What was Sparrow Hills called before? Sparrow Hills Park: Always open, free, crowded

One of the cult sights of Moscow, which has become a must-see point on the maps of tourists coming to the capital. It is from here that the widest panorama of the city opens, accessible all year round, at any time of the day or night - and, by the way, absolutely free.

The height of the observation deck is about 80 meters above the Moscow River (200 meters above sea level).

The high altitude is due to the features of the relief: the site is located in the very high point Sparrow Hills - a steep cliff of the Teplostan Upland, which forms the high right bank of the Moscow River. Thereby Sparrow Hills perceptibly rise above the city, and visitors to the observation deck are literally on the edge of the cliff, which offers a magnificent view of central part Moscow.

Observation deck on Sparrow Hills, September 2018

It should be noted that Sparrow Hills are popular not only among tourists. Following a long-standing city tradition, newlyweds often come here, and in the evenings, Moscow bikers and street racers gather on the site.

Panorama of Moscow

The observation deck of Sparrow Hills is considered to be the main observation deck Moscow: this is the only public place from which you can really feel the scale of the city.

Due to its favorable location in the center of Moscow, it boasts the widest and most diverse panorama of the capital: no other observation deck has so many visible sights.

Panorama of Moscow from Sparrow Hills, September 2018

From here you can see almost all the iconic skyscrapers of the capital, 6 out of 7 Stalinist skyscrapers (including the Moscow State University building behind the site), a number of architectural sights in the central part of the city (and even the Kremlin!), As well as the embankments of the Moscow River. And if you look closely at the construction cranes on the horizon, you can even look a little into the future of Moscow and imagine how the urban landscape will change in the future. The panorama of the city is rapidly changing, and in a few years it will be noticeably different from what can be seen today (as well as today's panorama is different from what it was a few years ago).

At the same time, the view that opens up is very dynamic: if you look closely, you can see how cars drive along the Third Transport Ring and the bright red Lastochka trains along the MCC.

And to make it even more interesting to admire the view of Moscow from the Sparrow Hills, free observation binoculars are installed on the site, thanks to which some buildings can be seen literally in detail.

Exactly opposite the observation deck is a conspicuous round structure, the Luzhniki Grand Sports Arena. The Olympic Stadium, opened in 1956, is a very convenient starting point for viewing views of the city.

To the left of the Luzhniki

At the leftmost point relative to Luzhniki, eyes meet with views of modern Moscow and the highest Moscow skyscrapers: the Mirax Plaza business center, as well as residential complexes and the House on Begovaya. The Nordstar Tower business center on Begovaya Street is clearly visible on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment.

A little to the right -, unexpectedly adjacent to the Ostankino TV tower and the pipes of CHPP-12, ("White House") and. In addition to the hotel "Ukraine", to the left of the "Luzhniki" you can see two more Stalinist skyscrapers: and. The view of the high-rise of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is impressive: from here it looks like a giant rock towering over the city. Between the Stalinist skyscrapers, book houses lined up in a row, and in front of them is the Novodevichy Convent and various residential buildings.

If you look a little more closely, you can also notice a 165-meter skyscraper, the silhouette of which tourists sometimes confuse with Stalin's skyscrapers.

You can clearly see the Vorobyovskaya and Luzhnetskaya embankments of the Moskva River, as well as the Berezhkovsky bridge connecting Novodevichya embankment with Berezhkovskaya, and the Luzhnetsky railway bridge.

Center - "Luzhniki"

Olympic sports complex "Luzhniki" - the undoubted dominant native species: located exactly opposite the observation deck, the Big Sports Arena cannot be confused with anything or not seen.

Behind the dome of the arena, you can see a number of iconic Moscow sights and simply noticeable places: St. Basil's Cathedral and the bell towers of the Kremlin cathedrals, the buildings of the Moscow State Medical University named after Sechenov, the Stalinist skyscraper at the Red Gates and the giant ("To commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet") by Zurab Tsereteli. Especially the eye clings to the monument to Peter I - this is the highest monument in Russia and one of the highest in the world, its height is 98 meters.

Another interesting detail was the cable car stretching between Sparrow Hills and Luzhniki over the Moskva River: its stations and cabins moving above the water are visible from the observation deck.

To the right of the Luzhniki

On the right side of the panorama you can see another Stalinist skyscraper -. Not far from the skyscraper - the building of the hotel " Swissotel Reds Hills", noticeable due to the design of its upper part: a flying saucer is parked on the roof. The Shukhov Radio Tower (Shabolovskaya Tower) stands apart: a unique hyperboloid structure peeks out from behind a green massif. The construction erected in 1920-1922 is a recognized masterpiece of engineering, not at all not inferior eiffel tower in Paris.

To the right of other noticeable objects is the 22-storey building of the Presidium Russian Academy Sciences, discovered in the early 1990s. Muscovites liked the building of the Russian Academy of Sciences: for the unusual architectural forms on the roof, they dubbed it "golden brains" and immediately invented a lot of fantasy stories about their purpose - they say, these are antennas for communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence. "Golden Brains" has become one of the city's mysteries - perhaps it was for this building that Muscovites fell in love.

In front of the building of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, you can see a unique structure - a 2-level Luzhnetsky metro bridge, thrown over the Moskva River between Luzhnetskaya and Vorobyovskaya / Andreevskaya embankments. On the lower tier is the Vorobyovy Gory metro station (until 1999 - Leninskiye Gory) - the world's first metro station located above the river: it was opened in 1959. The upper tier of the bridge is given over to cars - a busy highway passes through it. In addition, on both sides of the bridge there are open pedestrian crossings through which you can cross the Moscow River without entering the station.

History of the observation deck

The observation deck was equipped simultaneously with the construction of the complex of the Moscow state university in 1949-1953.

The place for it was dictated by the relief itself: Vorobyovy Gory - the high right bank of the Moskva River, a steep cliff of the Teplostan Upland, washed away by the current. Construction over the cliff was unsafe because of the danger of a landslide: initially, they wanted to build the main building of Moscow State University closer to the river, but this turned out to be impossible. The skyscraper was built away from the cliff, and an observation deck was equipped on its edge. Since the construction, the observation deck has changed little: today, viewing binoculars have been installed on it, and an illuminated diagram of Moscow with the Moscow River has been built into the paving, but otherwise it has remained the same.

Various organizations repeatedly had plans to build or install monuments on the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills (in particular, the city authorities considered the possibility of installing here), but none of them, fortunately, came true.

According to urban legends, in the past the Vorobyovy Gory more than once became observation platform for the conquerors: they say that the Crimean Khan Kazy Giray II (Gazy II Gerai) and the Lithuanian hetman Khodkevich looked at Moscow from here during their campaigns.

How to get there

You can get to the observation deck on Sparrow Hills on foot from the metro station "Sparrow Hills" Sokolnicheskaya line, it is located on Kosygin Street near University Square.

However, the path from the metro is not so obvious: to go from the station to the platform, you need to exit the lobby towards Kosygin Street, then go under the bridge to the end of the alley under it and turn right - there, an equipped path with steps and a log climbs up the slope of Sparrow Hills. parapet. The trail ascends to Kosygin Street, where there are signs towards the site (one of them is located just at the end of the trail).

Trail to the observation deck of Sparrow Hills

The observation deck on Sparrow Hills is available around the clock and free of charge.

The main attraction of this place is the Main Building of Moscow State University. In 1947, Stalin decided to build eight high-rise buildings. MSU is one of them. In 1953, a ski jump was built on Sparrow Hills. Its length is 340 meters. Now it is under restoration, but the work is scheduled to be completed in 2018. Construction is also underway in the mountains. cable car for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Its length will be 737 meters. The road will connect Luzhniki and the observation deck on Sparrow Hills with an intermediate stop on Vorobevskaya Embankment.

The place is great for sports and family walks. The park has several sports fields and a mini-zoo. Also on the banks of the Andreevsky Ponds you can sit with a picnic basket.

You can get into the park around the clock. The nearest metro station is Vorobyovy Gory.

Sparrow Hills is a forested area on the high right bank of the Moskva River and one of the favorite places for Muscovites to relax. Sparrow Hills are considered one of the seven hills of Moscow, here is the largest observation deck of the capital, which offers a breathtaking view of the surroundings. You will see a beautiful bend of the Moskva River, the Kremlin towers and the Luzhniki Stadium, on the right - Neskuchny Garden, on the left - Novodevichy Convent.

According to tradition, newlyweds come here on the wedding day, and in the evenings, friends of interest gather, including bikers and street racers. Shows of vintage cars are periodically held here.

Those who like peace and solitude more can go deep into the green massif and take a walk through the forest, as well as along the ponds located closer to the Neskuchny Garden. Sparrow Hills are located near the center of Moscow - 5.5 km from the Kremlin. At the same time, despite the global development, untouched areas of pure forest with old big trees that have survived more than one century.

The pedestrian zone of the Moskva River with a length of about 10 km, including Krymskaya and Pushkinskaya, Andreevskaya and Vorobyovskaya embankments, passes through the territory of the forest park.

In spring- summer time on Sparrow Hills you can rent a bicycle or roller skates. Rental points are located on the embankment not far from the funicular and next to the exit to Vorobyovskoye highway.

How to get to Sparrow Hills, metro station

• By metro - Vorobyovy Gory station, Frunzenskaya and Universitet metro stations are also nearby.

For those who come by car, there are parking places next to the observation deck along Kosygin Street, opposite the Moscow State University building and not far from the intersection of Kosygin Street and Vernadsky Avenue.

Sparrow Hills - observation deck

The observation deck is located at the very top of the Sparrow Hills, at the intersection of Kosygin Street with University Square. Spyglasses are installed here, and their use is free. The opening panorama of Moscow fascinates with its severe beauty and a little haze over the city.

Near the observation deck, as well as on the waterfront, there are cafes where you can have a bite to eat.

From the observation deck, you can go down to the embankment on foot, and in the summer, on the funicular, located on the right side of the observation deck (if you look at Moscow). The funicular will take you to the embankment or to the pier, there is also a stop at an intermediate station. From the pier you can take a boat and go on a trip along the Moscow River.

• According to legend, in this place there was a village that belonged to a priest named Sparrow, hence the origin of the name of this area becomes clear. Later, this village was acquired by Princess Sophia, the wife of the Moscow Grand Duke Vasily I
• For several decades Vorobyovy Gory was called Leninskiye Gory, but the exact year of the renaming has not been established, three dates are given: 1924, 1935 and 1936. In 1999, the area was returned to its historical name
• In the 18th-19th centuries, there was a transit prison on the Sparrow Hills, about which Alexander Herzen wrote in 1868 in the novel “The Past and Thoughts”
• Initially, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was planned to be located on Sparrow Hills. The project was developed and approved and construction began. But in the next seven years, work was carried out sluggishly, and soon completely stopped. By official version, due to the unreliability of the soil, the construction of the temple was discontinued. At the same time, it turned out that a million rubles from the money allocated for the construction of the cathedral had been stolen. Construction managers were accused of embezzlement and embezzlement and put on trial. The author of the Witberg project was innocently convicted and sent into exile
• During its history, Vorobyovy Gory several times became a viewing platform for the conquerors - from here the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey and the Polish hetman Khotkevich looked at the capital. And in the October days of 1917, from the high bank of the Moskva River, the Red Guards began shelling the Kremlin.

Sparrow Hills - ecological trail

Sparrow Hills are a unique ecological zone with a special relief, there are many springs, picturesque landscapes and you can breathe perfectly. The ecological trail was opened in 2005 and became the first ecological trail in Moscow. It is equipped with information stands and signs telling about the animal and flora forest park.

The forest zone is inhabited by voles, moles and squirrels, among the birds - falcons and thrushes, nightingales and warblers, golden eggs and white wagtails, woodpeckers and mallards, tits and blue tit. Arbors are installed along one of the ponds, where you can relax and hide from the rain. Descriptions of encountered plants and animals are presented on special stands.

Feeders for small birds and squirrels are installed, protected by a net from large birds. If desired, the inhabitants of the forest can be fed with grain and nuts.

You can go along the ecological path on your own, the ascent to it begins from Vorobyovskaya embankment, 100 meters from the cable car. Excursions on ecological trails are held all year round, in weekdays from 8:00 to 17:00 they are free of charge. It is better to sign up for an excursion in advance, since there are many people who want to make it in the summer. Tour routes:

• The route "On the slopes of the Sparrow Hills" starts from the Observation deck and consists of the "Slopes of the Sparrow Hills" section with a length of 550 meters and "Andreevsky Ponds" with a length of 220 meters. At the very beginning of the eco-route there is an aviary complex with rare decorative birds, including pheasants and peacocks, as well as an aviary with squirrels and a demonstration aviary with birds of prey
• The route "On the terraces of Vorobyovy Gory" with a length of 740 meters starts at the Vorobyovy Gory metro station. This trail is accessible to everyone as it is adapted for people with reduced mobility. On the route you will come across stands “Guess the Tree” and “Traces of Animals”, as well as Andreevsky Ponds, where you can feed the ducks.

- (in 1924 91 Leninsky mountains), a high section of the right bank of the river. Moscow on southwest Moscow. The steep cliff of the Teplostan Upland. Height approx. 220 m (above the river edge approx. 60 70 m). A network of deep ravines, landslide mounds. Deciduous forests. On ... ... Russian history

- (in 1924 91 Leninskiye Gory), the name of the high right bank of the Moskva river, opposite the Luzhnikovskaya bend, in the southwest of the city; one of the "seven hills" of Moscow. They stretch from the mouth of the river. Setun to the Andreevsky Bridge of the District Railway ... ... Moscow (encyclopedia)

Sparrow Hills- (in 192491 Leninskie Gory), a high section of the right root bank of the Moskva River in the southwest of Moscow. It is a steep cliff of the Teplostan Upland. The height is about 220 m (about 60-70 m above the river edge). V. g. are composed of sands and ... ... Dictionary "Geography of Russia"

Sparrow Hills- Sparrow mountains, Sparrow mountains (in Moscow) ... Russian spelling dictionary

The former (until 1935) name of the Leninsky mountains (See Leninsky mountains) in Moscow ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Sparrow Hills has several meanings: "Sparrow Hills" is the name of the area in the south-west of Moscow on the steep right bank of the Moscow River (1924–1991 "Lenin Hills"). "Vorobyovy Gory" colloquial and at the same time outdated official ... Wikipedia

Vorobyovy Gory Station Small Ring Moscow Railway Railway... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Sparrow Hills (meanings). The style of this article is not encyclopedic or violates the norms of the Russian language. The article should be corrected according to the stylistic rules of Wikipedia ... Wikipedia

Slopes of the Sparrow Hills Trinity Church on the Sparrow Hills Sparrow Hills (in 1935 1999 Leninsky Hills) the name of the area in the south-west of Moscow, which is the high right bank of the Moscow River (a steep cliff of the Teplostanskaya Upland, ... ... Wikipedia

Vorobyovy Gory station Sokolnicheskaya line Moscow metro Leninskiye Gory before reconstruction (top) and Vorobyovy Gory after (bottom) ... Wikipedia

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Sparrow Hills (former Lenin Hills) is a green massif on the river bank, magnificent park with alleys where you can walk, rollerblade. This is an excellent observation deck in front of the Moscow State University building with the best panoramic view of Moscow in the city, pedestrian promenade, river station, many sports facilities, restaurants and souvenir shops.

We exit the metro station. m. Sparrow Hills.

If you come by car, then the difficulties with parking in places where it should not be difficult will surprise you - everywhere there are numerous signs prohibiting parking in the area of ​​​​the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills. You will either have to break the rules, risking that your car will be taken away by a tow truck, or stop far enough from the observation deck - the center of the route. In addition, in any case, you will park the car only where you are lucky, so we will in any case be guided to start our route from the metro.

So, we leave the subway. The subway exit is one of the most original in the city. The metro platform is located right inside the bridge across the Moscow River. It is both a metro bridge and pedestrian bridge, and an automobile bridge connecting Komsomolsky Prospekt coming from the center with its continuation - Vernadsky Prospekt.

The exit from the metro is located right in the bridge body, covered with glass. Therefore, already from the metro - an excellent view of both sides of the bridge (by the way, from passing metro trains - also). On the one hand, we see - directly Sparrow Hills, Moscow State University and Luzhniki, on the other hand - the building of the Academy of Sciences, St. Andrew's Monastery and the end of the Sparrow Hills (both the park and the embankment).

We leave the bridge to Vorobyovskaya embankment. When moving from the center, this is the direction of the first car (the beginning of the train). When looking at the Luzhniki Stadium, it's to the left.

The embankment running along the Moskva River and the park located above the embankment on both sides of the bridge - perfect place for romantic walks, for sunbathing in summer, for rollerblading.

On a hillside in a green massif there is a monument to Herzen and Ogarev.

Below, near the embankment, there is a roller skating rink for specialized roller skating.

A high ski jump with a lift reminds you that Vorobyovy Gory is a sports facility, especially in winter. The springboard is also an identification mark. On it you can navigate to the location of the observation deck. The site is located near the top of the springboard. In fact, this is the main site, but there are other sites in the park, from where they also offer good views.

However, you will not confuse the main platform with anything. Here at any time of the year - large quantities people. With photo and film cameras, with easels. Lots of tourists, lots of weddings. Entire rows of souvenir merchants.

We rise to the site, crossing the springboard line. By the way, on the lift you can go up and down the mountain by paying at the box office for a ticket. Floating over the park, you can take pictures of the views and surroundings from the lift chair no worse than from the observation deck.

On the way from the top point of the lift to the observation deck there is a restaurant with a terrace open in summer overlooking Moscow.

Nearby you can eat in more budget option- fast food outlets are located right next to the observation deck.

On the main observation deck of the Sparrow Hills, we look at the panorama. Fabulous!

Directly in front of us is Moscow - the river and the huge bowl of the Luzhniki stadium, behind it a little to the right - the Novodevichy Convent.

On the right we see the bridge where we left the subway. Immediately behind him on the shore, even more to the right - St. Andrew's Monastery. And behind it is the tall building of the Academy of Sciences with solar panels on the roof, a little to the left of it - the Shukhov tower.

If you turn and pay attention to the objects located on the extreme left, we see the skyscrapers of Moscow City, the pseudo-Stalinist high-rise Triumph Palace on Sokol, the Tower-200 on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, and high-rise buildings in the area see Begovaya metro station.

To the right we see the Stalinist skyscraper of the Ukraine Hotel, between the nondescript factory pipes we look at the Ostankino television tower, which is very far away. We see two more skyscrapers - a building on Kudrinskaya Square, and even more to the right - the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Between them, you can see the White House (House of the Government of the Russian Federation), the building of the Beijing Hotel, book houses on Novy Arbat and other objects.

Now let's pay attention to the central part of the panorama, located behind the stadium and the Novodevichy Convent.

It is impossible not to notice the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. To the right of it, from most points of the site (but not from all!) You can see the heart of Moscow and Russia - the Moscow Kremlin. You can see white Kremlin cathedrals and dark red fortress towers. The bell tower of Ivan the Great cannot be confused with anything. Looking at a small bell tower against the backdrop of huge skyscrapers and skyscrapers located much further away, it is worth remembering that the Kremlin bell tower has long been the most tall building in Moscow.

A little to the left of the Kremlin, the dark silhouette of Peter the Great with a ship's mast is a monument to the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet.

To the left of the Kremlin - a powerful building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - a Stalinist skyscraper. You can search for other Stalinist skyscrapers. The third building is easy to find, to the right of the Kremlin on the banks of the Moscow River, which, of course, is not visible near the building - a high-rise building on Kotelnicheskaya embankment.

But the other two most remote skyscrapers - the Leningradskaya Hotel and the building at the Red Gate - are not very well visible and not from all points. They can be seen in the center of the panorama behind the Kremlin line.

Despite the fact that the Stalinist bulks are much larger than the ancient bell towers, they are also much inferior to modern skyscrapers. And the modern skyscraper is made in the style of Stalin, located much further (on the Sokol - the North of Moscow), it is visible much better. However, this building is still not included in the six famous skyscrapers.

The sixth building is best seen from the observation deck. However, it is not in the overview panorama, and in order to look at it, you just need to look around. And you will see the excellent knowledge of Moscow State University in all its glory. We will approach him.

Another modern building - a tower with a plate on the roof, the building of the hotel Svisotel Red Hills on Paveletskaya also attracts attention.

A powerful bayonet - the central monument of Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill at the far left viewpoint is not visible from every point and can be obscured by trees. Even in this perspective, where the panorama goes far to the left, it is not visible.

More can be seen in the panorama interesting buildings, but this is the subject of a more detailed study.

Let's go to the church, located next to the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills. Church of the Holy Trinity. It is believed that it was here that Kutuzov prayed before deciding to leave Moscow. And now in front of it is a gathering place for bikers and a regular free exhibition of the most expensive and diverse motorcycles.

A little down the slope from the church is a memorial stone, which speaks of the merits of the Moscow City Hall.

Let's look back at the slope of the Sparrow Hills. Tsar Alexander initially wanted to build the Cathedral of Christ the Savior here after defeating Napoleon and solemnly entering Paris on a white horse. However, the hillside is dangerous because slides down into the river and large construction is undesirable here. Even the almighty Stalin had to change plans for the construction of the bulk of Moscow State University and move it away from the slope. But originally they also wanted to build it here.

After all, there is simply no more majestic hill in Moscow.

It was from here that the Master and Margarita in Bulgakov's novel started their farewell flight, on the slope of the Sparrow Hills the Master said goodbye to Moscow.