Category:Tverskaya

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Guide to Moscow Streets

Tverskaya ulitsa runs from Kremlin to the Triumphalnaya Ploschad wherefrom the heroes entered Moscow after their victories. A part of ancient road to Tver, in 18-19th centuries – the main road to St.- Petersburg, nowadays Tverskaya alongside with its adjacencies remains one of the main tourists’ attractions in Moscow.

The first mane of the street was Tsarskaya (Tsar’s), as already by 17th century it became the main street of the Russian capital. Of course, central and extremely prestigious location attracted the highest class of nobility; Tverskaya of the 18th century was the street of sumptuous palaces and estates built by Catherine the Great’s grandees. The 19th century added the firm spirit of commerce to the charming atmosphere of aristocracy: various luxury shops, confectioneries, boutiques, fashionable hotels and restaurants spread along Tverskaya.

In Soviet times Tverskaya became the first street reconstructed under the Stalin’s General Plan of the Socialist Reconstruction of Moscow in 1935. Although known as very radical, the reconstruction of 1930s still was relatively careful and humane. Some erections were built up a little, smartly moved deeper into the courtyards, and, if necessary, even carefully rotated. But nevertheless, many buildings were simply demolished (not a single church survived on Tverskaya), and the appearance of the street completely changed: it became wide and airy, built up with typical grey houses.

Modern Tverskaya gradually regains the lost aristocratic atmosphere, but still nowadays it’s quite a new affair. A certain "face of the city", now it brilliantly reflects the mixed and controversial "soul" of 21st-century Moscow, full of modern western innovations and still firmly basing on the ancient roots.

[edit] Tverskaya Points of Interest

[edit] Hotel National

At the corner of Mokhovaya and Tverskaya one can see "National" hotel, one of the best examples of Russian Art Nouveau. Designed and built in 1903 by A. Ivanov, it is one of the oldest and most famous hotels in Russia. In 1918 the hotel was for some years turned into "Prime House of Soviets" and permanently hosted the members of the Bolshevik Government, including Lenin who lived in number 107.

[edit] State Duma

State Duma (Parliament) stays right opposite "National", at the corner of Tverskaya and Okhotny ryad streets. Former building of the Soviet Ministry of Labour and Defence, it provides a brilliant example of transfer from Constructivism to the Soviet neoclassic style. Its characteristic feature is abandonment of any decoration, because the edifice should be beautiful of its own accord.

[edit] Savvinsky Monastery

House No.6 on Tverskaya is the courtyard (podvorie) of the Savvinsky Monastery, designed by I. Kuznetsov. From 1907 to 1938 it faced Tverskaya Street, and in 1938, when the street was being widened, it was moved back to the inner yards.

[edit] Moscow Central Telegraph

Another sumptuous building on Tverskaya, Moscow Central Telegraph (architect I. Rerberg), possesses the status of an architectural monument. But it can be a historical monument as well: as it’s known by historical evidence, taking the Central telegraph started the Revolution of 1917 in Moscow.

[edit] House No. 9

The building No. 9 on Tverskaya designed by the architect Zhukov is faced with granite captured from the Germans in December 1941. The Fascists had brought the granite to Moscow from Finland to erect a monument to their supposed victory in the centre of Russian capital. Then they, already as prisoners of war, faced the building with that granite themselves.

[edit] Moscow City Administration

The Moscow City Administration (No.13) was built in 1770 by Matvey Kozakov, famous master of Moscow Classicism. Former residence of Moscow governor-generals, after the revolution it housed the Moscow Council (Soviet). During the reconstruction of 1935 the building was moved 13 meters back and two more stores were added. In front of the City Administration there is Tverskaya Ploschad with a monument to Prince Yury Dolgoruky, which has become a symbol of Moscow. The square was formerly called Skobelevskaya due to the monument to General Skobelev, a hero of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. In 1918 before the May Day parade the "[[Whites|White General" was removed and the pedestal was turned into a platform. Soon Skobelev’s place was occupied by the monument to Constitution (a woman statue, a kind of Soviet "Statue of Freedom") and Skobelevskaya Ploschad became Sovietskaya Ploschad. The bronze monument to Yury Dolgoruky appeared here in 1954 in honour of Moscow 800th anniversary; in 1990s the square was renamed back to Tverskaya.

[edit] Eliseyevsky

The house No.14 was also created by Matvey Kozakov. The "Palace on Tverskya" belonged to Zinaida Volkonskaya, a beautiful and intelligent woman, who established a very popular literature salon here. In 1898 powerful merchant Grigory Eliseyev bought the house, reconstructed and opened as “The Eliseyev's Store and Wine Cellar of Russian and Imported Wines.” Very soon the shop was very nearly closed down for illegal sale of wine: the distance between the entrance to the wine cellar and the Church of St. Dmitry Solunsky (now non-existent) did not comply with the legal minimum. It needed one night to separate the wine cellar off the shop and make a new entrance from Kozitsky Lane. In 1917 Eliseev emigrated from Russia and the shop was expropriated by Sovets (“nationalized”) and renamed. But the people still called it Eliseyevsky through habit and came here just to admire the famous interior. Since the fall of the Soviet Union the Eliseyevsky store has been officially given its name back.

[edit] Museum of Contemporary History of Russia

One of the oldest buildings in Tverskaya is a luxurious classicistic one behind the fence with lions (No. 21). Built in late 18th century, this mansion of earls Heraskov and Razumovsky from 1831 to 1917 housed the Moscow English club, and now Museum of Contemporary History of Russia is located here.

[edit] Tverskaya Photos

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