Tverskaya street: history of development, main attractions

Tverskaya street along with Nikolskaya is one of the oldest in Moscow. It originates from the walls of the Kremlin - from Manezh Square continues to Triumphalnaya Square. On its territory there are large areas with a rich historical heritage, as well as architectural and cultural monuments.

Time of occurrence

The time of occurrence of Tverskaya Street is not precisely known. It is believed that it was formed in the XV century, along a large road leading from Moscow to Tver. On the sides of it were built settlements, which were inhabited mainly by artisans. By the end of the XVII century, Tverskaya Street began to be considered one of the main ones in the capital. On it, eminent gentlemen, ambassadors and kings rode into the center of Russia. After the city was founded on the Neva, the main road from Moscow to the new northern capital ran along Tverskaya Street.

The history of development

Tverskaya Street experienced its dawn during the reign of Peter I. At this time, it was customary to arrange triumphal arches, parades and festive processions on it. The arches were made of wood and decorated in the spirit of the time. After the festivities and processions they were dismantled. In memory of these structures on Tverskaya Street remained Triumphalnaya Square.

In the XVII-XVIII centuries, famous citizens of the city built their houses on the territory of Tverskaya Street. The estates of noble boyars and merchants coexisted with Orthodox cathedrals and Compounds. On the territory of the street there were Moiseevsky and Resurrection monasteries.
In 1932, Tverskaya and Pervaya Yamskaya were renamed Gorky Street. This happened on the day of the fortieth anniversary of the creative activity of the famous writer. Later Tverskaya was renamed back. The first reconstruction of the street was made in 1935. The uneven terrain of the area was smoothed, and the sidewalks and the roadway were asphalted.

During the Great Patriotic War, some buildings of Tver were destroyed. Some of them were restored much later; others can be seen only in pre-war photo archives.

The last reconstruction of Tverskaya Street was carried out in 2016-2017. Within its framework, the roadway was narrowed, and the sidewalks and the pedestrian zone in general became more spacious. They were paved with stone, installed new lights and benches in the spirit of old Moscow.

Distinctive features

A distinctive feature of Tverskaya Street, of course, are its attractions. This is the famous Yermolova Theater, untouched during the last renovation of the building with a green facade and fancy stucco decoration, the building of the Central Telegraph and the pompous and elegant house No. 9, located at the beginning of Tverskaya, in close proximity to Red Square.

Tverskaya street today

Today, Tverskaya is one of the central streets of the capital. It completely changed its appearance and turned from a narrow and curved into a wide one, with a multi-lane carriageway and numerous shops and business centers. In 2016, the reconstruction of Tverskaya Street began, which has not yet been completed. Works are conducted in several directions at once. Some of the famous buildings, such as the old hotel “Lux”, are hidden with false facades. As part of this reconstruction, bus stops were also replaced. In their place are now flaunt new modern facilities with free wi-fi points.