The Zemlyanoy Gorod or “Earth Town” was built during the medieval period and became famous as the home ground of Pushkin, Chekhov, Gorky, Tolstoy and Bulgakov. It is also one of the more upmarket areas of Moscow, with impressive neoclassical and Art Nouveau mansions lining its streets along the Patriarch’s Ponds , a large pond at the heart of the square. These palatial residences, preserved as museums in the case of the homes of Pushkin, Chekhov, Gorky, Tolstoy and Bulgakov provide an insight and a glimpse into the lives and the times of the men and their nation.
The Arbat is the Russian equivalent of London’s swinging Carnaby Street, an area that reverberates with a vibrant life unique in Moscow during the 1980s. Narrow and cobbled streets, a tram that runs through its centre, the Arbat was the bohemian stronghold of writers, actors and scientists frequenting the same shops and cafés. It is a major tourist attraction that continues to be more tourist-friendly than anything else currently on offer as it retains its array of cafés and antique shops, and the more recently opened fast-food outlets. It tends to get busier beyond the Peace Wall where portrait artists, busker and photographers offer to paint a picture or take a photograph with a wide and sometimes zany selection of props from Gorby to Mickey Mouse. The walls of the buildings are a delight to behold as they have become the universal canvas abloom with bright colours and quirky details.
