Moscow - part IV - Arbat and New Arbat

[michau]

I'm continuing to post my old Moscow threads here in EE forum for those who haven't seen them yet elsewhere The pictures were taken in September 2004.

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It is time to walk along one of the most famous streets of Moscow - Arbat.

During the Soviet times Arbat stood for Bohemian Moscow. It was the heart of a quarter where writers, actors and scientists lived and met. It had the most vibrant streetlife in the city. Other parts of Moscow were quite "dead" at that time, but that has changed in recent years and the position of Arbat is not that exceptional anymore. Nowadays it's kind of a tourist trap, but it's still very nice and cosy.

I marked the way I walked on the map below. The walk starts at the Stalin-gothic Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



Garden Ring. Arbat begins here (or rather ends here, as most people enter it from the other end).



Let's enter Arbat



Street artists are always present here



Looking back at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs



Street life



Monument of Bulat Okudzhava, the legendary singer, who spent a great part of his life here. "Oh Arbat, my Arbat, you are my destiny, you are my happiness and my sorrow"





Something for the ladies



And for the gentlemen...







"Master and Margerita"...?



What the hell is going on in the heart of Moscow!!!







I'm here





Looking back at Belgrade Hotel





Vakhtangov Theatre



Side street. The "brutal" highrises at the New Arbat can be seen from many places on the old Arbat.





hmm... it wasn't her father... or grandfather



A nice cow



I turn into a small side street. The wall here is covered in graffiti about Viktor Tsoy, the singer of the legendary rock group Kino. He died in a car crash and is regarded a cult hero. Fans gather here to sing his songs and contemplate.





That's what the girls from previous pic have written.





Interesting contrast: the wall, Arbat and New Arbat



I continue the walk along the small side street. I will do a loop and get back to Arbat. Here the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be seen,







Cute dog



Back on Arbat











Toy-toy babushka Apparently the introduction of toy-toys to the streets of Moscow didn't leave the "toilet babushkas" job-less.







Side streets







After cows, it' time for tigers



Peace Wall. The wall consists of scores of tiles painted by Soviet schoolchildren, expressing their hopes for peace and fears for war. I read it was a part of propaganda against Reagan's Star Wars.





Another contrast



Leather clothes are very common among Moscow's women.



Side street





The last (or rather first) part of Arbat.









Let's leave Arbat for a while. Last glance at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



I'm heading towards the New Arbat, as you can see...



A parking lot worker...



The New Arbat



Hotel Ukraina in the background. In the next years a few 300-meters towers will rise beyond it at International Business Centre.



Between 1962 and 1967, a neighbourhood of old wooden houses, a few churches and one monastery, were bulldozed to make place for the New Arbat. The new highrises and department stores along the New Arbat become the symbol of the new Moscow.





New York?



This picture is somehow symbolizing Moscow. Mixed architectural styles, a jungle of advertisements and an old orthodox church in the middle of it all.







Side street. The Stalin-gothic residential at Kudrinskaya Square can be seen.



In the part of the street (New Arbat) close to the Arbatskaya Square some old buildings were left.





Arbatskaya Square. At the corner where Arbat and New Arbat begins, stands the beautiful building of the "Prague Restaurant".



Arbatskaya Square. Another lonely orthodox church. The white rectangular building is the Russian "Pentagon", I think. Correct me if I'm wrong.



Arbatskaya Square is situated on the Boulevard Ring (the second ring). Unlike the stalinistic Garden Ring (the third ring), it has preserved much of its pre-revolutionary atmosphere.





This is a common sight in Moscow. People walking around the city with cans of beer in their hands.



Last look at Arbat. You can say that it begins here at Prague Restaurant, as most people enter it from this end.



I hope that you enjoyed the Arbat The Moscow walk is to be continued...

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My Moscow series on EE forum:
Moscow - part I - from the air + airport-hotel route
Moscow - part II - fantastic views from Hotel Ukraina
Moscow - part III - from Hotel Ukraina to Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Moscow - part IV - Arbat and New Arbat
Moscow - part V - Between Arbat and Prechistenka
Moscow - part VI - Kitay Gorod
Moscow - part VII - Manezhnaya Square
Moscow - part VIII - Tverskaya Street
Moscow - part IX - Between Tverskaya and New Arbat
Moscow - part X - Metro + Petrovka

[VelesHomais]

Once again, great commentaries and pictures. Any city should be proud of having you as its advertisement agent. ( hint at my hope you'll do a Ukrainian city again )

[michau]

Originally Posted by Pan_Stanislav

Once again, great commentaries and pictures. Any city should be proud of having you as its advertisement agent. ( hint at my hope you'll do a Ukrainian city again )

Thanks There is a possibility that I will visit Kiev once again It's not decided yet... But I would really like to go there. So let's hope

[VelesHomais]

There's also Odesa and Lviv

[michau]

Originally Posted by Pan_Stanislav

There's also Odesa and Lviv

I know, but nobody wants to pay my journey to these cities I was thinking of a private journey to Lviv with my grandfather, so he could show me the city where he lived before WWII, but he said he's to old to travel that far... I'm still planning to go there, but have to find some travel companions

[viagensimagens]

Este conjunto de fotos é um dos mais incríveis e maravilhosos documentos fotográficos que ja encontrei. Parabens efusivos!!

[WolfHound]

Originally Posted by michau

I know, but nobody wants to pay my journey to these cities I was thinking of a private journey to Lviv with my grandfather, so he could show me the city where he lived before WWII, but he said he's to old to travel that far... I'm still planning to go there, but have to find some travel companions

I would love to travel to Lviv and Odessa next summer. I also want to visit Moscow badly too. But unfortunately I'm still a poor college student. So hopefully I'll make my way to the Eastern Europe soon. However if I can find cheap flights and hotels I may even fly to Moscow or St. Petersburg when I'm in England.

[l'eau]

sorry but we are only using english:S

and i want to go moscow

[blaise.]

people look so 80's!

[Cliff]

oh thnak you! your thread took us on a wonderful trip around the arbats!