Hidden area of Moscow

The tour takes Moscow visitors to one of the central areas which is however not in a spotlight of guidebooks and standard tours. In contrast with the more affluent area to the West of the Kremlin, which is home to Tverskaya street, the Bolshoi Theatre and the TSUM shopping mall are now, this area is more residential, some ordinary Muscovites live here. 

The district started its development in the XIV century and on route you will see Moscow in all its diversity. Visitors will see how one epoch displaces another: architectural relics become hemmed in by newer tall buildings.

The route runs through the central part of Moscow to the East of the Kremlin. It starts from Myasnitsky (Butchers') Gates Square, near the Chisty Prudy metro station. We walk along narrow crooked side-streets to Pokrovka Street and then continue downhill to the old Ivanov Monastery, which is near the Kitai-Gorod Metro Station.



The highlights of the route are:

- the unique XIX century "Chinese" teashop

- the first builidng, which dared to rise higher, than the Kremlin's Ivan the Great Belltower

- a last residence of the infamous murderess of the 1700s

- the 'candy-house' of major sweets producers of the XIX century

- the "egg-house" - one of the most expensive real estate objects in Moscow you still can buy (nobody did in last 10 years).

There are several prominent architectural sights: An Anglican church, the “Chinese House” tea-shop and the “Menshikov Tower” Church (the first building in Moscow to surpass the height of the Ivan the Great bell tower).

This area has a lot of quirky cafes and small museums. If you like, we go to one of my favourite places "Chainaya Vysota" to taste some exclusive kinds of ice-cream they make there.