Your private guide in Moscow - Deutsch Führungen in Moskau - Ваш гид в Москве

Coloured route: Manezhnaya Square, Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Arbat, the Ryabushinsky house

Manezhnaya Square

One of the more interesting of these is Manezh Square. Many years ago, the small Neglinka River served as a kind of moat for the northern approaches to the Kremlin. (The much larger Moscva River constituted a natural defense on the other side.) In the early 19th century, the Neglinka River was driven underground, running through a decidedly unromantic pipe beneath the pavement. During Soviet times, the area above remained relatively undeveloped. In the early '90s, the popular mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, decided to renovate the area. He uncovered part of the river and transformed it into a long, flowing fountain studded with bronze statues of Russia's favorite fairy-tale heroes. He also built Moscow's first modern shopping mall, complete with a food court serving all manner of junk, and he lined the newly uncovered river with a kind of promenade upon which one can find cafés and, in a final gasp of surrender, a McDonald's. At the far end of the whole shebang, he erected a fountain featuring three horses, with a little circular walkway around half of it, over which spout streams of water, which are just unruly enough to get you seriously wet if you decide to walk underneath them.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior

The largest church in Moscow. The Christ the Savior Cathedral was built (1839-1883) in memory of the Russian victory over Napoleon by Konstantin Ton (1797 - 1881). Russian architect, founder of so - called Russian-Byzantine style.

The Christ the Savior Cathedral was destroyed in December 5th, 1931 - during the Stalin's time, because communists decided to build "Soviet Palace" for their meetings. They plan to build it 415 meters high with 80 meters Lenin on the top. They build swimming pool Instead.

The Cathedral was recovered during 1995 - 2000. It was built additional basement level.

Arbat

For a more mixed sampling of Moscow evening demographics, you may want to head over to Arbat Street, which is just a few minutes' walk from Manezh Square. Arbat Street is a pedestrian walkway leading out toward the west, ending at Smolenskaya Boulevard. It has always been a center for artists and the kinds of cafés they frequent. In fact, according to another Russian friend, some of the portrait artists have been plying their trade there for over 25 years. Governments may come and go, but the same artists will continue to take your money for a quickly sketched portrait. That kind of stability can be comforting.

Arbat Street is lined with pleasant places to have a coffee, as well as with cheap restaurants, usually serving pizza. And, of course, there's another McDonald's. One Russian proudly proclaimed to me that Moscow is the site of the second biggest McDonald's in the world, which is further proof that they lost the Cold War, although in this case I refrained from pointing it out. Since Russians do not make good pizza, and since only tasteless rubes would eat at McDonald's while traveling to a foreign country (please excuse me if you're a tasteless rube—I meant no harm), you're much better off eating Russian food. Or, for a highly unusual treat, try a Georgian restaurant, where they will serve you a variety of tasty dishes that are entirely unrecognizable, accompanied by lots of different kinds of leaves.

Ryabushinsky house - S. P.Ryabushinsky-s mansion

Shekhtel's Ryabushinsky House (1902-1904), now the Maxim Gorky Museum, is probably the best of its kind.

Ryabushinsky-s mansion v A. M. Gorky-s house-museum (M. Nikitskaya,6) The mansion, built in 1900-1903 on the corner of Malaya Nikitskaya and Spiridonievka, is a classic example of what we call a modern style.
An academician of architecture F. O. Shekhtel erected an asymmetric two-storied building with a massive porch for a millionaire Stephan Pavlovitch Ryabushinsky. He was a banker and a manufacturer and held a high position among businessmen of the capital.
He was also an old Believer (staroobryadets) and possessed one of the best icon collections in Russia. The main facade of the building faces the church of Great Ascension, which is situated in the north. Besides the main facade there are several more facades.
All of them are absolutely unique and inimitable. They differ from each other and that is what makes them equal in value. The building represents a cube. It is tiled with bright glazed bricks. The mosaic frise is ornamented with irises. Large square windows cut smooth walls through. The irrationality of the facade combines perfectly well with the rationality of the interiors. The paneled interior rooms are grouped around the main staircase. The layout of the mansion is very comfortable and likeable and reminds the old Russian tradition. The interior fascinates with its refinement.
In the pre-revolutionary guides about Moscow the building was called pretentious and quaint and fanciful. Its appearance didn-t fit in with the Empire style masterpieces around in Tverskoy boulevard.
Though the unfamiliarity of the mansion could be explained by Ryabushinsky-s belonging to both bourgeoisie and old Believers.
Since 1919 State Publishing House had been located in the mansion. Then it was All-Union Society of cultural contacts with foreign countries. And at last the house was put at A. M. Gorky-s disposal.
Prominent representatives of western culture visited the writer in his house. So it promoted the part a writer played in the Soviet Russia perfectly well. In 1965 the writer-s museum was opened in the mansion.

Underground: Tverskaya