one of the country's most popular ice rinks. Do not forget to take a picture of skating on the background of the famous brick wall and towers!

See Moscow churches and monasteries

Of course, you definitely won’t miss this building. Carved colorful domes of St. Basil's Cathedral - like the top of a bright wedding cake. There is even a legend that Ivan the Terrible ordered the creators of this architectural masterpiece to be deprived of sight so that none of them could ever repeat such beauty. The temple consists of ten churches, in the center is the Church of the Intercession, the remaining nine surround it. Be sure to go inside, go through the narrow galleries, carefully consider the murals and icons, immerse yourself in this unique atmosphere, and be sure to rejoice that the temple has survived to our times, becoming one of the main decorations of the winter capital.

Be sure to go and to the walls of the Novodevichy Conventthat for almost half a millennium has delighted the audience with the beauty of its white-stone walls, carved towers and golden domes. The place where Sophia once languished in confinement is today classified as a World Heritage Site. Although now the monastery in the snow is very similar to a fairytale castle, where a fairytale princess is waiting for her release.

Winter holiday option in Moscow - excursion to the Izmailovsky Kremlin

A very different impression building of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The giant golden dome crowns a huge ice palace. The knowledge that the temple was rebuilt in only three years cannot but impress. The fate of the temple is complicated - it began to be built after the victory over Napoleon, and then demolished in 1931 in order to build the giant Palace of the Soviets. But in the end, an outdoor pool (the largest in the world at that time) first appeared on this place, and then the famous temple was re-built.

Have fun in Gorky Park

If a vacation in Moscow is planned as a family, with children, then skipping this place will be a big mistake. Attractions, a huge ice rink, chess competitions, ping-pong and running, the opportunity to take dance classes or just spend time in great cafes - a trip to Moscow will be unforgettable.

Panorama of winter Moscow

Winter holidays in Moscow are impossible without walking in the parks!

What to do in Moscow in winter - outdoor activities!

Go to the Museum of Modern Art

If you are a fan of extraordinary exhibitions and museums, then go to the "Garage" immediately upon arrival in Moscow. There are as many as five large exhibition areas, a lecture hall, a design room and a children's room. And also - a shop and cafe. The Garage is one of the most technologically advanced and advanced museums in the capital.

Plunge into the romance of the Hermitage Garden

If you are traveling in winter Moscow and you have little time, go to the Hermitage Garden. Although the park space is small, there are enough interesting places in the garden. Three theaters, cozy cafes, an excellent playground, and also a stage for concerts and music festivals. In addition to musical events, the Hermitage also hosts culinary and children's shows and festivals. Well, the main entertainment in the garden is ice skating. The local ice rink, although very popular, has enough space for everyone, and the atmosphere is very friendly.

Try out new entertainment in Moscow

If you are tired of classic skating rinks, you can go to the 86th floor of the Oko skyscraper in the famous district of the capital Moscow-City. Starting from December 1, a unique high-altitude skating rink with an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 700 square meters should be launched here m. Sokolniki Park does not lag behind. Its visitors are expected by an ice children's designer, a forest one and a half kilometer ice skating rink and several ski-themed races with a humorous bias. Music lovers will appreciate the original playful duel of jazz and classical music at the Novaya Opera Theater.

Fans of the genre can continue their acquaintance with jazz masterpieces at the Moscow Conservatory - there they prepared the Christmas program "Ditties in the style of jazz."

Snow-covered landscape of Moscow City

Material Topics

The place is unique and not only because of its glorious past. Vorobyovy Gory is known for its natural originality: there are rare slopes, springs, the atmosphere acting on a person as a placebo.

Towering eighty meters above the Moskva River, they are the highest of the seven hills on which the capital is located. Therefore, millions of people strive to get to the famous observation deck, from which the majestic city lies in the palm of your hand. Capturing a panoramic view from this point is not only the dream of photographers. This site has been featured in several feature films.

Here the heroes of Bulgakov said goodbye to Moscow, and from here they rushed to their last journey. A delightful view of the capital is preserved on the canvases of artists and on old engravings. And on the map of Moscow, the sights of the village of Vorobyov came to us at an even earlier time.

Today, this part of the park capital is decorated with ancient temples, monasteries, estates and the most magnificent building of seven Stalin's skyscrapers, erected by the forces of several thousand prisoners. The building of Moscow State University together with the spire is 240 meters, and its architect Lev Rudnev was awarded the Stalin Prize in the amount of 100 thousand rubles for this project before the start of construction.

In 2016, an updated cableway appeared, the springboard was lengthened, and by 2018 a new sports complex will open its doors. And this object will surprise you with its records! They will create everything to host the World Cup.

How to get there

  • Address: Russia, Moscow, Sokolnicheskaya line, metro Vorobyovy gory;
  • Map and scheme:

Palace Village

The widow of the Grand Duke of Moscow chose this steep slope and bought it from the owners in order to place the palace residence here in the summer for his son. Vasily the Dark loved to watch the sunset and walk on the slopes.

The village of Vorobyevo appears in her papers as a priest. No one really knows if it got the name by the name of the boyars, or the priest who served in the local church nicknamed Sparrow.

The new owner breathed life into him. In a short time it was transformed: they rebuilt the church, erected a palace, cut down many buildings, elegant gates and set up a garden with a pond, where sturgeons and other noble fish were bred.

The surviving documents indicate that the wooden palace at that time was luxurious, with rich interior decoration, glass, mica in places, windows, inserted into carved frames. Since then, the place has been called a palace village, it was inherited by all subsequent rulers, many of whom have been here more than once. Loved to come here and Ivan the Terrible, and Boris Godunov, and Alexei Mikhailovich. Although not as often as, for example, in Kolomenskoye.

Vorobyevo was repeatedly subjected to Tatar raids. The palace got from them, they emptied it, but did not set it on fire.

Wooden and tiled, he sheltered Ivan the Terrible during a Moscow fire, when a third of the city, including churches and buildings up to the Kremlin, burned down.

During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna built factories for the production of glass and mirrors, since the sand in this area was amazingly snow-white. At her request, a birch grove was planted; rare specimens of trees can be found even now.

And two centuries later, Fedor Alekseevich ordered wooden mansions with 57 rooms to be raised on a stone pedestal - this is how the basement appeared. After a hundred years, the logs fell into disrepair, the log house was dismantled and given to the monks of the Donskoy Monastery. The wooden palace of Catherine II from Volkhonka was transferred to the pedestal, which served the tsar’s persons for another hundred years, after which it was liquidated.

Village on four temples

There were four churches in the palace department, but locals and reigning persons have been using the most snow-white Trinity Church since time immemorial.

The building of 1811 is an empire, traditional for the architecture of churches. It is small, with portals decorated with columns, single-domed, with a two-tier bell tower. In the photographs she came as an invariable element of the panorama of the Sparrow Hills.

By the way, historians claim that on the eve of the council at Fili, the commanders Kutuzov and Bagration examined the positions here. And in the church, the great commander who defeated the French prayed for the victorious end of the war.

Near the church in 1827, young friends Herzen and Ogarev took an oath to fight for freedom until the end of their lives. Like it or not, there is no documentary evidence, but in the Soviet years, freedom-lovers were erected a monument in the form of a stele.

In the 17th year, there came shelling from the Kremlin of white detachments from heavy artillery. Endless wars and conflicts did not harm the church, it did not close itself from the change of political regimes, and its bells were almost the only ones in the capital who did not stop ringing even after the Bolshevik prohibition of bell ringing.

At the foot of the hill Andreyevsky Monastery spread its “white clothes”. The monastery was reputed to be the center of sciences, book teachings and free thought. They say that it was with her in the XVII century that the countdown of the academic system began in the capital. For more than a century, he served education until he became impoverished. The monks were forced to set up an almshouse within its walls. But the library there remained gorgeous. Now it belongs to the Moscow Patriarchate.

In the name of the victory over Napoleon, another temple was laid - Christ the Savior, for which the whole world raised money. By the way, they say that when Bonaparte fled from Moscow, his path ran through the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills, where he last glanced at the capital that he had not conquered.

But the temple could not be built due to the sliding slope of the mountain. After ten years of disembodied work to strengthen the embankment, all attempts were abandoned, and construction was stopped.

He opened a list of unrealized grandiose projects, to which were later added the Palace of Soviets and a monument to Prince Vladimir.

At one time, the place was occupied by work huts for builders and abandoned brick factories, which at the beginning of the century before last were used as temporary prison walls. The transit prison was known for the activities of the philanthropist, Dr. Haase, who did many good deeds for the locals.

The place after the demolition of the barracks was vacated for festivities. Muscovites got here by highway or by boat along the Moscow River from the Novodevichy Convent. In those days, tables were popular among residents, which were set everywhere for relaxation and a picnic. For a small fee they brought a samovar.

Here in a picturesque place where tea was especially tasty, Krynkina restaurant appeared. It should be described in more detail.

A spyglass was offered for the menu.

Contemporaries with great pleasure would have sat today on the terrace of the Krynkin restaurant, tasted the excellent chop with salted cucumber for cold vodka, fresh strawberries with whipped cream. The owner offered a spyglass to the menu for an additional fee. It was the most fashionable place at the end of the 19th century, with a view of the capital.

It was noticeable for many kilometers, had the shape of a palace and several levels. It was possible to get to it on the road by car for 3 rubles, back more expensive: 50 kopecks per mile. It was the most popular route. In summer, boats ran to the restaurant on the Moscow River. The romance of these places attracted many customers at any time of the year. And now it remains popular for honeymooners. Although there is no restaurant for a long time, there is a springboard in its place. But the memory of him lives in old photographs of the outskirts of Moscow.

The restaurant ruined the revolution of the 17th year. The drinking establishment was given to the reading room, and after three years the palace-picture burned down. In the ashes, they wanted to build the Red Stadium - another unrealized project of the nascent Soviet power.

The owner of this land Stepan Vasilyevich Krynkin did not see the sad end of his beloved brainchild, he died before the revolutionary events, leaving his sons a rich inheritance. According to rumors, one of the dispossessed sons himself and burned the building so that no one would get it. The descendants of Krynkin were evicted in 1951, when the village was finally demolished. Their lineage is still ongoing.

Manor Island

Vorobyovy Gory is adorned with private estates with a magnificent estate that extends over several thousand hectares. The oldest Mamonova cottage, where the buildings of the Russian Academy of Sciences are located. It was built in 1761, and it belonged to the noble Moscow princes, but went down in history thanks to Count Mamonov.

The territory is adjacent to the St. Andrew's Monastery. The mansion was rebuilt several times: it got its majestic appearance in 1820, when it grew on the third floor, built for balls and receptions, and on the side - turrets for open viewing. The manor square included orchards, melons and vegetable gardens, greenhouses, where delicious exotic was grown.

Among its owners was the Moscow governor. Ivan Fonvizin allowed to place a psychiatric hospital in its walls.

During the years of the Silver Age, the City Duma bought the property, but the revolutionary events made their own adjustments. The new government placed a museum of ethnic studies here, and after the war, only universities were housed in the halls. Therefore, today the estate houses the museum apartments of Nikolai Semenov and Pyotr Kapitsa, who were directors of universities: chemical physics and physical problems.

In another wing, a place was allocated for the Soviet nomenclature: Alexei Kosygin and Mikhail Gorbachev came here. And the building itself is surrounded by a beautiful park, with rare surviving trees from imperial times.

Lenin's mountains

In the 30s, with the light hand of Comrade Ilyich’s comrade-in-arms, People’s Commissar Krasin, a new name was approved, a monument project and the Palace of Soviets - all named after the leader. Posthumous architecture captivated the cities and towns of the Soviet country. What came of this was only the Lenin Hills, which regained their original name only in 1999.

And two years before the death of Lenin, the Vorobyovy Gory entered the borders of the capital, and the authorities immediately began landscaping the park, building an observation deck and avenue across the river, and after the war - in 1949 - the magnificent university building, the project of which was personally approved by Stalin.

MSU was built for three years by the forces of many thousands of prisoners. In the year of Stalin's death, it became the highest in Europe and remained so for four decades. The building has fifty rooms, kilometers of corridors, it has 36 floors, on the 32nd there is an observation deck. Two thousand students live and study in it, and there is everything to receive all the services without leaving the building: shops, hairdressers, a clinic and more.

The colorful decoration of the spire and the star is color: many people think it is gilding, but these are just plates of yellow glass coated with aluminum.

There are many legends around this building. For example, about the tunnel that goes straight to Stalin's dacha. That this is either a secret metro line or a bunker. There are horror films about builders buried in the walls, who were dying in large numbers at a construction site, and it was easier to wipe their bodies than bury them in a Christian way. The suicides of students are also associated with this terrible story from the past: they say that there are many among nonresidents. Diggers have repeatedly examined the underground passages under the university building and found there are many stalactites and empty bottles.

But those who come here not to study, but on an excursion, see a very welcoming place with a square, a rose garden and a monument to the founder of Moscow State University - Lomonosov.

Nature reserve

During perestroika and glasnost, the Lenin Hills received the status of a specially protected natural area. Everything is located on the right bank of the Moskva River - a steep slope on which nothing can be built because of landslides and 1300 km around - remained untouched. Therefore, they left a natural landscape with oaks, lindens, maples, birches and unique flora and fauna. This reserve is the only one closest to the center of the metropolis.

Lilies of the valley and bells are often found on the path of walking tour groups, flowing abundantly onto the Vorobyovy Gory. The administration of the reserve offers to walk along ecological trails, where you can meet birds and small animals listed in the Red Book of the capital. In 2013, the reserve entered the neighboring territories - Gorky Park and Neskuchny Garden.

Karamzin, Lermontov, Gorky, Blok, Tchaikovsky, Kustodiev and other famous people walked here.

Leo Tolstoy mentions this place in his epic novel. Alexander Blok wrote that the view from the Sparrow Hills to the capital is much better than to Paris from Montmartre.

The only building that is located on the territory of the reserve is the former residence of Khrushchev. With the entire surrounding area of \u200b\u200b2.5 hectares, it is sold to private individuals.

Sports past and present

Since the 50s, construction of sports facilities began on the Sparrow Hills. There was a ski jump, a lift of 340 meters.

Skiing took place here in the 1920s - the terrain allows. Many Soviet jumpers trained here - champions of Europe, the world, and Olympiads.

A glorious sports past will continue in the present. The complex is conceived as an all-season, it will help to host the World Cup next year. Everything is subject to reconstruction: “cable car”, ski slope, ski jumps and other structures.

The "cable car" will double and stretch to the Luzhniki Stadium. Its throughput will reach more than one and a half thousand people per hour.

According to the plan of the Moscow authorities, the best athletes of various sports will train at the Vorobyovy Gory Sports Complex. However, for beginners, skiers, snowboarders, jumpers and lovers of high-speed skiing will also open the door.

After completion of construction and reconstruction of a number of facilities, the place will become the main sports center in Moscow.

Around Vorobyovy Gory there is an embankment, a highway and two whole thoroughfares with the same name - Vorobyevsky. The Vorobevy Gory metro station is unique and, like much in this wonderful place of the capital, breaks a record for apron length of –280 meters.

You should come here and take advantage of Chekhov’s advice - look from here to Moscow to get to know Russia.

For centuries, the Vorobyovy Gory has been a favorite vacation spot for Muscovites, both ordinary citizens of the Soviet era and princes and tsars of pre-revolutionary Moscow. Present times are no exception. A favorite vacation spot for residents and guests of the capital of Russia are the Vorobyovy Gory, the address of which is not necessary to know for sure. Reference points will be the Moscow River and Moscow State University.

From the village of Vorobyevo

On the banks of the Moskva River back in the 14th century there was the village of Vorobyevo, which was owned by the boyars of the Vorobyovs. Then it was bought by Princess Sofia Vitovtovna and presented to her grandson Yuri Vasilyevich, Prince Dmitrovsky, from whom it passed to Prince Ivan of Moscow of the Third.

In 1949, they began to build a new building of Moscow State University. It was completed in 1953. The village did not fit into the new environment of the Sparrow Hills, and soon it was demolished. Only the Trinity Church, built in the 14th century, has survived. True, then it was wooden. In 1811, a stone temple was erected in its place, which has survived to this day. By the way, in Soviet times, the Vorobyovy Gory was called Lenin.

On a high steep shore

It’s even difficult to call the Sparrow Hills mountains. Their maximum height is 220 meters. Rather, it is a high washed bank of the river. Rather, they will be considered one of the seven hills on which Moscow is located.

From the mouth of Setuni, the Vorobyovy Gory stretches to the Andreevsky Bridge. They are covered with forest and cut by ravines. The forest zone of the Sparrow Hills remarkably combines the natural nature and well-being for recreation of citizens.

When the construction of Moscow State University was completed, an observation deck was built on a steep bank of the river, from where a wonderful view of the city opens.

Vorobyovy Gory: how to get by metro

There is nothing complicated in this, if only because the Vorobyovy Gory is located in relative proximity to the center of the capital.

It is most convenient to use the services of the Moscow Metro, or rather its red line. In the center of Moscow, you can take a seat at any of the stations: the Lenin Library (near the Kremlin) or Okhotny Ryad (near Red Square). From the last, after 13 minutes, the train will arrive at the Vorobyovy Gory station. How to get on the subway, now the question is clear. It remains to add that the station is located inside the bridge across the Moscow River. You need to go out to Kosygin street. Already at the exit, a panorama of the Vorobyovy Gory opens before you. Walking takes another twenty minutes.

Metro alternative

Metro is not the only way to visit the Vorobyovy Gory. How to get in other ways? Of course, the easiest way to go is by car, and even use the navigator. For the destination, you can take the Church of the Holy Trinity, which will lead to the Sparrow Hills. Address: st. Kosygina, d. 30.

You can also go by trolley. Route number 7 will take you directly to the observation deck on the Sparrow Hills. You can take a trolley at the Kiev station, but in general it goes to the Sparrow Hills from Victory Park. The final stop is Kaluga Square. However, it will take a long time to take into account the traffic in Moscow, and there is no separate lane for public transport on Kutuzovsky Prospekt.

So there is no better way to see the Vorobyovy Gory, how to get there by metro!

Walking route

You can start a walk from the building of Moscow State University. Heading along the Alley of Scientists, you can walk directly to the observation deck. A picturesque view of the river, the Luzhniki Stadium and the domes and high-rises of the Russian capital opens from here.

A walk along the river will also be a pleasure - a good pedestrian area is equipped here. However, you can ride on roller skates and on a bicycle.

If you delve into the park area, you can come across decorative ponds, lawns and even natural swamps. Among the trees birch, linden, alder prevail, there are many different plants and birds sing.

To return back to the observation deck, you can use the cable car. She works all year round. Indeed, in the winter the Vorobyovy Gory is popular. The address, how to get there, winter sports lovers is well aware of this information. After all, there is a ski slope, a springboard, you can go skiing and sleigh rides.

Sparrow Hills Temple

It is one of the oldest that has a rich history. And most importantly, this story has been preserved for posterity.

At first the temple was wooden. It is known that when the village of Vorobyevo was bought by Sofya Vitovtovna in the 15th century, it already existed.

When the temple was completely dilapidated, it was demolished. According to the project of architect Vitberg, a stone temple was built. In 1811, a monument was erected on the site of the old one, crowning a cross.

There is evidence that Kutuzov prayed in this church in 1812, before the famous council at Fili.

It is also noteworthy that the Trinity Church during the years of Soviet power was not only not destroyed, but even the service continued in it and the bells rang.

Now the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity has three chapels; worship services are constantly being sent in it.

St. Andrew's Monastery

The buildings are best seen from the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills, because it is located at their foot.

There are disagreements about the time the monastery was founded, which was then called the Transfiguration Desert. However, this is still an old institution, whether it be the 13th or 14th century.

In the Soviet years, the monastery buildings were used as a research institute. In 1992, they were finally returned to the church. True, they did not begin to use them for their original purpose.

Three churches are of interest on its territory: the Resurrection of Christ, the Apostle and Martyr Andrew Stratilates. Since 1991, they have been the Patriarchal Compound, since 2013 it is the St. Andrew’s Monastery of Stavropegial.

Sparrow "Sparrow Hills"

Having walked around the park, you can go down to the embankment and take a boat ride along the Moscow River. On the promenade is the pier "Sparrow Hills". How to get there from the city center? As well as on the Sparrow Hills themselves. Best on the subway. From the station of the same name, a walk to the cable car will take no more than 10 minutes.

In the warmer months, river trams run from the Vorobevy Gory pier, a ride on which is a great pleasure. The route passes through the center of Moscow with a U-turn at Kotelnicheskaya embankment and return to Vorobyovy Gory.

The routes of boat trips are very diverse. They give a good opportunity to see Moscow from a different angle and take wonderful photos of the Kremlin, Novodevichy and Novospassky monasteries and other Moscow sights.

To the Neskuchny Garden

A few years ago, the reserve "Vorobyovy Gory" was attached to the culture and recreation of them. Gorky and Neskuchny garden. The latter is one that has been preserved from several noble estates belonging to the Golitsyn, Orlov and Trubetskoy. Together, all parks form a single complex.

Neskuchny Garden has preserved many architectural monuments. Interesting is the house of Count Orlov (1796), a stone arbor, a house with a rotunda near the Elizabethan pond, as well as various bridges over ravines, for example, a stone arch bridge in three spans.

The Neskuchny Garden can be reached by first visiting the Vorobyovy Gory. How to get by metro directly? The nearest station is Oktyabrskaya-Koltsevaya. From it you can walk or ride a trolley.

A walk through the Neskuchny Garden, as well as through the Sparrow Hills, will bring real pleasure and bring an indelible impression.

So, the purpose of the trip is Moscow, Vorobyovy Gory. How to get there? Landmark - the southwestern part of the center of the Russian capital, Have a nice trip!

There are no mountains as such and even hills that are striking. Nevertheless, according to the legend of Moscow - the Third Rome, this steep river bank is considered one of the “seven hills” on which the Mother See stands. There are much more hills in Moscow, but no one, in general, disputes the legend, for mythology, as historians believe, is itself an integral part of the past. As for Moscow itself, the concept of "Third Rome" was an extremely important synonym for its power. And among the conventional “seven hills” the Sparrow Hills are the highest.

History

The historical factology of the Sparrow Hills, however, is no less interesting. Here, as well as in their environs, the bones of mammoths that died out in the last ice age (about 10 thousand years ago) were found. Excavations established that people here began to settle in the Stone and Bronze Ages. Since the Iron Age (Mamonovo settlement, the end of the 1st millennium BC) they have been living on the slope of the Moskva River constantly.

The village of Vorobyovo, standing on the edge of the coast, was built, apparently, in the XIII-XIV centuries. B XV century it was acquired by Sofya Vitovtovna (in the Orthodox baptism of Efrosinya), the daughter of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily I and the mother of Vasily II of the Dark. The sellers were the boyars of Vorobyov, the descendants of an ancient noble family. The Moscow historian P.V. Sytin refers to the priest of the local, then wooden church of the Trinity, nicknamed the parishioners Sparrow for his small stature and meek disposition. Most likely, there was an association with the boyar surname: the priests did not own villages.

Sofya Vitovtovna was an outstanding personality with a strong character. After the death of her husband, she was entrusted to become regent with her young son. In the years 1425-1453. she ruled the principality together with Prince Vitovt and her husband's uncles, but her role here was leading. It was she who led the defense of Moscow in 1451, when she was stormed by the Tatar prince Mazovsha (Azov Shah). In a will drawn up by Sofia Vitovtovna in 1451 in the name of her grandson, Yuri Bolshoi, opened after her death in 1453, the toponym Vorobyovo is mentioned for the first time.

From then until the end of the XIX century. the village remained a palace estate, however, it was already called Red. Summer palaces here were monarchs Ivan III, Ivan the Terrible, Alexei Mikhailovich, Catherine II. The palaces, or rather, one, several times rebuilt or reborn after fires, a wooden palace with a garden lasted until the XVIII century. Naturally, Peter I could not ignore the strategically important height of Peter I. In 1683, he celebrated his birthday by firing cannons from the walls, especially for such an occasion, a "amusing" fortress.

The people of Vorobyovy Gory have gained the image and glory of the place, nature, destiny and God intended to be the guardian of the city and all who wish to change their lives for the better. After the Battle of Borodino, when the fate of Moscow was being decided, confusion reigned at the headquarters of the Russian army in Fili: Kutuzov disappeared and no one knew where he was. And he at that time was praying in the Trinity Church on the Sparrow Hills, already stone, but still unfinished. The church happily escaped plunder in 1812, and was finished in 1813. On Vorobyovy Gory in 1827, university students A. I. Herzen and H. P. Ogaryov took an oath to fight the autocracy together, in honor of which in 1978 installed stele. (The oath was not broken by friends and like-minded people, even though they loved the same woman.)

The Sparrow Hills left their mark in Russian classical literature. The Church of the Trinity is seen by Pierre Bezukhov in the novel by L. Tolstoy “War and Peace,” the heroes of M. Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” look at them from Moscow. From the diaries and letters of many Russian writers, artists, composers, it is known that they all were here and experienced strong impressions. But Chekhov, not at all inclined to display enthusiastic emotions, wrote about it this way: "Whoever wants to know Russia should look at Moscow from here."

Vorobyovy Gory - a place in the south-west of Moscow, stretching along the right, high, bank of the Luzhnetsk bend of the Moscow River. According to its geological history, the Vorobyovy Gory is the steep northern slopes of the Teplostan hill, washed by a river stream. The green massif of the Sparrow Hills is located between the Newandreevsky Bridge of the District Railway and the mouth of the Setun River.

Perhaps the most comprehensive word that can characterize the unique atmosphere of the Sparrow Hills is the word “harmony”. Harmony of nature with creations of hands and human intellect.

The Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve, which received this status in 1998, is not so far from the center: it is only 5.5 km from here to the Kremlin in a straight line. Moscow in its current borders, to the Moscow Ring Road, extends from here to the southwest for another 13 km. And here, almost intact, the natural environment has been preserved. Almost, because to completely avoid interference, speaking the language of science, anthropogenic factors - the consequences of human activity - in a dynamically developing city, of course, is impossible.

The reserve today is a symbiosis of the arboretum and just a park with paved walking paths laid along it, with benches along them. But also with large areas of pristine broad-leaved forest. The main types of trees growing here are linden, oak, elm, maple, birch, chestnut, alder, willow, aspen and ash (about 40 species in total) with an understory of hazel and juniper. Small brooks flow down from above the canopy of trees, springs beat, and swamps froze in places. Trees are found here, both centuries-old and young, both grown by themselves, and planted by park workers. Typical marsh or forest grasses and flowers grow on the meadows; about 70 species of birds live in the crowns of trees. Here are also small mammals - squirrels, mice (several species) and moles.

The main protector of this green massif was the indigenous terrain - ravine, prone to landslides - and clayey “slippery” soils. To build something monumental here is simply dangerous. Therefore, the city fathers refused the idea of \u200b\u200berecting the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on the Sparrow Hills. It was laid in 1817, but after 9 years the construction was stopped. And the main building of Moscow State University was not built on the edge of the shore itself, as was planned according to the initial project. And already in our time, a monument to the baptizer of Russia, Prince Vladimir, on the observation deck after discussing the pros and cons, in the end, they decided to put not here, as was planned at first, but on Borovitskaya Square.

Walking along the paths of the reserve is a real pleasure, but the main thing for which people come to the Vorobyovy Gory is to see the panorama of historical and continuously updated Moscow from the observation deck. This is truly an unforgettable sight. Near the site are the Trinity Church and the Great Ski Jump, erected in 1953. Nearby is the building of the former Mamonova (or Noah) summer house - the Vasilievsky estate, owned (sequentially) by the princes Dolgorukov-Krymsky, Yusupov and Count Dmitriev-Mamonov. Today, the estate houses the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences - chemical physics named after N. N. Semenov and physical problems to them. P.L. Kapitsa. In Soviet times, the residences of A.N. Kosygin and M.S. Gorbachev were also located in the Upper Garden of this estate. Not far from the high fences were dachas and other “nomenclatures”, as they were then expressed, of high-ranking functionaries of the CPSU and government officials. In addition to the Mamonovo dacha on the Sparrow Hills there are other institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, whose buildings were erected in Soviet times. At the foot of the Sparrow Hills is St. Andrew’s Monastery, “at the Sparrow’s Creek, in the Prisoners,” founded in 1648.

In 1953, the Vorobyovs (then Lenin) mountains decorated the silhouette of the Main Building of Moscow State University. As an architectural masterpiece and the tallest building in Europe for 37 years, it immediately became inseparable from the surrounding landscape. As a center of science and education, this Moscow space has replenished with new meaning and young energy. Along University Square with fountains, apple tree alleys were planted, which eventually turned into real gardens.

general information

The area stretching along the right bank of the Luzhnetskaya bend of the Moscow River.
The main part of the Sparrow Hills is the nature reserve of the same name, since 2013, which is part of the TsPKiO named after Gorky.
The first mention of the village of Vorobyovo : 1451, promulgated in the will of Princess Sofia of Moscow Vitovtovna, who died in 1453
The time of entry of the Sparrow Hills into Moscow : 1922
Former names : Vorobyovo (beginning of the 14th century - 1956) and the Lenin Hills (1935-1999).
Organization of a nature reserve : 1998
Administrative affiliation : Western and South-Western administrative districts of Moscow.

Figures

Height: 220 m above sea level m., 80-100 m (over the edge of the river).
Area: Vorobyovy Gory reserve - 106 ha, forest park as a whole - 137.5 ha.
The height of the main building of Moscow State University   - 182 m, with a spire - 240 m.
The length of the Luzhnetsk metro bridge with overpasses   - 1179 m, total length - 2030 m.

Climate and weather

Moderate continental.
January average temperature : -6 ° C.
July average temperature : + 19 ° С.
Average annual rainfall : 708 mm.

Economy

Educational services, tourism.

sights

    Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on the Sparrow Hills (1811-1813).

    St. Andrew's Stauropegial Monastery (founding date - 1648, revived in 2013).

    Mamonova Dacha (Vasilievsky estate) (1761) - now institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    The main building of Moscow State University (1953).

    Viewpoint.

    Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University.

    Big and Small St. Andrew's Ponds, Forest Pond.

    Moscow City Palace of Children and Youth Creativity (former Palace of Pioneers, building 1962).

    Ecological hiking trails: "On the slopes of the Sparrow Hills", "St. Andrew's Ponds" and "On the Terraces of the Sparrow Hills".

    Environmental Education Center "Sparrow Hills".

    The House-Museum of P. L. Kapitsa (at the L.D. Landau Institute of Theoretical Physics RAS), the memorial cabinet-museums of V.I. Vernadsky and A.P. Vinogradov (at the V. I Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry Vernadsky RAS).

Curious facts

    It would be strange if such a complex structure as the Main Building of Moscow State University had not been overgrown with legends and rumors for more than 60 years of its existence. Here are the most stable of them: the building has as many floors underground as there are on the surface (in fact, there are two basement technical floors). A special secret metro line leads into the cellars of Moscow State University, but there are no such facts, no matter what diggers - big dreamers. Somewhere, in the same basements, an eight-meter-high gilded statue of Stalin was waiting in the wings - again, no one captured it. One of the construction prisoners, specializing in aircraft construction, made wings of wooden planks like a hang glider and flew off to Luzhniki. Here, as happens in modern plays, there are two alternative finals. According to one, this man was released for his ingenuity, and, in accordance with another, on the contrary, his sentence was increased.

    In the XVII century. glass and mirror factories were built on the Sparrow Hills. The raw materials were excellent quality sand from local quarries. This sand, like blotting paper, was used at the beginning of the 20th century.

    Newlyweds come to the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills after the wedding. But this is not surprising, but the fact that, as revealed by a special study, the number of divorces among such couples is much less than among those who did not swear a narrowed vow of true and eternal love on the Sparrow Hills.

    More than 15.5 thousand children and teenagers are engaged in the Palace of Children and Youth Creativity on the Sparrow Hills: in research laboratories, studios, art and technical workshops, sports sections, creative teams, development groups and circles. At 93.3%, classes are free: the palace is subsidized from the city budget.

    In the late XIX - early XX centuries. Krynkin’s restaurant on the Vorobyovy Gory (by the way, a native of the village of Vorobyovo) was reputed to be the most fashionable restaurant in Moscow, thanks, first of all, to the views of the Mother See opened from its windows and from the terrace. The kitchen and interior here, however, were also excellent (and the restaurant had a greenhouse in which strawberries and greens ripened year-round). After 1917, a reading room was located in the main hall of the restaurant, and in the 1920s. a wooden building in the Russian historical style burned down. Only fragments of the brick walls of the basement have survived.

    The branch of the Botanical Garden on the Sparrow Hills has a library of almost 40 thousand books, including botanical publications from the XVI-XVII centuries. to the present day.