Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is 872 meters long. It begins at the square near the Nikitsky Gate and ends at Pushkin Square. Its history is not short either, beginning several centuries ago. It was officially founded in 1796. At first, it was known simply as the Boulevard, because there were no other boulevards in Moscow, but it was later renamed Tverskoy after the adjoining street. The boulevard was designed and built by architect Semyon Karin. Fountains were unveiled, green spaces were laid out, and the main alley was decorated with portrait sculptures of famous people. It is not surprising that, soon after construction was completed, the alleys of Tverskoy Boulevard became one of the favorite stroll spots of Moscow’s nobility.

There are many interesting stories connected with the green area of Tverskoy Boulevard. It was originally planned to be planted with birches, but they did not take root and were replaced with lindens and various ornamental plants. The trees suffered most in 1812, when they were almost completely cut down by French soldiers, who set up their camp on the boulevard. The Pushkin Oak still stands. The tree is over two hundred years old, and it got its name because Pushkin often visited the boulevard and mentioned it in his poems. The Pushkin monument on Tverskoy Boulevard was erected in late 1880 and stood until 1950, when it was moved to Pushkinskaya Square. However, Tverskoy Boulevard was loved by more than just Pushkin. The location is mentioned in the poems of Sergei Yesenin (a monument to him was erected on the boulevard in 1995) and Marina Tsvetaeva, in the novels of Leo Tolstoy, and in the stories of Anton Chekhov. There were book fairs arranged on the boulevard in the early 20th century.

The architectural ensemble of the boulevard consists of buildings from different eras: it includes city manors of the Moscow Empire style juxtaposed with houses and apartment buildings of the 19th–20th centuries. The most famous construction of the Soviet period is the building of TASS, the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (designed by architect V. Yegerev). The last major reconstruction of the boulevard took place in 1946. In 1976, a square was laid out on Tverskoy Boulevard on the site of a demolished residential block. The first McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow opened next to the square.

Today, Tverskoy Boulevard remains one of the favorite walking areas for Muscovites and tourists. The boulevard hosts exhibitions, city festivals, and celebrations.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/ruscow