Myasnitskaya Street is located just a stone’s throw from Clean Ponds. Its name is derived from the Russian word ‘myasnik’=‘butcher’. In the 17th century, there lived many butchers who owned their shops here. But the street itself is even older, as it was mentioned in the 15th century already.
Over time, Myasnitskaya Street never changed its face. When Emperor Peter the Great used the street as a main road while going to German Quarter in Moscow, many aristocrats and noblemen settled there. Later on, manufacturers and merchants started moving in. Most houses on Myasnitskaya Street were wooden ones, but after the Fire of Moscow in 1812 they were burnt down. The street was widened, and more stone edifices started being built there.
Today, Myasnitskaya Street simply looks charming, with its modern buildings being truly gorgeous, some of them being reminiscent of Saint Petersburg and Europe. It has many great examples of exquisite architecture, and the one I really admire is the so-called ‘House with a lion’ (#15), a neoclassical building and a former revenue house of Ivan Kuznetsov, the then-famous merchant. It hosts the ‘Lion’s Head’ pub, one of my absolute favorites in Moscow.
In fact, one cannot get enough of Myasnitskaya Street, and I love walking there, especially during the blue hour, when the sun starts setting down, and lights go on. It’s always full of people, as the street unites many great places in the center of Moscow, so be prepared to become a part of this flow.
