Category:Bolshaya Dmitrovka

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Guide to Moscow Streets

Bolshaya Dmitrovka runs parallel to Tverskaya from Okhotny Ryad to Strastnoi bulvar.

The part of the ancient road to Dmitrov, it was named after this old Russian town. In 18th-19th centuries members of aristocracy, who didn’t grudge money for their sumptuous mansions, chose to settle here. Just few of their houses survived till now; nevertheless the remnant part still provides an opportunity to imagine how this street looked before.

Soviet innovations didn’t pass Dmitrovka by. Among other reconstructions, in 1970s an unusual thing was introduced here: the entire pavement was covered with special black glass. It looked like a regular asphalted pavement, but it was quite a special affair. Unfortunately, later for some reasons glass was removed.

In 1990s various boutiques, shops, restaurants and small cafes rapidly spread around it, and the spirit of luxury returned to Dmitrovka.

Before the revolution Dom Soyuzov (House of Unions) was occupied by quite an opposite organization – Moscow Assembly of Nobility. Balls given here were famous all over Moscow; Chaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rakhmaninov, List and other remarkable composers used to arrange their concerts here.

Magnificent building in Classicism style was erected in 1780 by Matvey Kozakov; in 1790 it was completely reconstructed, enlarged and the celebrated Column Hall was added.

Charming house No.6 is rather young (1894). Rich merchant Solodovnikov built it for his own theatre, but his troupe wasn’t lucky to become famous; soon he realized that it would be better to lease it to more successful rivals.

In 1896 Solodovnikov’s theatre housed the first cinema in Moscow; that time it was intricately called “the show of obscure moving pictures”. The same year the building was rented by Savva Mamontov’s Moscow Private Russian Opera. Many great talents (among them Fyodor Shalyapin, who made his first Moscow appearance here) used to have an outstanding success here till 1904, when Mamontov was taken to prison for some not very legal finance. In 1917 Soviets decided to preserve the opera house, and now the Moscow theatre of Musical Comedy is located here.

Bolshaya Dmitrovka is lucky with theatres. One more home of Melpomena is located at No. 17: it is the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko music theatre. Originally built for count Saltykov, governor-general of Moscow, in 1839-1909 it was a place where the members of the Merchants’ club had their meetings. Merchants’ club was second in popularity after the famous English club; here rich merchants used to gamble their money and eat out in luxury restaurant, famous all over Moscow for outstanding cuisine.

After the revolution this building was occupied by the Dmitrovsky theatre; since 1926 troupes of Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko used this stage together; these two troupes finally united in one music theatre in 1941.

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