Arbat

Arbat - one of the most ancient streets of the Russian capital. Its exotic name descends from the Arabian word "arbad" ("rabad"), means "suburb". Possibly, this word was brought to Moscow by the Crimean Tatars or the Arabian merchants in XV century. In the middle of XVII centuries there was an attempt to rename street Arbat in Smolensk, but this name didn't taken root.

Handicraftsmen and merchants were living first on Arbat, but by the end of XVIII century they were forceed out by noblemen. In XIX century a real Arbat boom began: it became prestigious and fashionable to settle on Arbat and in its lanes. The Tolstoys, the Rastropovichys, the Gagarins, the Dolgorukies, the Kropotkins - all these names which were remained in Russian history, were connected with Arbat. Arbat was a silent, "house" district: small private residences in an empire style and wooden houses surrounded with gardens; there almost were no shops on Arbat. Doctors, writers, lawyers were living in Arbat. At various times on Arbat lived or there were A.S.Pushkin, S.Rakhmaninov, A.Skrjabin, N.Gogol, L.Tolstoy, M.Saltykov-ShChedrin, A.Chehov, A.Blok.

By the end of XIX century Arbat started to get the shape close to the modern. Three-storyed houses began to appear, amount of shops increased, building of many-storeyed profitable houses began.

At the Soviet power there were irreversible changes in the shape of Old Arbat. In the early sixties on its lanes (the Krechetnikovsky lane, the Dog platform, partially big Molchanovka and Small Molchanovka) the part of the prospectus of Kalinin, later renamed in New Arbat was laid. It led to destruction of many monuments of architecture of 18-19 centuries. Muscovites neatly nicknamed the new street "a set of false teeth".

In 1974-1986 on Arbat the foot zone with an abundance of small shops, cafe and brisk street trade was created. Artists work, street singers act, Russian souvenirs are on sale here today. Old Arbat found new popularity, but truth to say, basically at visitors because many indigenous Muscovites critically concerned such transformation of the well-known corner of Moscow.

The museum-apartment of A.S. Pushkin, Marina Tsvetaeva's house-museum, M.J.Lermontov's house-museum are located on Arbat. Special interest is represented by ancient residences with a stucco moulding, balconies and caryatids. A well-known restaurant "Prague" existing since 1872 is located in the house №2 along the street Arbat. The house №4 belonged to noblemen Zagrjazhsky - to relatives of Pushkin's wife N.Goncharovoj. The Theatre of Vahtangova is placed in the house №26. The theatre building was constructed on a place of an ancient private residence which was hit by the bomb in 1941. The house №11 with the elaborate facade decorated with lion's masks and the house № 35 with knights standing om its facade also draw attention. These houses constructed in the beginning of XX century, embodied whims of the former owners. In the house №43 which was built on in the mid-thirties, at various times poet Andrey Belyj and Bulat Okudzhava lived, and in the house №51 events of the book of A.Rybakova "Hanger" were developed.