It was built for Varvara Morozova's son Arseny. In total, she had three children from the marriage with Morozov and two - from Sobolevsky. Without any embarrassment all the children were given the name of the deceased first spouse. The exterior of the building is unique and fascinating. Its look, invented by Arseny, the son of Varvara Morozova, the art historians define as Neo-Moorish style. Now here is the Russian Government reception house.

This magnificent example of Empire-style ensemble, with the gates and wings arranged symmetrically, got its name from the owner - Prince Nikolai Volkonsky, the prototype of the character from the novel "War and Peace". Another literary connection with the history of this building: Leo Tolstoy often visited the balls of his neighbors, Ryazan landlords the Ruymins. At that time he hadn't yet walked barefoot in a linen shirt, was quite a socialite and was courting the pretty Princess Praskovya Scherbatova. Later he gave her features to Kitty Shcherbatskaya in his novel "Anna Karenina".

According to the Forbes magazine survey, this shopping and office center took the first place in the list of the "ugliest buildings in the capital". It was built on the site of the Central Military Department Store, the building in the Art Nouveau style with Art Deco elements, which had been demolished, contrary to the public protest.

This mansion had been built in 1790s for Alexey Razumovsky but never lived in it and sold the house to Nikolai Sheremetev. The latter was very well known because of his marriage to his serf actress Praskovia Zhemchugova. This house was the place where the couple celebrated their strange but very romantic marriage and where they lived after it.

The building was erected in 1787 by Mikhail Kazakov. Now it is the scientific research Museum, named after Shchusev. As the name implies, the Museum not only exhibits various objects, connected with the history of architecture, but also conducts serious scientific research. The Museum's collections reflect the 1000-years history of the Russian architecture and include more than 1 000 000 items of storage.

The main library in the country, which for many years bore the proud name "Leninskaya", was built in 1928-41 from the wreckage of the blown up Temple of Christ the Savior. The melted bells of many Moscow churches served for the decoration of the building. The collection of books here is the largest not only in Russia but throughout Europe, with the exception of the British Library.

An unusual building, with a rounded mezzanine, built on the ruins after the fire of 1812. More than once Pyotr Tchaikovsky visited the building, being a guest of Terletsky, a member of the Russian musical society. In 1919-41 it was the residence of the Executive Committee of the Communist International.

In 1983 a free museum was opened in the building of the "Lenin library". In the exposition you can get acquainted with the history of books: papyrus, birch barks and the first print editions... And the atmosphere around is such, that you unwittingly feel as a professor, or Harry Potter as a variant.

The building was constructed on the site of Ivan the Terrible's courtyard for his guard - the oprichniki. Here the "Tsar's Dogs" carried out executions, torture and committed lasciviousness. Maxim Gorky rented rooms in this house. Later the head of state of the Russian Federation Kalinin had his reception room here. Now it is the reception of the State Duma RF.

In 1893 it was a Hunting club. Just here Chekhov met his future wife, the actress Knipper, in September of 1898. At the beginning of 1914 chess player Alyokhin conducted simultaneous games of chess here. This event inspired writers Ilf and Petrov to create a comical episode with the simultaneous chess game, given by Ostap Bender in their novel “The Twelve Chairs”.

The house of the Prosecutor of the Synodal Department – a man revered and frightening. The chief Prosecutor, according to the instructions given to him in 1722, was called to be "the eye of the Tsar and the layer of the state affairs". In 1741 he got the right of immediate report to the Emperor on the Synod affairs. So all the clergymen were afraid of him.

Varvara Morozova was the wife of one of the famous manufacturers' family members. After his death she became the civilian wife of the liberal Sobolevsky. The representatives of the opposition organization "Union of Liberation" often gathered here. But also Chekhov, Bryusov, Bely, Block visited the house... Varvara Morozova died before the October Revolution in 1917. The house was nationalized.

The two famous doctors Krause and Osipovsky consistently owned this Rococo building. They did not accept patients here, but handed over the first floor to shops, the rest ones – as the apartments, receiving a considerable addition to their medical salaries.

One of the oldest cinemas, not only in Moscow but also in Russia. Opened in 1909, it held the premieres of the first sound picture "Path to Life", the film "Battleship Potemkin" and the first color film "Grunya Kornakova". As for the tappers, the most eminent musicians played here and did not feel embarrassed.

The station "Arbatskaya" was part of the first stage of he Moscow metro constructing. On May 15th, 1935, Stalin personally opened the section from "Sokolniki" to "Park Kultury" with a branch to "Smolenskaya" which had three stations: "Street of the Comintern", "Arbatskaya" and "Smolenskaya". The ground lobby had a huge mosaic portrait of Stalin, which was dismantled in 1955.