Arbat Square in the history of Moscow and today

Arbat Square appeared in the last decades of the XVIII century, when the Arbat gates were dismantled in the White City. It was very little reminiscent of the modern. The square was formed on the site, where the roads crossed to Smolensk and Novgorod.

Why is it so called

The entire district was built up from the XV century. It was called Arbat (translation from Arabic - "suburb"). It expanded, and in 1808 the architect of Russia built an unprecedented beauty wooden theater. Performances in it were both in Russian and in French. The area was paved, but all destroyed the fire of 1812.

Further development

In the story "Adolescence" (in the first half of the XIX century) L. Tolstoy described it as a quiet, provincial, with water carriers, sleepy cabmen on peeling paths. Arbat Square was still very dirty. It streamed stream Chertory. The horses were exhausted, taking out heavy carriages or carts from impassable, water-soaked soil. In the year of the 19th century, the Prague Inn was built and opened here. His cabs of Moscow began to be called "Braga". The Arbat Square attracted the merchant Tararykin in 1902. He bought and rebuilt the inn, made it a great restaurant. He fell in love with the Moscow intelligentsia: famous annual "Rubinstein's dinners" were held there, the poet Verkharn and I. Repin were honored. After the revolution, this place changed its purpose many times. There was a dining room of Mosselprom, a library, and only in 1955 the restaurant was restored. It helped to equip Czechoslovakia. From it were brought table crystal and chandeliers. "Prague" began to justify its name. In 1909, on the right side of Khanzhonkov Square, one of the first Russian organizers of the film industry opened a cinema, which he called "Khudozhestvenny". The auditorium was on four hundred seats, in the foyer was a fountain. Now there is a monument to the first movie ticket. The cinema was rebuilt many times. Now in it again, as it was with Khanzhonkov, three halls, a balcony was restored. During the reconstruction, the old steps that led to the cinema were replaced with new, granite ones. Nearby put public toilets with a security system. Tickets in them are sold right there, close by. Rodem Grauerman is another historical building known for the birth of Bulat Okudzhava, Kir Bulychev, Andrei Mironov, Alexander Shirvindt, Mark Zakharov, Mikhail Derzhavin. Here in Soviet times the best obstetricians worked, there was the most modern equipment. But the activists did not defend this building. To the right of the cinema stood a covered market, on the site of which the entrance to the Arbatskaya metro station was built. By the 70s of the last century, Arbat Square became formless, a tunnel was built under it, the square itself did not become.

Modern improvement

The square is in the very center of Moscow, and the view was unpresentable. By the metro station "Arbatskaya" had to squeeze through a narrow passage, because for about 20 years there was an unauthorized large two-story building nearby that blocked the passage of passengers to the very busy station of the Arbat-Pokrovskaya line. It was demolished in February 2016. Now the pedestrian zone was made on the square. Accomplishment of Arbat Square affected not only it, but also adjacent to it streets: Znamenka, Krestovozdvizhensky and Starovagankovsky alleys. In the pedestrian space almost twenty one thousand square. M was laid out large granite tiles. Its service life will be more than a dozen years. We put lanterns and benches. To illuminate the area were a hundred and fifty-four main lamps, as well as forty-four additional floor lamps. In this case, the air wires are hidden under the ground.

Location of Arbat Square in Moscow

Where the intersection of Gogol Boulevard, Znamenka Street and Arbat Gate Square, the modern Arbat Square is located. The photo shows her part. You can see the "Khudozhestvenny" cinema and the detail of the entrance to the Arbat-Filevskaya metro line (red building from behind). It has the shape of a star with five ends.

When the transformation began

From May to August 2016, work was done to change the face of the territory (Arbatskaya Square). Moscow needed a modern, corresponding to the spirit of the times, the renewed area for the developed program "My Street". In accordance with it, not only this square was touched, but also four adjacent streets. They widened the sidewalks, changed lanes of cars and replaced 33.5 thousand square meters. M of asphalt pavement, arranged convenient parking, so that you could walk further along the square. Green areas are not forgotten. Thirty-one trees and twenty-five shrubs have already been planted. The area was decorated with benches, flower beds, lawns. They created a cozy place for walking Muscovites and guests of the capital. The adjacent streets along with Arbat Square acquired a modern look worthy of the capital of a huge state.