Things to see and do Central & Golden Ring

It is one of the oldest cultural institutions in Moscow and is part of the Moscow Museum complex. It was established in 1896 as the Museum of City Economy and moved to its present huge building. Today, the museum uses all this space to organize numerous temporary exhibitions and to constantly renew the one million pieces that make up its permanent collection! The collection is particularly instructive, tracing the history of Moscow's development back to the 17th century.

A unique opportunity to visit a vodka factory (МОСКОВСКИЙ ЗАВОД " КРИСТАЛЛ ") with of course tasting and zakouski. The price is undemocratic, as they say in Russian, but enthusiasts will find the visit worthwhile. Visits are possible from 5 people, reservation is mandatory. Please note that there are no French or English speakers on site. During the visit you will see the factory, the production and the Vodka museum as well as a shop.

This mansion, also called Teremok, is one of the subsidiaries of the Tretyakov Gallery. Built in 1894 according to the plans of its owner, the famous painter Viktor Vasnetsov, it looks as if it has come out of Russian fairy tales (one of its great inspirations). The master's paintings are the main attraction for visitors, but you will also find a considerable collection of Russian costumes and antique objects, which he carefully studied for his works.

It is the red palace, or the beautiful palace, since both adjectives translate into the same word in Russian. Preceded by a beautiful neoclassic pavilion of entry, it houses the great dining hall: It was the residence of princes when, on travel, they were taking steps at Rostov. Tsar Alexis, in particular, father of Pierre the Great, made numerous stopovers here. Note, the beautiful weather, one of which is a panther, emblem of the Romanov dynasty, the other a deer, symbol of the city of Rostov.

Originally outside the city, Vagankovskoye is associated with the Moscow plague epidemic of 1771, which killed thousands. This cemetery is off the beaten track, but is a regular walk for Muscovites. There are graves of many idols: Vladimir Vyssotsky, Bulat Okudzava, Sergei Essenin and many other famous Soviet musicians, poets and actors. On the other side of the street is the Armenian cemetery with its shimmering colors and soft blues. It is worth a visit.

It was founded in the middle of the 14th century and belonged to the Narychkin boyars. The Vyssokopetrovskiy Monastery (ВЫСОКОПЕТРОВСКИЙ МОНАСТЫРЬ), i.e. St. Peter's Monastery, is linked to the name of Tsar Peter the Great. When he was born, the Narychkin family, to which the Czar's mother belonged, offered rooms in the monastery, where the Czar's grandfather lived. The history of the monastery is also linked to the war with Napoleon. It must be said that the monastery suffered a lot from the marauders. In the church of Our Lady of Bogolyubovo, French Marshal Mortier condemned Muscovites accused of setting fires in the streets of Moscow. The abbey church of the monastery was built in 1514-1517. Next to the Cathedral is the Church of Our Lady of Bogoliubovo (1684-1687) and the tomb of Ivan and Afanassy Narychkin, who were killed during the Strelet Revolt.

To the south, the church of Saint-Serge-de-Radonège (1690-1694), built in memory of the support given to Peter the Great during the revolt against the Tsar organized by his sister Sofia. Note a beautiful bell tower at the entrance and the Church of the Intercession (Pokrovskaya, 1690-1694). Within the monastery grounds, your attention will be drawn to the Church of Our Lady of Tolga (Tolgskaya). Near the southern gate stands the church of St.akhomiVeliky (1754-1755). The beautiful proportions and fine decoration of this church allow to attribute it to the architect D. Oukhtomsky.

This beautiful church, built in 1693, after the death of Ionas in the baroque Style style, today houses an exhibition of the metropolitan parade clothes.

As you leave the metro station that bears his name, you will notice this imposing building with a statue of the writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky in front of it. This is one of the most important libraries in the world, with a collection of 17.5 million volumes on more than 275 kilometres of shelves.

The library was founded on July^1, 1862, as the first free library open to the public, under the name of the Moscow Public Museum and Rumyantsev Museum Library. From 1925 to 1991, it became the V.I. Lenin State Library of the USSR, hence its nickname, which you can still hear frequently used: Leninka. It was not until 1992 that it received its current name.

Since 1922, everything that has been, is and will be published in Russia has been housed here, and today it has a very rich collection of rare archives. The wooded reading rooms in the grand style of the USSR are worth a visit, but it is a laborious process that requires the creation of a reader's card (free, with an ID). There is also a small book museum. For those who wish to work there, the library is equipped with a high-end wifi. Please keep a religious silence though, the library staff are fierce and very responsive. In a city where most libraries are empty, this one is an exception and is loved by the public.

Bulgakov is the ultimate symbol of the writer committed against the Soviet power: his masterpiece, The Master and Margarita, was censored for a long time and served as a rallying cry for an underground youth. It is therefore logical that his apartment should become a place of pilgrimage for painters, writers, punks and hippies. After the perestroika, Bulgakov's apartment became a museum before being transformed again today into a cultural centre dedicated to the memory of the writer. The visit is more enjoyable if you know his works, as everything is done to bring to life the atmosphere of some of his most famous writings by multiplying the winks. However, even for the uninitiated the visit has its interest: the reconstruction of a Soviet apartment from the 1920s and 1930s shows you a rare example of a time when life was good in the USSR, despite the totalitarian change of regime. The museum is small, so don't expect an oversized exhibition. It is possible to book a French-speaking guide by contacting the museum, but the price will be higher. During the visit, ask the steward where the cat Behemoth, castrated to live in these places, is. The actor cat is confused with his eponymous character from Bulgakov's famous novel, and there is no doubt, during his free time, that Behemoth really repaired his Primus lamp! The guides and guards of the museum deserve a special mention, so much they are passionate about their work.

The three-storey building painted in yellow was the home of metropolitan. The three floors were built at different times: th, th, th.

At the exit of the Kitai-Gorod metro station, you have to look a little bit for this church (ЦЕРКОВЬ ТРОИЦЫ "В НИКИТНИКАХ") deliberately lost in Soviet constructions: one of the techniques set up by the Soviet regime to fight against religious feeling. The church itself is one of the masterpieces of 17th century Baroque architecture: its harmonious proportions and shimmering red and white colours make it one of the stars of photographers and Instagram.

It's a very pretty little church (ХРАМ ВСЕХ ВСЕХ СВЯТЫХ НА КУЛИШКАХ), which seems to have come straight out of a fairy tale and seems a little lost in the middle of the ocean of reinforced concrete that surrounds it. It was erected to celebrate the Kulikovskaya battle that marks the liberation of Russia from Tatar domination. After being almost destroyed by the Poles in 1610, it found its present form in 1680. Visit also the beautiful interior of this place of worship.

The third building belonging to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is that of the private collections (МУЗЕЙ ЛИЧНЫХ КОЛЛЕКЦИЙ). The idea behind this presentation is to restore each collection in its individuality in order to make the public appreciate the collector's world. The result is pleasing but the collections are consequently of very unequal value. In particular, there is a beautiful collection of icons of old believers dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Marina Tsvetaeva is a great Russian poetess of the early 20th century, going through the period of revolution and civil war. Her house, which remained intact during the Soviet period thanks to the efforts of Tsvetaeva's friends, now houses a museum dedicated to her. Rather than accumulating artefacts from her life, the museum aims to recreate the atmosphere of her relationship with her husband, Serge Efron, her children and her friends, poets and artists.

Created in 1999, MMOMA was the first public museum in Russia to specialize in Russian and foreign contemporary art. It owns thirty paintings by Russian avant-gardists including Kazimir Malevich, Marc Chagall, Nathalie Goncharova and Mikhail Larionov and works by Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Juan Miró, Giorgio de Chirico and Salvador Dali. Today, it has five locations in Moscow and houses an art school, Svobodnye masterskie (free workshops), a large library and a research center for modern art.

Its main site is in the Gubine Mansion, built in the 18th century by architect Matveï Kazakov in a neo-classical style. If this museum does not offer as complete a panorama of modern art as the MoMa, the Tate Modern or the Centre Pompidou, it is appreciable for its various temporary exhibitions that are frequently renewed and mix big names with lesser known artists.

Its permanent collection is composed of the "official" works of the regimes that have succeeded each other at the head of the country. Those of the Putin regime are, for example, the monumental sculptures of Zurab Tsereteli (President of Fine Arts and founder of the museum) located in the outer courtyard. Guided tours are organized in English. One can easily spend an hour there. Finally, on the first floor, the store is very nice and its priodts make original gifts to offer when you get home. There are for example goodies printed with Soviet cartoon characters.

Borodino, on August 26, 1812, was the last victory of Napoleon's great army that finally cost him the war. The Russians voluntarily set fire to Moscow in the following days, marking this conflict even more in the national imagination. Models and paintings make us relive this great battle. The museum is interesting because of its form, which allows us to feel at the heart of the events thanks to its panoramic installation that represents 3,000 characters.

The East has a special place in the Russian spirit and continues to influence culture and morals. This is not surprising, given that the country also extends into the Caucasus and Central Asia. This charming museum (ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ МУЗЕЙ ВОСТОКА) is therefore worth a visit. There are some very beautiful pieces in an old-fashioned scenography for a visit of about an hour. The collection of paintings by Roerich (also exhibited at the Tretyakov) is well suited to the atmosphere of the place.

Gorky spent the last years of his life here, in this place he considered a gilded cage. The building was under surveillance and visitors were filtered, the furniture was state property, registered and stamped. The building itself is a masterpiece of early modernism with its library and Art Nouveau stained glass windows. It was used as a literary salon and writers' house, but also as a reception hall when Stalin came to visit.

Of the three Tolstoy museums in Moscow, not counting his residence in Yasnaya Polyana outside Moscow, Khamovniki is the most interesting and original. He occupies a wooden house where the author lived from 1895 to 1901 and the place recreates the atmosphere of what was one of the most popular literary salons in Moscow. The museum's collection contains priceless recordings of the great Russian writer's voice and films depicting him, dating from 1910.

Not far from the Kremlin is a very... peculiar mansion that never tires of making Muscovites talk. Nicknamed the Moorish Palace, this strange creation by architect Victor Mazyrin has a decidedly Art Nouveau style. Its elaborate turrets, twisted columns, sculpted balconies and its facade decorated with shells give the ensemble the strange impression of seeing the dream of the Facteur Cheval and his own palace, the "Ideal Palace", come true. Do not hesitate to visit it when you are in the city centre.

Author in Moscow of several industrial buildings, Konstantin Melnikov (1890-1974) built for him between 1927 and 1930 this three-storey residence and a masterpiece of constructivist architecture: made up of two interlocking cylinders, it opens onto the street through a huge glass facade that lights up the architect's studio, which fell into disgrace in 1937, from which he never recovered. Today the building (unfortunately in rather poor condition) is one of thebuildings belonging to the Shchusev Museum of Architecture (MA).

Literally meaning "Île aux Élans", this nature park, founded in 1983, covers 116 km2. You will be able to see the landscapes of the Moscow oblast, its famous Russian birches and, if you are lucky, the iconic elks that give the reserve its name. The Egersky site is home to the biological station which includes an arboretum and is the starting point for excusions about the diversity of Russian forests, the animal world of the region and the work of a forestry officer.

Troitskaya Tower is the tallest of its sisters, rising 80 meters above the ground. Its name is inherited from the fact that it once overlooked a suburb of the capital that surrounded the monastery of the Trinity-St. Sergius. The tower itself is built on eight levels, two of which are in the basement, once used as a prison, topped by a ruby-coloured star: a lost symbol of the Soviet era. Its door led to the Patriarch's palace and was the entrance used by the tsars.

This name, of Finno-Ugric origin, means "swampy" because if the lake covers a very large area it is shallow. You can canoe at your leisure or fish for freshwater fish (there are sixteen species of freshwater fish sold at the Rostov market). The lake participates in the fortune of Rostov-le-Grand because its easily accessible bottom is full of loess: a very fertile silt which allows Rostov to be one of the great market gardening regions of Russia. The place is obviously more advisable in summer than in winter, transformed into an ice rink.

Situated in the heart of the city, between trendy restaurants and luxury boutiques, the synagogue building stands out and amazes. It is reminiscent of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem and has a unique and complicated history like that of the Jews of Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Initially, the synagogue was financed in 1883 by the industrialist and banker Lazarem Solomonovichem and designed by the architect M.N. Chichagov in a Moorish style. In the 1920s the synagogue began its adventures, its Jewish school for boys (the Heder) was closed and in December 1937 Rabbi Moshe Haim Gurtenberg was shot by the GPU (USSR State Police), two years later it became state property. For almost 40 years it served as a centre for amateur artists. In 1991 the synagogue was returned to the Jewish community of Moscow. It was erected by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson as a representation of the ultra-orthodox Lubavitch movement on Russian territory. The new building of the synagogue on Bolshaya Bronaya Street was built in memory of the Jewish victims of the 20th century.

On the top floor, there is a nice kosher Jerusalem restaurant (Yerousalim) which offers specialities from the Caucasus and the Middle East, including a variety of grilled meat and fish that can be enjoyed in summer on their terrace with a lovely view of the city.

The Manège is now the most prestigious exhibition hall in the capital. Originally a riding school dating from the 18th century, it covers almost 12,000 m². After an arson attack in 2004, the perpetrators of which were never found, it was renovated into the Central Exhibition Hall that you can see today. While the permanent exhibitions are of fairly average quality, some of the temporary exhibitions are worth a visit.

You can check out the programme and book your tickets on their website.

This second part of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is the best and you can get lost there for an afternoon. There is a beautiful collection of French classical, impressionist and fauvist painters. These valuable paintings were added to the museum in the years following the revolution, and were seized from the great collectors of the imperial period. The exhibition is chronological for each of the 3 floors that make it up.

This is one of the artist Feodor Shalyapin's apartment-museums, the only one in Moscow. It is the only one of its kind in Moscow, and it is a perfect example of a 19th-century interior from the lifetime of the famous opera bass, whose fame at the time was comparable to that of George Clooney today. Inside, you'll find posters, photos and portraits, stage costumes and autographed letters that tell the story of her eventful life. Check the website for programming.

The matryoshka is far from being the most typical of the Russian handicraft specialties. This nice museum will allow you to discover it. Russian handicrafts are very varied: Siberia works with birch bark, the North with Gzhel porcelain (with beautiful and distinctive blue and white colors), etc. A 45-minute visit gives you an idea of this variety, before spending 30 minutes in the souvenir store. It's a good combination of touring and shopping!

Don't be fooled by the innocuous appearance and colorful walls of this large building occupying the northwestern part of the square. It has been the home of the Ministry of State Security since 1919, even before the present building was constructed in 1946. The place has seen the Cheka, the Guepeu, the NKVD, the KGB and now the FSB, all of them feared by the Russians.

During the years of mass political repression, suspects of anti-Soviet crimes were taken there and their fate was decided in the basement. Suspects were interned for the duration of their "trial" before being transferred or shot. Everything was calculated: identical rooms and cells prevented the prisoners from finding their way around. The walls of the cells are separated by a void, prohibiting communication in Morse code. However, the Lubyanka inner prison was closed in 1961, in the middle of the Cold War. Its last prisoner was the American spy Harry Francis Powers.

In August 1991, the statue of Dzerzhinsky (the founder of the Cheka), which stood on the square, was dismantled (now in Muzeon Park among the fallen comrades) and the square was given its old name, Lubyanskaya. Traditionally, the largest Christmas tree in the country is placed there. Also in 1991, thanks to the efforts of NGOs (including Memorial, closed in 2021 by the regime), a monument to the victims of the gulags was installed on the square: it is a simple stone from the Solovki Islands, the site of the first camp.

The Moscow Planetarium is the oldest planetarium in the country. Opened in November 1929, it has been one of the leading attractions for children from 7 to 15 years old. From the vestibule (in the shape of a roller coaster) everything is said: this place is placed under the sign of play and interactivity. You will find a 4D cinema, a huge dome where you can observe the Milky Way and an interactive museum that traces the Soviet space conquest. For families with young children it is a visit that will not disappoint.

This elegant mosque is a survivor of the anti-religious campaigns (there were only two left in Moscow in 1990, for 80 million Muslims in the USSR). It is in the heart of the former Tatar quarter (as the names of the streets around it indicate). Integrated into the Russian Empire, the Tatars were present in Moscow, especially in trade. In the 20th century, they were persecuted and apart from the mosque, this district has nothing Tatar anymore. During Eid and Navrouz (Persian New Year), the whole street of the mosque is covered with carpets and worshippers.

This church behind the Red Square has a unique historical importance that is not apparent in its simple architecture and dark church. It was created within the monastery founded by Boris Godunov in 1600, before being in the eighteenth century, the breeding ground for Enlightenment education in Russia. The monastery served as the only academy in the country for the study of Latin and Greek before the creation of the Lomonosov University by one of its former students.

This centre is part of the Red October cultural cluster on the Moskva River. There are high-quality exhibitions featuring both Russian and foreign photographers. The entrance fee is a bit high, so check their site in advance if you are interested in the current (often changing) exhibition. The photo shop that accompanies the centre is excellent, with lots of images taken in Soviet times and reprints of posters.

Already in the imperial era, one of the largest factories in Moscow, Einem, was located in the western part of Bolotny Island, producing sugar and later chocolate, and even supplying the imperial family. Its image was so much a part of the capital's landscape that it is said that at the same time when London was sinking into the stench and smog caused by its own factories, Moscow smelled of chocolate. After the revolution, the chocolate factory was expropriated by the Soviets who renamed it "Red October", a curiously appropriate name for its brick building. The complex was expanded and the brand became a symbol of socialism, so much so that when the Second World War broke out, Red October chocolate was in the rations of all soldiers. After this episode, it was distributed throughout the USSR and children raised in this period have all known these sweets.

Red October is today a bit like the Soho of Moscow. When Red October, now a private company, moved out of Moscow in 2007, they wanted to preserve its heritage. Work has turned the place into a cultural cluster that now includes restaurants, galleries, nightclubs, Strelka urban planning institute and offices that have created a vibrant local culture. There is still a remnant of the industrial past of the place: a small industrial store Alenka remains at the tip of the island, with its saleswomen, their regulation apron and its ridiculously low prices.

Before your visit to the main building of the Tretyakov Gallery, take a few minutes to enjoy the Baroque meditation of this church (Церковь Кли́мента), built in the 17th century, which is the heart of the district. It is a very popular church, where the locals go to meditate before going to work or going out in the evening, especially to listen to beautiful singing during mass. Saint Clement is highly respected and is prayed for the health of the children, the reunification of families and the return of parents.

One could not visit Moscow without visiting this temple dedicated to the rest and leisure of Soviet citizens-workers on almost 3 km along the recently rebuilt Moskova River. In summer you can play table tennis, sunbathe or dance salsa and in winter skate. In addition, the park is home to one of the most prestigious modern art galleries in the country: the Garage. Our favorite: Chaynaya Vysota, a stand on the Moskova quay offering tea blends to take away, our favorite being the bread apple one.

Levoberejny Beach has been a popular place since Soviet times. There are sun loungers lined up along the river, free parking, many small and large cafes, volleyball courts and football pitches. The term "beach" may sound a little optimistic for what is actually a patch of greasy grass and freshwater sand, but it is after all thousands of kilometres away from the first wave of salt water. It is advisable to book a boat trip there: tickets can be purchased at the pier.

Officially preserved since 1988 over 239 km2, the area around the lake was not one of the favourite holiday resorts of the Tsars for several centuries for nothing. From the flat countryside dotted with small places of worship of great simplicity emanates a bucolic softness that really penetrates the soul of the travellers of ancient Rus'. One almost feels like staying a few more days to welcome the twilight on the banks of the lake.

If you are a fan of military tourism, go to the heart of the Victory Park where the imposing Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War stands. This museum displays with pomp and circumstance many military materials, archival documents, dioramas and films devoted to this war in which more than 26 million Soviets lost their lives. Don't expect an unbiased historical account; after all, you already know the American version of the events...

We have already told you a lot about ""Moscow the White City"", a nickname given to the capital because of its white stone walls marking the border of the capital. Here you have what remains of it. Indeed, these fortifications built at the end of the 16th century were demolished in 1780 (at the time of Catherine II) and replaced by the ring of French-style boulevards that you know today. The whole complex was unearthed by a team of workmen digging the foundations of a shopping centre. In front of the find, the work was interrupted and a legal battle ensued that lasted more than 10 years between the real estate developers and the Moscow City Hall. Finally, as the 2018 football World Cup approached, the court ruled and an open-air amphitheatre was finally built, facing the fragment of the protected wall. This place immediately became very popular among Muscovites, especially among hipsters and youth who renamed it "Yama" and even created a dedicated Instagram page! The reasons for this infatuation vary: for some it is a beautiful place to hang out and drink (illegally) in summer, for others it is a good place for shows and concerts that are regularly organized there, and for others Yama is a symbol of the changes in the capital, of the city's revaluation of its heritage and of a revenge on the omnipresent trade since the 1990s.

Welcome to the sanctuary of Russian Impressionism, often misunderstood, always contested. Inaugurated on May 28, 2016, this new small museum brings together a collection of some 150 works patiently acquired and showcased by businessman Boris Mintz since 2001. Following his wishes, its ambition is to prove the existence of a Russian impressionist school as well as its singularity in Russia, distinct from the French canons and its giants such as Manet and Renoir. To this end, the permanent exhibition presents a panorama stretching from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. We can find great names such as Polenov, Korovine, Serov or even Guerassimov, better known for his socialist realism. Upstairs, two rooms are dedicated to temporary exhibitions, devoted to little-known artists that the museum wants to bring up to date. The building also has a multimedia space, a projection room, a café and a shop to complete the museum's itinerary. There is a real interest in admiring these works, which are undoubtedly masterfully crafted and presented in a very modern way. When you leave this place, you can be sure that Boris Mintz's wager is a success.

Another argument for taking a break is the setting of the museum. He found his home in the former confectionery factory of the "Bolshevik" brand acquired by the tycoon. This old red brick building, renovated in the modern industrial style, also houses the offices of many Russian start-ups.

Burganov is one of the greatest contemporary Russian sculptors whose works can be admired all over Moscow. In particular, the golden sculpture of Princess Turandot on the ancient Arbat. Rather surreal in his approach, he has a recognizable style. His museum-workshop is more of a jumble open to visitors than a proper museum tour. One wanders from rooms to courtyards, from gardens to galleries in a jubilant approach to art, faithful to the style of the owner, soon to be in his nineties.

If you are a paleontology enthusiast, take an hour to visit one of the largest natural history museums in the world, founded in 1716 by Peter the Great. The museum contains real dinosaur skeletons, which will make young and old alike dream! In addition to its amazing permanent collection exhibited in 6 rooms, the museum building is also of great interest: a magnificent example of Soviet architecture that was awarded the USSR State Prize at its creation.

The "Pharmacists' Garden" is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Moscow, created in the 18th century for the cultivation of medicinal plants. It now belongs to the Moscow State University, which has preserved it in its original use. The garden is one of the most beautiful in the capital, with a profusion of delicate flowers. There are verandas for eating and drinking, and at weekends you can listen to music or see some handicraft stalls.

This Soviet dacha is perfectly preserved in its original form with its complete collection of furniture, utensils, decorative and leisure objects from the Soviet period. One can enjoy tea prepared in a real samovar (whose water boiled with wood embers instils such a particular and appreciable taste), Ivan chai and Russian cakes. The owner of the place also gives master classes in the preparation of borstch or pelmenis. We highly recommend this excellent getaway for an immersion in local life.

You are in front of one of the buildings in Moscow that tourists most often take pictures of. This is quite understandable, considering its (too?) extravagant architecture. This small mansion resembling a Fabergé egg was built in 2002 by Sergey Tkatsjenko. Initially this project was intended to be built at the turn of the ^2nd millennium in Bethlehem to house a birthing centre, hence its egg shape... which makes it an even more dubious choice. Anyway you can always follow this photographic trend.

This gallery is named after its owner, an art dealer and exhibitor. It has acquired a solid reputation and you can be sure that the artists exhibited here have or will have a world-renowned career. This place is an ideal place to get acquainted with the Russian art scene, especially at the time of the happenings that bring together all the Russian cultural gratin. Once you get over the intimidating feeling of coming as a tourist walking the flowerbeds of a very select art world, you can enjoy the talent displayed on the walls.

This beautiful boulevard in the Parisian style is an integral part of the Ring of Boulevards ordered by Catherine II, which replaced the White City walls. It begins at Pushkin Square and ends at Nikitsky Gate, next to Arbat. It was a fashionable promenade for the Moscow nobility, who built many mansions here. The street can be dedicated to Maxim Gorky: at No. 22 there is a theatre named after him, at No. 25 the neoclassical facade of the Maxim Gorky Institute of Literature, where the famous writer was born.