The Hidden Gems of Kitay-gorod

A Guide to Moscow’s Vanishing Heritage

The Resurrection Gate of Kitay-gorod. Photo by the author

I recently walked through the streets and squares of Kitay-gorod, a historical and cultural area in central Moscow. Today, I’d like to introduce you to the hidden gems of its architecture and cultural heritage. It is impossible to imagine historical Moscow without Kitay-gorod — the most ancient settlement east of the Kremlin.

In the first centuries of the capital, many craftsmen’s yards and merchant houses appeared in Kitay-gorod. At the end of the 15th century, Tsar Ivan III brought trade from the Kremlin to the narrow streets of Kitay-gorod, and soon, this area began to play an important role in all Russian trade. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the largest Russian trading companies, warehouses, banks, and department stores were in Kitay-gorod.

In its present-day boundaries, the settlement emerged in the early 16th century. This district is defined by the remains of destroyed fortifications, narrow streets, and lanes with a dense urban population. Kitay-gorod is separated from the Kremlin by the Red Square.

Merchants and affluent boyar families settled there in ancient times. Boyars were members of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in Russia before Peter the Great. The area was famous for its trade, magnificent estates of…