Tour of China city. Walk around Kitay-gorod

This cache as well as “Walk around the Island”, “Walk along the Moscow lanes”, “Walk along Shviva Gorka”, “Walk along Ivanovskaya Gorka”, “Walk in the footsteps of the steam tram” is an independent tour of Moscow. If you don't want to look for the cache, don't. Just make a printout and walk around Moscow with it like a guide. Just want to warn you, this description does not claim to be objective. On the contrary, it is extremely subjective. Here I pass over in silence many of the famous sights you will pass by, but I draw your attention to many things that will seem completely insignificant to someone. Well then. You can see the famous monuments yourself. I'm trying to take you to places where tourists are much less common.
China town. One of the most interesting places in Moscow. Let's go back in time. Ancient Moscow. The borders of the city then passed along the line of the Kremlin walls. And Red Square was already near Moscow. But during the reign of Ivan III, a large stone construction was unfolding in the Kremlin and the Grand Duke, equipping the grand ducal residence there, began to evict the nearest boyars from the Kremlin. Ordinary people were evicted from there a long time ago. Naturally, everyone settled right there, nearby, in the suburb, to the east of the Kremlin walls. Well, where else could they live? On the one hand, the Moscow River, on the other, the Neglinka. The settlement grew. During numerous raids of enemies, the population of the settlement took refuge in a powerful fortress, and after the departure of the enemy, they returned to their burnt houses. While ordinary people lived in the settlement, everything happened like that. But now the settlement began to be populated by noble boyars and rich merchants (at the same time, ordinary people began to be forced out even further). Rich and noble people did not like that their rich towers remained unprotected. Pressure was put on the Grand Duke in order to build fortifications around the settlement. And during the reign of Elena Glinskaya, the settlement was surrounded by the first “wooden” wall. The structure of the wall was as follows. At a distance of several meters from each other, two high wooden wattle fences were arranged. The space between them was covered with earth. It turned out "tree-earthen fortification." A palisade and cannons were placed at the top. A ditch was dug in front. This type of fortification was called "Kita". Hence the name "China Town". So the Chinese have nothing to do with it. But, apparently, looking at the creation of their own hands, they realized that living under the cover of such fortifications is not very calm. And therefore, a year after the end of construction, powerful stone walls began to be built. The construction was entrusted to Italian masters, the best fortifiers in all of Europe. And in just 3-4 years the fortress was built. Compared to the Kremlin, it was a new generation fortress, designed to use powerful artillery fire. Therefore, its walls were not high, about 6-8 meters (in the Kremlin 10-19), but the thickness was about 6.5 meters. On the top there was a wide gallery, about 4 meters, for the installation of powerful guns. Unfortunately, during the Soviet era, the walls were almost completely destroyed. But some fragments are still preserved. This is how a fragment of the wall behind the Metropol Hotel was preserved. A piece of the wall is nearby (where the Boris Godunov restaurant is a modern remake). A piece of the wall along Kitaygorodsky proezd has been preserved. But there, in addition to the original wall, there are also sections of a remake, both modern and 60-70s of the 20th century. However, one should not confuse a “stupid” remake and scientific restoration. We can see part of the wall and the Resurrection Gate thanks to the work of the restorers. But first things first.

So on the road:

1 step. We will leave the Okhotny Ryad metro station towards Red Square. Let's stop in front of the Resurrection Gate. The first gates were built here as early as 1534 in the first "wood-and-earth" wall. And already in 1535-1538 they were rebuilt in stone. From the gate across the Neglinnaya River, first a wooden bridge was thrown, and from 1601-1603 a stone Voskresensky bridge (see the hiding place “Source of roads” from “kam”). The gates were protected by cannons mounted on top. There was a drawbridge near the gate. There were portcullises at the gates. In the 30s of the 17th century, premises were built and hipped towers were made, such as we see now. During the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (this is Pope Peter I), a list was ordered from the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Iveron on Mount Athos in the Iveron Monastery. The list was transferred to Moscow and placed in a chapel specially built for it at the Resurrection Gate. It was the Resurrection Gates that were the main, front entrance to Moscow. Everyone who entered here, ordinary peasants or emperors, who later came from the new capital of St. Petersburg for the coronation in Moscow, all went into the chapel and venerated the miraculous icon. But new times have come. In the 30s of the previous century, during the construction of the “bright future”, the chapel and the gates began to interfere with the organization of military parades. The gate and the chapel were demolished. But at the end of the 20th century, times changed again. In the early 1990s, the Moscow government decided to restore the gate and the chapel. The work was entrusted to the famous architect Oleg Zhurin, a student of Baranovsky. He did not restore the gate in the form in which they were demolished. For by that time they had already significantly lost their original image. Zhurin built the 17th century. And he succeeded. Now the gate both outside and inside exactly correspond to the 17th century. And a few words about the Iberian icon. The “same” icon, brought from Athos under Alexei Mikhailovich, to which all Russian tsars and, in general, all Russian people who came to Moscow kissed, has been preserved. During the Soviet era, it was kept in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki. After the revival of the chapel, it was decided not to take the icon from there, but to order a new list on Athos, which was completed and brought to Moscow in 1996. And the “same” icon is still in Sokolniki in the Resurrection Church. But even the new list has managed to become miraculous. People are constantly coming to him. Let us, according to the established age-old tradition, before entering “old Moscow” through the front gate, ask for help from the Iberian Icon and patronage in our today's walk.

2 step. So, we entered the Resurrection Gate and ended up on Red Square. I won't tell you what's here. Red Square, of course, is located on the territory of Kitay-gorod, but it is not at all the goal of our today's walk. Our task is to walk along the quiet (and not quite) and narrow streets and alleys of Kitay-gorod. Red Square is full of tourists even without us. Yes, and the sights located there are already well-known to everyone. We will wander through the streets and try to see what ordinary tourists rarely notice. So, having entered Red Square, we pass along the Kazan Cathedral and in front of the GUM building we turn left onto Nikolskaya Street, named after the Nikolsky Greek Monastery that was once located here. We go to the gateway in the house number 7-9. There are iron gates at the entrance. We have come to the Zaikonospassky Monastery. First, a few words about the name. Once the monastery was called Spassky, and in the houses that separate it from Nikolskaya Street they traded icons. The monastery was called that: “The Spassky Monastery behind the Icon Rows”. Then they apparently decided that it was too long, and simplified it. So the monastery became Zaikonospassky. And the monastery was founded in 1600 by Tsar Boris Godunov. In the 17th century, our rulers realized that a good education was needed to govern the state. And in 1665, a school was set up in the monastery to train officials for government agencies. It was headed by one of the most educated people of that time, Simeon Polotsky. However, it became clear that the needs of modern life require that education become the property of not only government officials. Educated people were needed in all sectors of the national economy. And then in 1686 the first higher educational institution in Russia was organized here - the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. Yes, higher education was born in Russia here, and not at Moscow State University. It was at this academy that Mikhailo Lomonosov studied and graduated brilliantly. Greek, Latin and Old Slavonic languages, grammar, philosophy, theology, arithmetic, geometry, dialectics, medicine, physics and much more were taught here. In 1914, the Academy was transferred to the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra. It exists there to this day. Its current name is the Moscow Theological Academy. Unlike the neighboring Nikolsky Monastery, this monastery was more fortunate. The temple was not destroyed. It was built at the end of the 17th century in the then fashionable “Moscow” (or, as they say, “Naryshkino”) baroque style. At the beginning of the 18th century, the cathedral was somewhat rebuilt. After a strong fire, it was rebuilt in 1742. Since then, he hasn't really changed. The temple is active. Services are regularly held there. There are actually two temples: upper and lower. In connection with constant repairs, they open and close in turn. But one temple is almost always open, unless of course you come in the middle of the night. I draw special attention to the fact that in the courtyard opposite the entrance to the temple there is a stall where you can buy bread and pies of local monastery pastries. I recommend. Delicious.

3 step. And we will return to Nikolskaya Street and go a little to the next gate in house number 11 and go into the courtyard. The yard is passable, but we do not pass through it, but we will stop inside. In the courtyard on the right side we see a wasteland. All come. A Greek monastery existed in Kitai-Gorod as early as the 14th century. But he was then on the other side of Nikolskaya Street. By order of Ivan the Terrible in 1556, the monastery was transferred to this place (where we are standing). Tsar Ivan the Terrible allowed Athos monks to conduct services here in Greek. The main stone construction was carried out in the monastery in the 17th-19th centuries. In the place where now the wasteland stood the grandiose Nikolsky Cathedral. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1935. It would be nice if they were going to build something here. But no, this place is still a wasteland. But maybe it's for the best. There is a chance that the cathedral will be restored. But one of the monastery buildings has been preserved, between the wasteland and Nikolskaya Street. Here the Bolsheviks demolished only the bell tower. As you can see, she is now recovering.

4 step. And we will return to Nikolskaya Street and go to Bogoyavlensky Lane. We turn into it and walk about 200 meters. Before us is another temple in the style of "Moscow" (or "Naryshkin" baroque). We are on the site of another ancient monastery - Epiphany. This is the second oldest monastery in Moscow. It was founded by the Grand Duke Daniil of Moscow already in 1296. The first temple of the Epiphany Monastery was built of wood and, of course, has not survived to this day. However, the stone temple built in its place under Ivan Kalita also did not reach us. And now let's try to enable the time machine function in your navigators or mobile phones. If your device does not support such a function, then I advise you to throw it out as obsolete. So what do we see? The city of Moscow is limited by the Kremlin wall. In the place where we are standing, there is, as they would say now, “the distant zamkadishche”. Directly from the monastery begins the descent to the Neglinnaya River. The Neglinnaya River was a very serious river in those days, its width was about 30 meters. Look along Bogoyavlensky Lane towards Nikolskaya Street. Do you see trees behind the houses? This is where the Neglinka flowed. Very near. This monastery is associated with the names of many great people. The first rector of this monastery was Saint Stefan, the brother (senior) of the well-known Sergius of Radonezh to all of us. It was here that Saint Stephen, as the rector of the monastery, took monastic vows of a young monk, who later became the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and one of the greatest Russian saints - St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow. They remember the walls of the monastery and St. Philip. After he was taken into custody by Tsar Ivan the Terrible, he was imprisoned in this monastery for some time, and then was sent into exile in Tver to the Otroch Monastery. Now a magnificent temple of the late 17th century has been preserved from the monastery, and a couple of buildings behind the temple were heavily rebuilt beyond recognition during the years of Soviet power. The temple is active. Services are held regularly.

5 step. We again exit to Nikolskaya Street and continue moving towards Lubyanskaya Square. We reach house number 15 on the left side of the street. Now there is the Historical and Archival Institute. And once there was a Synodal printing house. Actually, the institute is now located in its building. But the synodal printing house was founded here for a reason. The fact is that it was at this place that a small building stood, where the first printer Ivan Fedorov printed the first book in Rus' - “The Apostle”. So this is not just a synodal printing house, but the very first printing house in Rus'. Already in Soviet times, it was decided to erect a monument to Ivan Fedorov. But there is simply no place for a monument here. Put it in the yards - no one will see. And to put in front of the facade - to block the already narrow street. And therefore, they erected a monument to Ivan Fedorov not at the place of his labors, but a little further away. That's where we'll go now.

6 step. And we continue our way along Nikolskaya street to Tretyakovsky passage (it will be on the left) where we turn off. Having passed the entire Tretyakovsky passage, we go through the preserved tower of Kitay-gorod to Teatralny passage and turn right. Soon we will see a ladder to the right up to the monument. Us there. Climbing the stairs, we cross the border of Kitay-gorod and again find ourselves inside it. In front of us is a monument to the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov. Why he is standing here we have already said. But we didn't come here for him. Next to the monument you will see the preserved foundation of the temple. This is the Trinity Church in Old Fields. The very name of the temple speaks of its deep antiquity, of those times when all of Moscow lay inside the Kremlin walls, and here was the distant suburbs. It is known that the Church of the Holy Trinity was here in the 14th century. But the first mention in the documents refers to 1493. The construction of a stone church here dates back to the 15th-16th centuries. In the 17th century, several limits were added to it, and in the 19th century it was rebuilt again. In 1934, the church was demolished along with the Kitaigorod wall.
And before you leave here, look at the house covered with construction mesh. Its rear facade faces this church. And the main facade on Nikolskaya street. In this building in the 30s and 40s was the "Military Collegium of the Supreme Court". During the times of repressions, the death sentences of the Soviet "elite" were pronounced in this building. It was here that marshals Tukhachevsky and Yegorov, members of the Politburo Bukharin, Kamenev, Zinoviev, Rykov were sentenced to death. In total, according to the surviving documents, 31,456 death sentences were passed in this building. They were usually taken to execution places specially designed for this purpose. But they often shot right here in the basement.

7 step. And we move on. Look ahead. There is a narrow passage between the houses. Us there. A minute later we again find ourselves at the crossroads of Nikolskaya Street and Bolshoi Cherkassky Lane. Let's stop here for a while. In front of you is a modern building of the Nautilus shopping center. However, many remember that until recently there was a large wasteland in this place. It wasn't just a wasteland. Look at old photographs of Moscow (see photo on the right). You see a huge temple here. And it's actually not even a temple. Formally, it was a chapel. Chapel of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon. This place once again reminds us of the Holy Mount Athos. Here, in 1873, the monks of the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Athos, which, by the way, still operates there today, built a chapel in Moscow. Initially, it was located near the Epiphany Monastery, where we had already been. But in the 80s of the 19th century, the monks received as a gift a large plot of land near the Nikolsky Gates of Kitai-Gorod. And they built a huge temple here, which formally remained a chapel. This once again reminds us of the love and veneration of Panteleimon among the Russian people. The chapel was demolished in 1934. While there was a wasteland, until 1997, there was hope that someday this magnificent historical monument would be restored. But, alas, now here is a shopping center.

8 step. And we turn into Bolshoy Cherkassky Lane and move towards Ilyinskaya Street. Exit to Ilinskaya Street and turn right. The street is also very interesting. And if we talk about each interesting building, then our walk will drag on for a couple of months. And therefore, as it is not sad, but most of the sights we again pass by. And I, using my copyright, will mention here only what seemed most interesting to me personally. Having passed Ilyinskaya Street about half way, we get to Birzhevaya Ploshchad. Look to the left, at house number 6. In front of you is the building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The building was built in 1836-39 by the architect Bykovsky in the style of late classicism. Here was the merchant's exchange. As you can see, continuity has been preserved. However, soon after construction, the building ceased to accommodate the ever-increasing number of business people. And in 1873-75 the building was rebuilt by the architect Kaminsky. As a result of the restructuring, the usable area of ​​the premises has doubled. The next building on the left side is the famous Gostiny Dvor. The building was built at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries according to the project of the architect Quarenghi. In Soviet times, the building was occupied by dozens, if not hundreds of different organizations. Even the organization where my mother VINITI once worked also had a branch here. As a child, I visited my mother several times at work. This building itself, its rooms and corridors simply breathed antiquity. In the 90s, the building was reconstructed. The company in which I worked also took part in the reconstruction. Therefore, I know what I'm talking about, the builders did their best so that little was left of the ancient walls. It was not a scientific restoration, but the so-called “Luzhkov-style reconstruction” that was carried out. When an old building is destroyed, and an exact copy of concrete is cast in its place. It was about the same here. Although part of the load-bearing walls still remained. Now, when I come here, I see only glamorous brilliance. The breath of antiquity has disappeared completely.

9 step. And now let's look at the other side of Ilyinskaya street at house number 3\8. Before us is the temple of the Prophet Elijah on the Novgorod Compound. This is the main temple of the Ilyinsky Monastery that once stood here, from which Ilyinsky Street got its name. The temple was built already in 1520. This is one of the oldest surviving churches in Moscow. In the 17th century, the former monastery church became a parish church and was soon transferred to the metochion of the Metropolitan of Novgorod organized here. At the beginning of the 18th century, an upper temple was added to the ancient temple. At the beginning of the 19th century, the temple was rebuilt from the outside in the style of Russian classicism. And at the end of the 19th century, the temple was built on all sides with various buildings to such an extent that as a separate building it simply ceased to exist, built into some kind of incomprehensible structure. On the patronal feast of the temple - Ilyin's Day, religious processions to Red Square were made in the temple. All Russian tsars and patriarchs took part in the processions. In 1923 the temple was closed. The crosses were removed from him. And since it was built up on all sides with buildings, everyone forgot about it. They forgot to take it down. So he changed the godless times. In the 90s of the 20th century, the temple was returned to the church and it began to quarrel. Services are now regularly held in the church. Another ancient tradition has been revived. Every year on Ilyin's Day, religious processions to Red Square are held here. Only in modern times this tradition was supplemented with modern attributes. The fact is that Ilyin's day coincides with the day of the airborne troops. Therefore, the Airborne Forces chose Elijah the Prophet as their heavenly patron. So on this holiday, not only the highest clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, but also many paratroopers gather in the temple for the service and for the subsequent procession every year. Everyone comes, both gray-haired old veterans in orders, and younger veterans of local conflicts, and young people who have only recently returned from the army and vigorously celebrate their holiday throughout Moscow, and the command of the airborne troops, headed by the commander of the Airborne Forces, General Shamanov. So if you served in the army in the airborne troops or now one of your relatives is serving there, then in no case should you pass by this temple. You simply have to come here, put a candle to Elijah the Prophet and ask him for help to all our paratroopers, former, present and future.

10 step. And we continue to say goodbye to Ilyinskaya Street and, right in front of Ilyinsky Church, we dive into Khrustalny Lane, which departs from Ilyinskaya Street. And let's go down. To your left is the already familiar Gostiny Dvor, and to your right is the building of the middle shopping arcade. In general, before the revolution, there were three shopping arcades along the entire Red Square: upper, middle and lower. Now only the Upper Trading Rows are widely known, we know them as the GUM building, the middle trading rows, which had the same function before the revolution, belonged to one of the subdivisions of the Ministry of Defense in Soviet times. Now the building is closed with scaffolding and a net, and what is happening there and to whom it all belongs is now unclear. Below there was also a building of the Lower Trading Rows, but it was destroyed during the construction of the Rossiya Hotel, from which, in turn, nothing was left either.

11 step. And we went out to Varvarka Street to talk. Among all the streets of Kitay-gorod, I personally like it the most, at least from a visual point of view. Such a number of ancient monuments on such a short section of the street in Moscow is nowhere else. Crystal lane led us exactly to the very beginning of the street, to house number 2. We see the temple of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, it is from it that Varvarka Street bears its name. The first stone temple was built on this site in 1514 by the architect Aleviz Novy. In 1796-1804, in its place, the architect Kazakov built the temple that we see now. After the revolution, the temple was closed and rebuilt. However, during the construction of the Rossiya Hotel, when it became clear that there would be crowds of foreign tourists wandering around, the Soviet government restored some of the objects on Varvarka Street, including the Church of St. Barbara. Now the temple has been returned to the church. But since there are many churches in this area, and there are almost no residents, and, accordingly, parishioners, services in this church are rare.

12 step. We will take just a few steps and stop at the next interesting building. It does not go directly to Varvarka Street. It's like it's underneath. It does not hang the house number (at least I did not find it). But this old white building is hard to miss. This building was built in the 16th century. How was it? So, the middle of the 16th century. Just fifty years ago, Columbus paved the way to the New World. England, the mistress of the seas, also wants to snatch her piece in the era of great geographical discoveries and sends many expeditions to different parts of the world to search for new lands and open trade routes. One of these expeditions is sent in search of the northern sea route to China. Of course, none of the three ships that circled Scandinavia ever made it to China. During a severe storm, the ships were scattered across the sea. Two ships landed on a deserted island, where their crew soon died. And the third ship, led by Richard Chancellor, was lucky. They were brought to the mouth of the Northern Dvina. Places for the British were unfamiliar and they decided to explore them. It was here that it was discovered that they accidentally opened the northern sea route for trade with Russia. By land Chancellor was delivered to Moscow. Ivan the Terrible, who ruled at that time, was delighted with the opening of a new trade route. After all, before trade with England went through the Baltic through many intermediaries. Now it was possible to trade directly with great profit. Especially for the English merchants, who after that often visited Moscow and this building was transferred. Now there is a museum, which is called the “Old English Court”. During her visit to Moscow, the current Queen of Great Britain visited this place.

13 step. Let's walk down the street a little more to house number 4. In front of you is the Church of Maxim the Blessed on Varvarka. Blessed Maxim is one of the first Moscow saints. At least the very first blessed in Moscow. The year of his birth is unknown to us, we only know the year of his death, 1434. After his death, he was buried in the fence of the wooden church of Boris and Gleb, which stood on this site. But during a fire in 1568, the church burned down. And it was decided to build a new stone temple in honor of St. Maxim, Christ for the sake of the holy fool. But this temple also did not survive to this day. The building that now stands in front of us was built in 1698-1699, the bell tower was added much later - in 1827-1829. In the 1930s the temple was closed and dilapidated. However, in the 60s it was restored and used as an exhibition hall. Now the temple has been returned to the church. But services there, as well as in the church of St. Barbara, are still rare.

14 step. Let's walk along the same side of the street a little more to house number 10. In front of you is the chamber of the Romanov boyars. The house of the Romanovs was built on Varvarskaya Street by the grandfather of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, boyar Nikita Romanovich, at the end of the first half of the 16th century. At the end of the 17th century, the building was badly damaged by fire. But in general, the building has been preserved. Of course, the upper extension, which is so striking, is already a modern reconstruction, but the lower part of the building is a real 16th century. It was in these walls that the first Tsar of the Romanov family, Mikhail Fedorovich, was born. Now the building houses the Museum of the Romanov Boyars. By the way, the first museum dedicated to the Romanovs was opened here in 1859.

15 step. Now let's go back a few steps on the same side of the street. A little back from the street below, we see a whole complex of old buildings and churches. This is all that remains of the Znamensky Monastery. The royal decree on the founding of the Znamensky Monastery "in the Old Sovereign's Court, on the Barbarian sacrum, or near Barbara Mountain" was signed by Tsar Mikhailov Fedorovich in 1613. And it was located, as can be seen from its name, and as you can see for yourself, practically in the courtyard near the Romanovs' chambers. The Tsar granted the monastery lands (with part of the chambers) that previously belonged to his own estate. Almost all the buildings of the monastery that you see now were built in the second half of the 17th century. Apart from the bell tower, it is the middle of the 19th century. In the 30s of the 20th century the monastery was closed. In the 1960s, the dilapidated buildings were restored. A concert and lecture hall was arranged in the cathedral. Now restoration work is underway here. There are two churches in the cathedral: the lower one is Sergius of Radonezh, the upper one is the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”. Services are sometimes even held in the lower church. In front of the temple building, near the Romanovs' chambers, in a building reminiscent of the Old English courtyard, there is a monastery shop.

16 step. We go further along the same side. A little before reaching the temple, we will stop for a minute at the "observation deck". Let's look across the construction site. Approximately 400 meters away, in the very corner of a tall fence, a small temple is visible. But this is one of the oldest surviving churches in Moscow. Church of the conception of St. Righteous Anna, “in the corner”. That is its official name. “In the corner”, because it was built in the very corner of the Kitaigorod wall. The wall went almost exactly to the place where this tall terrible fence now stands. So the church is now fully consistent with its name - "what's in the corner." And this church was built already in the second quarter of the 16th century. Some sources claim that this is generally 1493. True, over the centuries the church was rebuilt and overgrown with various extensions from all sides. However, in the 60s of the 20th century, a large-scale restoration was carried out. Everything that was built from the 17th to the 19th century was demolished. And now the church stands in front of us in the form in which it was in the 16th century. The attraction for Kitay-Gorod is of course very significant, but I won’t take you there on purpose, it’s a helluva lot to go. Yes, and it's not very clear how to get there. Look from here, above. Consider that this is an optional task for those who wish. Who wants to go there himself. If he finds a way, of course.

17 step. And now let's shift our gaze from the distant church to the one that stands right in front of us (house number 12). The fact is that the phrase “come in large numbers here” appeared not today or even yesterday, but many centuries ago. By and large, Moscow arose and grew precisely at the expense of the “come in large numbers”. “Come in large numbers here” Yuri Dolgoruky and it began. And in this place there was a place of compact residence of the "come in large numbers" boyars and merchants from Pskov. Since then, this place on the mountain has been nicknamed Pskovskaya Gora. And the temple is called - George the Victorious on the Pskov Mountain. The first written mention of a stone church on this site dates back to 1462. The temple, which now stands on this site, was built in 1658, the bell tower and the refectory in 1818. After the revolution, the temple was closed and began to collapse. In the 1960s, an external restoration was carried out. Now the temple is active. This is the only temple of all the temples on Varvarka, which is almost always (except for the late evening and night of course) open and where services are held regularly.

18 step. Tired? Be patient, we are already at the finish line. Let's go a little further, to Slavyanskaya Square. To the right, along Kitaygorodsky passage, a piece of the preserved Kitaygorod wall goes. But she's not all real. A piece of the wall rebuilt in our time stands out. The “remake” built in the sixties and seventies is less noticeable, but if you wish, you can also see it.

19 step. Do you want to finally touch a piece of the real Kitai-Gorod wall, without any modern fake? There is nothing easier. Go down to the underground passage at the corner of Varvarka and Kitaigorodsky passage. During construction work in the underground passage, a perfectly preserved foundation of the Varvara tower of Kitay-gorod was discovered. And now it is open for viewing. There is even a memorial plaque.

20 step. Farewell. And here we are almost in the subway. Some of you are not interested in searching for hiding places. You went on this walk just to walk around old Moscow. Well, then, in this place we say goodbye to you. I hope you enjoyed the walk. And the entrance to the subway is very close. For those who want to find the hiding place, everything is just beginning.

When describing the cache, photographs of old Moscow were used from the site, which is called “Photos of Old Moscow”

Kitai-gorod is a large settlement that surrounded the Kremlin from the east. It starts from Red Square (formerly considered part of it), borders Okhotny Ryad, Theater Square and Theater Passage in the north, Lubyanskaya and Staraya Squares in the east, and Moskva River in the south. Scientists have been arguing for many years and interpreting the name Kitay-gorod in different ways. Most importantly, it clearly has nothing to do with China, and it is wrong to translate it into English as “Chinatown”. Many are inclined to believe that this is an “average” city or a “fortress”-city like the Pechenegs and Polovtsians. In Podolia, where Elena Glinskaya (mother of Ivan the Terrible) comes from, the word “china” or “kytai” means a fortress. Moreover, in 1538, by her decree, to protect against the invasion of Tatars and Lithuanians, a large wall was erected around the entire Posad, which, in addition to the houses of many noble citizens, included all merchant shops, markets, holy temples and Red Square. The wall was built in three years, had a length of about 2.5 km, a wall thickness of up to 6 m, a height of about 6.5 m. The wall had 14 towers, the most famous of which are Neglinnaya or Iverskaya (named after the later built chapel), Troitskaya, Vladimirskaya, Ilyinskaya, Varvarskaya and Moskvoretskaya. The wall stood for almost 400 years and was dismantled in 1932-1935. Two pieces of the wall remained - from Revolution Square behind the Metropol Hotel and from Varvarskaya Square to the embankment. We will start our walk around Kitai-Gorod from the Kazan Cathedral, which opens Nikolskaya Street.

We look opposite, at the GUM building

Let's go to Vetoshny Lane, to house 7

On the alley we will reach the house 11

Back to Nikolskaya street

Let's go to the neighboring monastery

We will turn into Bogoyavlensky Lane to look at the beautiful cathedral of the oldest Epiphany Monastery

Let's go back to Nikolskaya street

We look at the most interesting building opposite

The building is bordered by the famous hotel "Slavianski Bazaar"

Let's turn to the building opposite

Undoubtedly, attention is attracted by the Tretyakovskiy passage, which is also closely connected with trade.

We look at the building with columns next to the passage

The last house on Nikolskaya has a very sad story

From it we turn with you into Bolshoi Cherkassky Lane, so named after the possessions of the princes Cherkassky

Opposite the farmstead is a beautiful house, now occupied by the Central Election Commission

We pass to the next house in the alley

Immediately behind this building is the courtyard of the merchants Koznov-Baskakov

Check out the corner building

We approach house 5 in Staropansky Lane

Opposite it is the oldest church of Cosmas and Damian.

We pass along the lane to Birzhevaya Square

Look at the building on the left

We approach the Exchange building on the other side of the square

We go to Ilyinka - the main banking street of Kitay-gorod

A little ahead and to the right we have the Old Gostiny Dvor

• Trade on Ilyinka has been going on since ancient times. Ivan the Terrible moved all the merchants to Kitay-Gorod, where he ordered to build a Gostiny Dvor for them with wooden benches. On the site of this courtyard, or rather the stone Gostiny Dvor, which appeared instead of the wooden one, architects S.A. Karin and I.A. Selekhov to build a new Gostiny Dvor. The project by Giacomo Quarenghi was sent from St. Petersburg. Elegant in the classical style, Gostiny Dvor occupied the entire space between Ilyinka and Varvarka, including the old shopping malls and the former courtyard building. It became a model for the Gostiny Dvor in all the trading cities of Russia. A gigantic quadrangle, surrounded by an arcade, towered over the low buildings of Kitay-gorod. Separate shops were collected together, but isolated inside with thick walls. Large warehouses, comfortable shops met all the requirements of the Moscow merchants. Only wholesale trade was carried out here.

  We approach the house 8 on Ilyinka

• "Ambassador's Compound"

  Behind the Exchange building, which we have already talked about, is the building of the Volga-Kama Bank, built by the architect Freudenberg, in a very magnificent eclectic style. In the 17th century on Ilyinka, on the site between the Church of Dmitry Solunsky in Rybny Lane and Nikolsky Lane, was built The Embassy Court is a huge building intended for foreign ambassadors and their retinues. The name "Ambassador's Yard" remained behind this site until the revolution of 1917. The Yard stood here for more than a hundred years and is described in detail in the memoirs of foreigners who visited Moscow during this period. At the end of the XVIII century. the property was owned by the merchants A. Pavlov and N. Kalinin. The merchants decide to build a large tenement house. The project of the building is being developed by the architect M.F. Kazakov. In place of the old Embassy Court, a spacious commercial and residential building appears, built in the classical style - with a portico, Corinthian columns, reminiscent of the Embassy Court with arched vaults of the first floor windows. The building belonged to two owners and therefore was divided by a main wall into two unequal parts. In this form, the building stood until 1888, when the Moscow Merchant Society acquired a site for the construction of two buildings that could be leased to various commercial enterprises. The restructuring project was entrusted to the architect B.V. Freidenberg. The building was rented by the Volga-Kama commercial bank, which existed here until 1917.

We decided to end the morning part of our tour on Nikolskaya Street. Even in pre-Mongolian times, the future Nikolskaya was part of the Great Vladimirskaya Road, which connected Moscow with Rostov the Great, Suzdal and Vladimir. The name was first mentioned in 1547. Apparently, it existed earlier, but more often the street was called Sretenka, since before the construction of the wall of Kitai-Gorod in 1534-1538, the street was one with the current Lubyanka and Sretenka streets (the route of the ancient Vladimir road).
From 1935 to 1990 the street was called October 25 Street - in memory of the fact that it was from this street that the Red Guards fired on the Kremlin during the October battles and burst into it through the Nikolsky Gates, knocked out by shells.
We started our inspection of the street from house number 23. At present, this collapsed building does not attract attention, if it were not for the historical reference that we read in one of the sources. In this house during the years of Soviet power was the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR. Many sources claim that this particular house was the execution house, but, according to archival documents, the sentences were carried out in a neighboring house, located on the corner of Varsonofevsky Lane and Bolshaya Lubyanka.

Against the background of this house, building number 21 looks like a rich relative. Statues of the goddess of medicine Hygia with snakes in her hands on the facade give the building a special beauty. This is an apartment building and pharmacy of the master of pharmacy Ferrein. The pharmacy was founded by an honorary citizen of Moscow K.I. Ferrein in 1862, which received the title of the most famous pharmacy in Moscow, and its popularity spread throughout Europe. K ser. 19th century The pharmacy served up to fifty thousand prescriptions annually.
We go further and in the arch of house number 19 we see the most expensive boutiques in Moscow. And if the city itself is expensive, then it is not difficult to imagine what is happening here. We were attracted by the beautiful arch of the Tretyakov passage, stylized as Russian antiquity. It was built, like the entire passage, by the Tretyakov brothers-philanthropists.
The building at number 17 - the hotel with the restaurant "Slavyansky Bazaar" knew the times when outstanding figures of Russian culture were scorched at its tables: P. I. Tchaikovsky, A. P. Chekhov, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, V. V. Stasov , G. I. Uspensky, M. Gorky, F. Nansen and others. It was here that on June 21, 1898, a meeting took place between K. S. Stanislavsky and V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, which laid the foundation for the Moscow Art Theater. The glory of the hotel was not so much eminent guests and comfortable rooms, but the restaurant "Slavic Bazaar". Its building was built in the courtyard in 1873 (architect A. E. Weber). It was the first Russian restaurant with Russian cuisine and European service. Especially for the restaurant, I. E. Repin painted the painting “A Collection of Russian, Polish and Czech Musicians”.
After the reconstruction of the building in connection with a fire in 1993, the Moscow State Academic Chamber Musical Theater under the direction of B. A. Pokrovsky was located here.
We pass on and admire the house 15. In my opinion, the most beautiful building on this street. Two horses, towards each other, are somewhat reminiscent of sculptures on the circus building. An event took place in this house, without which the development of Russian culture would have been impossible. Ivan Fedorov printed here in 1564 the first Russian dated printed book. It was the "Apostle", i.e. The Acts of the Apostles is one of the books of the New Testament.
The Moscow Printing Yard is the first known owner of this site. And here are other owners: the Synodal Printing House, the Historical and Archival Institute, the Russian State University for the Humanities. Now in this building the Russian State University for the Humanities.
Before turning left into Bogoyavlensky Lane, we stopped in front of a building that might be of interest for its turret. Imagine the surprise that this is the bell tower of the Nikolo-Greek Monastery.
We finished our morning promenade at the Epiphany Monastery. This is a former monastery, one of the oldest in Moscow. Founded by Moscow Prince Daniel.
The Novgorod chronicle tells about the founding of the monastery as follows: “From 1296 to 1304 there was a monastery of the miraculous Theophany, and in the aisle of the Annunciation of the Most Pure Mother of God in Moscow for bargaining, God's blessing and building of the faithful and pious Grand Duke Daniel Alexandrovich of Vladimir and Novgorod and Moscow and All Rus' , this most honorable abode of the Epiphany was made in the days of his state.
Over the years of its existence, it burned several times and was restored each time. It was closed by the Soviet government in 1920. During the Great Patriotic War, a downed German fighter plane demolished the head of the temple during its fall. The head was restored in the 1990s. At present, the two-story Cathedral of the Epiphany, the abbot's and fraternal buildings have been preserved.
On May 31, 2007, a bronze monument to the monks-enlighteners brothers Likhuds was erected near the cathedral.
Having descended into the subway opposite the monastery, we went to the Taganskaya station to visit the Krutitsy Compound. On the way, a pleasant surprise awaited us. I often drove past this complex of the Novospassky Stauropegial Monastery by car, but when I went inside, I didn’t imagine what I would see here. More on this in the next post.

The second part of the walk started from Kitay-gorod metro station. The first sight that is encountered when exiting the metro towards Kitaygorodsky proezd is the Kitaygorodskaya wall.


01 The wall is an almost unpreserved monument of medieval Russian fortification.

02 The red-brick fortress wall around Moscow's Kitay-gorod, 2,567 meters long and with 12 towers, was built during the reign of Elena Glinskaya, in 1535-38. under the leadership of the Italian engineer Petrok Maly.

03 The purpose of the construction was to defend the Moscow Posad from the raids of the Crimean Tatars, similar to the invasion of Mahmet Giray in 1521.

04 The erection of the wall was preceded by a temporary stockade in 1534.

05 The walls of Kitay-gorod adjoined the corner towers of the Moscow Kremlin - Beklemishevskaya and Arsenalnaya.

06 Compared to the Kremlin wall, the walls of Kitay-gorod are lower, but thicker, with platforms designed for gun carriages.

07 Such fortifications are better adapted to reflect cannon fire.

08 Slavyanskaya Square was called Varvarskaya Square until 1924, and in 1924-1991 it was known as the northern side of Nogin Square.

09 For me, this square is associated with the starting point for a five-day trip to kindergarten.

10 The Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist at the Barbarian Gates with the Klimentovsky side chapel was built in 1741 by the manufacturer F. S. Podsevalshchikov on the site of an older stone church.

11 The Temple of George the Victorious on Varvarka is mentioned in chronicles under 1462.

12 In 1657, the old church of St. George the Victorious was dismantled, and a new one was erected on its foundation.

13 In 1812, the Church of St. George the Victorious on Pskovskaya Gora was badly damaged and had to be rebuilt almost from scratch.

14 During the restoration, the temple on Varvarka was increased in size: the refectory became 2 times larger; on the north side, a porch and a bell tower in 2 tiers appeared.

15 Chambers of the Romanovs of the 16th-17th centuries is the only building that has survived from the large estate of the Romanov boyars.

16 Now the chambers are a branch of the State Historical Museum “Chambers in Zaryadye”.

17 Temple in the name of St. Maximus the Confessor was built in 1568 on the site of a wooden temple of the XIV century.

18 The temple that we see now was built in 1698-1699, the bell tower - in 1827-1829.

19 In the 1930s. the temple was closed and ruined, in 1965-969. - restored, until 1994 it was used as an exhibition hall.

20 Services are held on the patronal feasts of St. blzh. Maxim of Moscow and St. Maximus the Confessor.

21 The Znamensky Monastery was founded in 1629-31. on the site of the courtyard that belonged to the Romanov boyars.

22 The monastery was named Znamenskoye, the Church of the Sign of the Mother of God that stood here (beginning of the 16th century).

23 The Znamensky Monastery received the court of the Romanovs with all the buildings, as well as the estates and lands of the nun Martha.

24 In the XVIII century. the monastery gradually fell into decay, in 1764 it was assigned to the 3rd class, its lands were transferred to the treasury.

25 By the end of the XVIII century. the monastery again experienced a period of prosperity; a new bell tower and cell buildings were built.

26 In 1856, at the direction of Emperor Alexander II, work began on the organization of the museum "The House of the Romanov Boyars" in the monastery.

27 After 1923, the monastery was closed, the buildings, including the cathedral, were converted into housing, by the beginning of the 1960s. were in disrepair.

28 Barbara's Church was built in 1796-1804 according to the design of R.R. Kazakov at the expense of I. Barannikov and N. Samgin using the foundations of the temple of the same name, built by Aleviz Fryazin Novy in 1514.

29 Previously, she fixed the corner of the block at the intersection of Varvarka Street and Zaryadinsky Lane, which has not been preserved.

30 A 2-tier bell tower adjoins from the west.

31 The Old English Court is a monument of civil architecture of the XV-XVII centuries, the residence of the English trading Moscow company, and during embassy missions - the English embassy house.

32 Like many merchant houses of that era, the building combined front rooms with extensive storage and utility rooms.

33 Trade relations with England were severed in 1649, when the execution of King Charles I in Great Britain provoked a deep diplomatic crisis between Russia and England.

34 By decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, British trade and diplomatic representatives were expelled from the country, and the property of the Moscow Company was confiscated.

35 After the British, for 20 years, the tsar's relative boyar I. A. Miloslavsky owned the chambers.

36 After the death of Miloslavsky, the chambers again became the property of the state and were assigned to the Posolsky order, and at the end of the 17th century they were allocated under the metochion of the Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod.

37 At the beginning of the 18th century, Tsar Peter I organized here one of the first Arithmetic Schools in Russia.

38 From 1949 to 1966 it housed the Library of Foreign Literature.

39 On October 18, 1994, a museum was opened here, which became a branch of the Museum of the History of Moscow. The entrance fee to the museum is 50 rubles.

40 Moscow Gostiny Dvor. The history of Gostiny Dvor begins in the 14th century. At the end of the 18th century, by decree of Catherine the Great, in accordance with the project of the famous Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi, Gostiny Dvor was rebuilt into a single building of strict and elegant architecture, which became a new decoration of Moscow.

41 Spasskaya - one of the 20 towers of the Moscow Kremlin overlooking Red Square. The main gates of the Kremlin - Spassky are located in the tower, the famous clock - chimes are installed in the tent of the tower.

42 St. Basil's Cathedral is an Orthodox church located on Red Square.

43 GUM or "Main Department Store", until 1921 - Upper Trading Rows - a large shopping complex (department store) in the center of Moscow, which occupies a whole block of Kitay-Gorod and overlooks Red Square with its main facade.

44 GUM is a monument of pseudo-Russian architecture of federal significance. Owned by the Russian retailer Bosco di Ciliegi, which specializes in the sale of luxury goods.

45 The State Historical Museum is the national historical museum of Russia, located on the north side of Red Square.

46 The collection of the museum reflects the history and culture of Russia from ancient times to the present day, is unique in terms of the number and content of the exhibits.

47 The Kazan Cathedral is the first of the churches in Moscow completely lost during the Soviet era, which was recreated in its original forms.

48 Reconstruction was carried out in 1990-1993 on the initiative of the Moscow city branch of the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments (MGO VOOPIiK).

49 After the decision of the Moscow City Council to restore the “monument of military glory” (1989), donations began to be collected.

51 Resurrection gates - double passage gates of the Kitaigorod wall in the passage of the same name between the building of the City Duma and the Historical Museum.

Gate 52 gave the name to Resurrection Square.

53 Kilometer zero - the starting point for counting road distances.

54 The Museum of the Patriotic War of 1812 was opened for the 200th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812.

55 The Bolshoi Theater is one of the largest in Russia and one of the most important opera and ballet theaters in the world.

56 Zaikonospassky monastery - arose in late. XVI - beginning. 17th century on the site of the monastery of St. Nicholas the Old.

57 He is especially famous for the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy that existed under him.

58 Closed after the revolution. Divine services were resumed in 1992, but the cathedral is now a parish church.

59 Many of the premises of the monastery are occupied by outside organizations.

60 The Epiphany Cathedral was built in 1342, replacing the original wooden one under Grand Duke Ivan Kalita.

61 In 1624 the church began to be rebuilt. It consists of two tiers.

62 The church of the lower tier is the oldest and dates back to 1624 with the main altar in honor of Our Lady of Kazan. The upper church in honor of the Theophany of the Lord and the Savior of the miraculous image was built in 1693.

63 The monument to the Greek enlighteners - Ioannikios and Sophronius Likhudas, the founders of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was erected at the expense of the Greek government, as a gift to Moscow and consecrated by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'.

64 Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.

65 Exchange Square.

66 st. Ilyinka.

68 Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation.

69 The Administration of the President of Russia is a state body of Russia that ensures the activities of the President and controls the execution of his instructions and decisions.

70 The Administration of the President of Russia is the successor to the Administration of the Head of the RSFSR, established on July 19, 1991.

71 The Russian Orthodox University is an institution of higher professional religious education of the Russian Orthodox Church, formed in accordance with the decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.

72 It is assumed that the newly formed university will provide educational services in accordance with secular and ecclesiastical standards of education.

73 The Polytechnic Museum is one of the oldest scientific and technical museums in the world, located in Moscow on New Square.

74 The museum was created on the basis of the funds of the Polytechnic Exhibition of 1872 on the initiative of the Society of Lovers of Natural Science, Anthropology and Ethnography with the active participation of its members, professors of Moscow University G. E. Shchurovsky, A. P. Bogdanov and others.

75 The building of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB of Russia) is a unified centralized system of bodies of the federal security service, carrying out, within the limits of its powers, the solution of tasks to ensure the security of the Russian Federation.

76 The Moscow Printing Yard is the first printing house in Russia.

77 The printing house was founded under Ivan the Terrible in 1553.

78 This was such a weekend walk through the “historical center of Moscow”.

Material taken from the site

I've had footage of Kitay-Gorod for a long time. But this topic is so vast that I just can’t find the time to make a post.
Now I've decided to do it in batches.
We walked so well yesterday that I immediately want to lay out the history of the sections we walked past.
Let me remind you that yesterday a warm company consisting of: popala_dog , prague_with_me , m_i_s_t_e_r_x_1 , melanie , ba_tenka , a_dedushkin , black_mile , , crash90 and my youngest son, after getting acquainted with the open supports of the Voskresensky bridge, walked obliquely through Kitay-gorod.
That's what buildings we passed by, I'll tell you now.
Let's start with the old Epiphany Monastery of which there is little left, but there is a handsome cathedral


The emergence and history of the Epiphany Monastery is associated with the name of the first Moscow prince Daniil Alexandrovich, with Metropolitan Alexy, who allegedly was tonsured and passed his obedience here, and with his brother Stefan, the former abbot of the monastery.

Recently, a well-known archaeologist L. A. Belyaev carried out thorough research on the territory of the monastery, which allowed him to assert that this monastery appeared here on the already built-up territory of the settlement in the second half of the 13th century. The first buildings of the monastery were wooden, but very early - at the end of the XIV-beginning of the XV century. - a stone cathedral appears here. There is even news that it was founded by Ivan Kalita, and "after his departure from the earthly to God ... this church made a miraculous Epiphany in this holy monastery and their boyar, called by the name Protasius," a thousand from the Velyaminov family, descended from the Kuchkovichi. In general, it can be assumed that originally the monastery could be closely connected with the estate of the Velyaminovs here.

By the end of the XVII century. the cathedral was rebuilt. In 1690-1693. the lower church was erected, the throne of which was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God - the Sheremetevs, Dolgoruky, Repnins, Romodanovskys, Golitsyns, Yusupovs, Menshikovs were buried in it. There was a necropolis with beautiful monuments of outstanding sculptors. At the beginning of 1696, the upper Epiphany Church was consecrated, decorated in 1704-1705. craftsmen who came to Russia from the Tessinsky canton of Switzerland.

(borrowed from Melania)
The Cathedral of the Epiphany Monastery is one of the most striking examples of the Moscow Baroque, with its tiered construction of the building and magnificent decorative attire, where order elements were used.

Behind the cathedral are buildings of the 18th-19th centuries, monastic cells and the rector's house.

Initially, the territory of the monastery did not go to Nikolskaya street, and only in 1671, Princess K. I. Repnina donated a land plot along the street, located north of the monastery and received by her "by kinship" from her uncle, Prince Yu. P. Buynosov-Rostovsky . A church and a fence were built along Nikolskaya Street, and the chapel of the Panteleimonovsky Monastery stood there. It was transferred to a new grandiose building on the same Nikolskaya street, built by the architect A. S. Kaminsky in 1881-1883, and the Epiphany Monastery did not stop before demolishing, despite the protests of the Archaeological Society, the old church and building an apartment building (1905, project by N. N. Blagoveshchensky).

here you can see its courtyard facade, i.e. wall

On the opposite, left side of Bogoyavlensky Lane, there are no interesting buildings from an architectural point of view, but the history of the site where buildings No. 1 and 3 are located is quite interesting. It was made up of several parts belonging to different owners. One of them, at the corner of Bogoyavlensky Lane, in 1626 was owned by Prince A. T. Telyatevsky, the same one who, together with his serf Ivan Bolotnikov, raised an uprising against Tsar Vasily Shuisky; in the XVII-XVIII centuries. it belonged to the Saltykovs. One of the owners was Princess Natalya Borisovna Dolgorukova, well-known in Russian history, nee Sheremeteva, daughter of Field Marshal Boris Petrovich. She married the favorite of Emperor Peter II, Prince Ivan Alekseevich Dolgorukov, for 16 years, but after the sudden death of Peter, 3 days after the wedding, the favorite was exiled to Berezov, and the young wife, despite the persuasion of her relatives, followed him. After eight years of living together in exile, her husband was taken away and wheeled after severe torture. She returned to Moscow and much later became a nun at the Kyiv monastery. The life of N. B. Dolgorukova served as the subject of several literary works, and her "Notes" became an excellent example of the confession of a loving woman.
Now there is a reconstruction and we were able to enter the gateway, so I will illustrate the further story about this property with pictures of the courtyard area.

Later, the site here passed to her son M.I. Dolgoruky (father of the poet Ivan Mikhailovich), then to V.P. Musin-Pushkin, vice-president of the Military Collegium, army commander in the Russian-Swedish war of 1788-1789, then Potemkin , relatives of the famous Catherine's favorite, and finally the court adviser P. A. Kusovnikov and his heirs.

In 1842, they sold the entire property to merchants of the 1st guild Gavriil and Alexei Chizhov, the owners of a banking office, who opened a "compound" here five years later, that is, a hotel with premises for trading and storing goods, which was called "Chizhovsky Compound" .

In 1844-1854. The Chizhovs are building an existing building along the perimeter of the site.

Chizhovskoe metochion was filled with many offices and shops; so, in the room at the corner of Nikolskaya and Bogoyavlensky lanes there was a shop of the famous perfumery company A. Ralle and Co.

After the Bolshevik coup in the Chizhovsky Compound, officials of institutions arriving from Petrograd settled down - in particular. The Commissariat of Communications, later the courtyard was given over to a military hostel - it was the "3rd House of the Revolutionary Military Council", where the military leaders who later became famous lived: marshals M. N. Tukhachevsky, S. M. Timoshenko and K. K. Rokossovsky.

The long and inexpressive building, in which the lobby of the Ploshchad Revolyutsii metro station (1947, architect Yu. P. Zenkevich), was built by the merchants Chizhovs in 1857, and before 1917 it housed the Novo-Chizhovskoe metochion.

I got pancakes. I went to the fire, and then I will continue.