Musical Secrets of Moscow: The Path of Cellists

A group of cellists were in for a personal Moscow discovery, and our guide was delighted to introduce them to a new itinerary. This customized tour was specially designed and organized for a delegation from various regions, including Kazakhstan. Guests were met at the Helikon Opera and taken on a fascinating journey through Moscow's streets. The tour began with a talk about Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street and the buildings housing the Helikon Opera, built on the site of an old estate.

This was a corporate tour designed for a professional delegation of cellists and centred on their shared interest in music.

Then the guide led the participants to Mayakovsky Theatre, where they learned about its architect, Fyodor Ospovich Shekhtel, and the history of the theater, which in the past carried the revolutionary spirit of Bolshevik propaganda. The Moscow State Conservatory, with which our guide has personal memories, occupied a special place on the tour. The monument to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, created by Vera Mukhina, and the fence with sheet music of his works aroused keen interest among the guests.

The tour participants were amazed when they turned into the alleys leading to the Rachmaninov Hall and found themselves in a non-touristy but charming Moscow. This route offered them a new perspective on the city, revealing inconspicuous but significant corners of the capital. They also heard the history of the Moscow metro and the architecture of the substation designed by Daniil Fridman.

After that, the guide took the group along Nikitskaya Street, where they discussed the Zoological Museum and Moscow State University. In Romanov Lane, the guests learned about the Church of the Sign of the Mother of God, a pearl of Naryshkin Baroque. This masterpiece hidden in the courtyards became a real discovery for them. The tour continued with the history of Moscow students, funny episodes of the past and present, connected with Moscow State University and the conservatory.

The tour ended with a visit to the Alexander Garden, where the guide told about the architecture of the Manezh and the Stalinist style. The excursionists learned interesting facts about the Eternal Flame monument and the architectural details of Red Square. On Tverskaya Street, they discussed its expansion and cladding with granite, which the Nazis planned to use for the triumphal arch.

In Brusov Lane, which is an open-air museum in itself, guests learned about famous residents and monuments such as Rostropovich and Turian. The tour ended in time for guests to enjoy a concert at the conservatory. The tour was not only educational but also inspiring for both guests and our guide, who took them around his native places with particular pleasure.