Nikolskaya Street, a pedestrian street in the Kitay-Gorod of Moscow, which connects Red Square and Lubyanka Square.

© Damira/Shutterstock

Kitay Gorod

Moscow


This 13th-century neighbourhood was the first in Moscow to grow up outside the Kremlin walls. While its name means 'China Town' in modern Russian, do not expect anything Chinese – the name derives from an old Russian word meaning 'wattle', for the supports used for the walls that protected the suburb. This is the heart of medieval Moscow and parts of the neighbourhood's walls are visible.

The main places of interest are the collection of churches, especially along ul Varvarka, and the new Park Zaryadye.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Moscow attractions

1. Monastery of the Epiphany

0.12 MILES

This monastery is the second-oldest in Moscow, founded in 1296 by Prince Daniil, son of Alexander Nevsky. The current Epiphany Cathedral – with its tall,…

2. Polytechnical Museum

0.2 MILES

Occupying the entire block of Novaya pl, this giant museum showcases the history of Russian science, technology and industry. Indeed, it has claimed to be…

3. Synod Printing House

0.2 MILES

Now housing the Russian State University for the Humanities, this elaborately decorated edifice is where Ivan Fyodorov reputedly produced Russia’s first…

5. Place of Skulls

0.21 MILES

The 13m circular stone platform in front of St Basil's Cathedral is known as the Place of Skulls. Legend has it that it was the site of executions,…

6. St Barbara’s Church

0.22 MILES

The pink-and-white St Barbara’s Church, built between 1795 and 1804, is now given over to government offices.

7. Old English Court

0.22 MILES

This reconstructed 16th-century house, white with wooden roofs, was the residence of England’s first emissaries to Russia (sent by Elizabeth I to Ivan the…

8. Zaikonospassky Monastery

0.22 MILES

This monastery was founded by Boris Godunov in 1600, although the church was built in 1660. The name means ‘Behind the Icon Stall’, a reference to the…