Arbat has long become the main tourist artery of Moscow. City guests flock here from all over the capital. First of all, it is famous for its ancient history, since it dates back to the 15th century. This is one of the oldest streets in Moscow.
© Alexander
There are several theories about the appearance of the name Arbat. It is believed that it comes from the Arabic “robat” - suburb, suburb. Horse-drawn carts have long been made nearby, so it is possible that the name was taken from the word “arba” - a Mongolian two-wheeled cart. The first attempt to rename the street Smolenskaya was made by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov. But the locals continued to call it by the old name. So the name Arbat stuck. In some cities it is used to designate pedestrian streets.
Arbat in Moscow
A few facts about Arbat:
- Arbat Street in Moscow is the oldest. It has existed for more than 5 centuries.
- Arbat is a symbol of old Moscow and the most famous street in the city. They composed songs and poems about him, made films, and wrote books.
- The name of Arbat street probably comes from the Arabic word “arbad”, which means suburb, suburb. It was brought to Moscow in the 15th century by Arab merchants or Crimean Tatars.
- In the middle of the 17th century they tried to rename Arbat to Smolenskaya Street, but the new name did not take root.
- Arbat stretches from Arbat Square to Smolenskaya, a distance of just over a kilometer. The Arbat region - the nearby streets and alleys - is often referred to as Arbat.
- Many talented people lived on Arbat - writers, musicians, scientists and philosophers; with the light hand of the poet Andrei Bely, they began to be called Arbatians.
- Stalin traveled through Arbat from the Kremlin to his dacha near Moscow; a government highway ran along the street.
- Arbat in Moscow is often called Old Arbat, contrasting it with New Arbat, a street created in the 20th century.
- Arbat became a pedestrian street in 1986 after large-scale reconstruction. The asphalt was replaced with tiles, retro lanterns, benches and flowerpots were installed.
- Due to the popularity of the street among tourists, Arbat has a huge number of souvenir and antique shops, pawn shops and of course cafes, many street artists, second-hand book dealers and merchants. In the evening, the lights come on and street musicians play. Behind the advertising signs of merchants, aimed mainly at foreigners, the main advantage and beauty of the Moscow Arbat is lost - its historical architecture.
- The word “Arbat” has long become a household name, the name given to a pedestrian tourist street in any city.
Arbat in Moscow is often scolded and criticized, saying that it is no longer the same. For some, it is not the same, because there are few street vendors and souvenir stalls there, for others, on the contrary, there are too many of them. For some it is too quiet, for others it is too crowded, despite the diversity of opinions, the Arbat remains the most popular attraction in Moscow.
Arbat is the most charming street in Moscow
The Arbat quarter or district is a historical district of Moscow, home to the famous Arbat (or Old Arbat) street, about 20-30 minutes walk west of Red Square or 15 minutes from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Located in the historical center of Moscow between Arbat and Smolenskaya-Sennaya squares, Arbat is about 1.2 km long and is surrounded by historical buildings in various architectural styles. Personally, I love walking along this street. This is the most charming street in Moscow thanks to its historical architecture and its energy.
If you love nightlife and excitement, then this area is a good place to stay in Moscow. On this street you will find many souvenir shops, restaurants, museums or artists painting passers-by. Additionally, during various festive periods throughout the year, such as Christmas, this street is specially decorated and illuminated.
Before you begin your tour of this street, I must warn you of two things:
- Don't confuse Arbatskaya Street with the new Arbatsky Prospekt (or New Arbat), which is also in the same area, north of and perpendicular to the old Arbat, just a few minutes' walk away. This is a modern avenue that has eliminated the old quarter with its narrow Arbat lanes.
- It has several lanes in each direction, which are part of the Moscow Ring Road, the M-1 federal highway or the motorway that runs through the entire Moscow region and reaches Belarus.
Along the street you will find employees of shops, restaurants or museums hunting tourists to lure them into their establishments, some of them dressed in a wide variety of costumes.
How to get to Arbat
By metro to the Smolenskaya station of the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line (blue line), then walk along Smolensky Boulevard, passing under the arch or along Troilinsky Lane. Walking from this station you will see a Stalinist skyscraper - the Foreign Ministry building, located on Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square, its height together with the spire is 172 meters. At the beginning of Arbat, or rather it is already the end of the street (the numbering of houses ends here), there is a McDonald's in a two-story building.
Take the metro to the Arbatskaya station on the Filevskaya line (blue line), then walk past the oldest cinema in Moscow, Khudozhestvenny, and cross the road along the underground pedestrian crossing towards the Prague restaurant. Turn left, walking along the restaurant building and around it, turn onto the street - Arbat begins here.
Location of Old Arbat
Now Arbat is located in the Central District of Moscow. The street is completely pedestrian. It starts from Arbat Gate Square and ends at Smolenskaya Square. It runs between Prechistenka and Novy Arbat streets.
The length of Arbat is 1200 meters.
The Old Arbat is crossed by narrow lanes: Bolshoi Afanasyevsky, Starokonyushenny, Kaloshin, Krivoarbatsky, Spasopeskovsky, Plotnikov, Denezhny, etc. Local toponyms are a heritage from the artisans' workshops located here.
Virtual walk along Arbat
Alpha Arbat Center
House No. 1. The intersection of Arbat Street and Gogolevsky Boulevard
The eight-story office building of the Alfa Arbat Center is located opposite the legendary Prague restaurant. It was built in 2005 on a vacant lot formed after the fall of an aerial bomb during the Great Patriotic War. At first, the building belonged to and was built to her order. Currently, the owner is the PSN group of Dmitry Ananyev, the former owner of Promsvyazbank.
Many architects noted that the building spoils the historical appearance of Arbat and overwhelms the Prague building with its size. This is such a huge modern high-rise monster that you want to quickly pass by it to the historical part of the street. On the ground floor of the Alfa Arbat Center there are shops, pawn shops, restaurants and cafes.
Restaurant Prague
House No. 2.
Initially, the building of the late 17th century housed an apartment building. In 1872, the Prague tavern opened here, which was visited mainly by Moscow cab drivers, calling the tavern “Braga”. In 1896, “Prague” was won in billiards by the merchant Semyon Tararykin. With the help of architect Lev Kekushev, he rebuilt the tavern and turned it into a restaurant with stucco moldings and large mirrors. An open terrace and winter garden were built on the roof.
The place became a favorite among the Moscow intelligentsia. Ilya Repin, Ivan Bunin, Alexander Blok, Maxim Gorky, Alexander Kuprin, Sergei Yesenin and other celebrities have been here.
After the October Revolution, the restaurant was nationalized. In 1924, a Mosselprom canteen opened here. It was closed in the late 30s; the restaurant received new life in 1955, when it opened after a major renovation. The “Prague” cake was invented by the head of the restaurant’s confectionery department, Vladimir Guralnik.
In post-Soviet times, Prague belonged to the AST group of businessman Telman Ismailov, owner of the Cherkizovsky market. In 2015, AST was declared bankrupt and the restaurant was taken over by VTB. Currently, the owner of Prague is businessman Miroslav Melnik.
Cinema "Khudozhestvenny"
Before you start exploring the sights (Old Arbat holds many secrets), it’s worth stopping for a while at the Khudozhestvenny cinema. It is not only a temple of cinematic art, but also an architectural monument and a significant historical place. The building acquired its modern appearance in 1910-1912, when it was rebuilt by the architect F. Shekhtel. This was the first building that was specifically designed as a cinema. It was here that the first premieres of Russian cinema took place, and a sound film was shown here for the first time. At the beginning of the 20th century, “Khudozhestvenny” was a gathering place for the Moscow intelligentsia; it is known that A. Bely, V. Bryusov, and L. Tolstoy visited here.
Entertainment center
House No. 16 . Website: bigcreative.fun Opening hours: from 11.00 to 00.00, seven days a week. Ticket price: 450 rub. for one attraction (there are cheaper and more expensive ones), children under 5 years old - free.
There is an entertainment center on Arbat that is popular with both children and adults. Here you will find: mirror and ribbon labyrinths, a giant's house, a petting zoo, an upside down house, break the dishes and others. Some of the attractions are located in other buildings - on Novy Arbat, Maly Nikolopeskovsky Lane and VDNKh. You can buy a ticket for one attraction or a complex ticket for several at once.
Vakhtangov Theater
House No. 24, 26. Website: www.vakhtangov.ru Cash desk opening hours: daily from 12.00 to 20.00.
Theater named after Vakhtangov E.B. is located opposite the Central House of Actors. This is a favorite place for street musicians. Initially, the theater was located in the old Berg mansion, built in 1873. During a night air raid on July 24, 1941, the building was destroyed. Several theater employees who were on duty on the roof to extinguish incendiary bombs were killed. A new building was built after the war on the old site according to the design of the architect Pavel Abrosimov.
Fountain "Princess Turandot"
In front of the theater there is a fountain with a bronze figure of Princess Turandot, covered with gilding, seated on a throne. The sculptor of the fountain is Alexander Burganov. It was opened in 1997 in honor of the 75th anniversary of the production of the play “Princess Turandot”. The premiere of the fairy tale by Carlo Gozzi took place on February 28, 1922 - this is the last performance staged by Yevgeny Vakhtangov. On May 29, 1922, the outstanding director died, he was 39 years old, and was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery. The play “Princess Turandot” became a symbol of the Vakhtangov Theater and its calling card; it was performed on the stage of the theater with great success for several decades.
You can learn the history of the Yevgeny Vakhtangov Theater on a tour conducted by the theater museum. Here you can see the main stage, backstage, the Stalin box, the memorial office of Ruben Simonov and Mikhail Ulyanov, as well as a historical photo exhibition and an exhibition of costumes. Ticket price is 500 rubles, tickets must be booked in advance.
The historical theater building is located on Arbat in house No. 26; in 2015, a new stage was opened in house No. 24. In 2016, an additional stage area, the Art Cafe, opened in the same building.
Sights of Arbat
Sights of Arbat on the map
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Famous houses of Arbat and their history:
Arbat Gate Square
Located at the intersection of Arbat, New Arbat, Povarskaya Street, Nikitinsky Boulevard and Arbat Square. The name of the square is associated with the Arbat Gate of the White City that once stood here, dismantled at the end of the eighteenth century. The square acquired its present appearance in the thirties of the last century.
Khudozhestvenny Cinema (Arbatskaya Square 14)
The cinema was opened in 1909. This is one of the oldest and operating cinemas in Russia.
Restaurant Prague (Arbat, building 2)
The building at Arbat, building 2 appeared in the seventeenth century and was rebuilt many times. For some time the house was listed as profitable. And in 1872, the Prague tavern was opened here, the main visitors of which were cab drivers and ordinary people. In 1896, the merchant Tararykin became the owner of the establishment. He also turned the tavern into a first-class restaurant.
After the 1917 revolution, the restaurant was nationalized. The building housed shops and later a dining room. The canteen was closed in the 1930s.
It was only in 1954 that the Prague restaurant was reopened after extensive reconstruction.
House of General Shanyavsky (Arbat, building 4)
building from the mid-nineteenth century. The building was occupied at various times by the Society of Russian Doctors (1865), a music school, and in 1887 the building was bought by the famous gold miner A.L. Shanyavsky. In 1905, Shanyavsky transferred the building into the possession of the City Duma to establish a national university here. Sergei Yesenin, Nikolai Klyuev, Yanka Kupala, Sergei Klychkov and others studied within the walls of Shenyavsky University. Among the teachers mentioned are Alexander Kiesevetter, Mikhail Bogoslovsky, Alexander Chayanov and Yuri Gauthier.
National Cultural Center of Ukraine (Arbat, building 9)
The building was built in 1873-1874 according to the design of architect N.I. Gushchina. In 1899, the building was reconstructed. In the seventies and eighteenth century, the physicist, founder of the Polytechnic Museum, founder of the popular magazine “Electricity”, V.N., lived here. Chikolev. Revolutionary I.N. also rented an apartment in this house. Myshkin. Princess Obolenskaya, who was friends with the writer Leo Tolstoy, who occasionally visited her, rented an apartment within the walls of this building. In the 1920s, the house housed the Arbatsky Basement cafe, where Vladimir Mayakovsky, Andrei Bely, Alexander Blok, Sergei Yesenin with his passion Isadora Duncan, Boris Pasternak and many others visited more than once. In 1998, the Cultural Center of Ukraine was opened at 9 Arbat.
Former building of the Private Pawnshop Society (Arbat, building 11)
Year of construction 1910-1911. Initially the building had 3 floors. An additional two floors appeared after the reconstruction in 1933.
Bobovich Apartment House (Arbat, building 15)
In the nineteenth century, a two-story house stood on this site, in which Mr. Khlebnikov’s brokerage office was located. It is here that A.S. Pushkin signed documents for renting an apartment at 53 Arbat. After the wedding, it was there that he would bring his wife, Natalya Goncharova.
House of archivist and bibliographer Peter Bartenev (Arbat, building 16)
in the nineteenth century, the historian, literary critic, archivist, bibliographer, pioneer of Pushkin studies, director of the Chertkov Library, founder and publisher of the historical magazine “Russian Archive” Pyotr Ivanovich Bartenev lived in this house.
Apartment building (Arbat, building 17)
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the plot at this address belonged to the Khlopov family and Mr. A.I. Fonvizin, to whom the famous Russian writer Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin was a brother, and the Decembrist, philosopher and Major General Mikhail Aleksandrovich Fonvizen was his son. In 1898 the buildings were demolished. The artists Konstantin Pervukhin and Konstantin Yuon lived for some time in the newly built building.
Apartment building of the Church of St. Nicholas the Revealed (Arbat, building 18)
Over the years, academicians Peter Rebinder and Nikolai Karasevsky lived in the house.
Residential building of the cooperative "Red Corner" (Arbat, building 20)
the building was built in 1926-1928. Initially, the house was built as a building for the Red Corner housing cooperative.
House of Porokhovshchikov and the Society of Russian Doctors (Arbat, building 25)
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, on the site of the modern building there was a mansion that belonged to Griboyedov’s relatives. In 1869-1870 the building was rebuilt by order of A.A. Porokhovshchikov. The project was compiled by architect R.A. Goedicke. In 1870, the building was rented by the Society of Russian Doctors, and later bought it. In the hospital located at this address, Alexey Abrikosov and Pyotr Herzen, the grandson of A.I., began their journey into medicine. Herzen. In addition, painter Konstantin Yuon rented premises in this building for the studio “Drawing and Painting Classes”. Such famous artists as Vera Mukhina, Vladimir Favorsky, Vasily Vatagin and Alexander Kuprin studied in the art class.
Berg's mansion and the Vakhtangov Theater building (Arbat, building 26)
the mansion was built in 1873 and belonged to the owner of the Ural mines V.P. Berg. In the 1890s, the mansion belonged to major book publishers, the Sabashnikov brothers. After 1917 the building was nationalized. In 1921, the Moscow Art Theater studio was opened, which was eventually transformed into the Yevgeny Vakhtangov Theater. In 1941, during the bombing, the building was completely destroyed and restored only in 1947.
Apartment building Skvortsov (Arbat, building 28)
the building was built in the period from 1901 to 1903 according to the design of the architect Anatoly Ostrogradsky in northern baroque forms. The poet, translator and playwright Pavel Grigorievich Antokolsky lived in this house. In 1919-1934, Pavel Grigorievich worked as a director in a drama studio under the direction of E. B. Vakhtangov. During the years of the revolution he was friends with M.I. Tsvetaeva.
Apartment building of the early 20th century (Arbat, building 30)
the house was built in 1904. Among the famous residents of this house were the writer Yuri Kazakov and the artist Sergei Ivanov. Also, V.I.’s comrade-in-arms lived in this house for some time. Lenin - Revolutionary A.L. Malchenko.
“Losev’s House” on Arbat (Arbat, building 33)
The apartment building at this address was built between 1869 and 1873. (Partially reconstructed in 1876). The author of the project is architect M.O. Lopyrevsky, in collaboration with I.B. Bykovtsev. From 1895 to 1917 The building is owned by the City Council. In 1895, the capital’s first free maternity hospital was opened in the building. After the revolution, in addition to the antenatal clinic and blood transfusion station, there were apartments for living in the building. From 1941 to 1988, apartment number 20 was occupied by the famous philosopher A.F. Losev. Now the building houses the Library of the History of Russian Philosophy and Culture called “House of A.F. Losev."
Apartment building with the studio of the photographer Nappelbaum (Arbat, building 40)
the building was built in 1820. Rebuilt many times. There are only 8 apartments in the building. Over the years, psychiatrist Yu.V. lived here. Kannabikh and G.K. Khrushchev, a famous histologist and cytologist who developed the ideas of Ilya Mechnikov in medical science. Photographer M.S. Nappelbaum, who worked in the studio, became famous for taking the first photographic portrait of V.I. in January 1918. Lenin with the rank of Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars. Chaliapin, Blok, Yesenin, as well as I.V. himself also posed for the photographer. Stalin.
Apartment building Panyushev (Arbat, building 51)
the building was built in 1910 as Panyushev's apartment building. After 1917, the Arbatsky ARS cinema was opened in the house. From 1919 to 1933, the writer Anatoly Rybakov, author of the novel “Children of the Arbat”, the story “Dirk” and more, lived in this house. In 1920, the poet Alexander Blok stayed in one of the apartments.
Memorial museum-apartment of A.S. Pushkin. Khitrovo House (Arbat, building 53) -
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the house at 53 Arbat belonged to the family of the noble noble family of Khitorovo. An interesting fact: in those days the house was listed at number 204. From December 5, 1830 to May 15, 1831, A.S. Pushkin rented an apartment in this house. And after the wedding on February 18, 1831, he brought his young wife N.N. here. Goncharov. At different times, A.S. lived in the house. Pushkin, artist S.P. Akimova, Svyatoslav Raevsky (friend of the poet M. Lermontov), brother of the composer P.I. Tchaikovsky, the Satin family (relatives of Sergei Rachmaninov), philologist S.I. Radzig.
Rakhmanov's house. Professor's House (Arbat, building 55)
The building was built between 1807 and 1810. From 1880 to 1906, the Russian and Soviet writer and poet Andrei Bely (Boris Bugaev) lived in one of the apartments of this house. Currently, a memorial museum-apartment of A. Bely has been created here.
Tsoi's Wall in Moscow on Arbat (wall of house No. 37)
Quite spontaneously in 1990, on the day of the musician’s death, the Viktor Tsoi Wall appeared from the recordings “Viktor Tsoi died today” and “Tsoi is alive.”
Blue trolleybus on Arbat (bard cafe)
Currently closed for renovation. The idea for creating a bard center was Bulat Shalvovich’s song “Midnight Trolleybus,” which was first performed back in 1957. “... I get on the blue trolleybus on the move, the last one, the random one.”
Monuments to Bulat Okudzhava.
The monument is installed on the corner of Arbat and Plotnikov Lane. 2002
Losev's House
House No. 33. Website: www.losev-library.ru
Opposite the Vakhtangov Theater is the Losev House. The building was originally built in 1873 as an apartment building. In 1941-1988, Alexey Fedorovich Losev, a philosopher and philologist, translator of ancient literature, and writer, lived and worked here in apartment No. 20. Nowadays there is a library of the history of Russian philosophy and culture “Losev’s House”. The library hosts lectures, exhibitions, and chamber music concerts.
Central House of Actors
House No. 35
Once upon a time, the tallest gray house with knights on Arbat was one of the most prestigious apartment buildings in Moscow. It was built in 1914 by order of the merchant Yakov Filatov and designed by the architect Valentin Dubovsky. The house was registered in the name of the merchant's wife, Anna Filatova.
The seven-story building towered enormously above the low-rise buildings of Arbat, in the form of a city castle. The interiors, which have not reached us, amazed us with their luxury - marble staircases with oak railings, elevators with designer decoration, spacious rooms with stained glass windows and huge mirrors, rooms for servants. The figures of knights were installed on the fifth floor, thanks to them the house began to be called the house with knights.
In addition to apartments with 5-6 living rooms for rent, the house housed the Maria Zits women's gymnasium and a prestigious kindergarten. Dancing was taught at the gymnasium and many schoolgirls became ballerinas. In Soviet times, party workers lived in the house with the knights, the house remained prestigious, and Grigory Zinoviev lived here. Some of the apartments were turned into communal apartments, others were left intact. In 1992, the Central House of Actors moved into the building.
Walk along Arbat
There are several areas for walking in Moscow, and one of the most popular streets is Old Arbat. Sights, a walk through which can become a real encyclopedia of metropolitan life, preserve the memory of many famous people and events. In addition, a trip to the Arbat is an immersion in a special atmosphere. Street artists, actors and musicians, theater named after. E. Vakhtangov, the House of Actors - all this creates a special mood, a spirit of creativity. Walking along Arbat, you can meet many interesting people, buy traditional Russian souvenirs and, of course, see traditional Moscow architecture.
Tsoi's Wall
House No. 37
Tsoi's Wall is located on a small extension of the Moscow District Court, it faces Krivoarbatsky Lane. This national landmark arose spontaneously after the death of Viktor Tsoi in 1990. Someone wrote on the wall about his death, someone responded with the most famous phrase associated with Tsoi: “Tsoi is alive!”
Fans of the singer come here to lay flowers, take pictures against the wall, and sing his songs. They wanted to erect a monument to Tsoi here, but the residents of the surrounding houses opposed it.
Monument to Bulat Okudzhava
On the corner of Arbat and Plotnikov Lane, next to house No. 43 .
Bulat Shalvovich Okudzhava (May 9, 1924 – June 12, 1997), the famous poet, bard and writer, is one of the most famous Arbat residents. He lived in a communal apartment on Arbat Street, building 43, apartment 12. Okudzhava is the author of 200 songs, the State Literary Prize is named after him, and the winner of the Russian Booker Prize. Okudzhava’s famous words about Arbat: “Ah, Arbat, my Arbat, you are my fatherland, I will never completely pass you” (Song about Arbat, 1959).
The bronze monument to Bulat Okudzhava was unveiled on May 8, 2002 and dedicated to his birthday and Victory Day. The author is People's Artist of Russia, sculptor Georgy Frangulyan, depicted the bard at the age of 40, the height of the figure is 2.5 meters. The structure of the composition, in addition to Okudzhava’s figure, includes his shadow, two arches, two benches and a bronze table. The composition is raised on a low paved pedestal and represents a piece of the Arbat courtyard.
Monuments of Arbat
In addition to the buildings, Arbat is, of course, interesting for its monuments. On both sides of Arbat Square there are two monuments to the great Russian writer - N.V. Gogol. You can compare the visions of sculptors Andreev and Tomsky and decide which Gogol is closer to you. At the intersection of Arbat and Plotnikov Lane there is another monument - a monument to the writer, poet, singer Bulat Okudzhava. The sculpture of G. Frangulyan often becomes a place for tourists to photograph. The cow that stands near the Mu-mu cafe has almost turned into a monument; Arbat visitors also consider it their duty to take photos with it.
Hard Rock cafe
House No. 44, building 1
For lovers of rock, burgers and alcohol, there is a Hard Rock cafe on Arbat. Legendary cafes of the same name with American cuisine, music and a shop where you can buy souvenirs can be found in many countries around the world.
On Arbat, the Hard Rock cafe was opened in 2003 in an old mansion. The interior, as in all cafes of this international chain, is decorated with musical instruments, posters, and costumes of famous musicians.
Cafes and restaurants on Arbat
Let's name just a few of them:
- MU-MU Mu-mu is a cafe where you can have a tasty, nutritious and inexpensive meal at home. The visitor service system is “free-flo”. Arbat, 45/24
- Hard Rock Cafe Located in the building of an ancient three-story mansion at Arbat, 44. The atmosphere of Rock and Roll is created not only by the music, but also by the interior.
- Anti-cafe Jeffrey's Coffee is an American-style coffee shop. Stylish interior, Jeffrey's signature moose, excellent coffee and a professional barista - these are the distinctive features of Jeffrey's time coffee shops. Starokonyushenny lane, 45 Price: 2.5 rub/min
Pavel Slobodkin Concert Center
House No. 48 Website: center-slobodkina.ru
Pavel Yakovlevich Slobodkin - People's Artist of the Russian Federation, composer and producer, founder and director of the ensemble "Veselye Rebyaty". In 2002, he opened a concert center on Arbat with a chamber hall with 600 seats. Concerts, festivals, theater performances, musical evenings and international competitions take place here.
Museum-apartment of A.S. Pushkin
House No. 53. Website: www.pushkinmuseum.ru Opening hours: from 10.00 to 18.00 (ticket office until 17.30), on Thursdays - from 13.00 to 21.00 (ticket office until 20.30), days off - Monday, the last Friday of the month. Cost: 250 rubles, pensioners, students, children from 7 to 18 years old - 100 rubles, under 7 years old - free.
In this ancient house, built in the mid-18th century, Pushkin rented an apartment in January 1831. His bachelor party took place here before the wedding, here after the wedding with Natalya Goncharova, the newlyweds lived for three months, and then moved to St. Petersburg. Now the house houses the Memorial Apartment of A.S. Pushkin. on Arbat.
The house is famous not only for Pushkin, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky stayed here with his brother and Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov visited.
origin of name
Where the name “Arbat” came from is not known for certain. Some researchers believe that this term is of Arabic origin, and when translated it sounds like “suburb.” There is probably some degree of authenticity in this. In the old days, Arbat was actually a suburb of the White City. According to another version, these are words of Turkic origin and mean “arba”. This assumption is based on information that this was a place of residence for craftsmen, among whom there were cart-making specialists.
Memorial apartment of Andrei Bely
House No. 55 Website: www.pushkinmuseum.ru Opening hours: from 10.00 to 18.00, Thursday: from 13.00 to 21.00. Weekends: Monday, Tuesday, last Friday of the month. Cost: 250 rubles, pensioners, students, children from 7 to 18 years old - 100 rubles, under 7 years old - free.
The Andrei Bely Museum-Apartment is located in the house where the Symbolist poet, writer and philosopher Boris Nikolaevich Bugaev (1880-1934), better known under the pseudonym Andrei Bely, was born and lived for 26 years. In the museum you can see his personal belongings, family photographs, and manuscripts.
Andrei Bely’s father, mathematics professor Nikolai Bugaev, rented an apartment in an apartment building on Arbat with five living rooms. During the Soviet years, the building housed communal apartments. In 1987, the Bugaevs’ apartment was transferred to the State Museum of A.S. Pushkin. In 2002, the Andrei Bely Memorial Apartment was opened here.
Story
Arbat was first mentioned in the chronicle in 1493, which talks about the terrible fire of Moscow that started in the Church of St. Nicholas on the Sands. In those days, Arbat was the name given to the entire territory from the Kremlin to the present-day Garden Ring.
There are different versions of the origin of the word “Arbat”. According to one of them, it comes from the Mongolian word “arba”. It was assumed that Arbat was originally the residence of the craftsmen of the Kolymazhny yard, where various carts were made, including carts - “carts”. It is also quite possible that the word came from the Arabic (later Turkified) word “rabat” - meaning a city estate, a suburb. There are other versions of the origin of the toponym, but there is no clear conclusion.
As a system of streets and alleys, Arbat developed in the second half of the 18th century and has remained unchanged to this day.
In the 18th century, representatives of noble families settled in the Arbat region, the estates of the Volkonskys, Dolgorukovs, Golitsyns, Apraksins, Trubetskoys, and Sheremetevs appeared. After the fire of 1812, Arbat became an area of family life, quiet and peaceful with many church parishes.
In the 19th century, the “Arbat Boom” happened: it was prestigious and fashionable to live on Arbat and its alleys. The intelligentsia settled here most abundantly - writers, artists, university professors, doctors, lawyers, philosophers. In the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the appearance of the street began to approach the modern one.
The history of the street and many houses of Arbat is connected with the lives of great Russian people.
Hereditary Moscow intelligentsia have settled in the Arbat area for a long time. At different times A.S. lived or visited here. Pushkin, L.N. Tolstoy, A.I. Herzen, N.V. Gogol, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, N.P. Ogarev, A.P. Chekhov, V.G. Belinsky, S.T. Aksakov, A.A. Blok, A. Bely; sculptors S.A. Golubkina and N.A. Andreev, artists V.D. Polenov, K.F. Yuon, M.V. Nesterov, S.I. Ivanov, architects A.V. Shchusev and the Vesnin brothers. The great Russian composer A.N. Scriabin lived in Nikolopeskovsky Lane, S.V. Rachmaninov - in Serebryany Lane.
