Sparrow Hills is the name of one of the most famous parks in Moscow. It is known for the fact that various cultural events are often held here: concerts, sports competitions. Nearby are the Luzhniki sports complex and Moscow State University - the well-known Moscow State University. On the Vorobyovy Gory there is an excellent observation deck from which opens beautiful view. The observation deck of Sparrow Hills is very popular with photographers. On the Internet you can find many photos taken from it.
Summer v good weather there are always a lot of people here. Mostly youth. There is a rental of roller skates and bicycles. A lot of skiers choose Vorobyovy Gory. Along the embankment of the Moskva River there is a path with a good asphalt surface. On the embankment in hot sunny weather, many swim and sunbathe. Although swimming is prohibited here and there are appropriate signs.
For example, I would not climb into this water. Various river vessels constantly sail here, ranging from boats to barges.
You can ride a boat by going a little further from the impromptu beach to the pier. Only it is worth it, in my opinion, a little expensive, something around 300 r. in 15 min. Approximate price, I don't remember exactly. Who knows, fix it. Ships of the Capital Shipping Company also stop here. can be a good continuation of a walk in the park. You can drive around, i.e. then return again to Sparrow Hills. The ticket will cost 700 rubles. You can get to the Novospassky bridge, which is on Proletarskaya. Look at and from Proletarskaya already go where you need to.
But, back to Sparrow Hills. On the embankment, we saw how the photo session was going on: a pretty girl with a minimum of clothes posed for a serious uncle with a large professional camera. My companion had to give an elbow to the ribs so that he would not break his neck, considering whether the shooting process, or something else.
Above, above the embankment of the Moscow River, is, in fact, the park itself. Here, in addition to asphalt paths, there are simply trodden paths. You don’t look like those in heels, all the more so these are still mountains, slopes, trees, roots sticking out of the ground, springs beat, and this is mud, slippery. For walks, it is better for girls to choose more comfortable shoes and a stronger companion so that they can support them in case of emergency. Well, or walk only on paved paths. There are pavilions, in one of which we observed how a company of 7-10 people played, only in the mafia. And from whose submission is this game in Lately became so popular?
The park has several ponds, which are home to a lot of different types of ducks. For comparison, ours is an order of magnitude smaller. On the banks of the ponds, many people have picnics, barbecues, etc.
in winter there is also something to do on Sparrow Hills. When enough snow falls, one of the Moscow ski slopes with a lift, etc., opens here. Fans of snowboarding and skiing can come and try this descent. I can’t say anything about prices, inventory and the quality of the descent, because. I've never been here, and I haven't skied in general.
On the square in front of Moscow State University, a freestyle ramp was built for two years in a row and international competitions were held. Demonstrations were also held here - ski jumping on snowmobiles. An exciting spectacle. Maybe in this (2011) there will be something similar.
How to get there:
Sparrow Hills are located at the metro station of the same name, red line, south of Moscow.
Almost in all the works where the story is about Moscow, Sparrow Hills are mentioned. Woland Bulgakov watched the ancient city from this wonderful vantage point. You can see this place in films, but it's better to see it yourself. Sparrow Hills are filled with history and the spirit of ancient times. They changed their name several times. In fact, these are not mountains, even on old maps they are Sparrow steeps, in Soviet time they became Leninsky, and now - the Vorobyovy Gory park.
Not a single tour of Moscow is complete without visiting them, there is an observation deck here, and it offers an excellent view of the capital.
History reference
There is no doubt that Sparrow Hills have been inhabited since ancient times. From about the 2nd millennium, these lands were developed by man. This is evidenced by numerous archaeological finds, for example, stone tools were found under the building of Moscow State University. also in different time arrowheads, various ornaments, traces of settlements were found.
The name Sparrow Hills was given from one of the first owners of local villages, Kirill Sparrows. A sparrow is a nickname that may have come from a tool, a board walking around on a nail. Many times the villages changed owners, at one time royal estates stood here, and the kings of different eras rested here, hid and made their plans.
Sparrow Hills in the XX century and in our time
The village of Vorobyevo survived for a long time. Summer residents lived here, raised and kept tea houses for tourists. In 1924, the village consisted of 180 households and more than a thousand inhabitants.
Since 1917, local festivities have been held on Sparrow Hills with rides, carousels, fairs, ice cream and waffle stalls. After his death, they began to call him Leninsky, and even the nearest metro station was called that. It is located on the lower level of the bridge. The station, like the bridge itself, was rebuilt and remodeled, and were closed for use for many years. Now the park on Sparrow Hills bears its usual name.
The birth of the green zone
For several centuries, the capital's university has been asking the territory of the Sparrow Hills for its buildings and has consistently been refused. Only under the power of the Soviets in 1948 was permission obtained, and the construction of the Moscow State University building began. The houses of summer residents were demolished, and a botanical garden was grown near the university, the slopes were strengthened, the indented bank of the Moskva River was straightened, in general, the territory was ennobled. This is how the park was born.
Why visit the park
If you happen to be in Moscow, then in the list of places worth visiting, be sure to add the Vorobyovy Gory park. How to get there? This question has multiple correct answers. You can do this by metro, there is a station with the same name, not far from Frunzenskaya. If you prefer by car, there are enough parking spaces in front of the Moscow State University building on Kosygin Street.
Park "Sparrow Hills" is a protected area as green. Cars do not drive here, only cyclists and pedestrians walk. The green zone has a total length of 10 km and stretches along the embankment. There is a forest area and shady ponds, in good weather you can see local animals, especially squirrels. Here you can disconnect from the non-stop metropolitan traffic, relax, breathe fresh air, listen to birdsong, enjoy the scent of lilacs, the bushes of which are planted along the embankment.
Near the observation deck there is a cafe where you can have a delicious meal, and for fans active rest Bicycle rental is available during the warm season.
In addition to the observation deck and nature, there is a chairlift or funicular, where you can go down to the pier. The ski jump is 72 meters long and is open all year round. Near the observation deck is the Trinity Church, known for the fact that it was here that Kutuzov prayed before the battle of Borodino. After enjoying Sparrow Hills, you can sit on pleasure boat on the pier and view Moscow from the river. And at the next opportunity, be sure to visit Sparrow Hills again.
Gorky Park
The famous natural reserve in Moscow is a desirable place for any developer, locals how can they resist it. But not so long ago, the rights to it passed to the Park of Culture. M. Gorky. This greatly excited everyone, since the first actions on the part of the park management were the construction of a fence around the perimeter of the nature reserve, and they also limited access for park regulars, athletes, coaches and others. They built a buffet, closed one of the ski jumps and destroyed the informal parking lot, which had been used for a long time and was used to. And after the rumors about the increase in the building height and the construction of an underground parking lot under the observation deck, residents began to write letters and complaints to the city administration.
People don't want change because it's not often for the better. Many are in favor of preserving a piece of nature, and not covering everything with an artificial lawn, conducting communications, and making large-scale lighting. How this story will end and whether the Vorobyovy Gory park will become another shopping and entertainment complex is still unknown. Let us hope for the best.
The observation deck on Sparrow Hills is perhaps the most famous observation platform from where you can look at the panorama of the capital. This is what numerous guests of the city do, and the residents of Moscow do not lag behind - the views from here are really worthy of attention. Especially when you know where and what to look at, all the most iconic points of the city appear in a whole exciting story.
The site is part of sightseeing tour around the city, a favorite place for wedding photographers, a walking alley for students of Moscow University (whose main building is very close by), moms with strollers, romantic couples, and even a long-standing meeting place for bikers.
Sparrow Hills (in Soviet times they were called Leninsky for a long time, and only in 1999 the historical name returned) is considered the right side of the Moskva River in the south-west of the city. Geographically, this area is located quite high (it is considered one of the seven hills on which, as you know, Moscow stands). The meandering river washes away the high hilly bank, nourishes the beautiful forest around, which makes this place one of the most picturesque areas of the city.
The observation deck was designed during the construction of the university complex and was built along with it from 1949 to 1953. The project was led by Vitaly Ivanovich Dolganov, a well-known Soviet architect who took an active part in the greening of Moscow and the creation of the landscape and park culture of the city.
Muscovites adore this place on the days of big holidays, when fireworks rumble over the city. On Sparrow Hills there is a "mission control center" - the main headquarters, from where they command all the fireworks of the city. Here you can clearly see not only the “local” fireworks, but also a multidimensional picture when you simultaneously observe fireworks throughout the city. For the sake of this opportunity, photographers and video operators come here.
In recent years, the observation deck has become even more comfortable than before. There were coffee houses on wheels, snack machines. The site is beautifully lit at night. The territory is patrolled by a squad of police, however, do not turn off your vigilance - the city of many millions attracts a variety of "characters".
sights
It makes sense to go to Sparrow Hills for at least two reasons: to look at the sights of Moscow from a height of flight and relax in nature.
Cable car on Sparrow Hills
From the observation deck you can clearly see several embankments - Novodevichy and Berezhkovskaya, Vorobyovskaya and Luzhnetskaya, connecting them with bridges.
Directly behind the stadium, the multi-colored domes of St. Basil's Cathedral stand out, you can see part of the Kremlin bell towers, the power of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Here you can also see another landmark of modern Moscow - a huge figure of Peter I, installed on the arrow of the "Red October", a very odious work of Zurab Tsereteli. Right there in the gap - the third "Stalin skyscraper" - near the Red Gates, and the famous Sechenov Medical University.
If you move from the central part of the panorama to the right, you can immediately see the fourth "high-rise" - the house on Kotelnicheskaya, the oldest residential complex on the embankment, living in which in the middle of the last century was a sign of special elite. The house is familiar to many - he played an important role in the popular Soviet film "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears".
If you move your eyes further, it is difficult to miss the Shukhov TV Tower - incredible in its courage and implementation. engineering project created in the 1920s. At the moment, the tower is practically not used for its intended purpose and is left as a historical monument.
Even more to the right can be found in the panorama of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences - a high-rise building with 22 floors, built in the 1990s.
In a word, it is difficult even to name another place, in addition to the observation deck on Sparrow Hills, from where you can see so many sights of the capital at once and understand how they relate to each other.
Panoramic view of Moscow from the observation deck on Sparrow Hills - Google Maps
Attractions Sparrow Hills
If you have reached the observation deck, be sure to look interesting places around. First of all, of course, the territory of Moscow State University, which is still the main stronghold of science and classical education in Russia. The main building of Moscow State University (it's hard to miss, it dominates the entire space around) has its own observation deck. The site is located at an altitude of 200 meters (24th floor). True, it will no longer be possible to get there for free - access is allowed only as part of an excursion group.
For connoisseurs of nature, the territory of Vorobyovy Gory is almost ideal: there is a botanical garden of Moscow University, the embankment of the Moskva River, Andreevsky Pond, many pleasant trails and routes: no matter which way you go, it’s great walking everywhere.
How to get to the observation deck
Kosygina Street can be considered a landmark for getting to the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills. Entrance to the site is absolutely free from anywhere in the street - free of charge and around the clock. Even binoculars here, giving 15x magnification, are available completely free of charge, which is a rarity these days.
View of the observation deck from Kosygin Street — panorama Yandex Maps
How to get there
The main landmark for the observation deck is the main building of Moscow State University (this is Universitetskaya Square). Very few passes directly near the University public transport. A trolleybus (route No. T7), which follows Kosygin Street, can take you right to the place. You can get off at the stops Observation deck or University Square. Also on the square near the main building of Moscow State University, bus number 111 stops. From here you will need to walk about 500 meters to the observation deck. For more information, see the Mosgortrans website.
A funicular will soon open on Sparrow Hills, where you can climb from the embankment. It will start from the Luzhniki Arena and include 3 stations (one on the left bank, one on the right, and one on top).
Trolleybus stop near the observation deck — Yandex Maps panorama
Metro to Vorobyovy Gory
The most guaranteed way to get around Moscow (in terms of calculating travel time) is the metro. The observation deck of Sparrow Hills is located near the Sokolnicheskaya Vetka metro station of the same name. Leaving the metro, follow the signs - you need to exit towards the embankment.
From the metro to the observation deck is about 1.5 kilometers - you can easily walk them. It is more convenient to do this not along the main road, but to “cut off” the path by walking along the eco-trail. It is difficult to get lost here - there are signs along the way.
The coordinates of the observation deck for the navigator: 55.709315, 37.542163.
You can also get to the observation deck on Sparrow Hills by taxi. There are plenty of opportunities for this in the capital. There are mobile applications to call a taxi, such as Yandex. Taxi, Uber, Gett, Maxim, Rutaxi. Also, if you drive, you can use the car sharing system (car rental service) - Delimobil, Anytime, YouDrive and others.
Video: Vorobyovy Gory from a height (drone shooting), review
There are no mountains as such and even conspicuous hills here. And yet, according to the legend of Moscow - the Third Rome, this steep river bank is considered one of the "seven hills" on which the Mother See stands. There are much more hills in Moscow, but no one, in general, disputes the legend, because mythology, as historians believe, is in itself an integral part of the past. As for Moscow itself, the concept of "Third Rome" was an extremely important synonym for its power. And among the conditional "seven hills" Sparrow Hills are the highest.
Story
The historical factology of Sparrow Hills, however, is no less interesting. Here, as well as in their vicinity, were found the bones of mammoths, which died out during the last ice age (about 10 thousand years ago). Excavations have established that people began to settle here in the Stone and Bronze Ages. Since the Iron Age (Mamonovo Settlement, the end of the 1st millennium BC), they have been living on the slope of the Moscow River all the time.
The village of Vorobyovo, which stood on the edge of the shore, was apparently built in the 13th-14th centuries. B 15th century it was acquired by Sofya Vitovtovna (in Orthodox baptism Euphrosyne), the daughter of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily I and the mother of Vasily II the Dark. The sellers were the boyars Vorobyovs, descendants of an ancient noble family. The Moscow historian P.V. Sytin refers to the priest of the local, then wooden, Trinity Church, nicknamed Sparrow by the parishioners for his small stature and meek disposition. Most likely, there was also an association with the boyar surname: the priests did not own the villages.
Sofia Vitovtovna was an outstanding personality with a strong character. After the death of her husband, she was entrusted with becoming regent for her young son. In 1425-1453. she ruled the principality together with Prince Vitovt and her husband's uncles, but her role here was leading. It was she who led the defense of Moscow in 1451, when the Tatar prince Mazovsha (Azov-Shah) stormed it. In the will, drawn up by Sofia Vitovtovna in 1451 in the name of her grandson, Yuri the Great, opened after her death in 1453, the toponym Vorobyovo is mentioned for the first time.
From then until the end of the 19th century the village remained a palace estate, however, it was already called Krasny. summer palaces here were the monarchs Ivan III, Ivan the Terrible, Alexei Mikhailovich, Catherine II. Palaces, or rather, one, several times rebuilt or revived after fires, a wooden palace with a garden existed until the 18th century. Naturally, Peter I could not ignore such a strategically important height. In 1683, he celebrated his birthday by shooting from cannons from the walls of a “amusing” fortress built especially for this occasion.
Among the people Vorobyovy Gory acquired the image and glory of a place, intended by nature, fate and God to be a talisman of the city and everyone who wants to change life for the better. After the Battle of Borodino, when the fate of Moscow was being decided, confusion reigned at the headquarters of the Russian army in Fili: Kutuzov disappeared, and no one knew where he was. And at that time he was praying in the Church of the Trinity on Sparrow Hills, already stone, but still unfinished. The church happily escaped looting in 1812 and was completed in 1813. On Sparrow Hills in 1827, university students A.I. Herzen and H.P. stele installed. (Friends and like-minded people did not break the oath, even though they loved the same woman.)
The Sparrow Hills left their mark in Russian classical literature. The Church of the Trinity is seen by Pierre Bezukhov in L. Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace", the heroes of M. Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita" look at Moscow from them. According to the diaries and letters of many Russian writers, artists, composers, it is known that all of them have been here and experienced strong impressions. And Chekhov, not at all inclined to display enthusiastic emotions, wrote about it this way: "Whoever wants to know Russia should look at Moscow from here."
Vorobyovy Gory is an area in the south-west of Moscow, stretching along the right, high, bank of the Luzhnetskaya bend of the Moscow River. According to their geological history, the Vorobyovy Gory are the steep northern slopes of the Teplostan Upland, washed away by the river flow. The green massif of the Sparrow Hills is located between the Novoandreevsky bridge of the Okruzhnaya railway and the mouth of the Setun River.
Perhaps the most exhaustive word that can be used to characterize the unique atmosphere of Sparrow Hills is the word "harmony". The harmony of nature with the creations of human hands and intellect.
The Sparrow Hills nature reserve, which received this status in 1998, is not too far from the center: from here to the Kremlin in a straight line - only 5.5 km. Moscow in its current borders, up to the Moscow Ring Road, extends from here to the southwest for another 13 km. And here, the natural environment has been preserved almost intact. Almost, because it is, of course, impossible to completely avoid interference, in the language of science, of anthropogenic factors - the consequences of human activity - in a dynamically developing city.
The reserve today is a symbiosis of an arboretum and just a park with paved walking paths laid along it, with benches along them. But also with large areas of primeval broad-leaved forest. The main types of trees growing here are lindens, oaks, elms, maples, birches, chestnuts, alders, willows, aspens and ash trees (about 40 species in total) with an undergrowth of hazel and juniper. Under the canopy of trees, small streams flow from above, springs gush, and swamps froze in some places. There are both centuries-old and young trees here, both grown by themselves and planted by park workers. Typical marsh or forest grasses and flowers grow on the meadows, about 70 species of birds live in the crowns of trees. Freely here and small mammals - squirrels, mice (several species) and moles.
The main defender of this green massif was the primary terrain - ravine, prone to landslides - and clay "slippery" soils. Building something monumental here is simply dangerous. Therefore, the city fathers abandoned the idea of building the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Sparrow Hills. It was founded in 1817, but after 9 years the construction was stopped. And the main building of Moscow State University was not built on the very edge of the coast, as it was planned according to the original project. And already in our time, a monument to the baptist of Russia, Prince Vladimir, on the observation deck, after discussing all the pros and cons, in the end decided to put it not here, as it was originally intended, but on Borovitskaya Square.
Walking along the paths of the reserve is a real pleasure, but the main thing for which people come to the Sparrow Hills is to see the panorama of the historical and constantly renewing Moscow from the observation deck. This is truly an unforgettable sight. Near the site are the Church of the Trinity and the Great Ski Jump, built in 1953. Nearby is the building of the former Mamonova (or Noeva) dacha - the Vasilievskoye estate, which belonged (successively) to Princes Dolgorukov-Krymsky, Yusupov and Count Dmitriev-Mamonov. Today, the estate houses the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences - chemical physics. N. N. Semyonov and Physical Problems. P. L. Kapitsa. In Soviet times in upper garden This estate also housed the residences of A. N. Kosygin and M. S. Gorbachev. Nearby, behind high fences, there were dachas and other "nomenklatura", as it was then expressed, - high-ranking functionaries of the CPSU and government officials. In addition to Mamonovaya dacha, there are other institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences on Vorobyovy Gory, whose buildings were erected in Soviet times. At the foot of the Sparrow Hills is the Andreevsky Monastery, “near the Sparrow Kruch, in Captives”, founded in 1648.
In 1953, the Vorobyov (at that time - Lenin) mountains adorned the silhouette of the Main building of Moscow State University. As an architectural masterpiece and the most high building Europe for 37 years, it immediately became inseparable from the surrounding landscape. As a center of science and education, it filled this Moscow space with new meaning and youthful energy. Alleys of apple trees were planted along Universitetskaya Square with fountains, which eventually turned into real gardens. 
general information
The area stretching along the right bank of the Luzhnetskaya bend of the Moscow River.
The main part of the Vorobyovy Gory is the nature reserve of the same name, which since 2013 has been included in the territory of the TsPKiO im. Gorky.
The first mention of the village of Vorobyovo
: 1451, promulgated in the will of Princess Sophia Vitovtovna of Moscow, who died in 1453.
The time of entry of Sparrow Hills into the territory of Moscow
: 1922
Former names
: Vorobyovo (beginning of the 14th century - 1956) and Leninskiye Gory (1935-1999).
Organization of a nature reserve
: 1998
Administrative affiliation
: Western and Southwestern administrative districts Moscow.
Numbers
Height: 220 m a.s.l. m., 80-100 m (above the river's edge).
Square: reserve Sparrow Hills - 106 hectares, the forest park as a whole - 137.5 hectares.
Height of the main building of Moscow State University
- 182 m, with a spire - 240 m.
The length of the Luzhnetsky metro bridge with flyovers
- 1179 m, total length - 2030 m.
Climate and weather
Moderate continental.
January average temperature
: -6°C.
July average temperature
: +19°С.
Average annual rainfall
: 708 mm.
Economy
Educational services, tourism.
sights
Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills (1811-1813).
Andreevsky stauropegial monastery(foundation date - 1648, revived in 2013).
Mamonova dacha (Vasilievskoe estate) (1761) - now institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Main building of Moscow State University (1953).
Observation deck.
Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University.
Big and Small Andreevsky Ponds, Forest Pond.
Moscow City Palace of Children's and Youth Creativity (former Palace of Pioneers, building 1962).
Ecological hiking trails: "On the slopes of the Sparrow Hills", "Andreevsky Ponds" and "On the terraces of the Sparrow Hills".
Ecological and educational center "Vorobyovy Gory".
The house-museum of P. L. Kapitsa (at the L. D. Landau Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences), memorial cabinet-museums of V. I. Vernadsky and A. P. Vinogradov (at the V. I. Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry Vernadsky RAS).
Curious facts
It would be strange if such a complex structure as the Main Building of Moscow State University, for more than 60 years of its existence, has not been overgrown with legends and rumors. Here are the most stable of them: the building has as many floors underground as on the surface (in fact, there are two basement technical floors). A special secret metro line leads to the basements of Moscow State University, but there are no such facts, no matter what the diggers, big dreamers, tell there. Somewhere, all in the same cellars, a dismantled eight-meter gilded statue of Stalin is waiting in the wings - again, no one captured this. One of the construction workers, an aircraft designer by profession, made wings out of wooden planks like a hang glider and flew to Luzhniki. Here, as happens in modern plays, there are two alternative endings. According to one, this man was released for his ingenuity, and according to another, on the contrary, his sentence was increased.
In the 17th century factories for the production of glass and mirrors were built on Sparrow Hills. The raw material was excellent quality sand from local quarries. This sand, like blotting paper, was used as early as the beginning of the 20th century.
The newlyweds arrive at the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills after the wedding. But this is not surprising, but the fact that, as found out by a special study, the number of divorces among such couples is much less than among those who did not take an oath to the betrothed in a faithful and eternal love on Sparrow Hills.
More than 15.5 thousand children and teenagers study at the Palace of Children's and Youth Creativity on Sparrow Hills: in research laboratories, studios, art and technical workshops, sports sections, creative teams, development groups and circles. 93.3% of classes are free: the palace is subsidized from the city budget.
V late XIX- early XX centuries. The most fashionable restaurant in Moscow was the Krynkin restaurant on the Sparrow Hills (by the way, a native of the village of Vorobyovo), thanks, first of all, to the views of the Mother See from its windows and from the terrace. The kitchen and interior here, however, were also excellent (and the restaurant had a greenhouse in which all year round strawberries and greens ripened). After 1917, a reading room was located in the main hall of the restaurant, and in the 1920s. a wooden building in the Russian historical style burned down. Only fragments of the brick walls of the basement have been preserved.
Branch botanical garden on Sparrow Hills has a library of almost 40 thousand books, including botanical publications from the 16th-17th centuries. to the present day.
Sparrow Hills (Russia) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
- Hot tours to Russia
Who wants to know Russia should look at Moscow from here.
A. P. Chekhov
There are not many places in the city that are involved in the life of almost every inhabitant. Wedding corteges come here, artists and writers admire the panorama of the city, schoolchildren celebrate their graduation here, students rest here and skiers train ... In a word, if the Kremlin is the heart of the capital, then Vorobyovy Gory is no less than its soul.
From village to cultural center
According to legend, the Sparrow Hills got their name from the name of the priest Voroby, who owned these territories, who parted with them in favor of the Grand Duchess Sophia Vitovtovna. From that moment until the very 19th century, Sparrow Hills were a favorite vacation spot for Moscow princes and tsars. In Soviet times, the Sparrow Hills were also not left without attention: first, almost by accident, they changed their name to Lenin, and then chose them as the location of the first university in the country.
During the existence of the USSR, Sparrow Hills has radically changed. At the time of the foundation of the university (1949), the wooded bank of the Moskva River was inhabited mainly by moose, wild boars and hares (which, by the way, students regularly saw back in the 80s). In 1953, when the university was completed, the design of the observation deck was also completed. Since that moment, the edge of the Sparrow Hills has become a traditional place for national festivities, and not just the residence of kings and princes.
What to see
It is better to start a walk along the Sparrow Hills from the Moscow State University building (from the Universitet metro station 10 minutes on foot or 3 minutes by minibus). Walking along the Alley of Scientists, you will come to the observation deck, from which Karamzin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Gorky, Blok, Bulgakov admired the view, and although the writers of the past saw a completely different city, you will get no less pleasure. You will see the domes and skyscrapers of the capital, the picturesque bend of the Moskva River and the Luzhniki Stadium, located on the opposite bank, in full view. Arriving at the site in the evening, you can easily feel like the heroes of Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita" - it was from here that they set off on their mystical journey.
If the Kremlin is the heart of the capital, then Sparrow Hills is no less than its soul.
Then you will have a path to the Moscow River. Sparrow Hills is a nature protection zone where many plants rare for Moscow have been preserved. There are many animals and birds here, the park provides places where you can feed them. An ecological trail is organized on the territory, convenient for walking. It will also be interesting for children here, in the middle of the walk a playground awaits them.
All year round cable car, which can be used if you decide to return back to the observation deck or shorten the forest walk in favor of the sports one.
Along the banks of the Moskva River, there is a wonderful walking area. Here you can rent roller skates or a bicycle and ride along the river on good asphalt. The Vorobyovy Gory metro station is located on the bridge spanning the river. If you wish, you can continue moving up the river to the Neskuchny Garden. In summer, you can take such a walk on river tram, its station is also called "Sparrow Hills".
The park does not stop winter time- there is a ski slope. Sleigh rides are traditionally organized, and a track for cross-country skiing is laid in the park.
