Knights of the Silver Age, Duck Island and Constructivism: what to expect from the winning routes in the Show Moscow! contest

Discover new favourite places and see the capital from an unexpected angle with original itineraries created by the winners of the 2026 Show Moscow! online contest. They have been published in the Russpass Magazine. In this article, mos.ru highlights walking tours that offer fresh ways to spend an autumn day, let visitors explore lesser-known corners of Moscow on their own, and reveal more about the city’s history.

In the footsteps of the Symbolist poets

To feel the spirit of the past and find inspiration in the poetry of Russia’s Silver Age, take the tour “There Once Lived a Poor Knight…” The literary route was created by Marina Samarina, and its title comes from a line in a poem by Alexander Pushkin. The guided walk takes two hours and 30 minutes; the self-guided version takes 45 minutes.

The route centred around the Symbolist poets Andrei Bely, Alexander Blok, Valery Bryusov, and Vyacheslav Ivanov, as well as the philosopher Vladimir Solovyov. The tour’s creator explains how the image of the knight evolved in Russian culture at the turn of the 20 th century: armour and swords gave way to mystical love, poetry, and philosophical insight.

The walk begins on Zubovsky Boulevard, where poet and philosopher Vyacheslav Ivanov lived at No. 25 from 1913 to 1918. The tour participants then continue along Prechistenka Street to witness the Likhutin Mansion at 39/22, where the mother and sisters of philosopher Vladimir Solovyov lived, and the former Lev Polivanov Gymnasium at 32/1, whose graduates included Valery Bryusov and Andrei Bely.

On Arbat Street, one notable stop is the Rakhmanov House at 55/32, the place where Andrei Bely was born and lived. Another stop is the N. S. Khitrovo House at 53/1, where Alexander Pushkin lived in 1831. The route ends at the Losev House Library and Museum at 33 Arbat Street. Alexei Losev was a philologist and philosopher who wrote a book about Vladimir Solovyov.

A journey through seven centuries

Tatyana Shcherbakova invites visitors to follow a historical route through the Lefortovo district. Her two-hour walking tour, “A Journey Through Seven Centuries”, begins at the Andronikov Monastery, founded in the mid-14 th century. The monastery is home to one of Moscow’s oldest surviving churches, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, built in the 15 th century. The route then follows Zolotorozhskaya Embankment, named after the Zolotoy Rozhok stream.

The next stop is Lefortovo Hospital, now the Nikolay Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital, the oldest hospital in Russia, founded by decree of Peter the Great in 1706. The hospital is also connected with the family history of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s parents. The writer’s father worked there, and in 1820 he married Maria Nechayeva in the hospital church.

The walk continues through Lefortovo Park, formerly Golovinsky Garden, established in 1703. The Catherine Palace, built in the 18 th century, stands nearby. The final stop is the Lefortovo Museum at 23 Kryukovskaya Street.

Small rivers and protected islands

Nature lovers can explore the small rivers and ponds of the Timiryazevsky district. The ecological route was created by Maxim Kucher and Lyudmila Evgrafova. It begins at the Farm Ponds, on the grounds of Timiryazev Academy. From there, the tour continues through Timiryazevsky Park to the source of the Zhabenka River, then on to Bolshoi Sadovy Pond, home to Dog Island and Duck Island. The 90-minute walk ends in the historic park of the Russian State Agrarian University — Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy.

Contemporary architecture and riverside views

Oksana Soldatova’s tour, “A City on the River: A Walk Through Nagatinsky Zaton”, starts on Kolomenskaya Embankment, one of Moscow’s longest and most picturesque riverfront promenades. The route crosses a pedestrian and bicycle bridge to Nagatinsky Zaton metro station, which opened in 2023. The station is decorated with mosaic panels depicting fish found in waterways across the Moscow region. The walk ends at the Church of St. Spyridon built in the early 21 st century.

The aesthetics of Constructivism

Yevgeny Chesnokov’s route, “Studencheskaya Street: Exploring a Constructivist Enclave”, takes visitors back to the 1920s and 1930s. The walk through the architectural heritage of Moscow’s Western Administrative District takes about three hours. It begins at Studencheskaya metro station, follows Berezhkovskaya Embankment past the former Frunze Dorogomilovo Chemical Plant, and leads to Studencheskaya Street. The street is home to an entire ensemble of Constructivist buildings, including a student campus at 33 Studencheskaya Street, designed by architect Boris Gladkov and built in 1929–1930. There are also three residential buildings constructed in 1928–1929 at 22 (Buildings 1–3) Studencheskaya Street. The tour ends at Dorogomilovsky Market founded in 1932.

Exquisite banquets and traditional tea rituals

The “Sytny Ryad” route, created by Lyubov Dementyeva, invites visitors on a culinary walk. The tour takes two hours,

starting at the Metropol Hotel at 2 Teatralny Proyezd. Its restaurant, crowned by a glass dome, once hosted lavish banquets featuring refined dishes such as sterlet served with champagne. The next stop is GUM. Today, as in Soviet times, visitors can still find ice cream in a waffle cup and Cafeteria No. 57 there. The route follows Nikolskaya Street and Tretyakovsky Proyezd before heading to the Perlov Tea House on Myasnitskaya Street. Its fairytale-like façade in a fanciful pseudo-Chinese style evokes Moscow’s long love affair with tea: residents once drank as many as 20 cups a day. The tour ends on Solyanka Street, where a culture of neighbourhood bakeries and craft bars is now making a comeback.

Natural landmarks and soviet Art Nouveau

Yevgenia Shirokova has designed an engaging walk through Vorobyovy Gory. The route begins at the Luzhnetsky Metro Bridge, follows Andreyevskaya Embankment past the Leninskiye Gory pier, and turns into the Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve, where it follows the Andreyevsky Ponds ecological trail. The final stop is the observation deck at the building housing the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences. From a height of 60 meters, visitors can enjoy a striking view of the city.

The “Show Moscow!” online contest brings together people of different ages and professions; the youngest finalist was just eight years old. The project gives residents a chance to showcase their talents, present their favourite places in Moscow in a new format, and promote tour guiding as a profession.

This year marked the contest’s seventh edition as certified guides and ordinary Muscovites submitted about 1,000 proposals describing city tour routes. The routes covered culture, architecture, sports, food, cinema, and other subjects. Twenty-six people won awards and received certificates and commemorative gifts.

Since 2020, contest participants have compiled more than 3,500 routes.