Myasnitskaya Street in Moscow, an inimitable charm and gorgeous facades

In big cities, there are always streets you feel comfortable on. You love how they look, you like shopping there, and hanging out with your friends in local eateries. For me, one of those streets in Moscow is Myasnitskaya Street. Its inimitable charm and gorgeous facades make this street great for having fun on yet exquisite to enjoy it visually.

The name

What makes Myasnitskaya Street unique is its structure. It connects Lubyanskaya Square, which is very close to the Kremlin, with the Garden Ring, at the same time going through Boulevard Ring - right between Chistoprudny and Sretensky boulevards. History of Myasnitskaya Street begins in the 15th century, but the place itself rose to fame in the 16th century, when butcher shops and houses of butchers prevailed there. The street was a part of a neighbourhood known as ‘Sloboda’ - in Russia, settlements of people, united by the same profession were called like this back then.** **

That’s why the street got the name ‘Myasnitskaya’, the roots of the name in Russian means ‘butcher’. Nevertheless, the meat-trade there has stopped, and the street became an entirely new place, but the name has remained.

Formation

Myasnitskaya Street became more famous during the reign of Emperor Peter the Great, as it served a road which he usually used to move around Moscow. Aristocrats and noblemen, and later manufacturers and merchants started living there, and some of the buildings on Myasnitskaya Street were made of stone, but still, wooden houses prevailed. After the Fire of Moscow in 1812, caused by Napoleon troops during the French invasion, it was decided to build stone houses, as well as to widen Myasnitskaya Street. In the late 19th century, it became one of the first Moscow streets which got lighting. There was also a tram line on Myasnitskaya Street which made it respectable indeed.

Appearance

Many know Myasnitskaya Street as the long line of ‘blocks of flats’ - large apartment buildings meant for rent. But of course, it’s not the only type of building you can see there. One of the most well-known edifices there is a so-called ‘Tea House’, a pseudo-Chinese building being a shop where you can buy tea and coffee. Another remarkable house is Chertkov’s Mansion, a white and blue building decorated in rococo style. In the 19th century, it was a centre for cultural life in Moscow, and many famous Russian authors, such as Alexander Pushkin, Vasiliy Zhukovskiy, and Nikolai Gogol used to visit it. One of my personal favourites is the house number 15, also known as ‘House with Lion’, thanks to the sculpture of lion standing near. This neoclassical house was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Another charming thing on Myasnitskaya Street is the sculpture depicting tiny tiger cubs. You can find it around the part closer to the Garden Ring. Also, there is a modern building based on the project of the famous French architect Le Corbusier - you can spot it by his monuments in front of the edifice.

Overall, Myasnitskaya Street is almost two kilometres long, which is perfect for a visually enriched stroll around Moscow centre. Not only inimitable charm and gorgeous facades of this street make it worth visiting, but also a chance to hang out in one of the many eateries around it and even do some shopping.