Sights in Outer South of Moscow

Our section on sights in the Outer South of Moscow covers sights in the Southern and South-Western Administrative Districts of the city. This roughly covers the area of Moscow between the Third Ring Road to the MKAD Ring Road from the souther part of the River Moscow to Leninsky Prospekt. Other major roads in this area include Kashirskoe Shosse and Varshavskoe Shosse. This part of Moscow is mainly served by the southern ends of the dark green, grey and orange lines of the metro.

Around Akademicheskaya Metro Station

Ho Chi Minh Monument

  • Ploschad Kho Shi Mina
  • Akademicheskaya

In 1969 the small square outside Akademicheskaya metro station was named Ploschad Kho Shi Mina (Ho Chi Minh Square) in honour of the Vietnamese communist leader who died in the same year.  In 1990 a monument was unveiled on the square which features a disc engraved with the face of Ho Chi Minh.  In front of the disc is a statue of a Vietnamese fighter.  The base of the statue features the inscription "There is nothing more valuable than Freedom". Read more »

State Darwin Museum

  • 57 Ulitsa Vavilova
  • Akademicheskaya
  • http://www.darwin.museum.ru/

The State Darwin Museum can trace its history back to 1907 when the museum's initiator, Aleksandr Kots, began a cycle of lectures on Darwin's Theory of Evolution; however a state institution was only established in 1922.  In 1995 a new State Darwin Museum was opened and became the largest natural history museum in Europe.  It details the life and work of Darwin and explains his theory, but its main attractions are the thousands of stuffed animals it has on display.  There is free… Read more »

Around Avtozavodskaya Metro Station

Former Simonov Monastery

  • 4 Ulitsa Vostochnaya
  • Avtozavodskaya

The Simonov Monastery was founded in 1370 by St Feodor of Simonov, a disciple of St Sergius of Radonezh. In 1379 the monastery was moved slightly east to its present day location. It was developed as a fortress-monastery and towers and strong walls were erected in the 16th and 17th centuries. The monastery is connected with several names from Russian history: the monks Vassian Kossoy and Maxim the Greek lived and worked here and Simeon Bekbulatovich, who Tsar Ivan the Terrible made… Read more »

Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church at Stary Simonov

  • 6 Ulitsa Vostochnaya
  • Avtozavodskaya

  When St Feodor founded the Simonov Monastery in 1370 it was located where the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church at Stary Simonov now stands. The warrior-monks Aleksandr Peresvet and Andrey (Rodion) Oslyabya, who died in single combat at the Battle of Kulikovo Field in 1380, were buried here. The current church was built between 1509 and 1510 as a traditional pillar-less structure with a single dome. In 1787 a stone vestibule and bell tower were added. In 1928 the church was… Read more »

Proletarsky District Home Guard Memorial

  • Ulitsa Avtozavodskaya
  • Avtozavodskaya

Located at the end of the boulevard on Ulitsa Avtozadvodskaya in between the two exits to Avtozavodskaya metro station is a war memorial specifically dedicated to the members of the home guard of the Proletarsky District who died during the Second World War. The monument was unveiled in 1980 and depicts engravings of the home guard on jagged blocks of stone. Read more »

Around Kolomenskoe Metro Station

Kolomenskoe Estate

  • Prospekt Andropova
  • Kolomenskaya, Kashirskaya
  • http://mgomz.com
  • Museums: 10:00 - 18:00 (Saturdays: 11:00 - 19:00). Closed on Mondays

 The Kolomenskoe Estate runs all the way along the right-bank of the River Moscow from Kolomenskaya to Kashirskaya metro stations and is one of the most popular sights in Moscow outside of the city centre, favoured by both locals and tourists. Historically the Kolomenskoe Estate was the location of the village (selo) of Kolomenskoe, which according to legend was founded by refugees from Kolomna fleeing the Mongol-Tatar Invasion.  The village was first mentioned in 1336 in the will… Read more »

Around Konkovo Metro Station

Bitsevsky Forest Natural and Historical Park

  • Sevastopolsky Prospekt
  • Novoyasenevskaya, Bitsevsky Park, Konkovo, Belyaevo
  • http://www.bitsevskipark.ru/

Bitsevsky Forest Natural and Historical Park in the very south of Moscow covers an area of over 18 square kilometres and is second in size only to Losyny Ostrov in the north of the city.  In addition to areas of natural beauty, the park also incorporates many historical sites, including ancient settlements and burial mounds and three estates, as well as being a popular venue for walking, skiing and other sport activities.   Uzkoe Estate The Uzkoe Estate is located in Bitsevsky… Read more »

Yuri Orlov Palaeontology Museum

  • 123 Ulitsa Profsoyuznaya
  • Konkovo, Tyoply Stan
  • http://www.paleo.ru/museum
  • 10:00 - 18:00. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The Yuri Orlov Palaeontology Museum is run as part of the Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  The museum was first opened in 1937 but then closed and evacuated to Kazakhstan during the Second World War.  It was reopened after the war but once again closed in 1954 due to a lack of appropriate premises.  It was only in 1987 that it was reopened after a new home was finally found for it in a specially-built building.  It is named after the famous Russian… Read more »

Around Leninsky Prospekt Metro Station

Andreevsky Monastery

  • 2 Andreevskaya Naberezhnaya
  • Leninsky Prospekt
  • http://andreevskymon.ru/

Situated among Moscow's Vorobyovy Hills is the Andreevsky Monastery.  Some believe that the monastery has existed since the 13th century, although it is generally thought to have been founded in 1648 around the pre-existing St Andrey Stratelates' Church from which the monastery gets its name.  The church was built in 1591 in gratitude of Moscow's salvation from Khan Ğazı II Geray of Crimea, but the current version dates from 1675.  Between 1689 and 1703 the Resurrection of Christ… Read more »

Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences

  • 32A Leninsky Prospekt
  • Leninsky Prospekt
  • http://ras.ru/

In between Leninsky Prospekt and the River Moscow is an odd looking building which houses the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  The academy can trace its history back to 1724 when it was founded as the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences.  This building for the presidium of the academy is instantly recognisable due to the design of its upper floors which resembles blocks of golden wiring.  The façade is also adorned with various statues.  It is 22 storeys high and on the… Read more »

Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve

  • Andreevskaya Naberezhnaya
  • Leninsky Prospekt, Vorobyovy Gory
  • http://www.park-gorkogo.com/

The hills on the outside bend of the River Moscow in the south of the city are known as Vorobyovy Gory, which can be translated as Sparrow Hills.  During the Soviet Era the hills were renamed Leninskie Gory (Lenin Hills).  In 1998 the area became protected as the Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve.  Since 2013 Sparrow Hills have been managed as part of Gorky Park. It is a beautiful park for walking around and made more interesting by the three ecological trails which have been set up… Read more »

Yuri Gagarin Monument

  • Ploschad Gagarina
  • Leninsky Prospekt

One of the best statues in Moscow is the iconic Yuri Gagarin Monument which is  found on Ploschad Gagarina on Leninsky Prospekt.  The monument was erected in 1980 in the run up to the 1980 Olympic Games.  It consists of a tall pedestal upon which stands a Soviet stylised statue of the first man in space in a pose resembling that of a superhero.  In total the whole monument in 42.5 metres tall and weighs 12 tonnes.  The monument makes use of titanium - the same metal used to… Read more »

Around Orekhovo Metro Station

Trinity Churches at Borisovskie Ponds

  • Borisovskie Ponds, Kashirskoe Shosse
  • Orekhovo, Borisovo

The Borisovskie Ponds are a continuation of the ponds within the Tsaritsyno Estate formed from the River Gorodnya. Standing to the south of one of the ponds, to the east of Kashirskoe Shosse, is the modern Trinity Church at Borisovskie Ponds.  The church is dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus which was celebrated in 1988.  In 1988 the first stone was laid as part of the project, but no construction work followed, mainly due to the decision to rebuild the… Read more »

Tsaritsyno Estate

  • Novotsaritsynskoe Shosse
  • Tsaritsyno, Orekhovo
  • http://www.tsaritsyno.net/
  • Exhibitions: 10:00 - 18:00 (Thursdays: 11:00 - 20:00; Weekends: 11:00 - 19:00). Closed on Mondays.

Tsaritsyno Estate's rich and interesting history goes back to the early 17th century when it was known as Chyornaya Gryaz (Black Mud) and at one point belonged to Boris Godunov's sister - Tsaritsa Irina Fyodorovna.  Under Peter the Great the land was given to Prince Dmitrie Cantemir of Moldova, who subsequently developed it as an estate. In 1775 Empress Catherine the Great visited the estate and was so taken with it that she decided to buy it.   Catherine renamed the estate… Read more »

Around Shabolovskaya Metro Station

Deposition of the Robe Church on Donskaya

  • 20/6 Ulitsa Donskaya
  • Shabolovskaya
  • http://hram.riza.su/

Located at the crossroads of Ulitsa Donskaya and Ulitsa Akademika Petrovskogo, just off Ulitsa Shabolovka, is the beautiful red-brick Deposition of the Robe Church on Donskaya. The church was built between 1701 and 1716 in the baroque style, featuring five black domes with decorative window frames and a bell tower. The church was never closed during the Soviet years. Read more »

Donskoy Monastery

  • 1 Donskaya Ploschad
  • Shabolovskaya
  • http://www.donskoi.org

Donskoy Monastery is one of the best surviving examples of a fortified monastery and as it is located a little away from the centre you will find a lot less tourists here than, for example, Novodevichy Convent. The monastery was founded on the order of Tsar Feodor I between 1591 and 1593 on the spot where the Russians were able to repel an invasion by Khan Ğazı II Giray of Crimea in 1591. The victory was also credited to the Our Lady of the Don Icon which subsequently became the… Read more »

Monument to Muscovites killed in Air Raids

  • Ulitsa Khavskaya
  • Shabolovskaya

In the small park located on Ulitsa Khavskaya, at the end of Konny Pereulok which runs off Ulitsa Shabolovska, is an unusual statue dedicated to Muscovites who died during air raids in the Second World War. This area was heavily bombed due to the location here of the Shukhov Tower and a ball bearing factory. The monument was unveiled in 1960 in the small park which itself was developed on the site of a crater caused by an air raid. It depicts a woman who has been made homeless in a… Read more »

New Donskoe Cemetery

  • 1 Donskaya Ploschad
  • Shabolovskaya

In addition to Donskoy Monastery's necropolis there is also a newer cemetery just outside the monastery's walls. The New Donskoe Cemetery was opened in the late 19th century and holds the graves of several notable figures. On a darker note, the cemetery was also used to bury the victims of political purges of the 1930s in a mass grave on which there is now a memorial. The cemetery's church is St Serafim of Sarov's Church which was built between 1904 and 1914. The church was later… Read more »

Shukhov Tower

  • 37 Ulitsa Shabolovka
  • Shabolovskaya

The most famous sight on Ulitsa Shabolovka is the Shukhov Tower which is also sometimes called the Shabolovskaya Tower. The 148-metre hyperboloid broadcasting tower was built between 1920 and 1922 and was highly innovative for its time and subsequently considered an engineering design classic as the tower is only minimally affected by the wind. It was designed by the engineer Vladimir Shukhov, after whom it is named, and is the tallest of the several hyperboloid towers designed by… Read more »

Trinity Church on Shabolovka

  • 21 Ulitsa Shabolovka
  • Shabolovskaya

Near the top of Ulitsa Shabolovka is the Trinity Church and a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity has stood here since 1722 back when Ulitsa Shabolovka was the village of Shabolovo. The current version of the church was built between 1885 and 1896. In 1930 the church was closed and most of the bell tower and the church's dome was demolished. It was returned to the Orthodox Church in 1993 and restored to its former appearance. Read more »

Around Tulskaya Metro Station

Prince Daniil of Moscow Monument

  • Park between Ulitsa Losinovskaya and Podolskoe Shosse
  • Tulskaya

In 1997, as part of the 850th anniversary of Moscow, a monument to Prince Daniil of Moscow was erected in the small park between Ulitsa Losinovskaya and Podolskoe Shosse. A son of the celebrated Aleksandr Nevsky, Prince Daniil is considered the first prince of Moscow and reigned from around 1263 to 1303. He founded several monasteries in Moscow including the nearby Svyato-Danilov Monastery which now bears his name. Read more »

Resurrection Church in Danilova Sloboda

  • 3 Bolshoy Starodanilovsky Pereulok
  • Tulskaya

  Located just south of the Svyato-Danilov Monastery is the Resurrection Church in Danilova Sloboda. It marks the spot where the Svyato-Danilov Monastery was originally founded before being moved to its present location in the 15th century. The current church was built between 1832 and 1837 in the empire style. It was closed in 1933 and allowed to fall into disrepair. However it was later fully restored by the time it was returned to the Orthodox Church in 1998. Read more »

Svyato-Danilov Monastery

  • 22 Ulitsa Danilovsky Val
  • Tulskaya
  • http://www.msdm.ru

The Svyato-Danilov Monastery was founded in the late 13th century by Prince Daniil of Moscow, a younger son of Aleksandr Nevsky. Although the exact date is not known (sometime between 1272 and 1303 during Daniil's reign), it is considered the oldest monastery in Moscow. Before his death in 1303, Prince Daniil became a monk at the monastery and in 1652 he was canonised as St Daniel (Daniil) of Moscow. During the 14th and 15th centuries the monastery fell into a state of neglect as… Read more »