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Interestingly, walking along the capital’s central streets, seeing huge beautiful showcases, modern architecture, you still miss the main thing. Going a little deeper into Tverskaya Street, you can find a piece of St. Petersburg and Italy, mosaic and pictures. The Savvinskoye courtyard was built in 1907 in the neo-Russian style with Baroque and Art Nouveau elements. The architect was Ivan Kuznetsov. It was built for the Savvo-Storozhevsky monastery as a profitable office and hotel building. Until 1937, it went directly to Tverskaya Street, being the largest building between Okhotny Ryad and Tverskaya Square. During the reconstruction of 1938-1940, it was decided to move the Savvinskoye courtyard to new foundations in the depths of the quarter.

Now, this monument is hidden by the Stalinist buildings on Tverskaya and the new building of the Moscow Art Theater on Kamergersky Lane.

By Polina Leonova and Liza Ulyanova, A4

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Many of us may travel about the downtown area of fair city, trying to find the perfect hideaway spot, where calmness and appeasement merge into one. But sometimes, a place like this is way closer to us, right at the outskirts of the city, so you don’t even need to leave your borough. The observation deck near the metro of … is one of those places. To stand there blissfully alone, listening to chirping birds and watching the slightly parted clouds, is an utter pleasure. You can escape the city without driving far away, stay one on one with your feelings and sort out your thoughts. The panoramic vista opening up from this special place is very peculiar, even if it’s not your typical picturesque setting. The wilderness area and the grandly sprawled block-like buildings in the back merge into one, once more emphasizing the bond between nature and us, humans. The serene exquisiteness of this place is especially noticeable or sunset or sunrise. There is nothing more calming than to watch how the sun hides away behind the big blocks of houses while being surrounded by kelly-green grass and high trees.

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There are many restaurants with Asian cuisine in Moscow. But hardly any of them are so atmospheric that they establish a certain atmosphere in a whole yard. This japanese jewel is hidden at Strastnoy boulevard, right in the center of Moscow. It's a tatinomi-bar called Teburasinka. A tatinomi is a kind of little restaurants in which clients are eating while standing. Though sppecifically at Teburasinka you are allowed to sit, the general vibe of urban Japan is very strong and vibrant even outside the doors of the bar. The whole courtyard is decorated with neon sings and hieroglyphic writings, paper lanterns and other elements of japanese culture. Imagine: three minutes ago you were walking out of the Moscow subway, but since you've crossed the dark stone arc it feels like you've been teleported to a whole other world. The feeling's even stronger if the trees are coated in green leaves and it's raining.
This little journey could be a very special one for you, as it was for us.
Ilya&Mstislav, A2

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Оstankino tower is thought to be an anomalous and a mysterious zone. Residents of the district allegedly periodically see ghosts, suffer from depression and nightmares. Moreover, some  of them even say that they have a capacity to get into a parallel world for a short time. There  is also a popular story about how a security guard of a television center wandered the corridors and accidentally ended up on the other side of Moscow. True or not, the gloomy energy of the place make locals and tourists nervous.

The name "Ostankino", according to the assurances of old-timers, directly comes from the word "remains". Several centuries ago there was a huge cemetery on this place, where only suicides, warlocks and witches were brought. The ghost of a decrepit hunchbacked an old woman with a stick and that case started all the misfortunes and the series of deaths. The first to see it back in the 16th century was the boyar Alexei Sotin, the then owner of the area. The hunchback appeared to him and warned that if he tried to plow this wasteland, an imminent disaster would happen: “It's not for nothing that she is called Ostankinо. Human remains lie here». At this, the boyar only laughed and ordered to drive the old woman away, and three days later he was executed by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

There also was a multi-storey residential building erected on the site of the so-called "Akterkin" ponds not far from the TV centre. They say that the serf actresses who lived in the Ostankino estate of the Sheremetyevs suffered such mockery from the masters that. Unable to bear it, they drowned themselves in these very ponds. Until now, their groans and cries are carried throughout the house and in its surroundings.
by Kris U. and Sofi B.

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1) An egg-shaped house in Moscow

The house resembles a huge Fáberge egg - the elaborate jeweled creation associated with the imperial family. Built in 2002, the house is located on Mashkova street, a side street of the quirky Chistiye Prudy neighbourhood, which is full of historical buildings and elite apartment blocks. The body is red, the bottom is white and looks like an egg stand. The domed roof is lined with arched and rounded windows and looks like accurate jewel work.
Nobody knows who is the owner of the house now. However, you can bump into this house on the selling apartments websites. The egg house is a favorite one among Moscow's architectural bloggers and general lovers of urban oddities.

I really adore looking at such unusual buildings though there are not a lot of them in Moscow. I easily get bored in the ordinary districts when I see same architectural styles coloured in grey generally.

2) House of Pertsova

There is a fair chance you have never seen this fairytale apartment complex that is standing behind the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Despite its sharp frontons and intricate wall work, balconies, and mosaics, the brick walls make it seem somewhat usual. But if you come up closer, its disguise factor can trick you no more – you are absorbed by the unbelievable shape and exquisite artwork. And the shape is by all means catchy. It looks like a bunch of extensions were added, many renovations had taken place – but the house itself was never completely retouched. With some minor changes, it kept its original look, which was created in 1908.
This Neo-Russian-styled building is standing at the intersection of Soymonovskiy lane and Prechistenskaya embankment and it belonged to Zinaida Pertsova, wife of the railway engineer Petr Pertsov. Being a philanthropist, Pertsov had originally planned the house to be an apartment complex for artists and other creative people. At some point, it was occupied by Robert Falk, Alexander Kuprin, and many others.
Remarkably, the house had a quite diverse history. In the 1910-s in the basement of the house was a cabaret-like theater called “Bat”, that used to attract many different creative folks until its move to the Milutinskiy Alley. In 1913 it was pronounced as the most original in Russian architecture in the last decade. Afterward there were some renovations, and in the beginning of 1920s, it was taken away from Pertsov and became nationalized. Leo Trozskiy moved in and lived there for a few years. Up until the second world war the house was occupied by artists. Later it was given for the dormitories, and in 1975 it was turned into the government building in which the ministry of foreign affairs was. Right now, it is still used by artists – there are studios, art schools, dance classes, and even the presecutor’s office. What a mix!

Alina Cherkashina & Maxim Dokuchaev A2

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Not far from the center of Moscow, between Khodynsky Boulevard and Leningradsky Highway, there is one quiet and beautiful place.

This place is a small alley with a length of 80-100 meters. Part of the street is paved with stones, the other – with asphalt. There are various establishments such as cafes, barbershops, and entertainment centers for children located in the three-story brick houses. The first two floors of each building are brick walls of brown color, while the third floors are decorated as attics, their cladding is the same as that of the roofs. On the facades of the houses, we can see signs with advertising and labels. The streets are decorated with pots of plants placed along with the buildings – an age of environmental friendliness, after all! In addition to entertainment, there are shops and educational centers. Thus, this place is in great demand, but only on a local scale. And what is remarkable, regardless of the type of institution, everything looks the same from the outside. Designers and builders decided to preserve the brick lining of the houses to the maximum.

This place itself is located right next to the huge residential complex "Triumph Palace", repeating the structure of the architecture of the Stalinist skyscrapers. It adds to the atmosphere in the evening, sitting on the veranda in one of the cafes, looking at the patterns of its arches and fence, surrounding the building. Nearby is also Chapaevsky Park, where you can take a walk after another portion of Caesar in "Levels". So the infrastructure near this place is great. Also, there are no living quarters here. Of course! The constant smell of fresh pastries or hookah (depending on the part of the street) would definitely drive anyone crazy.

In general, this place, as for me, is quite atmospheric. Since I live nearby, I often come here with my friends to sit in a cafe or just walk along these brick walls to Chapaevsky Park and then repeat it.

By Arseniy Bagirov

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Near the Faculty of Journalism, there is the Anglican Church of St. Andrew. The building looks small but very inviting due to the compelling architecture. Every Friday they play the organ or sing the opera here. There are only a few chairs inside. When you listen to works on the organ, spotlights illuminate the inside of the church.

To get to the church, you need to walk along Bryusov Lane; I like this street, especially in the evening, when lanterns light the street.

For some reason, this alley and the music in the church give me a special calmness after a long time of bustle.

Bel

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At first glance, the houses 36 and 38c. 1 on Presnensky Val seem unremarkable and stand out slightly from the Soviet buildings that have been preserved on the street, but if you look at them more closely, you can see that the building is flat.

And although in fact the houses are not flat, this is not a hallucination: apparently, this was the idea of the architect, who wanted to surprise Muscovites with an unusual optical illusion. Or this form of buildings was simply dictated by the shape of the site allocated for their construction; anyway, the idea was successful at its best: even now, when the houses have aged and acquired a frankly neglected appearance, they look amazing.

House 36 looks like it's painted on cardboard, propped up behind a small extension.

If you found that magical time when 3D graphics in computer games were not as developed as they are now, and the computers themselves were much weaker than modern ones, another bright analogy may come up: this is similar to a model of an object whose texture has become stuck and partially disappeared.

Located next to the house 38 building 1, the volume is not alien, but its facade looks as if there is nothing behind it. An ad for an auto parts store attached to the side enhances the effect at times: it was as if the back of the house had been cut off by something.

In fact, at 38 p. 1 nothing was cut off, and the 36th is not supported by a small extension at all. It's just that the houses have sharp corners, which makes them look flat when viewed from the outside - that's the whole illusion!

A similar illusion can be found in some other buildings in the city, but it was these that eventually became the most famous flat houses in Moscow.

The flat houses are located at 36 Presnensky Val Street and 38 building 1. You can reach them on foot from the metro stations "1905 Goda Street" of the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line and "Belorusskaya" of Zamoskvoretskaya.

by Elizabeth Efimova & Ksenia Petrova, A4

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If you are a photograph or just an active Instagram user, you know what a pain it is to find interesting and unusual locations for photos. Everyone saw identical pictures from the "Flacon" space, Multimedia Art Museum of Moscow and Arbat street. But if YOU want to create something really new, modern and unusual - this place is a target point.

"Neo Geo" is a business centre on the South of Moscow and a perfect Instagram location at the same time. There you can find high glass ceilings, mirrored grey walls adorned with large volume squares and... red plastic people lying on a kelly green grass. But it is not the only location in this centre. There are some more spaces created in different colors - green, blue, yellow and so on.

Here you have a unique chance to visit a mobile museum of Modern Russian art. The POP UP MUSEUM offers you more 1800 expositions. The gallery collects styles of Soviet realism, Industrial landscape, and REAL TRUE postmodern and post-postmodern Russian art.

If you feel hungry - we know the decision! Eat some sandwiches and drink super tasty coffee - in "Take and Wake".

If you are tired of working at home you can do everything here. Comfortable working places, exqusite design, jazz-blues in the background. That's an ideal place to work and enjoy life.

Welcome! We are waiting for YOU.

Alyona B, Jul

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In 1930 contemporary Soviet architect Ilya Golosov presented to the world one of his creations, which he himself called one of the most successful and extraordinary. Modern for its time, the House of Culture was created under the influence of cubism, and therefore was built on the basis of asymmetrically arranged regular geometric shapes. A wide spiral staircase is located inside this cylinder at the corner of the building. The compositional center of the building is a vertical glazed cylinder, on which the entire body with large window surfaces is strung. A wide spiral staircase, distracting the visitor's attention from simple geometric blocks, is located inside this cylinder at the corner of the building.

In the late twenties Zuev House of Culture had various purposes: the leading politicians of that time gathered there to discuss various issues of national importance, children's satirical theater «The Hedgehog» (which was called one of the most creative Youth theatres in Moscow) was located there, and right there everyone could try their actors’ skills in the Knipper theater studio. The building was a popular meeting place for young people who flocked here from almost all the suburbs of the big city.

Nowadays House of Culture seems to be a reminder of the Soviet past of Russia, located on Lesnaya Street. Many theaters still function on its territory, including the well-known «Quartet I» which was created in 1993 by graduates of the variety faculty of GITIS.

by Hannah Chesnokova&Amina Shokarimova, A4

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Looking for an untraditional scenery for traditional shashlyki? There is no place like pagan shrine for rituals!

This is a joke. Please, do not set a picnic in temples and set on fire in woods in general)

The place itself is situated in Bitsevskiy Forest,  near the Lesoparkovaya station. It is exactly what it seems to be: a functioning temple in the middle of nowhere.  The word is, there are three pagan temples for rites in Bitsevskiy, but they are constantly being burnt down and then reconstructed again. The famous one takes place in Bald Mountain, and some believe that Margarita in Bulgakov's novel flew exactly there (and not in Kiev). The one I'm talking about is farther south, and you are unlikely to  find much info about it on the Internet.

I stumbled upon the location last year in autumn by accident and was fascinated by one of many hidden secrets of the forest. The statue in the center is depicting the Thunderer Perun. Judging by the coals  which still were smoldering when I came, rituals are no rare occasion there. I returned there for the task in spring and found bird feed in the place for offerings – but no adepts, unfortunately.

Maybe you'll be luckier than I was? If you want to dive into slavic atmosphere, you are welcome to try!

By Dasha Kovalenko

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Not far from the center of Moscow, between Khodynsky Boulevard and Leningradsky Highway, there is one quiet and beautiful place.

This place is a small alley with a length of 80-100 meters. Part of the street is paved with stones, the other – with asphalt. There are various establishments such as cafes, barbershops, and entertainment centers for children located in the three-story brick houses. The first two floors of each building are brick walls of brown color, while the third floors are decorated as attics, their cladding is the same as that of the roofs. On the facades of the houses, we can see signs with advertising and labels. The streets are decorated with pots of plants placed along with the buildings – an age of environmental friendliness, after all! In addition to entertainment, there are shops and educational centers. Thus, this place is in great demand, but only on a local scale. And what is remarkable, regardless of the type of institution, everything looks the same from the outside. Designers and builders decided to preserve the brick lining of the houses to the maximum.

This place itself is located right next to the huge residential complex "Triumph Palace", repeating the structure of the architecture of the Stalinist skyscrapers. It adds to the atmosphere in the evening, sitting on the veranda in one of the cafes, looking at the patterns of its arches and fence, surrounding the building. Nearby is also Chapaevsky Park, where you can take a walk after another portion of Caesar in "Levels". So the infrastructure near this place is great. Also, there are no living quarters here. Of course! The constant smell of fresh pastries or hookah (depending on the part of the street) would definitely drive anyone crazy.

In general, this place, as for me, is quite atmospheric. Since I live nearby, I often come here with my friends to sit in a cafe or just walk along these brick walls to Chapaevsky Park and then repeat it.

By Arseniy Bagirov

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If you are tired from typical cafes and popular restaurants and you’re a fan of walking in the centre of Moscow, “Ludi kak Ludi” is a perfect place for you! ☕️

It’s located near the Kitay-gorod metro station but the cafe is still very quiet and hidden. You probably won’t even notice it if you don’t know where it is since the windows are toned and the entrance is quite simple and nondescript.

However, “Ludi kak Ludi” is a very cozy casual cafe known for its homemade pies, freshly baked bread, sandwiches, and divine desserts. Plus, its prices are quite democratic so you probably won’t spend your monthly salary there.

“Ludi kak Ludi” is a real gem, so you should give it a chance and spend some time there enjoying its delicious cakes or perfectly brewed coffee

⭐️ Ekaterina & Valeria A3 ⭐️

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Stylish photoshoot spot & contemporary art space

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Stylish photoshoot spot & contemporary art space

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Nowadays no one is surprised by the works of young artists. There are more and more places in Moscow where young creators can present their paintings and other art formats to the general public.

The Northern Tunnel in Zaryadye park is not just a new place where you can take wonderful pictures for your Instagram or go for a one-time visit - it is an unusual contemporary art space.

The technical passageway, located on the -1 level of the park, was turned into a full-fledged "urban promenade". The result is a route connecting the two main points of entry to the park — from Vasilyevsky Descent and Kitaygorodsky Passage.

The first exhibition in this art space was dedicated to Covid-19 and quarantine, and it featured works by both domestic and foreign authors.

According to the art critic and curator of the exhibitions of the first Moscow Art Prize, Nikolai Palazhchenko, in no city in the world, with very rare exceptions, just a few dozen meters from the heart of the city, there is a place for young artists, for street art, for artists who work with modern media or memes.

In addition to the exhibition, you will find many stylish locations for photo shoots here.

Mesmerizing neon lightning effects and cool holograms will make your Instagram profile bright and unusual. All you need to do to get to this secret place is to come to the Zaryadye, find the Nothern Tunnel and go down the stairs. Don't worry, the entrance is free!

by Anastasiya Frolova & Lana Ni, A4

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🐲Tiny China in the centre of Moscow🐲

🏮Have you ever thought of visiting China? If the answer is yes, then you have a great opportunity to do it the coming weekend with no flight costs.

🏮This little Chinese Quarter is located in the heart of Moscow. You can find it at an address: Strastnoy Boulevard 7  bld. 3. It is situated with pretty few Asian shops and cafes. You can try delicious Japanese snacks and drinks out there, for example, tempura, chicken BBQ or even sake. But the main peculiarity of this place is its decorations: Сhinese lanterns, Asian street-art, neon signs - all this creates a perfect ambience and a good spot to take photos. We got vivid impressions after visiting the Chinese Quarter, it brightened our day with its uniqueness.

🏮This place is a hidden gem, so hurry to visit the Chinese Quarter until it gains popularity and becomes an overcrowded spot.

💗Anna B and Diana 💗 A3