While walking along the streets of Moscow, if you are a tourist, the probability of wandering into Preobrazhenskaya Square is not too great. There are no bright and memorable sights here. Another area, almost the outskirts of the city. Office buildings, shops, Sberbank - Preobrazhenskaya Square today looks quite prosaic. Let's turn around and look into the distant past, where everything was just beginning. And gradually we will reach our days.
Rise of an empire
The main streets and Preobrazhenskaya Square itself appeared in the 17th century, during the reign of Peter I. Here he spent his young years and created the famous amusing regiment, which eventually became an excellent training program for European-style regular troops. It was here that the Russian army was founded several centuries ago.
If we talk about the construction of the city, then it was here that the planning of quarters arose. And even the very first theater was opened in these places. Unfortunately, that original architecture of the area has not been preserved to this day. But imagination can turn back time.
Through the Ages
Once the street itselfPreobrazhenskaya and the square were part of the Stromynskaya road. But time passed, everything around developed, was built. Streets appeared from the north and south of the square. The main population was made up of soldiers who served in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Of course, then all the streets had other names. Many of which have remained unknown.
At the end of the 17th century, this territory was considered a periphery. One century was replaced by another, and these places became the center of Moscow. Everything around was expanding and developing. The city limits deepened to the northeast. In 1742 the village became a territorial part of Moscow. This happened after the construction of the Preobrazhenskaya outpost and the collegiate shaft.
Window to the past
Let's try to push back the heavy and dusty curtains that separate "today" and "yesterday". Let's look into the past at least through a small gap. Consider how things looked then.
Here we see Preobrazhenskaya Square, unusual and at the same time simple in its architectural embodiment. In the very center, between the northern and southern territories, there is a building. Most likely, this is the Preobrazhensky order, and perhaps the Secret Office. Then it was a place of court and police investigation. Nearby is a cozy church. It was named in honor of Peter and Paul, and later renamed the Savior of the Transfiguration.
If we shift our gaze towards the Yauza River, we will see a building in the shape of the letter "p". This is a linen factory founded under the emperor. In 1775, an almshouse was formed on its territory (an institution for keepingdisabled persons). It has survived to this day near the Matrossky Bridge. In the modern world, this is the oldest building left from those times.
Then all architectural structures were made of wood, with the exception of only three chambers.
Shortly before his death, Peter decided to transform the estate into a large palace with a complex of parks. But the plan was not destined to come true.
The strongest fire destroyed half of the settlement. Preobrazhenskaya Square lost all wooden buildings in the northern territory. Then they were not restored. The area was built up again only in the second half of the 19th century.
Towards modernity
We have traveled further, more precisely, closer to our time. Before us is Preobrazhenskaya Square, Moscow, 1952. The buildings of the pre-revolutionary period are still preserved here. The center is filled with stone houses, in the south there are wooden buildings. But the northern part does not look so modern. All buildings are made of wood. Looking beyond the collegiate shaft, we will see Cherkizovo covered with parallel streets.
During the construction of the subway station, several houses and a church were demolished. Today, few surviving buildings are built on and do not actually stand out from the general context of the city. Sometimes it is completely impossible to distinguish them from modern buildings. New facades, a few floors above - and everything becomes different.
Metropolitan
In the 65th, on the last day of the year, December 31, a metro station was opened"Preobrazhenskaya Square". It was a continuation of the Kirov-Frunzenskaya line. And until 1990 it was the final one. Named after the area it overlooks.
The station has two exits: west and east. You will find yourself respectively on Preobrazhenskaya Street or Bolshaya Cherkizovskaya Street.
This station can be called typical. There are several dozen columns arranged in two rows. Bookmark depth eight meters.
Design
Let's take a walk and look at the metro station "Preobrazhenskaya Square" to see how it has changed since its first working day.
Then, many years ago, the walls were lined with white ceramics. Liveliness added green stripes. It was real marble. Granite floor in red and grey. The interior was cozy and pleasant. But modern trends introduce new concepts of beauty. The walls are covered with aluminum panels, all tiles are changed to black marble.
Hard story
Preobrazhenskaya Square is fraught with many tragic events. One of them is directly related to the construction of the subway station.
In 1768 the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior was erected. Unfortunately, it was demolished in the middle of the 19th century. It was one of the last places of the assembly of believers, which was destroyed in Moscow in those years.
According to the official version, this was caused by the construction of underground tunnels in its place. But many see other reasons as well. It was said that the Metropolitanwho served in the church, was objectionable to the authorities. His views went against the opinion of Khrushchev himself. The state stifled faith and nurtured atheistic sentiments.
In confirmation of this, it is worth noting that the tunnels do not really pass on the territory of the church, but are located nearby.
Having learned about the demolition plans, believers came out to defend their parish. They surrounded the church grounds and kept watch day and night. But one day they were simply put on buses, driven aside and the building was blown up.
Today it is being restored as an object of cultural heritage. The design of the new building is based on old photographs and drawings in order to recreate the temple as accurately as possible.
Modern days
Today the streets of the district do not stand out from the general picture of the city. Cars and people are moving everywhere, work is in full swing - Preobrazhenskaya Square lives an ordinary modern life.
It is simply impossible to see something in the distance. Tall buildings surround us on all sides. Grocery, bookstores, jewelry stores - Preobrazhenskaya Square can satisfy any needs of customers. You need electronics - look to the left. Clothes to the right.
The infrastructure is well developed here: kindergartens, schools, universities, service centers and studios. Three communications departments. Alfa, Industrialny, Raiffeisen, Sberbank - Preobrazhenskaya Square has dozens of financial institutions.
Yes, this area is not historically remarkable, but everything that was before lives in our memory. Worth onlystop, squint your eyes and mentally travel back in time. And then amazing pictures of significant events that influenced the cultural and political life of the capital will appear before our imagination.
