In memory of the heroes: Discover Moscow portal opens a new themed route

The Discover Moscow portal, developed by the Moscow Department of Information Technology, has prepared a gift to celebrate the Defender of the Fatherland Day. Long-distance-walk enthusiasts will appreciate the new guided tour because it is 14 kilometres long.

“The route was named In Memory of the Heroes. It has 14 stops: landmark monuments and buildings associated with war heroes, military pilots and cosmonauts. The walk will take about three hours, so dress warmly,” said Moscow Deputy Mayor Natalya Sergunina.

A description of the tour can be found in the Routes section of the Discover Moscow portal. For detailed information on each attraction, please see the interactive map. A Memory of the Heroes application can also be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.

Where pilot Maresyev had a medical checkup

The tour starts from Cosmonauts Alley (Prospekt Mira, the VDNKh metro station). The memorial pedestrianised street was opened on the 10th anniversary of the launch of the first artificial satellite in 1967. It is lined by 14 monuments to prominent figures in cosmonautics, including a bronze bust of two-time Hero of the Soviet Union cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. He was the first commander on a spaceflight with more than one crew member. Nearby are the busts of Alexei Leonov and Pavel Belyayev. In 1965, they became the first cosmonauts to conduct extravehicular activity.

One more point on the route is Heroes Alley (9 Godovikova Street). A monument to Sergei Godovikov, a platoon commander in the 61st Army rifle regiment at the Central Front, was erected there in 1959. In September 1943, his platoon crossed the Dnieper and gained a foothold on its right bank but Godovikov was killed in action and awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title posthumously.

Next, users are invited to visit the former countryside home of A.Y. Perlova in Sokolniki (17 Poperechny Prosek, Bldg. 19). In 1942, this building, designed in the early 20th century by famous architect Karl Gippius, was occupied by Central Military Aviation Hospital No.7. A year later, legendary pilot Alexei Maresyev had a medical checkup there. Both legs were amputated because of serious injuries. However, despite this, the treatment enabled him to return to flying by providing him with prosthetic legs. In total, Maresyev flew 86 sorties and shot down 10 enemy aircraft: three before the injury and seven after.

Remember Nikolai Gastello’s heroic deed

Another site related to a hero is the building of A.S.Pushkin Third Sokolniki School (3, 2nd Sokolnicheskaya Street). Hero of the Soviet Union pilot Nikolai Gastello, who fought in three wars, studied there from 1915 to 1921. In June 1941, four days after the Nazi invasion, his bomber’s fuel tank was hit by a flak shell during a mission and the plane caught fire. Realising that the situation was hopeless, he steered the burning plane towards a German convoy. His brave act resulted in the destruction of dozens of enemy trucks and tankers. Currently, the building houses School No. 1530 (the Lomonosov School).

Komsomolskaya Square, also known as Three Station Square, is also on the route. A monument to Saint George, patron saint of Russian warriors, depicted in the emblem of Moscow, has been installed here. The statue is in the centre of a fountain. Saint George is portrayed mounted on a horse, killing the dragon with a spear. It is a symbol of victory. The group is surrounded by four multilevel fountains, spouting vertically upwards. Plates bearing the names of all of Moscow’s railway stations are situated around the fountain.

A.L. Knop’s mansion is the endpoint of the route. Here, volunteers wanting to join the Army filed their applications, and antiaircraft, medical as well as reconnaissance and sabotage units were formed in 1941. This is also where Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was admitted to a special force brigade.

About Discover Moscow portal

Discover Moscow is a joint project by Moscow’s Department of Education and Science, Department of Cultural Heritage, Department of Culture and Department of Information Technology. The Discover Moscow online guide to the city’s sightseeing spots can be accessed via the project’s website, or by downloading the app from App Store or Google Play. Both the portal and the app contain descriptions of over 1,700 buildings and structures, 600 monuments, 289 museums and 170 other attractions, together with information about 207 famous people and 68 themed walking routes. The service is being constantly expanded.

The recently-added smart search tool on the Discover Moscow app will be useful to those trying to get quick information on some of the city’s historical buildings. These have been categorised according to their year of construction (from the 16th to the mid-20th century), architectural style and designation. An advanced queries filter facilitates searches for places of interest, such as old houses, mansions, railway stations, museums, churches and bridges.

Russia has marked Defender of the Fatherland Day since 23 February 1922. Until 1946, it was called the Day of the Red Army, and until 1993, it was the Day of the Soviet Army and the Navy. In 2002, it was declared a public holiday.