I spent several years of my life in Moscow: I explored the city on foot and by bicycle, visited numerous museums and exhibitions, got to know interesting places in the center of the capital and its outskirts. Once again finding myself here, I decided to supplement my stories about St. Petersburg with a few sketches about the attractions of the First Capital. I would like to start this small series with one of the most popular places in the central part of the city - Alexander Garden near the walls of the ancient Moscow Kremlin.
How to Get There by Metro
Alexander Garden is located in the very center of the city, near the western Kremlin wall. Nearby are the major interchange stations of the Moscow metro: "Arbatskaya" - "Aleksandrovsky Sad" - "Borovitskaya" - "Biblioteka Imeni Lenina" and "Ploshchad Revolyutsii" - "Theatre" - "Okhotny Ryad".
Entrance to the garden is free.
A Bit of History
Before the appearance of Alexander Garden in this place, the Neglinnaya River, which is now enclosed in an underground pipe, flowed here. The construction of the garden, at that time called the Kremlin Garden, was carried out from 1819 to 1823. The work on its construction was part of the plan to restore Moscow after the 1812 war.
The project for the creation of Alexander Garden was developed by the architect Osip Ivanovich Bove, a master who participated in the restoration of the city center in the first quarter of the 19th century. Among the large-scale projects of this architect are the construction of the Manege buildings and the Upper Trading Rows, and the restoration of the towers of the Moscow Kremlin.
The garden was named Alexander in honor of Alexander I. This happened in 1856, after the death of the emperor. Over time, the place has turned into a unique ensemble, on the territory of which you can see several monuments and structures related in one way or another to the history of our state: the "Ruins" grotto, erected in memory of the victory over Napoleon's troops, an obelisk in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, a monument to Patriarch Hermogenes, a wall of Russian commanders, a monument to Emperor Alexander I.
In 1967, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier appeared on the territory of the garden - a memorial complex reminding us of the terrible events of 1941-45. Nearby is a platform with pedestals bearing the names of Hero Cities, and a stele listing the cities of military glory. The changing of the guard at the Eternal Flame always attracts a considerable number of tourists to Alexander Garden.
If you walk to the western part of Alexander Garden, you can see another, the most modern attraction of this area of the city - a monument to Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, opened in 2016.
Here we end our little walk.
In summary:
- One of the most beloved places for tourists in the center of Moscow;
- Many monuments and architectural structures;
- Free admission.
