Povarskaya Street

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44, Povarskaya, Embassy of New Zealand

Povarskaya Street (Russian: Поварская улица), known from 1924-1991 as Vorovsky Street (улица Воровского), is a radial street in the center of Moscow, Russia, connecting Arbat Square on Boulevard Ring with Kudrinskaya Square on the Garden Ring. It is known informally as Moscow's Embassy Row, and is home to the finest mansions built in the 1890s and 1900s. Povarskaya also houses the Supreme Court of Russia and Gnessin State Musical College.

Most of Povarskaya Street belongs to Arbat District; it's norhthern side near Kudrinskaya Square is administered by Presnensky District.

[edit] History

Povarskaya Street follows the track of an ancient road from Moscow to Volokolamsk. In 1570s Ivan Grozny allocated the street to oprichnina (private royal domain) and the street was taken over by his associates. In the 17th century, however, its upper-class population was diluted by lower classes. The street owes its name to cooks (povara) of 17th century Muscovite court. Nearby lanes are also named after various court servants: bakers (Khlebny Lane), tablecloth weavers (Skatertny Lane), etc.

When Peter I established new capital city in Saint Petersburg, this court sloboda depopulated, and the street was re-settled by nobles again, housing families like Gagarin, Golitsyn, Suvorov and the court of Peter's sister, princess Natalya Alexeevna (1673-1716). The street retained its upper-class, exclusive role ever since. It is unusually quiet for downtown Moscow - with the exception of music from the Gnesin Institute windows; there are no retail shops, no office blocks and no public transport.

In late 1890s, real estate developer Jacob Reck consolidated two blocks in the middle of Povarskaya and commissioned Moscow's most wanted architects, Lev Kekushev and Roman Klein, to build exclusive single-family mansions. These buildings, occupied by foreign embassies, are a showcase of Moscow Art Nouveau style.

[edit] Notable buildings

9, Povarskaya, Embassy of Cyprus

7 - Embassy of Norway by Ivan Kuznetsov and Adolph Seligson
9 - Embassy of Cyprus by Ivan Kuznetsov
13,15 - Supreme Court of Russia
23,25 - Gagarin house by Domenico Giliardi (World Literature Museum)
24 - Art Nouveau building that housed the first Embassy of Lithuania (1920-1940)
30 - Shuvalov house by Alexander Kaminsky
33 - Cinema Actors' Theater by Victor Vesnin and Alexander Vesnin, 1931
32,34,36 - Gnessin State Musical College
40 - Embassy of Cameroon
42 - Ponizovsky house by Lev Kekushev (Embassy of Afganistan)
44 - Mindovsky house by Lev Kekushev (Embassy of New Zealand)
46 - Schlossberg house by Adolph Seligson
50 - Svyatopolk house by Pyotr Boytsov
52 - Dolgorukov estate. It is the prototype of Rostov Estate in War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.