A guide to local favorites in Khamovniki Moscow
With a name derived from a type of cloth, it’s little surprise Khamovniki used to be the textile district. Even though the two main streets, Ostozhenka and Prechistenka, run parallel, they couldn’t be more different-looking. Ostozhenka is home to some of the city’s most expensive new buildings and has been dubbed “the Golden Mile” of Moscow, while Prechistenka retains 19th-century charm and impressive mansions. The neighborhood has contemporary art galleries, literary museums, great restaurants and architectural landmarks.
Meet your local
Born and raised in Voronezh, Russia, Andrei moved to Moscow after graduating from university. He writes on culture for Lonely Planet, the Moscow Times and several Russian-language publications. An avid theatergoer, Andrei tries not to miss all the major premieres in between biking around central Moscow and exploring the local craft beer scene.
Want to get in touch?
Email bytheway@washpost.com
Where I live:
I live just a bit to the north of the Belorussky railway station. I love my neighborhood; there are lots of abandoned industrial spaces, along with Constructivist and Soviet modernism architecture.
Best way to get around the city:
The Moscow Metro, which is considered the most beautiful underground system in the world. It’s also efficient, with trains running every other minute.
Don’t leave without having:
Borscht with sour cream, chased with a shot of chilled vodka.
But the local favorite is really:
Georgian food. There’s a restaurant on pretty much every block. Khinkali (dumplings) and khachapuri are no longer something exotic, but rather staples of Moscow dining.
If I moved, I’d most miss:
The visual beauty of the city. I love taking taxis at night, when there are no traffic jams and you can fly by the Kremlin, the Bolshoi Theater or down Tverskaya Street.
Khamovniki
Voronezh
Voronezh is a meat-focused restaurant by Alexander Rappaport, named after the region where the ingredients are sourced. The first floor is a casual eatery, while the upstairs is a proper sit-down restaurant. Order one of the excellent burgers or a pastrami sandwich.
4 Ulitsa Prechistenka, Moscow 119034, Russia
Leo Tolstoy Museum
Leo Tolstoy Museum is one of the oldest literary museums in Russia, founded in 1911 by the Tolstoy Society. Tolstoy never actually set foot in this building, but this refined Empire-style mansion houses the world’s largest collection of objects related to the writer and has an excellent literary exhibition, devoted to Tolstoy’s major novels.
Leo Tolstoy State Museum, 11/8 Ulitsa Prechistenka, Moscow 119034, Russia
Yermolov’s House
This Baroque building is one of the most luxurious on Prechistenka Street. It has changed owners quite often, but the name stuck. “Yermolov’s House” is a nod at the 19th-century general who fought in the Caucasian War. After the revolution, it was home to poet Sergei Yesenin and his wife, American dancer Isadora Duncan.
20 Ulitsa Prechistenka, Moscow 119034, Russia
Polivanov school
There’s a hidden courtyard behind the building at Prechistenka 32, which was once the famous Polivanov school, which educated the children of the cultural elite, before the revolution. The courtyard has the feel of old Moscow; it is immaculately kept, with flower beds and children’s swings. The wooden, semicircular buildings are former stables, remnants of a long-gone era.
32 Ulitsa Prechistenka, Moscow 119034, Russia
Dom 12
This restaurant, in one of the small lanes between Ostozhenka and Prechistenka streets, has everything going for it: great food — curated by one of Moscow’s most prominent chefs, Alexei Zimin — and great ambiance. Frequented by the city’s intellectuals, it regularly holds book presentations and film screenings. In the summer, a secluded courtyard is open.
Dom 12, 12 Mansurovskiy Pereulok, Moscow 119034 Russia
MAMM
MAMM stands for Multimedia Art Museum Moscow, which used to be Moscow House of Photography. Headed by art enthusiast Olga Sviblova, MAMM hosts regular exhibitions of the world’s leading photographers, as well as contemporary art.
Multimedia Art Museum Moscow, 16 Ulitsa Ostozhenka, Moscow 119034, Russia
RuArts
A gallery just across the street from MAMM, RuArts specializes in cutting-edge contemporary and street art. One of the highlights is its magnificent staircase, dividing the exhibition space in two. It’s also known to throw great opening parties.
1-Y Zachat’yevskiy Pereulok, 10, Moscow, Russia, 119034
Andrei Muchnik
Born and raised in Voronezh, Russia, Andrei moved to Moscow after graduating from university. He writes on culture for Lonely Planet, the Moscow Times and several Russian-language publications. An avid theatergoer, Andrei tries not to miss all the major premieres in between biking around central Moscow and exploring the local craft beer scene.
Nanna Heitmann
Nanna is a contributing photographer to The Washington Post based in Moscow. One of her favorite places to eat is the Cheburechnaya USSR restaurant, which comes with a dive into Soviet nostalgia. You can also catch her having a late-night picnic on a little hill opposite the Square of Europe, enjoying a view over the Moskva River.
