Patriarch's Ponds in the center of the capital attract visitors all year round. Many events take place here all the time: City Day, Maslenitsa, festivals and fairs. In summer, tourists are attracted by walks along the shady alleys of the park; in winter, an open skating rink is arranged on the surface of the reservoir.
From the history
In the 7th century, this place was the residence of the patriarch, so the territory was named Patriarchal Sloboda. Instead of drained marshes, ponds appeared, where fish were bred, which was then served on the patriarchal table. With the coming to power of Peter I, the power of the patriarch was replaced by the Holy Synod. During this period, the park and water bodies fell into disrepair. Of the three ponds, two again became swamps and were subsequently completely filled up. The largest body of water has retained its former function; under Soviet rule, it was cleaned and ennobled. The number of reservoirs has decreased, but the name remained the same - Patriarch's Ponds, so some, having got here, and seeing the only pond in front of them, are perplexed.
On the map of Moscow
Officially, Patriarch's Ponds are located in the Presnensky District of Moscow as part of the Central District. On the territory are located: a reservoir, a park around it and a microdistrict. In the immediate vicinity there are Malaya Bronnaya Street and Garden Ring, as well as lanes: Ermolaevsky, Bolshoi and Maly Patriarshiye.
On an area of 2, 2 hectares, the park zone is divided, 9, 9 thousand square meters is occupied by a pond with a depth of 2.5 meters. More than 6 thousand square meters are allocated for playgrounds and paths, almost the same amount is occupied by green spaces.
How to get there?
The Patriarch's Ponds are the easiest to get to by metro. But if you find yourself within the Garden Ring, then you can reach your destination on foot, exploring other sights along the way. For example, the house-museum of Mikhail Bulgakov is located very close, half a kilometer away. Its address: Sadovaya street, building 10. The facade of the building is decorated with a memorial plaque in memory of the writer and his work. After passing through the gateway, you will find yourself at the entrance to the museum. The exposition will be of interest to admirers of Bulgakov's prose and to all lovers of literature and mysticism. The heroes of the sculptural composition Koroviev and the cat Behemoth meet visitors at the beginning of the excursion, and a letter for the Master himself can be dropped into an unusual mailbox. The opening hours of the museum have a special specifics. The sign, decorated in the style of Mikhail Afanasyevich, informs that it is open every day from 1 pm until late at night.
Looking at the metro map, it becomes clear that the nearest stations to the Patriarch's Ponds are Mayakovskaya and Tverskaya. Further walking time will be 10-15 minutes.
From Mayakovskaya station
In order not to be mistaken with the choice of the direction of the path from the Mayakovskaya station, leaving the metro car, you need to find an exit to Triumfalnaya Square and Bolshaya Sadovaya Street. The signs located between the columns on both platforms will certainly help you with this. Then you should go up the escalator and turn right, go up the stairs. A hanging sign will confirm the correct street selection. You will be greeted by Triumphalnaya Square and a monument to the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. On the left on the square there will be a skyscraper with a clock - the Peking Hotel. Turn left and you are already walking along the columns of the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. The next objects on the way will be the Theater of Satire and the fence of the garden "Aquarium". Further along the route is a gray house with several floors. It was here that the "bad" apartment No. 50 was located, where the heroes of the novel "The Master and Margarita" lived. Further on the way will meet two bakeries: "Daily Bread" and "Volkonsky". Despite the close competition, each of them has its own regular customers. One more turn to the left, and you are on Malaya Bronnaya street. Walk a little forward and you will find yourself at the famous tram crossroads. On this very corner, near the fence of the Patriarch's Ponds Park, Annushka broke a bottle of oil. There is a sign on the pole "It is forbidden to talk to strangers." In this mystical place, the paintings of Bulgakov's works come to life before our eyes.
From the metro Tverskaya or Pushkinskaya
Many people choose the road from the Tverskaya or Pushkinskaya metro stations. With this route, the noisy Garden Ring will remain aside, and you will have to get to the quiet side streets. If you get to the Chekhovskaya metro stations, a passage connects it with Tverskaya. After exiting the metro, when you see the Tverskoy Passage pavilion in front of you, turn left. The steps to the underpass will lead you to the box office. From the arch of Maly Palashevsky lane, bypassing the fence with bars and the yellow mansion, you will find yourself in Bolshoi Palashevsky lane. After about three blocks, you will find a red brick house, and behind it a light-colored house. Bolshoi Palashevsky lane flows into Spiridonyevsky, where there is a liquor store and a pharmacy with an antique sign. Passing them, you will find yourself on Malaya Bronnaya Street, in the area of the Patriarch's Ponds Park. After a couple of houses, its fence will be visible.
Other modes of transport
If you get to the Patriarch's Ponds from the outskirts of the capital, then choose the metro as the fastest and most convenient means of transport. You need to drive to the stations of Mayakovsky, Tverskaya or Pushkinskaya, it is just as easy to get to Tverskaya from Chekhovskaya. The subway map located at each station will certainly help you with this. Fans of walking around Moscow can get to the metro stations "Barrikadnaya" or "Krasnopresnenskaya", and passers-by will probably tell you how to get from them on foot to the Patriarchs. It is convenient to do this with the help of the mobile Internet, the global network using Yandex or Google application maps will help to build the correct route. The route map can also be found on excursion sites. In this case, the road will be a little more than a kilometer, but along the way you can see beautiful and interesting places. One of these objects is considered the "House with Lions", located in Ermolaevsky lane. Mighty columns and two pairs of powerful lions on pedestals guard the entrance. The building resembles a noble estate, but it was built at the very end of the war as a tribute to the victors and became the residence of Soviet military leaders.
You can get to the Patriarchs by bus. The nearest stop is called "Malaya Bronnaya - Theater Most", you need to go exactly on it. To choose the right route, you will be helped by the road transport scheme, it indicates that you need to get in this direction by buses B, T10, T39 and 869. At the intersection of Malaya Bronnaya and Bolshaya Sadovaya streets, trolleybuses with route numbers 10, 79 and 64 stop. From here it is a stone's throw to Ermolaevsky lane and the central gate of the park.
Also in Moscow it is very easy to order a taxi or use your personal transport. Recently, the way to show attractions from the car window has become very popular. There is a small but convenient parking near the park.
What is worth seeing
The territory of the Patriarch's Ponds was chosen by Muscovites for a long time. Wikipedia says that at first patriarch Hermogenes settled on the site of the Goat Marsh, which was empty until the 17th century. After a long oblivion, already in Soviet times, the park was restored and in 1924 received the name Pionerskie ponds. However, during perestroika, this place was given back its historical name - Patriarch's.
The center of the Patriarchs, of course, is the reservoir itself. It is easy to find it, moving along the paths of the square, which were laid out around the pond. Boat stations were opened here several times in the summer. Dogs and cats are almost invisible around the pond, but you can see swans on the clean surface of the water all the time. In winter, the mirrored surface of the pond turns into a free outdoor ice rink. This tradition originated in 1900 and continues to delight the townspeople every winter. At night, the skating rink is illuminated by 16 powerful floodlights, skates are rented. In 1986, a beautiful pavilion was built near the pond, which today functions as a restaurant.
An oasis of greenery and silence is located in the very heart of old Moscow. After the reconstruction in 2003, the Patriarch's got a new look. The pond was filled with fish, and now its perimeter is surrounded by fishermen with fishing rods. The trees in the park were renovated, new lights were installed and the paving stones were changed. Citizens and guests of the capital can relax on new benches under shady trees and enjoy the singing of birds. Perhaps, who has visited here for the first time, will not see anything magnificent or mystical in the Patriarch's Ponds. In this case, you should definitely visit this place again.
