President of Pro-Vision, author of the Vinogradov.story community
“In the mid-2010s, creative clusters, landscaped parks, pedestrian embankments and streets appeared on the map of Moscow one after another – everything that urban studies group together under the term “public spaces”. The trend continues today: every year several new places open in the capital where you can spend a pleasant time between work and everyday life. Below I will tell you about Moscow’s “proven” veterans and promising newcomers.”
We tell you where to take a walk for lovers of architectural masterpieces:
From Shukhov Tower to Luzhkov’s megaprojects: 7 monuments of Moscow’s engineering art
VDNH
Since 2013, a huge 325-hectare territory in the north-east of Moscow has been undergoing a revival. Soviet pavilions with references to national culture have received new content, green areas with ponds and fountains have acquired a picturesque appearance, and the exposition itself has received clear and comfortable zoning.
It is easy to spend a whole day at VDNKh, getting acquainted with the traditions of the peoples of the USSR, trying local and modern cuisine, dancing in the open spaces and in the renovated Green Theatre. Here you can, following the best Soviet traditions, take a boat ride to the Golden Ear fountain and drink delicious lemonade. Or you can take a ride on the ultra-modern Ferris wheel “The Sun of Moscow”, from where you can see the capital at a glance.
Photo: RIA Novosti
Balchug Embankments
Balchug is an important place for Moscow: it was here, at the dawn of the formation of the capital’s public spaces, that first “Red October” and then GES-2 appeared. And if you cross the rivers surrounding the island, you can reach Zaryadye, Muzeon and Gorky Park; In a word, Balchug was and remains the epicenter of the capital’s improvement.
In recent years, renovated embankments have been added to the existing art, sports and park areas: Sofiyskaya, Raushskaya, Sadovnicheskaya and Kosmodamianskaya. And on Bolotnaya, Repinsky Square, built for the 800th anniversary of Moscow in 1947, has been transformed. Today you can relax on benches and under lanterns made in the style of the 40s, and then continue the walk to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior or in the other direction, to the high-rise building on Kotelnicheskaya.
GES-2
Photo: RIA Novosti
North River Station
From the beginning, the “younger brother of the Palace of Soviets”, the North River Station, was conceived not only as an infrastructure project, but also as a place of daily recreation for citizens. This idea was developed in the 2020s and, together with the restored station building and renovated docks, Moscow acquired a green space near the water with an amphitheater, swimming pools, restaurants and cafes. Conceptually, the North River Station park obviously inherits the “river” theme, and therefore, with particular pleasure, Muscovites launch “boats” based on the design of the canals that bear their name. Moscow – a miniature copy of the “big brother”.
Photo by: RIA Novosti
Yauzá Park
The park, which stretches along the bed of the Yauza River from Mytishchi to VDNKh, has long outgrown its status as a regional park. On the other hand, Yauza holds the proud title of being the longest park in Europe. Almost 20 km of pedestrian and cycling paths, sports fields, open stages and wooden embankments meet here with a bird park, the Sviblovo estate, ponds with waterfalls, bridges and flower beds. In summer, Yauza hosts almost daily open-air concerts and film screenings, art studios and exhibitions, sports training sessions and creative sections. And just walking or cycling along the water in the July heat is a good idea for exhausted Muscovites.
Photo: RIA Novosti
Hojlovka and surroundings
Unlike other places in this collection, the art quarter on Ivanovskaya Gorka was formed spontaneously and “from below”, on the initiative of creative citizens. Its boundaries are difficult to define: in more general terms it includes several courtyards on Khokhlovsky Street, the Morozovsky Garden and some restaurants and galleries on Maly Trekhsvyatitelsky Street.
But the heart of the neighborhood beats in the boyar chambers of the 17th century, next to the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly. In the courtyards of Khokhlovka there are bars, works of street artists, workshops and designer showrooms – everything that cannot be missing in any creative space. Well, history lovers will love the exteriors: local houses are some of the oldest representatives of Moscow stone.
Peredelkino
In the 1930s, a “writers’ village” grew up in Peredelkino: Pasternak, Chukovsky, Babel, Paustovsky, Okudzhava and Yevtushenko lived and worked here. Almost 100 years later, the village has a House of Creativity and a literary hotel, meetings with authors and public readings, workshops and exhibitions are held. And the territory itself is conducive to creativity: typical Moscow suburban dachas, furniture in the style of “mid-century Soviet”, deciduous forests and ponds – Peredelkino is imbued with inspiration that lives here in every detail.
Photo by: RIA Novosti
Moscow Seasons rooms with pools
Being a “port of the five seas,” Moscow has no swimming waters of its own. And this, according to a study by Pro-Vision Communications, is one of the main reasons why Muscovites do not like summer. The problem is partially solved by urban pools, which have been opened in parks and at the venues of Moscow Seasons. Of course, they will not replace the real sea, but they will help you wait out the heat, relax and unwind. In addition to pools and “beach” infrastructure such as sun loungers and umbrellas, these spaces offer places to exercise, have coffee and also something to keep the children busy. In a word, at least for a few hours you can believe that Moscow is almost a real resort city.
Photo: moscowseasons.com
Here is a list of places where you can escape the heat:
Outdoor pools in Moscow – 2024: Top 7 places to visit on a hot day
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