March 2010 in Moscow : what's new ?

Let's start with the weather in Moscow : now, it's spring and the temperature is between 5°C and 12°C ... one week ago it was snowing and it was around 0°C.

The first and last photos where taken on "old Arbat" street with a week difference : incredible !

I take the opportunity of a personal trip around Arbat to present a short circuit for visiting the most interesting places in the Arbat area.

Let's start from Arbatskaya metro station and follow the signs to old Arbat street : let the Praga restaurant (1) on the right side. The old Arbat street is always busy with paintings and drawing vendors : so you can't miss it !

Then take the first street right,  past the ridiculously over-themed Genetsvale restaurant,  and at the end of Arbatsky street the Zhiguli bar (2) offers dirt-cheap food and Zhiguli beer in an authentic 60s stolovaya (canteen) setting.

Outside, you will have a contrasting view on the new Arbat street with a view on the Catherine church.

Let's take the Serebryany street with an Irish bar that you can't miss and cross the old Arbat street to go straight ahead on the Starokonyushenny Pereulok where you can see a 19th century izba (3), a carven wooden house where the actor Alexander Porokhovshikov lived. 

On the next corner of the old Arbat street, the knights and art nouveau details on the Samotsvety souvenir shop reflect the of the merchant who built it. It looks a bit like the Flat Iron building at New York !

Crowdy street the old Arbat one on a sunny day ! 

Let 's continue the walk towards Smolenkaya metro station.

Have a look at the Vakhtangov theatre with the gold statue of Princess Tuandot (4) on its side which took a direct hit from a german bomber in 1941. 

The right turn immediatly after the theatre leads to the house museum of avant-garde composer Alexander Scriabin (5). It is an atmosphere place even if you have no interest in his work. You can see the experimental light keyboard with which he tried to produce music. 

Back to old Arbat street and take the next right called Spasopeskovsky which leads to the beautiful Saviour Transfiguration church (6) "Spasa Preobrazhenia na Peskakh". 

Next stop on old Arbat street to see the Nunchalant Bulat Okudzhava memorial (7) outside Mou Mou that embodies the spirit of the street. Okudzhava's famous ballad to the street "Arbat, my Arbat" is engraved on the back of the bronze archway.

The house at number 51 is where Anatoly Rybakov, author of "Children of the Arbat" grew up (8).

The blue house just beyong it was home during a couple of weeks where Pushkin and his wife, immediatly after they got married in 1831. Pushkin is a big name, but it's actually more fun to visit Andrei Lely's house next door.

Well, as often, all is in Russian but lovely house. A particularity for the visit : you should wear felt pads to walk on the polished floors.

The next right turn takes you Smolenskaya metro station. A week-end market (9) near the station sells beautiful apple cakes decorated with leaves and lattices of sweet pastry.

... written on 2010, March 29th by Bernard