Little explorers on the path of Pushkin
This unusual walk involved a special request from the mother of Artem, a student at one of Moscow's schools. She asked us to make the route shorter and more convenient for children, because it was cold outside. The route took one and a half to two hours - the optimal time for such a walk. Since autumn, the boy and his mother have been preparing a project on the topic of "The Path of a Poet, the Path of a Christian", studying the works of Pushkin, his correspondence with Filaret and Christian motifs in his works. They wanted to see places in Moscow related to this topic and take photos for the presentation.
The tour started with monument to Pushkin, where the guide described the poet's biography, his connections with St. Petersburg and Moscow, and his life before 1826, when he received permission to live in Moscow after a conversation with Nicholas I at the Chudov Monastery. The tour participants, including Artyom's classmate and his mother, were interested in learning about Pushkin's lyceum years and the specifics of education at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, where corporal punishment was not practiced.
The guide Maria told about Pushkin's travels in the Caucasus and his famous story about the crop failure. The tour continued with a conversation about the Pushkin monument and its opening, as well as the significance of this monument for Russian culture and for poets such as Tsvetaeva.
The guide then took the group to Zinaida Volkonskaya's salon, where she discussed salon culture of the 19th century, including games that interested both adults and children. The guests learned that puzzles were called bubbles, and that aristocrats enjoyed playing them.
The path led to the Blue House, where guests heard about Pushkin’s friendship with Mickiewicz, and then to the Governor-General’s house, where the guide told the story of Fyodor Tolstoy, nicknamed “the American,” and his impressive biography.
On the way to Vyazemsky's house, the excursionists learned about the alleys and the moving of houses on Tverskaya Street, including the pink Mossovet house. The boys were especially interested in the fact that houses could be moved even with residents inside.
On the way to the Maloe Voznesenie Church, the group stopped by Bryusov Hall, where they accidentally caught a rehearsal reminiscent of games from 19th-century salons. It was a funny and unexpected moment.
The tour ended at the Church of the Great Ascension, where the guests heard about the relationship between Pushkin and Filaret. The boys learned that Filaret was depicted in Repin's painting dedicated to Pushkin's exam at the Lyceum. This was a new and interesting fact for them. One of the boys even quoted a poem by Filaret.
The mini tour was very educational and expanded the participants' knowledge of the poet. They came with a good base of knowledge and were able to see it all on the ground. It was a wonderful educational walk!