arbat

In soviet times it was named ulitsa Razina (Razin Street)
It is the most ancient street in Moscow and dates back to the 14th century. In old times it was region where artisans and skilled craftsmen lived. After the 15th centurythis region began to transform into a region of the privileged nobility. Here boyars built their estates and foreign embassies took up residence.
Varvarka goes from one of exits of "Kitai Gorod" Metro station to the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed. A walk along Varvarka Street will take a short time. You may do it in any direction - from Metro station to the Cathedral and then to Red Square and to the Kremlin. Or back from Red Square.
Note that now (summer 2006) the Rossia Hotel that was between Varvarka Street and the Moskva River has been dismantling and then some new buildings will be constructed there.

Lets walk along Varvarka from it's beginning (note that in Moscow all streets begin in point nearest to the Kremlin).
On the right-hand side of the street you'll see some gems of old Rus­sian architecture, and to the left are the buildings of the former inns and trading rows of the 17th-19th centuries and monotonous multi­storey buildings of the late 19th century.

Interesting buildings (going from the Kremlin, right-hand side.)

(No. 2) is the Church of St. Barbara (from which the street took its name in the 16th   century) rebuilt in 1796-1801.
A bit behind the church is an interesting white-stone building with narrow, asymmetrical window apertures and a steep wooden roof. This is the Old English Court or, as it is still known, the English Town House, where visiting English mer­chants and diplomatic envoys used to stay. Its role in Moscow's history dates back to 1556.

(No. 4) is the Church of Maximus the Blessed. The existing building was constructed in 1698-99, and is interesting as a monument of the transitional period in religious ar­chitecture. The characteristic fea­tures of a 17th-century Moscow church are combined with decora­tive devices reminiscent of the Western European Baroque.
The bell-tower with a green cupola (1829) in front of the Church of Maximus the Blessed is a marvelous example of late Classi­cal architecture.

(No. 8a)  A stepped slope leads to the Znamensky Sobor (Cathedral of the Sign) — a massive structure of red brick. There is a concert hall in the cathedral with splendid acoustics where one can enjoy concerts of old Russian mu­sic. This cathedral is one of the structures of the former Zna­mensky Monastery ensemble, founded in the 17th century.

Nearby at No. 10 is the so-called Chambers of the Romanov Boyars. Two of its storeys are visible from the street, while all three can be seen from the courtyard. This building houses the museum "Chambers of the 16th-17th Cen­turies in Zaryadye", a branch of the State Historical Museum.

The last of the series of monuments of the Russian ar­chitecture on Varvarka Street is the Church of St. George at No. 12, which draws attention with its highly decorative and colorful ap­pearance, gilded central cupola, and four surrounding cupolas with stars against a blue background. The church was built in 1657.