The Boulevard Ring - a landscape landmark of Moscow - arose at the end of the 18th century on the site of the Belgorod Wall, a defensive fortification that was abolished and dismantled as unnecessary. The travel towers of the wall were also destroyed, and squares were formed in their place, the names of which remind of their past purpose. The names of the gates have been preserved: Pokrovsky Gates, Arbat Gates, Nikitsky Gates, etc.
How many boulevards are there in the Boulevard Ring?
In total, ten boulevards were formed, which are located one after another in the shape of a horseshoe, surrounding the center of Moscow. The ends of the "horseshoe" abut against the embankments of the Moscow River, forming directly the Boulevard Ring. The map of Moscow contains complete information about all the boulevards along with the squares. Unlike the Garden Ring, the Boulevard Ring has a more compact outline.
The Boulevard Ring (Moscow, as you know, was built for a long time) in its current form did not appear immediately. first boulevard,Tverskaya, was founded in 1796 by the architect S. Karin, and then nine other boulevard avenues diverged on both sides of Tverskoy Boulevard. The Moscow Boulevard Ring was finally formed in the first half of the 19th century.
It starts from Soymonovsky passage on Prechistenka and continues from Prechistenskiye Vorota Square to Arbatskaya Square. This section is called Gogol Boulevard. Arbat Square turns into Arbat Gate Square. Nikitsky Boulevard begins from the Arbat Gates, which rests on the Nikitsky Gate Square. At this point, the Boulevard Ring intersects with Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, which opens onto Manezhnaya Square.
After the Nikitsky Gates, the ring continues to Tverskoy Boulevard, abutting on Pushkinskaya Square. Strastnoy Boulevard departs from A. S. Pushkin Square, its end is Petrovsky Gate Square, which is crossed by the famous Moscow Petrovka Street. After Petrovsky Gates, Boulevard Ring continues Petrovsky Boulevard, which extends to Trubnaya Square.
Further from Trubnaya Square, Rozhdestvensky Boulevard departs, connecting it with Sretensky Gate Square, which is the beginning of Sretensky Boulevard. Bolshaya Lubyanka and Sretenka streets depart from the square.
Sretensky Boulevard ends with Turgenev Square, connecting Myasnitskaya Street and Akademika Sakharov Avenue. At the end of Sretensky Boulevard is Myasnitskiye Vorota Square, from which Chistoprudny Boulevard originates, turning into Pokrovsky SquareGates. The next square, Khokhlovskaya, is the place where Pokrovsky Boulevard begins, which immediately turns into Yauzsky Boulevard.
Yauzsky Boulevard ends with Yauzsky Gate Square, from which Ustinsky passage departs, the last link of the Moscow Boulevard Ring.
Boulevards and their differences
Some of the 10 boulevards of the ring have their own signs of difference. Gogolevsky Boulevard runs on three levels. The inner highway runs along the upper level, the middle one goes along the middle tier, and the outer passage runs along the lowest line. The boulevard got such a stepping pattern thanks to the different heights of the banks of the Chertoraya stream, which once flowed on the site of Gogolevsky Boulevard.
The "youngest" boulevard of all is Pokrovsky, for a long time its formation was hindered by the Pokrovsky barracks and a huge parade ground near them. The parade ground was demolished in 1954, and only after that the alley was turned into a full-fledged boulevard.
The shortest boulevard is Sretensky, its length is only 214 meters, and the longest is Tverskoy Boulevard, 857 meters. The record width - 123 meters - is distinguished by Strastnoy Boulevard.
Monuments
The Boulevard Ring is famous for its monuments:
- A. S. Pushkin on Pushkin Square.
- To Vladimir Vysotsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff on Strastnoy Boulevard.
- N. V. Gogol and Mikhail Sholokhov on Gogol Boulevard.
- A. S. Griboyedov on Chistoprudny Boulevard.
- On Tverskoyboulevard to Sergei Yesenin and K. A. Timiryazev.
- A monument to V. G. Shukhov was erected at the exit from Sretensky Boulevard.
Subway stations
The following metro stations are located along the perimeter of the Moscow Boulevard Ring:
- Kropotkinskaya station (Sokolnicheskaya line);
- Arbatskaya station (Filyovskaya line);
- Pushkinskaya station (Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line);
- Tverskaya station (Zamoskvoretskaya line);
- station "Chekhovskaya" (Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line);
- Trubnaya station (Lublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line);
- station "Turgenevskaya" (Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya line);
- station "Sretensky Boulevard" (Lublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line);
- Chistye Prudy station (Sokolnicheskaya line).
Konka and tram
There was no transport on the Boulevard Ring, Muscovites managed by cabs. However, in 1887, horse-drawn carriages appeared on the boulevards. The Konka worked until 1911, then a tram was launched along the Boulevard Ring. The route was considered circular, although the carriages ran only to the embankment of the Moskva River in both directions.
In 1947, the Boulevard Ring was partially restored for the 800th anniversary of Moscow. Outdated benches in the squares were replaced with new, modern ones. The mesh fence, which had already rusted by that time, was completely replaced. Cast iron barriers were installed instead. Since 2011, the Boulevard Ring has become a favorite place forall kinds of protest rallies and demonstrations.
