Category:Stary Arbat

From Moscowiki

Arbat (also known as Old Arbat) is an old Moscow street that for a long time was the haunt of artists, musicians, poets, writers and intellectuals who had created an indescribable bohemian atmosphere in this area of rambling streets and overgrown courtyards. Arbat along with its surroundings was almost a sacred place for many generations, an essence of this city, one of the symbols of Moscow.

Contents 1 History of Arbat 2 Arbat: Present Day 3 Arbat's Points of Interest 4 Photos

[edit] History of Arbat

The first time Arbat was mentioned in the chronicles in 1493 and it kept its name through all these centuries, even during Soviet times when nearly every street was renamed after some communistic hero. The name Arbat is of eastern origin and it means "suburbs". The road from Moscow to Smolensk lay via Arbat and Vozdvizhenka streets and this road connected Moscow with Western Europe. Gradually Arbat has become the centre of a new coming West-European culture with its architectural styles, way of living and everyday life traditions.

[edit] Arbat: Present Day

Today Arbat is a pedestrian area, where it is possible to buy souvenirs of all kinds: different kinds of matreshkas from traditionally made ones to the ones looking like Gorbachev, Russian fur hats, famous decorated shawls. Antique and art shops offer wide range of precious souvenirs. Arbat used to be the "headquarters" of Moscow punks and you can still see many of them drinking beer, bathing in the fountain near Vakhtangov theatre (№ 26) or drawing something on the Wall of Peace.

[edit] Arbat's Points of Interest

House No.2 in the beginning of Arbat is one of the best Moscow restaurants called "Praga". First it was a common inn but later it turned into a fancy place with exquisite cuisine. It was very popular among Moscow artistic bohemia. Here Chekhov was honoured after the first night of “Three sisters”. Praga’s confectionery is famous for its delicious cakes.

In the house No.53 Pushkin and his beautiful wife Natalya Goncharova lived for a while after marriage. Nobody paid attention to this refined blue house for a long time; it was a communal flat until 1986 when Pushkin’s House-Museum was finally organised.

The Tsoi’s Wall at the corner of Arbat and Krivoarbatsky Pereulok was an alternative to official monuments. First inscriptions and graffiti appeared shortly after the death of Victor Tsoi, Soviet rock legend of the 80’s. His fans keep coming and adding new signs expressing their emotions.

Another memorial museum is located in the house No.55. Here poet Andrey Bely, one of the greatest representatives of Symbolism in Russian literature was born. It has the same entrance with the Pushkin museum.

[edit] Photos

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