Not too long ago, we took a walk through one of Moscow's most famous places — Alexander Garden in the very heart of the capital. Today, we are heading to another, equally interesting cultural area of the capital — "Muzeon" Park, located on the banks of the Moskva River.
How to Get There by Metro
A few minutes' walk from "Muzeon" is an interchange hub for two metro lines — the Circle Line and the Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya Line. Both stations are called "Oktyabrskaya."
Entrance to the park is free, and its territory is open around the clock.
A Bit of History
Once upon a time, the territory of "Muzeon" was partially occupied by a floodplain meadow, near which, from the 16th to the 18th centuries, was the Crimean Court — a place where ambassadors of the Crimean khans stayed. This is still remembered by some toponyms, such as the Crimean Bridge and the embankment of the same name.
In the early 20th century, the western part of the park was occupied by sports facilities. A small football field appeared, as well as areas for athletics and skiing. In 1922, a wooden stadium was built on the site for the All-Russian Agricultural and Craft-Industrial Exhibition. Subsequently, there were periodic plans for developing the area with residential quarters and buildings for the Academy of Sciences, but these never came to fruition.
From 1965 to 1979, the House of Artists was built here, most of which is occupied by the Tretyakov Gallery's 20th-century art exhibition. Along with this, sculptures began to appear in the park. Since 1991, monuments from the Soviet period have been placed on the territory of "Muzeon."
The "Muzeon" Arts Park itself was established in 1992 by the will of the city's mayor, Yuri Luzhkov. The space of "Muzeon" constantly evolved, but the park gained the most popularity after the 2013 reconstruction, when part of the Crimean Embankment became pedestrianized, and the territory itself was transformed with the help of landscape designers.
In 2015, "Muzeon" became part of Gorky Park.
A Walk Through the Park
Let's move on to the walk itself. One of the most notable parts of the park is the open-air sculpture exhibition. Here you can find works by famous masters such as Vera Mukhina, Sergey Merkurov, Evgeny Vuchetich, and others, as well as a collection of monuments from the Soviet period and contemporary authors.
For those interested in the works of contemporary artists, there are market rows near the Moskva River where you can purchase paintings, engravings, and much more.
For lovers of leisurely walks and active recreation, the Crimean Embankment, covering 45,000 square meters, is perfect. It is divided into a pedestrian zone and a zone for cyclists and rollerbladers, with special structures provided for them. Children can have fun among the fountain jets that spurt from the ground level. If you get tired, you can rest on comfortable benches next to beautiful flower beds.
Cinema enthusiasts will appreciate the summer cinema "Pioneer," and party lovers can have fun on the artificial beach. There are several cafes in "Muzeon," so you definitely won't go hungry.
In summary:
- An interesting sculpture exhibition;
- A park walk can be combined with a visit to the Tretyakov Gallery;
- The embankment offers beautiful views.
