Sparrow Hills are real or not. Sparrow Hills
- Favorite place leisure tourists, students, honeymooners, bikers and sports car enthusiasts.
- Observation deck at an altitude of 80 m above sea level offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the city.
- Architectural landmarks- sports complex "Luzhniki", Shukhov TV tower, Novodevichy monastery, St. Andrew's monastery and others.
- The most impressive buildings- three Stalinist skyscrapers and the main building of Moscow State University in the Stalinist Empire style.
- In the summer, you can commit boat trip, ride a funicular, bike, rollerblades, feed the animals, just take a walk.
- In winter, you can go skiing here, ski jumping, snowboarding.
One of the most famous park areas in Moscow is a favorite vacation spot for students, bikers, honeymooners and tourists. Here are located, opening a panoramic view of the whole of Moscow, and the symbol of the Stalinist Empire - the Main Building of Moscow University.
In the Middle Ages, there were several villages on this place. One of them, Vorobyovo, stood on the current territory of the university. Today, the surviving Church of the Life-Giving Trinity reminds of the village. In 1453, these lands were bought by Princess Sophia, the wife of the Moscow prince Vasily I, and they entered the royal possessions. Prince Vasily III loved this place very much, often visited it and, according to legend, even hid here from the Crimean Khan Devlet Girey, who attacked Moscow in 1521. And in 1547, in this village, together with his family, he took refuge from the Moscow fire.
Observation deck
With observation deck Vorobyovy Gory, located at an altitude of 80 m above sea level, offers an excellent panorama of the city. City holidays are widely celebrated here, motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts gather. From the observation deck you can see the architectural dominants of the city: the Luzhniki sports complex, the Moscow-City business center, and the Andreevsky monasteries, the building of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Shukhov TV tower, three Stalinist skyscrapers - the Foreign Ministry building, a skyscraper at the Red Gate and the Ukraine hotel ", The domes of the Kremlin, a monument to Peter I by Zurab Tsereteli.
Address: intersection of st. Kosygin and Universitetsky passage
Trinity Church
The Church of the Life-Giving Trinity is the only reminder of the village of Vorobyevo, which was once located here. At first it was wooden, but at the end of the 18th century. at the direction of Catherine II, a new Empire-style church was built in its place under the direction of the architect Karl Vitberg. The temple is active, it is located in the immediate vicinity of the observation deck. The bell tower, the main volume and the gallery connecting them are on the same axis, that is, the temple was built by a “ship”. The building of the temple ends with a large drum with a dome resembling a rotunda, which is quite typical for Empire buildings. However, the inside of the church is not round, but quadrangular. Outside, it is decorated with Tuscan columns, pilasters and paintings.
Address: st. Kosygina, 30
Andreevsky Monastery
At the foot of the Sparrow Hills is the St. Andrew's Monastery. It was founded in the 17th century. favorite of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Fedor Rtischev in honor of the liberation of Moscow from the invasion of the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey. Since this happened on the day of commemoration of the martyr Andrew Stratilates, the monastery was consecrated. Initially, the gate church was made of wood, but in 1675 it was rebuilt in stone. Particularly noteworthy are the tiles made by Belarusian masters of the "valuable" business, among whom was the famous Stepan Polubes. Later, another stone building appeared - the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Today, on the territory of the monastery, you can see the bell tower, which received its modern appearance in the middle of the 19th century. Throughout the XIX century. utility buildings were also built around these three buildings.
Address: Andreevskaya embankment, 2
The lands with the royal residence and the monastic settlement were successively owned by several famous noble families - the Saltykovs, Dolgorukovs, Yusupovs, as well as Count Matvey Dmitriev-Mamonov, in whose honor the estate house is often called "Mamonov's dacha". By the name of the first owner from the Dolgorukov family, the entire estate is named Vasilievskoye. There was a noisy social life here, many guests came, gardens with exotic plants grew around the house. The building of the main house in the Empire style, which can be seen now, most likely belongs to the authorship of the architect Osip Bove, who built a lot in Moscow after the fire of the 1812 war. Its main feature is the presence of a large domed rotunda. On the facade, it is highlighted by a mezzanine and a six-column portico of the Ionic order. The rotunda is echoed by the belvedere turrets crowning the two manor outbuildings. The house is harmoniously blended into the environment: standing on a hill, it allowed guests and owners to enjoy the panorama of Moscow. Now this building houses the Institute of Chemical Physics.
Address: st. Kosygina, 4
XX - XXI centuries
Main building of Moscow State University
In the second quarter of the XX century. Vorobyovy Gory were renamed Lenin Hills. It was here that one of the most famous Moscow buildings of Stalin's time was built - the Main Building of the Moscow State University named after I. M.V. Lomonosov. It was built from 1949 to 1953 and was completed after Stalin's death. Its architects were Boris Iofan, Lev Rudnev and Sergei Chernyshev; the sculpture on the facades was done by Vera Mukhina, who originally planned to put her famous composition "Worker and Collective Farm Woman" in front of the building.
The main building of Moscow State University is one of seven embodied. Its height, together with the spire, is 240 m. Despite the difficult soils, the Main Building stands firmly thanks to the special system of foundations, columns and supports of the architect and designer Nikolai Nikitin. The premises of the Faculty of Physics, Chemistry and Biology were built as separate buildings, forming an entire university town. The general style in which the buildings were erected is usually called the Art Deco variant, the “grand style” or the Stalinist Empire style.
The building looks grand: a high spire, bas-reliefs, a giant warrant, expensive materials, luxurious stucco molding. Inside it was supposed to place everything necessary to ensure autonomy - mail, canteens, hairdressers, shops, etc. There are many legends about the construction of the Moscow State University. It is believed that somewhere in the Main Building there is even underground passage and a bomb shelter, an entrance to the express metro (in the area of zone “B”).
Address: Leninskie Gory, 1
the Russian Academy of Sciences
The building of the Russian Academy of Sciences is also impressive in scale. Its construction took 16 years - from 1974 to 1990. In the plan, the building resembles two towers that stand side by side. They are surrounded by low annexes, included in a single ensemble. Above, the complex is decorated with an intricate golden composition with a clock. Now on the upper floors of the RAS building there is a concert hall and an expensive restaurant with a panoramic view.
Address: Leninsky Prospect, 32a
Metro
In 1959, the first open station of the Moscow metro, Vorobyovy Gory, was built in this area. It is located on the Luzhnetsky Bridge over the Moskva River. The construction of the station was fraught with significant difficulties and numerous mistakes; the station was closed for large-scale reconstruction. Now it is one of the stations most beloved by Muscovites: laconic, spacious, bright, with an opening panorama of the city. It is the station with the longest hall in the Moscow metro, and temporary exhibitions are periodically held in its glazed lobby.
Address: Vorobyovy Gory station, Sokolnicheskaya line of the Moscow metro.
Luzhniki is a large multifunctional sports complex where, in addition to matches and tournaments, large-scale concerts and folk festivals are held. The main construction was carried out in the 1950s, later the complex was partially reconstructed in preparation for the famous 1980 Summer Olympics. Many sports competitions in Russia and the world were held in this sports complex. Today you can rent courts, sports grounds, use the services of a tour desk. In "Luzhniki" work: a golf complex, a swimming pool, sports sections, a hotel, a restaurant, a medical center. There is a large park around the complex, there are several notable sculptures of the 1960s - 1990s, as well as a small modern octahedral chapel of Prince Vladimir.
Address: Luzhniki, 24 (Big sports arena)
Active rest on Vorobyovy Gory
The natural reserve "Vorobyovy Gory" in summer, spring and autumn lays wooden paths to several springs and organizes "ecological" routes for walks. You can order an excursion, feed the animals (there are special vending machines for the sale of feed).
In the Moscow Palace of Children's and youth creativity(Kosygina St., 17) there are many different circles and sections. On the territory of the complex you can ride a slide, rent bicycles, tubing.
Sparrow Hills - famous place recreation, which has its own history and has preserved the natural beauty of the Moscow lands. This is one of the "seven hills of Moscow" from which the capital was built. What to see on Sparrow Hills in Moscow? Once here, you can choose from several offered landscapes: take a walk, having visited Vorobyevskaya Embankment, or maybe wander along ecological paths in protected forest or look at Moscow from a 200 m. height of the observation deck.
Content:
History
The history of this place dates back to the Iron Age - even then ancient settlements stood on these hills.
The area received its name from the Vorobyovo settlement, which belonged to the wealthy Vorobyov boyars. The ancient millennial family of the Vorobyovs enjoyed special respect and recognition among the rulers. Sloboda is repeatedly mentioned in chronicles, Ivan the Terrible and Boris Godunov loved to visit it.
In the 15th century. the land passed to the Grand Duchess Sofya Vitovtovna - and since then it has become a place for the royal rest. The residence of the Moscow princes, tsars and emperors was built. The beautiful Vorobyevsky Palace has not survived to this day, finally destroyed by a fire in 1812. But the Dmitriev-Mamonov estate of those times has survived, and today the lower part of its park is open to visitors.
In Soviet times, an attempt was made to rename the mountains to "Lenin", but it was not crowned with success - the original name was preserved.
The main architectural attraction of Vorobyovy Gory can rightfully be considered a monumental complex of eight buildings of Moscow State University (MSU). In 1949 the first stone was laid solemnly.
The Sparrow Hills Hill also attracted religious leaders. The Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, built in the 19th century. on the site of the dismantled dilapidated wooden church of the 17th century. - an Orthodox church that is still in operation.
At the foot of the Sparrow Hills is the Andreevsky Monastery in Captives.
What to see?
Sparrow Hills, being a nature conservation area, a large park, a green area, act as an island of tranquility and tranquility. The area stretches along the right bank of the Moskva River from the Setun River to the Andreevsky Bridge. The local park of the same name will delight you with three ponds lost in a deciduous forest. It contains flora and fauna, rare for Moscow. Between the old lindens, oaks, maples, three ecological trails... Walking along them, you can hear bird trills - there are special places in the park for birds to feed them.
In summer, you can diversify your walk by renting rollers or a bicycle. There are gazebos for 7-10 people. Instead of walking along the embankment, you can take a river tram.
In winter, the slope is used for sledging, separate ski slopes are organized, and a lift works.
To the observation deck besides hiking trails a cable car was built. Today it is under restoration, the length of the new funicular will be 737 m. The new cable car station on the embankment will also be a museum.
From this observation deck, the view was admired centuries earlier by Karamzin, Bulgakov, Blok and others. A romantic place for lovers, inspiring for creators. A picturesque panorama of Moscow opens from the site, a bird's-eye view allows you to see the Moscow River, roofs of houses and domes of churches, a monument of the newest architecture - the Moscow City business complex.
Since 2014, the site has been equipped with interactive map Moscow, a recreation area has been improved under the site.
How to get there?
It is convenient to get to Vorobyovy Gory by metro. There is a bridge over the Moskva River, on it there is an unusually decorated metro station "Vorobyovy Gory" - it runs along the red line of the metro.
Leaving the station, follow the sign for the exit "To Vorobyovy Gory, Kosygin Street" and you will find yourself right under the bridge in the park area. Walk from the metro to the observation deck along the paved paths for 15-20 minutes, depending on the step. However, there are so many beautiful places, benches and gazebos, a lake with birds that you want to see all of this, and then the walk to the observation deck may take longer. At the same time, there will be more pleasure too.
This slope was formed 150 million years ago, when there was a sea on the territory of Moscow. When it retreated, the Mamonovo settlement appeared here - one of the ancient settlements... Little is known about him. And in 1453, Princess Sofya Vitovtovna bought the village of Vorobyovo near Moscow from a priest nicknamed Sparrow. Hence the name of the area. Although sometimes it is taken literally, there were supposedly a lot of sparrows here.
Sofia Vitovtovna arranged a summer residence in Vorobyovo. It is not surprising that this village was listed among the most valuable property in the wills of the grand dukes.
Sparrow Hills were often attacked. Under Vasily III, the Crimean Khan Magmet-Girey approached Moscow, from whom the Grand Duke escaped in a haystack. In 1571, Khan Divlet-Girey attacked Moscow. And 20 years later, Kazy-Girey, standing on the Sparrow Hills, examined the city. In the time of troubles, Hetman Khatkevich fled here and then retreated to Mozhaisk. Sparrow Hills was also one of the points of defense against Napoleon's army in 1812. But the position under the city was uncomfortable, and Kutuzov's army left Moscow.
The royal palace on the Sparrow Hills was built during the reign of Princess Sofia Vitovtovna. It was rebuilt many times. But only stone foundations have come down to us.
The tsars willingly used the Vorobyov Palace as an entertainment residence. Peter I even laid down the tradition of firing cannons here: in 1683 he erected a fortress with cannons, shooting from which he celebrated his birthday. And in 1707, Peter came to Vorobyovy Gory to inspect the first mirror factory in Russia. It appeared here thanks to the sand of exceptional quality, which was used instead of blotting paper even in the 20th century.
When the conclusion of peace with Turkey was celebrated in Moscow, a new palace was moved from Prechistenka to Vorobyovy Gory. It was renovated several times, and finally broken during the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. True, the temple was never built, and on August 12, 1912, a mortgage cross was erected in its place.
In Soviet times, only a pedestal remained from it. It was at this place in 1978 that a memorial sign was installed by N.A. Shmakov in honor of Alexander Herzen and Nikolai Ogarev.
We went ahead of them and, far ahead of us, ran up to the site of the foundation stone of the Vitberg temple on the Sparrow Hills. Out of breath and flushed, we stood there, wiping off sweat. The sun was setting, the domes glittered, the city lay on the vast expanse under the mountain, a fresh breeze blew on us, we stood, stood, leaned on each other and, suddenly embracing, swore, in full view of Moscow, to sacrifice our lives for the struggle we had chosen. This scene may seem very strained, very theatrical, and yet twenty-six years later I was moved to tears, remembering it, it was sacredly sincere, our whole life has proved it.
The monument consists of two parts, symbolizing the friendship of young men, and ends with two lamps - the symbols of the magazine “ polar Star"And the newspaper" Kolokol ". On the low wall behind, you can see the bas-reliefs of Herzen and Ogarev.
And in the barracks that remained after the unsuccessful construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the 19th century, they set up a transit prison. Criminals were brought here before being sent to Siberia. It was to this prison that Fyodor Gaaz came every week to get to know better the life and conditions of prisoners. He did much to alleviate the suffering of the detainees, and for this he received the nickname "Saint Doctor".
Few people know that on Vorobyovy Gory there is a reservoir of the Rublevsky water pipeline with a capacity of 170,000 cubic meters of water.
By the 20th century, the Mytishchi water supply system could no longer cope with the increased needs of Moscow. The Moskva River became a possible source of water. On September 1, 1900, the architect M.K. Geppener laid a reservoir on Vorobyovy Gory. After 2 years, it was ready, and a pavilion with an observation deck was even arranged over the reservoir.
At the same time, construction was underway in Rublev according to the design of engineer N.P. Zimin. And by 1904, a water intake, a pumping station, sedimentation tanks, filters and a laboratory appeared there. From here, the water went to the Vorobyov reservoirs and then was distributed to Kaluzhskaya Zastava and Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street. The station is still operating, but access to the Vorobyovskoye reservoir is closed.
With the installation of a water supply system, the Moscow City Duma decided to break up a park on Vorobyovy Gory, but the idea did not move further. Nevertheless, Muscovites used to come here to drink tea and listen to gypsy songs. Back in 1924, one could see peasant gardens with tables dug into the ground, benches and handwritten signs “Wave”, “Rendezvous of Friends”, “Eldorado”.
Before the revolution, a three-story building of the restaurant of Petr Krynkin stood on the observation deck. All of Moscow was visible from its terrace, and visitors were even given binoculars.
In Soviet times, the building was left homeless for a long time, and then it was arranged main house Red stadium. They wanted to build a stadium for 40,000 spectators, a sports palace, an open theater and a park named after the Revolution. But the main house burned down and the idea was forgotten. Only part of the Ostroumovskoy grove was built up with mansions of the party elite. Muscovites called them the behests of Ilyich.
Sparrow Hills has always been a popular holiday destination. In the summer, families and large companies came here for the whole day. In winter they went skiing here. The continuation of this pre-revolutionary tradition was the construction of a ski jump in 1953, ski slope and funicular. Another large-scale construction project unfolded in 1949-1953 - a skyscraper of Moscow State University appeared.
Now the observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory is one of popular places recreation of Muscovites and one of the main places visited by wedding processions. And on the slopes there is a nature reserve where you can visit free ecological trails, see rare species of plants and animals and such unique natural objects as, for example, Andreevskie ponds.
They say that...... there is no exact date for the renaming of Vorobyovy Gory to Lenin Hills, because it was unofficial. It appeared after the mistake of a tired newspaper typesetter, who indicated that a holiday in honor of Lenin would be held on the Lenin Hills. And since the whole country saw this incident, in 1936 this name appeared on the maps of Moscow. And in response to the proposal to return the historical name to the Sparrow Hills, they said:
- Comrade Lenin is known all over the world, but who knows Comrade Sparrow? ...
... the French artist Vigee Lebrun, at the invitation of Emperor Paul, came to Moscow to paint a view of the city from Sparrow Hills. She stood for a long time and looked at the opening panorama. And then she threw the palette and said: "I dare not ...".
... a birch grove, planted by Peter I, grew on the Sparrow Hills.
... Fyodor Chaliapin often visited Krynkin's restaurant. And every time he sang, standing over the cliff and looking at Moscow.
... when the film "Alexander Nevsky" was filmed, the sand on Vorobyovy Gory represented snowdrifts.
... initially, the Palace of the Soviets was proposed to be put on Vorobyovy Gory. It was supposed to be a giant hemisphere, reminiscent of the sun rising over the horizon.
... people come to Sparrow Hills hoping to start new life, because it is here that the Moskva River makes a bend in the form of a huge horseshoe. You need to look for a magical place at sunset and certainly alone.
... during the commissioning and filling of the Vorobyovskoye reservoir with water, engineers poured a bottle of champagne bought at Krynkin's restaurant there so that all Muscovites would celebrate this event.
... all the main buildings on Vorobyovy Gory are connected by underground passages.
The observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory is perhaps the most famous observation deck from where you can look at the panorama of the capital. This is exactly what the numerous guests of the city do and the residents of Moscow are not far behind - the views from here are really worthy of attention. Especially when you know where and what to look at, all the most iconic points of the city appear in a whole exciting story.
The site is part of sightseeing tour around the city, a favorite place for wedding photographers, a promenade for students of Moscow University (whose main building is very close), mothers with strollers, romantic couples and even a long-standing meeting place for bikers.
Sparrow Hills (in Soviet times, they long time were called Lenin, and only in 1999 the historical name returned) is considered the right side of the Moskva River in the south-west of the city. Geographically, this area is located quite high (it is considered one of the seven hills on which, as you know, Moscow stands). The winding river washes away a high hilly bank, feeds the beautiful forest around, which makes this place one of the most picturesque areas of the city.
The observation deck was designed during the construction of the university complex and was built with it from 1949 to 1953. The project was supervised by Vitaly Ivanovich Dolganov, a famous Soviet architect, who took an active part in the greening of Moscow and the creation of a landscape and park culture of the city.
Muscovites adore this place on the days of big holidays, when fireworks are thundering over the city. On Vorobyovy Gory there is a "mission control center" - the main headquarters, from where they command all the salutes of the city. Here you can clearly see not only the "local" fireworks, but also a multidimensional picture, when you simultaneously observe fireworks all over the city. For this opportunity, photographers and videographers come here.
In recent years, the observation deck has become even more comfortable than before. Coffee shops on wheels and snack machines appeared. The site is beautifully lit at night. The territory is patrolled by a police squad, however, do not turn off your vigilance - the multimillion-dollar city attracts a variety of "characters".
sights
It makes sense to go to Vorobyovy Gory for at least two reasons: to look at the sights of Moscow from a height of flight and to relax in nature.
Cable car on Vorobyovy Gory
From the observation deck, several embankments are clearly visible - Novodevichy and Berezhkovskaya, Vorobyevskaya and Luzhnetskaya, connecting them with bridges.
Directly behind the stadium, the multi-colored domes of the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed stand out, part of the bell towers of the Kremlin, the might of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior are visible. Here you can also see another landmark of modern Moscow - a huge figure of Peter I, installed on the arrow of "Red October", a very odious work of Zurab Tsereteli. Immediately in the skylight - the third "Stalinist skyscraper" - near the Red Gate, and the famous Sechenov Medical University.
If you move from the central part of the panorama to the right, you can immediately see the fourth "skyscraper" - a house on Kotelnicheskaya, the oldest residential complex on the embankment, in which in the middle of the last century it was a sign of special elite. The house is familiar to many - it played an important role in the popular Soviet film "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears."
If you look further, it is difficult to miss the Shukhov TV Tower - an incredible engineering project in its courage and implementation, created in the 20s of the last century. At the moment, the tower is practically not used for its intended purpose and is left as a historical monument.
Even more to the right can be found on the panorama of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences - a 22-storey high-rise, built in the 1990s.
In a word, it is difficult even to name another place, besides the observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory, from where you can see so many of the capital's sights at once and understand how they relate to each other.
Panoramic view of Moscow from the observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory - Google Maps
Attractions of the Sparrow Hills
If you get to the observation deck, be sure to take a look interesting places around. First of all, of course, the territory of Moscow State University is still the main stronghold of science and classical education in Russia. The main building of Moscow State University (it is difficult to miss it, it dominates the entire space around it) has its own observation deck. The site is located at an altitude of 200 meters (24th floor). True, it will no longer be possible to get there for free - access is allowed only as part of an excursion group.
For connoisseurs of nature, the territory of the Sparrow Hills is almost ideal: the Botanical Garden of the Moscow University, the Moskva River embankment, the Andreevsky Pond, many pleasant trails and routes are located here: whichever way you go, it is great to walk everywhere here.
How to get to the observation deck
Kosygin Street can be considered a reference point for getting to the observation deck of Vorobyovy Gory. The entrance to the site is absolutely free from anywhere on the street - free of charge and around the clock. Even binoculars here, giving 15x magnification, are available for free, which is already a rarity today.
View of the observation deck from Kosygin street - Yandex Maps panorama
How to get there
The main landmark for the observation deck is the main building of Moscow State University (this is University Square). Very little passes directly near the University public transport... A trolley bus (route number T7), which follows Kosygin Street, can take you straight to the place. You can get off at the stop "Observation Deck" or "University Square". Also, on the square near the main building of Moscow State University, bus number 111 makes a stop. From here, you will need to walk about 500 meters to the observation deck. For more details, see the website of the Mosgortrans company.
A funicular will soon open on Vorobyovy Gory, where you can climb from the embankment. It will start from the Luzhniki arena and include 3 stations (one on the left bank, one on the right, and one above).
Trolleybus stop near the observation deck - Yandex Maps panorama
Metro to Sparrow Hills
The most guaranteed way to get around Moscow (in terms of travel time) is by metro. The observation deck of Vorobyovy Gory is located near the metro station of the same name on the Sokolnicheskaya line. When leaving the metro, follow the signs - you need an exit towards the embankment.
It is about 1.5 kilometers from the metro to the observation deck - they can be easily walked on foot. It is more convenient to do this not along the main road, but to “cut off” the path by going along the eco-trail. It is difficult to get lost here - there are signs along the way.
The coordinates of the observation deck for the navigator: 55.709315, 37.542163.
You can also get to the observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory by taxi. There are many opportunities for this in the capital. Here act mobile applications to call a taxi, such as Yandex. Taxi, Uber, Gett, Maxim, Rutaxi. Also, if you drive, you can use the car sharing system (car rental service) - Delimobil, Anytime, YouDrive and others.
Video: Vorobyovy Gory from a height (drone shooting), overview
Is it an accident that this Moscow area was loved by many Russian writers, who themselves loved to visit the Sparrow Hills, and mentioned them in the pages of their novels, stories, and poems? There is no chance here: it is in Vorobyovy Gory that the widest and most picturesque panorama of the capital opens up - the writers, just like you and I, could not imagine Moscow without this very area, Vorobyovy Gory.
We find the name Vorobyovy Gory on the pages of the works, letters and diaries of N.M. Karamzin, M.Yu. Lermontov, F.M.Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, A.M. Gorky, A.A. Blok and others. So, the panorama of the Sparrow Hills, according to Leo Tolstoy's plan, brings calmness to the soul of Pierre Bezukhov at a difficult hour: “On everything, both distant and near objects, lay that magic-crystal shine that occurs only at this time of autumn. mountains, with ancient church and a large white house. And the bare trees, and sand, and stones, and roofs of houses, and the green spire of the church, and the corners of a distant white house, all this was unnaturally distinct, with the thinnest lines carved in the transparent air. "
And another classic of Russian literature, who possessed no less keen artistic perception of the world around him, poet Alexander Blok once remarked: "Paris from Montmartre is not like Moscow from Sparrow Hills."
Professor E. M. Murzaev, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, is a well-known Russian specialist in toponymy and folk geographic terms. Studying the toponymy of Moscow, he described the popular geographical names capitals terms settlement, field, shore, mud, garden, gate, shaft and others. E. M. Murzaev also analyzed the names in which the term Jurassic was included. The researcher was difficult (like many others) to answer the question: what is considered a mountain, what is a hill? "The Kremlin hill, the flat surface of the cliff of the Lenin Hills (this article by E. M. Murzaev was published in 1985. - M. G.). And where is the mountain in the Sokolinaya Gora microdistrict?" It often appears in a diminutive form - a hill. Recall the well-known Lenin Hills, from where a wide panorama of the capital opens. This name appeared in 1935 and replaced the "Vorobyovy Gory". So why was this place called vorobyovs the mountains. More than a hundred years ago, in 1887, "Guide to Moscow and its environs" wrote: "Vorobyovy Gory. Passage. The steamer runs 8 times a day there and back from Kanava, 20 kopecks per person; the second way from Kaluzhskaya Zastava, and from there 3 versts; the road to Mamonov's dacha is a highway, and then a clay, unpaved road. Trinity Day, during the temple holiday, folk festivities. The restaurant is down near the river, the second up, on the mountain, where you can get a telescope. "
The Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, mentioned in the guide (Pierre Bezukhov also saw it in the above excerpt from the novel "War and Peace"), like most Moscow Orthodox churches, had and continues to have a second - specifying location - part of the name: the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity "on Sparrow Hills ". It has survived to our days, happily escaping the bitter fate of many other closed, destroyed or rebuilt churches in Moscow. The temple was built here, in this Vorobyov, which gave the name to this high bank of the Moscow River, in 1811 and therefore can serve as one of the examples of classicism in Moscow temple architecture. On the eve of the famous council in Fili, which has already been described in our book in connection with the history of the toponym Fili, MI Kutuzov prayed here, on Sparrow Hills, in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity. Before him, here, in Vorobyov, there was an older Trinity Church - from 1644, and the Vorobyevsky temple was known even earlier, that is why the settlement of Vorobyovo was officially considered a village.
Not much is known about the village of Vorobyov. It is important that it was one of the oldest settlements in the vicinity of Moscow: Vorobyovo was bought by Princess Sophia Vitovtovna - this happened no later than 1453, since in 1453 Sophia, the daughter of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt and the wife (in 1390-1425) of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily I, died. She was an unusual woman: in the early childhood of her son, Vasily II, Sofya Vitovtovna successfully ruled the principality, actively participated in the struggle against appanage princes, and in 1451 led the defense of Moscow against the Tatars. Since the acquisition by Princess Sophia, the village of Vorobyevo has become a palace - a grand ducal, and then a royal summer residence. According to P.V. Sytin, the Grand Duchess bought the village for herself from a certain priest, nicknamed Sparrow. Hence, the origin of the toponym becomes clear: the village, like many others, received its name from its owner. The nickname Sparrow was most likely associated with the appearance of a person (this could be called a medium-sized, short person) or some noticeable features of his character, behavior.
It is worth eliminating along the way a common mistake in relation to the common word sparrow, the name of a bird. For some reason, a widespread version has become widespread that this nondescript bird, constantly looking for food for itself, was considered a thief (but where can a sparrow compare with crows and magpies in this?). That is why the exclamation-phrase "thief - hit!" allegedly turned into a word sparrow over time. In fact, this is a typical "folk etymology" that has nothing to do with the true history of the word sparrow. "In the Slavic languages its analogues are known, associated with the same root: in Ukrainian - gorobets, Belarusian - verabey, Bulgarian - vrabets, Serbo-Croatian - vrabats, Czech - vrabec, Polish - wrobel, etc. Academician N. M. Shansky, one of the authors of the "Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language", believes that the word sparrow is originally Russian, i.e. But in Russian, with the help of the suffix -ii (> -e) from the same stem as the Slavic names of this bird, such as the Polish wrobel. The sparrow is the same as in the word coo.Recall that the basis for this verb, like the verb to grumble, was the word work that has not survived. less ancient noun rumble. The word vork itself is an Old Russian vark, which arose from the onomatopoeic root vr- and the suffix -ky.
Not only in the name of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity "on the Sparrow Hills" and the Vorobyovy Hills themselves, the ancient toponym of the village of Vorobyovo has survived to this day. In this part of the capital, there is Vorobyevskaya embankment, Vorobyovskoe highway, two Vorobyevsky passages. Connoisseurs of the literary places of the capital, K. Starodub, V. Emelyanov and I. Krausov, are right, who draw the readers' attention to the fact that the writers of different schools and directions, who turned to the image of Moscow, were united in one thing: Vorobyovy Gory invariably tuned them into a poetic mood, and significant, vivid events that determine the fate of the heroes were sometimes associated with this particular place in Moscow. The green massif of Vorobyovy Gory by the nature of vegetation occupies an intermediate position between the city park and the forest park. Vorobyovy Gory is located practically in the center of the city: from here, the Kremlin is located 5.5 km away and the ring road - the city border - is 13 km away.
The green massif has a limited size of its area and stretches in a curved arc in the form of a narrow strip (up to 0.5 km wide) for 3.5 km along the right bank of the Moskva River. From the south-west it is bordered by Vorobyovskoe highway (Kosygina street) with a busy traffic. A busy highway runs over it, connecting Vernadsky and Komsomolsky avenues. Here, fundamental granite and concrete embankments have been built along the channel of the Moscow River, ski jumps and lifts, a gallery of the subway escalator stairs, a metro bridge, sports bases, asphalt roads and paths have been built. All this led to the disruption of the vegetation cover. Natural biocenoses have been changed as a result of decorative and park works. In many areas, trees and shrubs were planted, alleys were arranged, flower beds and flower beds were laid out. ... But, nevertheless, many areas of natural forest with huge old trees, swampy hollows and swamps overgrown with moisture-loving vegetation have been preserved on Vorobyovy Gory.
The green massif of Sparrow Hills has existed for a long time. The mention of him has been known since the 15th century. Then this area was far from Moscow. At the beginning of the 20th century, it turned out to be very close to the city limits, passing along the current inner ring road. But not all the time, a green massif remained on Vorobyovy Gory, forests grew. Mass construction has never been carried out here. The forest was not reduced for agricultural needs either.
The green massif on Vorobyovy Gory survived for the following reasons. Firstly, there is a large difference in the heights of the relief. At a distance of 300-500 m from the river bed, the rise reaches 70 m. Such a steep rise on the right side of the valley is especially contrasted with the low, flat left bank. Hence the name of the local right bank - mountains. Differences in elevation and steep slopes hindered and hinder the construction of roads and the construction of houses. But since there are sections of the slope in Moscow, built up with multi-storey buildings, this cannot serve as the main reason.
Vorobyovy Gory is one of three undeveloped areas where natural vegetation has been preserved to one degree or another. In all these areas, landslide processes are intensively occurring and any construction is impossible, and if it is carried out, then only under the condition of very large and expensive geological engineering works. All these landslide processes are located on the right bank of the river and have approximately the same length (about 3.5 km each).
Vorobyovy Gory was formed as a result of the Teplostankaya Upland erosion by the river. Its slopes facing the river are complicated by landslides, which, when the landslide bodies were detached, gave the slope the character of a ledge.
Black Jurassic clays lie at the base of the Sparrow Hills. They serve as a waterproofing agent. Therefore, their surface is often wet and slippery. The overlying strata slide down along it. Jurassic clays previously could be seen in outcrops at the water's edge. After the construction of the embankments, it became impossible to observe them. Above the Jurassic clays, there are gray clayey sands of the Upper Jurassic age. The bedrock is overlain by a stratum of Quaternary deposits. They are represented by moraine and fluvioglation sands, as well as deluvial deposits. Moraine loam with boulders can be seen at different heights along the slopes of the mountains. This is due to their sliding as part of overturned landslide bodies. They usually serve as the sole of ruptured aquicludes. They are associated with outlets of groundwater and groundwater in the form of permanent springs and springs. There are quite a few of them on the slopes. Some of them give rise to small streams.
Numerous landslides complicate the root slope of the Moskva River valley. They form several landslide ridges (from two to five in different parts of the slope). The largest landslide bodies reach a height of 15 m. When moving down the slope, such landslide masses produce swelling of the soil in front of the bottom of the landslide in the form of shafts or mounds. Steep stall walls rise above the surface of the landslide masses. They separate the flat surface of the Sparrow Hills from the landslide ridges and make it difficult to descend to the river. This circumstance to some extent protects the forest area from overloading by people and contributes to its preservation.
The landslide dissection of the slope is accompanied by the formation of various types of natural complexes, imparting a special picturesqueness and variety to Vorobyovy Gory. In the depressions that have formed between the landslide hillocks, there are areas of swampy and waterlogged lands and even small lakes. On their banks there are dense thickets of willow and alder. Until recently, some landslides were mobile, so in many areas old trees are tilted, forming the so-called "drunken forest".
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The movement of landslides, both in the past and today, interferes with construction, destroys the erected buildings. In the last century, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior began to be erected on the slopes of the Sparrow Hills to commemorate the victory over Napoleon's troops. Soon the construction was stopped, including due to the destruction of the foundations by landslides. In 1959, an escalator gallery-lift was built on the slopes of the mountains near the Leninskie Gory metro station. Now it is closed due to damage caused by landslide movements.
Above the edge of the slope, there are buildings of research institutes, residential buildings, government hotels, and a highway. In order to slow down and stop landslide processes, a concrete wall was built along the river bank. It protects the slopes from being washed away and thereby maintains the slumped mass of landslide bodies in a stable state. Landslides are constantly monitored. From the top of the slope to the channel, special benchmarks are installed that record any movements of landslide bodies.
On the steep slopes of Vorobyovy Gory, areas of deciduous forest have been preserved. They are home to old and young lindens, oaks, elms, maples with a typical hazel undergrowth. Their growth is facilitated by abundant groundwater, which, passing through the chalk sands, is enriched with compounds of potassium, phosphorus and calcium. In the herbaceous sedge common hairy sedge, runny, goose onions with populations of early spring primroses. In the spring, the aroma of blooming bird cherry spreads. Forest birds nest in secluded places: black-headed warbler, redstart, warbler. Colonies of blackbirds are located near rowan trees. There are nuthatch and lesser spotted woodpecker, many starlings. Crow's nests are found on old trees with spreading crowns. In spring, you can often hear the trills of a nightingale. And all this is inside the city, in the immediate vicinity of thousands of racing cars.
The river and the features of the relief contribute to the preservation of the green massif of Vorobyovy Gory. The river serves as a reliable protection from the north side, and from the south-west an insurmountable obstacle for cars, as well as an obstacle for people, is the steep cliff of the upper part of the slope. An asphalt pedestrian path lined with trees runs above its edge. It offers magnificent views of the panorama of Moscow. Therefore, many vacationers limit themselves to walking along this path and do not go down to the forest park located below. The best way to protect vegetation from destruction and degradation is to create well-maintained paved walkways. In the Vorobyevsky green massif, there are many of them with a total length of about 10-12 km. A wide walking path is laid directly along the channel. It runs along the embankments built in 1958-1964. Closer to railway bridges, which close the green massif on both sides, there are high reinforced concrete embankments on a pile foundation. Outside, they are finished with decorative granite with openwork metal fences. In the middle part of the bend, the supporting reinforced concrete piles are hidden under water. The coastal strip here is reinforced with cellular reinforced concrete slabs. The slopes and space of the cells in the slabs are covered with sod. As a result, vast green lawns come close to the water and gradually turn upward into green lawns. On fine summer days, many people rest here.
The most picturesque asphalt and unpaved paths whimsically meander along landslide ridges, hollows and between them. These trails are laid in the middle of the park. The most shady paths stretch along the foot of the high steep bedrock slope. It is especially quiet, cool, and in places it is just damp from the waters and springs oozing from the slopes. All these trails disperse tourists and thereby save vegetation from trampling and degradation.
It is convenient to start an excursion to Vorobyovy Gory from the Leninsky Prospekt metro station. From the station you can quickly walk to the monument to Y. A. Gagarin. The monument was erected on the square of the same name. Here Muscovites enthusiastically greeted the world's first cosmonaut after his stellar triumph. The monument was opened in 1980. It is a 38 m high silvery column made of titanium. The column symbolizes the fiery trail of the space rocket that lifted the 14-meter figure of the first cosmonaut. In the center of the monument there is a launch shaft, from which a rocket is bursting out into space. The silver ball represents the layout of Gagarin's spaceship. The author of the monument is the sculptor P.I.Bondarenko. If you come close to the column and look up at the sculptural figure of Gagarin, the effect will be stunning: against the background of moving clouds, the illusion of an astronaut taking off into the sky appears.
From the monument to Gagarin, the excursion route continues to the building of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences (now it houses the administrative services of the Academy of Sciences of Russia and the offices of commercial banks). The building amazes with modern constructions, magnificent glass facades, stylized symbols of science, bronze sculptures.
Along the courtyard of the Presidium building, one should go to a platform located above a 30-meter cliff of a steep root slope of the Moskva River valley. A wide picturesque panorama of its valley opens from here. Right in northeast direction in the foreground, the "graceful steel arc of the Andreevsky bridge of the intracity ring" curved over the river railroad... This bridge was built in 1905-1907. Behind it, along the high right bank of the river, the Neskuchny Garden is lushly green. The horizon is closed by chain suspension structures Crimean bridge and silhouettes of towers and temples of the Kremlin. Left in westward forested are visible; the slopes of the forest park of the Vorobyovy (Lenin) mountains. Above them are the towers of the Moscow State University. MV Lomonosov, the construction of a large ski jump, the golden dome of the Trinity Church, built in the former village of Vorobyevo at the beginning of the century. Opposite the site, the distant horizon is closed by the golden domes and the high belfry of the Novodevichy Convent (about 2 km in a straight line to it).
The building of the Presidium was erected effectively and advantageously in terms of landscape: over a high precipice of the river valley. All windows of the building offer magnificent views of the valley and the city. It is known that the constant perception of wide open spaces and beautiful landscapes has a beneficial effect on human mental activity. The building itself has become a noticeable dominant over the Moskva River valley, enriching its silhouette. During the construction of the Presidium building, complex hydrogeological works had to be carried out in order to prevent landslides and reliably strengthen it. Therefore, the construction was delayed for many years.
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At the foot of the steep root slope of the valley next to the Presidium building are the buildings of the St.Andrew Monastery. It was founded in the middle of the 17th century. The first Moscow school was created there, where they studied Greek, Latin and Slavic grammar, philosophy and oratory - rhetoric. Translators of foreign books into Russian also worked here. Street children were also kept in the monastery. At the end of the 18th century. the monastery was closed. From the Presidium building to the monastery, you can go down the stairs and inspect the surviving buildings. In the center is the Church of the Resurrection (end of the 17th century), the Church of St. John the Theologian (18th century), the gate church of Andrew Stratilates (17th century) and the buildings of the almshouses. The outer facades of the gate church are faced with bright colored tiles, typical of Russian architecture of the 17th century.
Further, the route of the excursion should continue along the river upstream. There is a pond on the west side of the monastery. It is raised 8-10 m above the embankment. Climbing up to the pond, you can observe the whole panorama of the monastery, old trees on the slopes of the mountains, the uneven surface of landslide hillocks. From the pond, the route leads towards the metro bridge. It is best to follow the paths laid along the lower tier of the landslide ridges. From here you can clearly see the Luzhniki sports park, located on the left bank of the river. Above this part of the sports park, the Druzhba sports hall stands out for its original architecture. The huge round tent-roof of the hall rests on wedges of concrete supports. The building resembles a crab preparing to run. There are no columns inside the hall, which made it possible to accommodate an arena area of 1764 m2.
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On the right bank, a system of landslide ridges covered with thickets of broad-leaved trees, areas of "drunken forest", small lakes and swamps in hollows between landslide hillocks are clearly visible. When you reach the two-tiered metro bridge, you need to turn left and go up the asphalt path to the foot of the steep slope of the valley. The trail has to go about 500 m in the opposite direction to the stairs, laid up a steep slope. On this section of the path, you can see old lindens, oaks and maples growing along the main slope, as well as along the landslide hillocks. Here and there springs are located, slopes ooze and rivulets murmur. In the outcrops of the bedrock slope, brown loams with boulders (moraine) and layered loams with sand interlayers (deluvium) are visible. The track crosses the reference profile. Low iron posts are driven into the surface of the bedrock slope and landslide bodies in a straight line. For each benchmark, the height above the river's edge and the distance from its channel are determined. If landslides start moving, these indicators will change. With the help of benchmarks, one can judge the intensity of landslide processes and take timely protective measures.
The staircase leads to the old manor's estate. It belonged in turn to princes Dolgorukov, Yusupov, Count Dmitriev-Mamonov. In 1910 the estate was acquired by the City Council for the organization of the park. The palace of the 18th century, rebuilt in the 19th century, has survived to this day. the famous Moscow architect D.I.Gilyardi. The two-storey building of the palace is decorated with a colonnade, light turrets, balconies and terraces. The house is surrounded by a park built at the end of the 18th century.
In front of the building there are flower beds and lilac plantings. Today, the estate houses the Institute of Chemical Physics. After inspecting the estate, you should walk along Vorobyevskoye Highway for about 0.5 km to the bridge over Vernadsky Avenue. A magnificent panorama of Moscow opens from the bridge. Above the forest park, the river and the Luzhniki sports park there is an overpass bridge with a total length of 1.5 km. A huge stream of vehicles and subway trains move along it over the green areas of the Vorobyovy Gory forest park, over the river and the Luzhniki park, almost without disturbing their natural conditions.
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The panorama of Komsomolsky Prospekt closes on the horizon with the towers and domes of the Kremlin's cathedrals. The distance from Vorobyovskoye Shosse to the Kremlin is about 6 km. From the bridge you can see very clearly what the avenue is. The Latin word "prospectus" literally means "view". Indeed, Komsomolsky Prospekt offers a wonderful view of the central part of the city. In urban planning, it is customary to call a wide straight street in a city with a multi-lane traffic avenue. All these qualities are fully met by Komsomolsky Prospect. At Vorobyovskoye Highway, Komsomolsky Prospekt turns into Vernadsky Prospekt, forming the most important highway of the city, about 13 km long. Since 1986, after the construction of a two-tiered bridge over the Moscow River, it connects the center of Moscow with the southwestern district of the city in a direct way.
Near the bridge, on the left side of the Vorobyovskoye Highway, there is a park and the building of the Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren, built in 1962 (now the Palace of Creativity of Schoolchildren and Youth). The palace consists of 11 buildings with 400 rooms, dozens of offices and laboratories, theaters, concert halls, planetarium, observatory, winter garden, indoor swimming pool. A children's stadium has been built in the park. There is a lake where you can practice aquatic species sports. There used to be a dump on the site of the park. Thousands of ornamental trees and shrubs have been planted on a territory with a total area of about 50 hectares, lawns and flower beds have been arranged, paths have been laid among the alleys.
Near Vorobyovskoe highway, at the main entrance to the park, a monument has been erected to a literary hero - Malchish-Ki-balchish, a brave character in the wonderful story of Arkady Gaidar "The Military Secret". Not far from the monument is a 55-meter arrow-shaped flagpole mast. Next to it is the main building of the Children's Palace, which has a winter garden. It is home to fruiting bananas, bamboos, palms and many other exotic trees and shrubs. Goldfish swim in the picturesque pools. The Palace Park adjoins the Vorobyovy Gory forest park and increases the total area of the green massif in this district of Moscow. Both the park and the Palace are interesting to visit during an excursion to Vorobyovy Gory.
After visiting the Palace, you should return to Vorobyovskoye Highway and continue along its right side, to the northwest towards the Bolshoi Ski Jump. An asphalt pedestrian road has been laid from the bridge over the steep precipice of the main slope of the valley. Century lindens, oaks, poplars, elms and maples grow above the edge of the slope. The path is separated from the highway by plantings of linden and mountain ash. After passing about 300-400 m from the bridge, below the edge of the slope you can see interesting monument... A granite pylon rises above a small round platform in the form of two verticals, symbolizing the friendship of young people, two "sprouts" making their way to the sun. The pylon is crowned with two lamps - symbolic images of two revolutionary publications: the anthology "Polar Star" and the newspaper "Kolokol". The retaining wall of the monument is faced with gray granite with bronze bas-reliefs of Herzen and Ogarev.
The monument was erected on the site where in 1827 the young men Herzen and Ogarev vowed to devote their entire lives to the struggle against the autocracy. Herzen recalled this day many years later: “The sun was setting, the domes glittered, the city lay on the vast expanse under the mountain, a fresh breeze blew on us, we stood, stood leaning on each other, and, suddenly embracing, swore allegiance, in view of the whole Moscow, to sacrifice our life for our chosen destiny ”.
The excursion route can be finished at the observation deck, which is located on the highest part of the Vorobyovy (Lenin) Hills in the central part of the bend of the Moskva River. A ski jump is built next to the observation deck. When choosing a place for its construction, the maximum elevation difference of the valley was used. The springboard is used not only in winter. In the summer, it is covered with a special plastic coating, providing athletes with training all year round. The granite parapet offers an overview of the entire Moskva River valley and a huge panorama of the city. On a clear, windless day, a yellowish-gray haze of smog is clearly visible from here, which has become especially frequent and thick in recent years. Due to the large number of vehicles, smog is regularly formed over the center of Moscow.
If you look towards the university, you can see a striking contrast in the quality of the air in different parts of the city: dirty smoke hangs over the center, and over the southwestern district there is usually a clear sky. On average, the air over the southwestern region of Moscow and especially over the Sparrow Hills is about ten times cleaner than in the central and southeastern districts of the city. The Luzhniki sports complex is clearly visible from the Sparrow Hills. The park and stadiums are on the lower left bank of the river. They occupy the flat, leveled surface of the floodplain. Previously, it was often flooded with spring waters. There were wet meadows and marshes on it. The name "Luzhniki" comes from wet meadows. In the 50s. it was decided to create a large sports complex for the All-Union Olympiads. By this time, the Luzhnetskaya floodplain remained the only vast undeveloped area in relative proximity to the city center. She was chosen for the construction of the stadium.
In 1955, the construction of the country's largest sports complex began here. First of all, on the territory of about 190 hectares, soil was added to raise the level of the surface above the river. Little by little, soil was brought here since 1935, when the first metro tunnels were laid. But that was too little. In 1955, the volume of the supplied soil increased sharply. It was taken from the bottom of the river using floating dredgers. As a result, 3.5 million m3 of soil was moved to the Luzhnetskaya floodplain. The floodplain level rose by an average of 1.5 m. After the excavation, the river became twice as wide. Opposite the Big Sports Arena, its width now reaches 250 m. Fertile soil was laid on top of the reclaimed soil.
More than 40 thousand trees were planted on the floodplain: spruce, linden, maple, birch, mountain ash, hundreds of thousands of bushes, extensive flower beds and lawns were arranged. The park emerged quickly, as the trees were planted between the ages of 7 and 50. A beautiful granite-concrete embankment with a cast fencing lattice was erected along the channel. Bronze sculptural compositions made by the famous Soviet sculptor V.I.Mukhina were installed at the steps of the stairs descending to the water. The park and the stadium took about one and a half years to build.
The Luzhniki Main Sports Arena is clearly visible from the observation deck. A bowl is installed above it, where in 1980 the flame of the World Olympics flared up. To the left of the main arena is the Sports Palace, which can accommodate 13 thousand spectators. Air conditioners supply clean air inside. In summer, it is cooled and moistened with artesian water, which flows through wells from a 100-meter depth. Wells were drilled on the territory of the Luzhniki stadium. A brilliant decoration of the panorama of the left bank of the river is the Novodevichy Convent with its delicate towers, walls and golden domes of temples. The chimneys of the thermal power station are rising behind the monastery. Due to their height, the smoke from the chimneys rises high above the city, including above the Sparrow Hills. It sweeps over Moscow and dissipates away from it. It was not like this before. Low pipes (they survived next to high ones) contributed to the pollution of the central part of the city.
City quarters rise behind Luzhniki. They are located on the above-floodplain terraces of the Moskva River. If you look closely, you can see how the city gradually rises up them from the low left bank of the river. In the absence of smog on the horizon, one can see the domes of the Kremlin cathedrals, the tops of high-rise buildings, the Government building. Above eastern part the bends of the valley (to the right) the building of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences rises. From here the excursion to the Sparrow Hills began. Behind it, on the horizon, you can see the delicate outlines of the Shukhov Tower. It was built according to the project of engineer V.G. Shukhov in 1922 to accommodate the transmitting antennas of the first Soviet radio station. The height of the tower is 160 m. The excursion can be finished at the observation deck of Vorobyovy Gory. A trolleybus runs from here to the Leninsky Prospekt metro station and Kievsky railway station.