How to get to Sparrow Hills on your own is the topic of this guide. The observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory is located opposite the high-rise building of Moscow State University.
Vorobyovy Gory how to get there the easiest way
Let's not deny that the easiest way to get to the observation deck is by car. The site is located on Kosygina Street. In the navigator you can put the address of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Vorobyovy Gory - st. Kosygina, 30.
How to get there by metro: Vorobyovy Gory
We suggest using the fastest and most economical version for Moscow of “getting from point A to point B,” that is, using the metro. And even though young people use navigators all the time, we are old-fashioned people; in Moscow we navigate by map. In addition, the better half of the site’s team of authors suffers from geographic cretinism and, for their unfortunate friends, explains with their fingers and shows in photographs how to be in the right place at the right time.
The metro station closest to the observation deck is called “Vorobyovy Gory”, it is located on the red metro line.
There are two stations on this line in the city center. Not far from the Kremlin there is the Lenin Library station, and next to Red Square is the Okhotny Ryad station. From here to Vorobyovy Gory station the train takes 13 minutes, then you have to walk for about 20 minutes.
How to get to Vorobyovy Gory from the metro
We arrive at the Vorobyovy Gory station. There are two exits to the city.
We need access “to Kosygina Street.” That is, in the direction where the springboard, the Moscow State University high-rise building, is located.
View of Vorobyovy Gory from the Vorobyovy Gory metro station, residential building on Mosfilmovskaya Street.Let's follow the sign:
The necessary sign at Vorobyovy Gory station.We go up the escalator and go straight, we find ourselves under the bridge.
We reach the end of the bridge, here the road forks, we need to turn right.
Don't be alarmed if you see a barrier tape - it is not for pedestrians. Calmly pick up the obstacle and move on. Below in the photo you can see both the ribbon and travelers walking towards the observation deck.
Along the pedestrian path
We reach the next fork.
Sidewalk to the Vorobyovy Gory observation deck.Here again we keep to the right, the desired direction is indicated by an iron fence, in 2014 - yellow. Having walked forward a little, we again see a fork.
It doesn't seem to matter which path you take here, both will lead to the right place. The author of this opus, like a brave hero, went around and took a left.
Sparrow Hills how to get through the park
There are benches and picturesque gazebos along the way.
A few meters after the wooden gazebo on the left you will see a pond with a pair of panoramic balconies.
Then, right along the way, you will see the gazebo again.
And another fork in four roads. Be careful here! You need to turn sharply to the left; from the fork, the desired asphalt path can be easily missed behind the trees and foliage.
There is a treacherous fork in the photo, the roads diverge down to the right, gently upward to the left, the required rise to the left and up was not included in the frame.The road goes up sharply, steps are visible in the distance.
The staircase leads to the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills.I don’t know if the number of steps was specially adjusted, or if it happened by accident, but there are exactly 100 of them!
“Now let’s go up the mountain, and there we’ll see Oh” (c).Having climbed up, do not deny yourself the pleasure of approaching the stele of Herzen and Ogarev, it is located a few meters from the top step, a sign leads to it. And we hurry on and soon go out onto Kosygina Street.
We turn right and continue along the side alley.
The alley along Kosygina Street leads to the observation deck.Sparrow Hills. Walking to the Observation Deck
After a few meters the cable car appears. Didn't work on May 25, 2014. And by 2018 it was dismantled and replaced with a modern one. So the photo below is already a fact of history
The desired object is visible immediately behind it.
The staircase leads to the Vorobyovy Gory observation deck.From here we admire the panoramic view of Moscow from a height of 200 meters above sea level or 80 meters above the level of the Moscow River.
View of the Moscow Business Center from the Sparrow Hills.From the observation deck you can clearly see the bridge, on its lower tier there is the Vorobyovy Gory metro station, from where we just ascended.
Photo from the site http://bestbridge.net/Eu/luzhneckii-metromost.htmlOn the left you will see the high-rise building of Moscow State University.
The building of Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory.At the end of the observation deck there is a church, colloquially called “Trinity in Sparrows”.
Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Vorobyovy Gory.That's all the attractions of the observation deck. We return to the metro along the same road. Be careful, don’t miss the descent to the Vorobyovy Gory metro station from Kosygina Street.
If you don’t get distracted by benches, gazebos, ponds, ducks, squirrels, jackdaws, and walk at a calm pace, then you can walk from the metro station to the Vorobyovy Gory observation deck in 17-20 minutes.
Squirrel Another squirrel The general director of the park gives instructions to his subordinates. Subordinates, instead of listening with reverence, “make wings with their feet.”But on a hot day, the road to the lookout can take half a day, because the park on Vorobyovy Gory is very romantic, quiet and well-maintained.
Almost all works where the story is about Moscow mention the Sparrow Hills. Woland Bulgakova observed the ancient city from this wonderful observation point. You can see this place in films, but it’s better to see it yourself. Vorobyovy Gory is filled with history and the spirit of ancient times. They changed the name several times. In fact, these are not mountains, even on old maps these are Vorobyovy Kruchi, in Soviet times they became Lenin Kruchi, and now they are the Vorobyovy Gory park.
Not a single excursion around Moscow is complete without visiting them; there is an observation deck here, and from it you can enjoy an excellent view of the capital.
Historical reference
There is no doubt that the Sparrow Hills have been inhabited since ancient times. Since about the 2nd millennium, these lands have been developed by humans. This is evidenced by numerous archaeological finds, for example, stone tools were found under the building of Moscow State University. Also, at different times, arrowheads, various decorations, and traces of settlements were found.
The name Vorobyovy Gory was given by one of the first owners of local villages, Kirill Voroby. Sparrow is a nickname that may have come from a tool, a board, walking around on a nail. The villages changed owners many times; at one time there were royal estates here, and kings of different eras rested here, hid and made their plans.
Vorobyovy Gory in the 20th century and in our time
The village of Vorobyovo survived for quite a long time. Summer residents lived here, raised and kept tea houses for tourists. In 1924, the village had 180 households and more than a thousand inhabitants.
Since 1917, local festivities with rides, carousels, fairs, ice cream and waffle stalls have been held on Sparrow Hills. After his death, they began to call them Leninsky, and even the nearest metro station was named that way. It is located on the lower tier of the bridge. The station, like the bridge itself, was rebuilt and remodeled and was closed for use for many years. Now the park on Vorobyovy Gory bears its usual name.
The birth of a green zone
For several centuries, the capital's university asked for the territory of the Sparrow Hills for its buildings and was invariably refused. Only under the rule of the Soviets in 1948 was permission obtained and construction of the Moscow State University building began. The summer residents' houses were demolished, and a botanical garden was grown near the university, the slopes were strengthened, the rugged bank of the Moscow River was straightened, and, in general, the area was beautified. This is how the park appeared.
Why you should visit the park
If you find yourself in Moscow, be sure to add Sparrow Hills Park to your list of places worth visiting. How to get there? This is a question with multiple correct answers. You can do this by metro; there is a station with the same name, not far from Frunzenskaya. If you prefer to drive, there are plenty of parking spaces opposite the Moscow State University building on Kosygina Street.
The Sparrow Hills Park is a protected area as a green area. There are no cars driving here, only cyclists and pedestrians walking. The green zone has a total length of 10 km and stretches along the embankment. There is a forest area and shady ponds; in good weather you can see local animals, especially squirrels. Here you can disconnect from the non-stop traffic of the capital, relax, breathe fresh air, listen to birdsong, and enjoy the aroma of lilacs, the bushes of which are planted along the embankment.
Near the observation deck there is a cafe where you can have a delicious meal, and for lovers of active recreation, bicycle rentals are available in the warm season.
In addition to the observation deck and nature, there is a chairlift or funicular that you can take down to the pier. A 72-meter long ski jump is open all year round. Near the observation deck there is the Trinity Church, famous for the fact that it was here that Kutuzov prayed before the Battle of Borodino. After enjoying the Sparrow Hills, you can board a pleasure boat at the pier and explore Moscow from the river. And at the next opportunity, be sure to visit Vorobyovy Gory again.
Gorky Park
The famous natural reserve in Moscow is a desirable place for any developer, but local residents are doing their best to counteract this. But not so long ago the rights to it were transferred to the Park of Culture. M. Gorky. This greatly worried everyone, since the first actions on the part of the park management were the construction of a fence around the perimeter of the natural reserve, and they also limited access for park regulars, athletes, coaches and others. They built a buffet, closed one of the jumps and destroyed the informal parking lot that they had been using for a long time and were used to. And after rumors about increasing the height of the building and the construction of an underground parking lot under the observation deck, residents began to write letters and complaints to the city administration.
People don't want changes because they are not often for the better. Many are in favor of preserving a piece of nature, and not covering everything with artificial turf, installing communications, and making large-scale lighting. How this story will end and whether the Vorobyovy Gory park will become another shopping and entertainment complex is still unknown. Let us hope for the best.
Take a look around the capital, relax, take spectacular photographs - these are just some of the opportunities offered by Vorobyovy Gory, one of the most picturesque places in Moscow and one of the most spectacular points of the city. Although they do not reach the heights of real mountains, Moscow is clearly visible from them. However, the place became famous not only for its observation deck - on the Sparrow Hills there is a picturesque nature reserve and the building of Moscow State University.
Sights of Sparrow Hills
Perhaps the main factor in the popularity of Sparrow Hills is the observation deck with the widest panorama of the city. It allows you to see Moscow from an unusual angle and serves as a place for photography and concerts. It is clear that there are many tourists here at any time of the year.
The observation deck was equipped simultaneously with the construction of the new main building of Moscow State University in the mid-20th century. It is located on the highest point of the Sparrow Hills and offers views of the Luzhniki Stadium, the tallest residential complexes and skyscrapers in Moscow, the Ostankino TV tower, and the Foreign Ministry building. Behind Luzhniki you can see the bell towers of the Kremlin cathedrals and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Thanks to the Vorobyovy Gory observation deck, you can watch how the appearance of Moscow grows and changes year after year.
Panorama of Moscow from the Sparrow Hills.
The territory of the Sparrow Hills is occupied by a nature reserve, founded in 1998. On the northern side it is bounded by the Moskva River embankment and stretches from Gorky Park on one side to the Third Transport Ring on the other. Several hiking trails with a total length of almost 2 km have been laid through the reserve. Also in the park there are beautiful Lesnoy, Small and Big Andreevsky ponds.
Since some areas of the reserve are difficult to access for recreation, it has managed to preserve significant biodiversity. There are dozens of bird species (including rare ones) and more than 400 plant species. Mammals include squirrels, moles and shrews. In the reserve you can go on a thematic excursion with visits to secluded paths and ponds.
On the Sparrow Hills there is the Trinity Church, on the site of which a wooden church stood in the 15th century. The new building began to be erected in the Empire style in 1811. The church survived the Napoleonic invasion and the Soviet period. Its interior and appearance remained unchanged.
The facade of the temple is decorated with a fresco depicting St. Alexis healing Queen Taidula. On another fresco, Sergius of Radonezh is depicted with Dmitry Donskoy during the blessing for the Battle of Kulikovo. The Trinity Church houses shrines, including icons from the 17th century.
Trinity Church on Sparrow Hills.
In the 70s, a monument to Herzen and Ogarev, who had revolutionary ideas in their youth, appeared in the forest on the slope of the Sparrow Hills. It was at this place, during a walk, that they vowed to fight the autocracy and continue the work of the Decembrists. On the monument you can see bas-relief portraits of Ogarev and Herzen, as if facing each other. He became not only a symbol of the revolutionary movement, but also a sign of loyalty to his oath.
Vorobyovy Gory has long been a favorite vacation spot for guests of the capital and Muscovites. At the foot of the steep slope there are two embankments of the Moscow River: Andreevskaya and Vorobyovskaya. The embankments are very popular for cycling, skateboarding and roller skating. The embankments have wonderful walking areas where you can rent bicycles. You can sign up for excursions of varying lengths or take a ride on a river bus.
In winter, life on Vorobyovy Gory does not stop - ski slopes open. Around December, trails for cross-country and alpine skiing are launched, a snowboard park is opened, and sleigh rides are organized. All infrastructure is included: instructor services and equipment rental are available.
Moscow State University building on Vorobyovy Gory
The main symbol of the Sparrow Hills remains the majestic building of Moscow State University, surrounded by a majestic park. This is an architectural example of the mid-20th century, the construction of which began on the initiative of Stalin and was completed in 5 years - a record time for those times. The building itself and all its sculptures are classified as objects of cultural significance. A tour of the Moscow State University building can be combined with a tour of the adjacent botanical garden.
Vorobyovy Gory - photo
The Vorobyovy Gory observation deck is one of the best places for photographing views of Moscow. Note that for shooting (and just for observation) you should choose the morning hours and slightly windy weather - in these cases, the haze will not spoil the magnificent picture.
There are no mountains as such or even conspicuous hills here. And yet, according to the legend of Moscow - the Third Rome, this steep river bank is considered one of the “seven hills” on which the Mother See stands. There are much more hills in Moscow, but no one, in general, disputes the legend, because mythology, as historians believe, is itself an integral part of the past. As for Moscow itself, the concept of “Third Rome” was an extremely important synonym for its power. And among the so-called “seven hills”, Vorobyovy Gory is the highest.
Story
The historical facts of the Sparrow Hills, however, are no less interesting. Here, as well as in their surroundings, bones of mammoths that became extinct during the last ice age (about 10 thousand years ago) were found. Excavations have established that people began to settle here in the Stone and Bronze Ages. Since the Iron Age (Mamonovo settlement, end of the 1st millennium BC) they have lived constantly on the slope of the Moscow River.
The village of Vorobyovo, located on the edge of the bank, was apparently built in the 13th-14th centuries. B XV century it was acquired by Sofya Vitovtovna (Efrosinya in Orthodox baptism), daughter of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt, wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily I and mother of Vasily II the Dark. The sellers were the Vorobyov boyars, descendants of an ancient noble family. Moscow historian P.V. Sytin refers to the priest of the local, then wooden, Trinity Church, nicknamed Sparrow by the parishioners for his short stature and gentle disposition. Most likely, there was also an association with the boyar family: the priests did not own the villages.
Sofya Vitovtovna was an extraordinary person with a strong character. After the death of her husband, she was entrusted with becoming regent for her young son. In 1425-1453. she ruled the principality together with Prince Vytautas and her husband’s uncles, but her role here was leading. It was she who led the defense of Moscow in 1451, when it was stormed by the Tatar prince Mazovsha (Azov-Shah). In the will drawn up by Sofia Vitovtovna in 1451 in the name of her grandson, Yuri Bolshoi, opened after her death in 1453, the toponym Vorobyovo is mentioned for the first time.
From then until the end of the 19th century. the village remained a palace fiefdom, although it was already called Krasny. The monarchs Ivan III, Ivan the Terrible, Alexei Mikhailovich, and Catherine II had summer palaces here. The palaces, or rather, one wooden palace with a garden, rebuilt several times or revived after fires, existed until the 18th century. Naturally, Peter I could not ignore such a strategically important height. In 1683, he celebrated his birthday by firing cannons from the walls of a “amusing” fortress built especially for this occasion.
Among the people, Vorobyovy Gory acquired the image and glory of a place destined by nature, fate and God to be a talisman for the city and everyone who wants to change their lives for the better. After the Battle of Borodino, when the fate of Moscow was being decided, confusion reigned at the headquarters of the Russian army in Fili: Kutuzov disappeared, and no one knew where he was. And at that time he was praying in the Trinity Church on Vorobyovy Gory, already made of stone, but still unfinished. The church happily escaped plunder in 1812, and was completed in 1813. On Sparrow Hills in 1827, university students A. I. Herzen and N. P. Ogarev took an oath to fight the autocracy together, in honor of which in 1978 there was a stele installed. (Friends and like-minded people did not break the oath, even though they loved the same woman.)
The Sparrow Hills left their mark in Russian classical literature. The Trinity Church is seen by Pierre Bezukhov in L. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”; the heroes of M. Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” look at Moscow from them. From the diaries and letters of many Russian writers, artists, and composers, it is known that they all visited here and experienced strong impressions. And Chekhov, who was not at all inclined to display enthusiastic emotions, wrote about it this way: “Whoever wants to know Russia should look at Moscow from here.”
Vorobyovy Gory is an area in the southwest of Moscow, stretching along the right, high, bank of the Luzhnetskaya bend of the Moscow River. According to their geological history, the Sparrow Hills are steep northern slopes of the Teplostan Upland, washed away by a river flow. The green massif of the Sparrow Hills is located between the Novoandreevsky Bridge of the Circular Railway and the mouth of the Setun River.
Perhaps the most comprehensive word that can describe the unique atmosphere of Vorobyovy Gory is the word “harmony”. Harmony of nature with the creations of human hands and intellect.
The Vorobyovy Gory nature reserve, which received this status in 1998, is not so far from the center: from here to the Kremlin in a straight line is only 5.5 km. Moscow, within its current borders, to the Moscow Ring Road, extends from here to the southwest for another 13 km. And here the natural environment has been preserved almost intact. Almost, because it is, of course, impossible to completely avoid the intervention, in the language of science, of anthropogenic factors - the consequences of human activity - in a dynamically developing city.
The reserve today is a symbiosis of an arboretum and just a park with asphalt walking paths laid along it, with benches along them. But also with large areas of pristine broad-leaved forest. The main types of trees growing here are linden, oak, elm, maple, birch, chestnut, alder, willow, aspen and ash (about 40 species in total) with an undergrowth of hazel and juniper. Under the canopy of trees, small streams flow from above, springs gush out, and here and there there are frozen swamps. There are both centuries-old and young trees here, both grown on their own and planted by park employees. Typical marsh or forest grasses and flowers grow in the meadows, and about 70 species of birds live in the treetops. Small mammals are also at home here - squirrels, mice (several species) and moles.
The main protector of this green massif was the indigenous terrain - gully, prone to landslides - and clayey “slippery” soils. Building anything monumental here is simply dangerous. Therefore, the city fathers abandoned the idea of building the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on the Sparrow Hills. It was founded in 1817, but after 9 years construction was stopped. And the main building of Moscow State University was not built on the very edge of the shore, as was planned according to the original project. And already in our time, the monument to the baptizer of Rus', Prince Vladimir, on the observation deck, after discussing all the pros and cons, they finally decided to erect it not here, as was originally planned, but on Borovitskaya Square.
Walking along the paths of the reserve is a real pleasure, but the main thing for which people come to Vorobyovy Gory is to see the panorama of historical and continuously renewed Moscow from the observation deck. This is truly an unforgettable sight. Near the site are the Trinity Church and the Great Ski Jump, built in 1953. Nearby is the building of the former Mamonova (or Noeva) dacha - the Vasilyevskoye estate, which belonged (sequentially) to the princes Dolgorukov-Krymsky, Yusupov and Count Dmitriev-Mamonov. Today the estate houses the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences - chemical physics named after. N. N. Semenov and physical problems named after. P. L. Kapitsa. In Soviet times, the Upper Garden of this estate also housed the residences of A. N. Kosygin and M. S. Gorbachev. Nearby, behind high fences, there were dachas of other “nomenklatura,” as they put it then - high-ranking functionaries of the CPSU and government officials. In addition to Mamonova Dacha, there are other institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences on Vorobyovy Gory, the buildings of which were erected in Soviet times. At the foot of the Sparrow Hills is the St. Andrew’s Monastery, “at the Sparrow Hills, in Plennitsy,” founded in 1648.
In 1953, the Vorobyovy (at that time - Lenin) mountains were decorated with the silhouette of the Main building of Moscow State University. As an architectural masterpiece and the tallest building in Europe for 37 years, it immediately became inseparable from the surrounding landscape. As a center of science and education, this Moscow space has been replenished with new meaning and young energy. Alleys of apple trees were planted along University Square with fountains, which over time turned into real gardens. 
general information
The area stretches along the right bank of the Luzhnetskaya bend of the Moscow River.
The main part of the Vorobyovy Gory is the natural reserve of the same name, which since 2013 has been part of the territory of the Central Park of Culture and Culture named after. Gorky.
The first mention of the village of Vorobyovo
: 1451, promulgated in the will of Princess Sophia Vitovtovna of Moscow, who died in 1453.
Time of entry of the Sparrow Hills into the territory of Moscow
: 1922
Former names
: Vorobyovo (beginning of the 14th century - 1956) and Lenin Mountains (1935-1999).
Organization of a nature reserve
: 1998
Administrative affiliation
: Western and Southwestern administrative districts of Moscow.
Numbers
Height: 220 m above sea level. m., 80-100 m (above the river edge).
Square: Vorobyovy Gory reserve - 106 hectares, forest park as a whole - 137.5 hectares.
Height of the Main building of Moscow State University
- 182 m, with spire - 240 m.
Length of Luzhnetsky metro bridge with overpasses
- 1179 m, total length - 2030 m.
Climate and weather
Temperate continental.
Average January temperature
: -6°C.
Average temperature in July
: +19°С.
Average annual precipitation
: 708 mm.
Economy
Educational services, tourism.
Attractions
Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills (1811-1813).
St. Andrew's Stavropegic Monastery (founded in 1648, revived in 2013).
Mamonova dacha (Vasilievskoye estate) (1761) - now institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Main building of Moscow State University (1953).
Observation deck.
Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University.
Big and Small Andreevsky Ponds, Lesnoy Pond.
Moscow City Palace of Children and Youth Creativity (formerly the Palace of Pioneers, building 1962).
Ecological hiking trails: “On the slopes of the Vorobyovy Gory”, “Andreevsky Ponds” and “On the terraces of the Vorobyovy Gory”.
Ecological and educational center "Sparrow Hills".
House-museum of P. L. Kapitsa (at the L. D. Landau Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences), memorial offices-museums of V. I. Vernadsky and A. P. Vinogradov (at the V. I. Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry Vernadsky RAS).
Curious facts
It would be strange if such a complex structure as the Main Building of Moscow State University had not become overgrown with legends and rumors over the more than 60 years of its existence. Let us present the most stable of them: the building has as many floors underground as on the surface (in fact, there are two basement technical floors). A special secret metro line leads to the basements of Moscow State University, but there are no such facts, no matter what the diggers - great dreamers - tell. Somewhere in the same basements, a dismantled eight-meter gilded statue of Stalin is waiting in the wings - again, no one captured this. One of the construction prisoners, an aircraft designer by profession, made himself wings from wooden planks like a hang glider and flew to Luzhniki. Here, as happens in modern plays, there are two alternative endings. According to one, this man was released for his ingenuity, and according to another, on the contrary, his prison term was increased.
In the 17th century factories for the production of glass and mirrors were built on Vorobyovy Gory. The raw material was excellent quality sand from local quarries. This sand was used as blotting paper at the beginning of the 20th century.
The newlyweds come to the Vorobyovy Gory observation deck after the wedding. But this is not surprising, but the fact that, as a special study found, the number of divorces among such couples is much lower than among those who did not swear an oath of faithful and eternal love to their betrothed on Vorobyovy Gory.
More than 15.5 thousand children and teenagers study at the Palace of Children and Youth Creativity on Vorobyovy Gory: in research laboratories, studios, art and technical workshops, sports sections, creative groups, development groups and clubs. 93.3% of classes are free: the palace is subsidized from the city budget.
At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. The most fashionable restaurant in Moscow was Krynkin’s restaurant on Vorobyovy Gory (by the way, a native of the village of Vorobyovo), thanks, first of all, to the views of the Mother See from its windows and from the terrace. The cuisine and interior here, however, were also excellent (and the restaurant had a greenhouse in which strawberries and herbs ripened all year round). After 1917, a reading room was located in the main hall of the restaurant, and in the 1920s. a wooden building in the Russian historical style burned down. Only fragments of the brick walls of the ground floor have survived.
The branch of the Botanical Garden on Vorobyovy Gory has a library of almost 40 thousand books, including botanical publications from the 16th-17th centuries. to the present day.
Metro station: Vorobyovy Gory
Vorobyovy Gory is an area located on the high right bank of the Moscow River. In 1935 it was renamed and became known as the Lenin Mountains. However, the historical name did not leave the lexicon; the people more often used the phrase Vorobyovy Gory. In 1999, the previous name was returned. This hill is one of the seven hills of Moscow. This analogy with Rome appeared back in the 16th century, when Moscow was actively being rebuilt. Now on the Sparrow Hills there is a park of the same name. Very popular among tourists and Moscow residents Observation deck. Its height relative to the river level is 80 m. From the observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory, perhaps one of the most picturesque views of the capital opens.
History of Sparrow Hills
As shown by archaeological excavations carried out on the Sparrow Hills in the 19th century, ancient settlements existed on this site already in the 1st millennium BC. e. The name Vorobyovy Gory comes from the village of Vorobyovo, which was located here back in the 14th century. The village is named after the famous boyar family - the Vorobievs - who were its original owners. In 1453, the village was bought by Princess Sofia Vitovtovna, the wife of Prince Vasily I. A wooden palace was built here. Thus, Vorobyovo becomes a popular residence of Moscow princes, and subsequently Russian tsars and emperors. The palace was rebuilt several times. In 1812 it was destroyed by fire. Since the 19th century Vorobyovy Gory is a popular summer cottage and holiday destination.
In 1949, construction of a new building for Moscow State University began in the village of Vorobyovo. As a result, only the Trinity Church remained from the village. The history of this ancient temple is interesting. It is known that already at the time of the purchase of the village of Vorobyovo by Princess Sophia, there was an ancient wooden church here. Subsequently, it was rebuilt several times. Construction of the stone Trinity Church that has survived to this day began in 1811. Construction was interrupted by the Patriotic War and completed in 1813. It is known that in 1812 M.I. Kutuzov prayed there. It is noteworthy that Trinity Church did not close in the 20th century.
Vorobyovy Gory and modernity
In 1953, a ski jump was built on Vorobyovy Gory, which is still in use today. The ski slope is also popular, and there are chairlifts. Various competitions are held on Vorobyovy Gory, for example mountain biking.
In 1958, a metro bridge was built with the Vorobyovy Gory station (at the time of opening the station was called Leninsky Gory).
At the end of the 20th century, the State Nature Reserve “Sparrow Hills” was created. Its main goal is to protect the nature of Moscow. Now the park is a protected natural area. Ecological trails have been created. Excursions are available.
Now Vorobyovy Gory is a popular tourist destination. Both Muscovites and guests of the capital love to come here. The observation deck offers a beautiful panorama of Moscow. And the park stretching along the embankment is perfect for walks and active recreation. On the Sparrow Hills there is an interesting architectural landmark of Soviet times - the main building of Moscow State University. Lomonosov (about him will be written in more detail below). Also among the architectural attractions of the Sparrow Hills are the Trinity Church, the St. Andrew's Monastery located at the foot, and the ancient estate Mamonova Dacha.
Moscow State University building on Vorobyovy Gory
The main architectural landmark of Sparrow Hills is the main building of Moscow State University. Its spire towers over the entire surrounding area and is visible from afar. The height of the building is 182 m, and the height with the spire is 240 m. The number of floors of the central building is 36. The Moscow State University building on Vorobyovy Gory is one of the famous “Stalinist high-rise buildings”. In 1947, at the suggestion of I.V. Stalin, the Council of Ministers decided to build eight high-rise buildings - they were supposed to symbolize the 800th anniversary of Moscow, which was celebrated in 1947. However, the construction of one of the buildings was stopped after Stalin's death. As conceived by the authors, the high-rise buildings were supposed to surround the Palace of the Soviets - a grandiose project that was never brought to life. The style of the seven high-rise buildings built was called Stalinist Empire.
The best specialists of that time were involved in the construction of the Moscow State University building on Vorobyovy Gory. The work began in 1948, and was supervised by Beria himself. B. M. Iofan was appointed chief architect. He developed the general composition of the building. However, he subsequently disagreed with foundation specialists about the location of the building. Soon B. M. Iofan was removed. Further work was carried out under the leadership of the architect L.V. Rudnev. It is noteworthy that the topic of his diploma work was called “University of a large city.” The laying of the first stone took place in 1948. The work (construction, interior decoration, landscaping of the adjacent territory) was completed in 1953. On September 1 of this year, the first training sessions were held in the new building. For 37 years, the main building of Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory was the tallest building in Europe (in 1990, the championship passed to Frankfurt).
Luzhniki
On the opposite bank of the Moscow River is the Luzhniki Olympic Complex. It is clearly visible from the observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory.
Particularly noteworthy is the main sports facility of Luzhniki - the stadium of the same name. Its construction began in 1955, and already in 1956 the grand opening took place. Since then, the stadium has been rebuilt many times.
Many sporting events were held at the Luzhniki Stadium. In 1980 it became the central location of the Moscow Olympics. It is also a popular concert venue. For example, in 1990 the last concert of the Kino group took place here. It was attended by 72 thousand residents. During the concert, the Olympic flame was lit for the 4th and last time at the stadium. Other major concerts were also held: Michael Jackson (1993), Madonna (2006), Metallica (2007), Red Hot Chili Peppers and Gogol Bordello (2012), etc. In 2008, the UEFA Champions League final Chelsea took place at the Luzhniki Stadium " - "Manchester United".
In 2018, Luzhniki will host the FIFA World Cup. It is planned to host the opening match, one of the semi-finals and the final. The stadium is currently closed for reconstruction. This is the largest stadium in Russia and one of the largest in the world. The size of the field is 105x68 m. By 2018, it is planned to accommodate 81,000 seats in the stands. The option of demolishing the stadium and building a new one in its place was considered, but in the end it was decided to reconstruct the existing one.
