The Zamoskvorechye neighbourhood is a mix of antiquity and modernity.
Steeped in tsarist history, Zamoskvorechye also retains the patina of old-school, Stalinist glamour with its imposing facades and embankments. Despite its dramatic architecture, most of Zamoskvorechye is fairly quiet, with many of its streets providing a kind of “eye of the storm”-like atmosphere in the heart of Moscow.
An ancient district
In the days of Ivan the Terrible, royal archers were stationed here with their families – and legend has it that Moscow’s first proper tavern was located here as well, serving the needs of both military men and the large numbers of artisans who lived in the area. Later, the Tsar’s gardens were cultivated here.
Zamoskvorechye’s overall look has been formed over the last 700 years or so. The first recorded texts on Zarechye (which literally means “beyond the river”) date back to the 14th century, but it is known that the area was populated long before that.
Historically, Zamoskvorechye served as a sloboda in the Moscow princedom – a settlement free from taxation or conscription. The people who lived there provided the Tsar with goods and food. That is why many streets in Zamoskvorechye have food or craft-related names, like Sadovnichevskaya Naberezhnaya (Garden Embankment) or Novokuznetskaya Ulitsa (Blacksmith Street).
The Moscow News
