A District’s Name Can Tell You A Lot About Its History

1147, (the year the city is first mentioned in historical chronicles), is considered the official date of the foundation of Moscow. From its humble beginnings as a small settlement lost in the forests, the city grew to the point where it became capital of the Russian Federation.

The city’s history is indelibly imprinted in the names of its streets and districts. Though the names often don’t even have meaning to Russian citizens, they are full of history and funny stories that have become part of the fabric of everyday life.

Big Time Moscow has decided to start a historical column which will feature a collection of interesting historical facts.

•Babushkinskaya District (Grandmothers’ District in Russian): No, there aren’t a lot of grandmothers here!

The district was named after a popular pilot who was a hero of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Babushkin, who was born and raised in this area.

•Maryina Roshcha (Mary’s Grove in Russian): This district was named after the leader Maria Roshcha, who controlled a gang of robbers, active in the forests of the 14th century.

•Arbat District is named after the street of the same name, derived from the word ‘arba,’ meaning ‘cart.’

• Zamoskvorechye (‘Behind the Moscow River’ in Russian): Unsurprisingly, the name originates from the phrase ‘a district behind the Moscow River.’ The first mention of this place dates back to 1365.

•Tagansky District: the name originates from the Taganskaya Crafts Village along the Yauza River. Its inhabitants produced copper tripods which soldiers in the regular army used on campaign.

•Khamovniki District: At one time this was the location of a large Hamovnaya Crafts Village, where many weavers lived. The word Khamovniki is derived from the word ‘ham’ which referred to flaxen linen in the 14th century.

• Bibirevo District:There are two different versions of how this area got its name.
It either comes from the word ‘Bibir’ (meaning ‘beaver’ in Russian), or from the fact that it was a settlement of Prince Bobrowniki, in which people in ancient times were granted the right to hunt beavers here.

• Zhulebino District: The first mention of this district was in 1645. It was named after Andrew Osteev, a representative of the Boyar family (wealthy merchants in medieval Russia), whose nickname was ‘Zhuleba,’ meaning ‘sly.’ However, we cannot vouch for whether or not the modern residents are sly!

Tushino District: This area was named after Vasily Kvashnin in the 15th century. He was called a ‘tusha’ (hulk) because of his portliness.

Moscow’s Marvelous Mini-Museums

Though they are not well-known, and are often a bit hidden within parks, gardens and urban neighborhoods, these museums are well worth a visit, thanks to their specific theme atmospheres.

The “Mars-Tefo” Cosmic Center

The interactive cosmic play center at the VDNKh complex can get lost among the other mini-museums, but has one significant advantage: it is visually packed with information about the exploration of Mars, and not in a boring or overly scholarly way. Mars comes alive by means of mini-models, pictures and an interactive flying plate attraction. The observation walk takes approximately 40 minutes, or you can skip the walk and head straight for the flying-spinning-trembling plate. Kids love it here, and on weekends its small corridors can be crowded. Please note that a prior reservation is required to gain access to the center. There are English-speaking guides. Operating hours 11 am – 7 pm. The entrance fee is 500 rubles( not including the “Plate” attraction).

The Museum of Phone History 

The Museum of Phone History is relatively new, but is definitely modern and comprehensive, with a collection of 2,000 telephones from Russia, the USA and Europe. The museum currently offers visitors audio guides in two languages, Russian and English. To get a preview glimpse of the exhibit, you can visit their webpage (check the link below)

The Museum of Illusions
The Museum of Illusions could easily be called the ‘Museum for selfie-lovers.’ Great background scenes are provided, including a magic garden, city rooftops, a giant animal zoo, and so on. The city’s two illusion centers do not provide tours (check the link below); there are just cameras flashing all over the place. To maximize the time spent at the museum, and minimize the time wasted in the queue, it is best to arrive early and avoid visiting on weekends. One more tip: the lighting is very bright, so some figures could be overexposed on your photos. You may wish to use any available settings on your camera to prevent this.

The ‘Experimentarium’ Museum

The ‘Experimentarium’ Museum is a 100% hands-on interactive laboratory for kids and adults. The colorful, engaging demonstrations and real-time experiments provide great explanations for nature’s complicated processes and phenomena. The exhibit also explores architecture and building basics and rules. It contains an education center, and provides a stage for science shows and marathons. A free summer ticket (available on particular days), can be a nice bonus. English-speaking guides are available for groups with a minimum total fee of 4,500 rubles (check the link below).

Links in English:

The Museum of Phone History –                                                http://www.telhistory.ru/en/start_watching/virtual_tour.php

The Museum of Illusions –                 http://bestmuseum.ru/en

The ‘Experimentarium’ Museum –   http://www.experimentanium.ru/en/for-visitors