Moskovsky District

Categories / City Topography/Historical Geography/City Districts (2003)
MOSKOVSKY DISTRICT is an administrative territorial unit of St. Petersburg. (Its territory administration is located at 129 Moskovsky Avenue) It was founded in 1919, and its present-day borders were established in 1965. It is named after the city of Moscow, as the highway leading to Moscow starts in this district. It is located between the Obvodny Canal (in the north) and Baltic and Vitebsky lines of Oktyabrskaya Railway. The district neighbours to Kirovsky District in the west, to Frunzensky District in the east, to Pushkinsky District in the southeast, to Krasnoselsky District to the southwest, and to Lomonosovsky District of Leningrad region to the south. The area of the district is 73.8 sq.km with the population of 281,900 people (2003). The district includes five municipal divisions: Moskovskaya Zastava, Gagarinskoye, Novo-Izmailovskoye, municipal okrug No. 47, and Zvezdnoye. The following areas refer to the district: Aviagorodok, Pulkovo, and the settlement of Tsvety Company. The main axis of its development is Moskovsky Avenue. Before the beginning of the 20th century the territory had a rural nature. Moscow gate located at the crossing of present-day Moskovsky Avenue and the Ligovsky Canal gave the name to the neighbouring district. In the early 20th century, the territory was built up with industrial enterprises, commercial residential houses and barracks for workers. The junction line between Vitebskaya and Baltiyskaya railways was built here. A new city centre was planned to be constructed in the territory of the district. The city centre was designed to be formed around the ensemble of Moskovskaya Square with the House of Soviets. During the siege of 1941-44, the front line passed through the southern part of the district. Buildings suffered from bombardments. In 1950s, Moskovsky Avenue and neighbouring quarters were built with monumental residential buildings. Residential blocks of Leninsky and Novo-Izmailovsky Avenues, and Yury Gagarin Avenue built up with five-storey compact panel houses were formed in 1960-70s. The ensembles of Pobedy Square and Konstitutsii Square bring certain diversity into standard type buildings. At the same time, a vast industrial area was forming in the southern part of the district along the southern railway half ring and next to Predportovaya station. The district starts two federal motorways, i.e. Russia (to Moscow) and Kiev Highway. Airports Pulkovo-1 for internal flights and Pulkovo-2 for international flights are located at the city entrance. There are six metro stations located in the district, including Frunzenskaya, Moskovskie Vorota, Electrosila, Park Pobedy, Moskovskaya, and Zvezdnaya, and seven railway stations - Bronevaya, Leninsky Avenue, Predportovaya, Airport (from Baltiysky Railway Station), Vozdukhoplavatelny Park, Slava Avenue, Kupchino (from Vitebsky Railway Station). The main thoroughfares include Moskovsky Avenue, Vitebsky Avenue, Tipanova Street, and Leninsky Avenue (parts of the central arc thoroughfare). There are over 50 industrial enterprises, including factories Electrosila and Vagonmash, the Shoe-making Factory Skorokhod, as well as the agricultural companies Leto and Tsvety. Among other enterprises located in the district are Khlebny Dom, Fat-and-Oil Complex, Predportovy Grinding Complex, Pishchevik Fish Factory, Refrigerating Complex No. 1, Coca-Cola, et al., which provide 40% of production of food industry of St. Petersburg. There is a broad range of research and design engineering organizations in the district, including Central Research Institute named after Krylov, Central Diesel Research Institute, and Pulkovo Observatory. The district houses three higher education institutions, including Civil Aviation Academy, Veterinary Medical Academy, and the Branch of Aerospace Instrument Engineering University. Among cultural and recreational organizations are a new building of the Russian National Library, Sports and Concert Hall Petersburgsky, and three large parks, including Moskovsky Park Pobedy, the Park of Hero Cities and Aviatorov Park; as well as hotels Pulkovskaya, Rossia, and Mir. The city's only operating southern cemetery is located at the outskirts of the district along Volkhonskoye Highway. Historical and cultural monuments include the Chesme Palace, Moscow Triumphal Arc, the monument to heroic defenders of Leningrad, the memorial complex in Moskovsky Park Pobedy at the place of mass burials of the victims of the siege.

References: Даринский А. В. Невский край: С.-Петербург и Ленингр. обл.: Природа. Население. Хоз-во. Р-ны. СПб., 2000. С. 162-166; Памятники истории и культуры Санкт-Петербурга, состоящие под государственной охраной: Справ. СПб., 2000; Атлас исторического наследия Санкт-Петербурга. СПб., 2001; Историческая застройка Санкт-Петербурга: Перечень вновь выявленных объектов, представляющих ист., науч., худож. или иную культурную ценность(учетных зданий): Справ. СПб., 2001.

Е. А. Bondarchuk, P.Y. Yudin. Krylov Alexander Nikolaevich
Konstitutsy Square/Saint Petersburg, city
Leninsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Moskovskaya Square/Saint Petersburg, city
Moskovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 129
Moskovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Novoizmailovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Pobedy Square/Saint Petersburg, city
Tipanova St./Saint Petersburg, city
Vitebsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Yuri Gagarin Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Московская застава
Московский район
Даринский А. В., Асеева И. В. География Санкт-Петербурга. СПб., 1996
Памятники истории и культуры Санкт-Петербурга, состоящие под государственной охраной: Справ. СПб., 2000
Атлас исторического наследия Санкт-Петербурга. СПб., 2001
Историческая застройка Санкт-Петербурга: Перечень вновь выявленных объектов, представляющих ист., науч., худож. или иную культур. ценность (учетных зданий): Справ. СПб., 2001 Siege of 1941-44
Airports (entry)
Elektrosila Plant
Vagonmash
Skorokhod Factory
Krylov Central Scientific and Research Institute
Pulkovo Observatory
University of Aerospace Technology, St. Petersburg State
Peterburgsky Sport Concert Complex
Yuzhnoe Cemetery
Chesme Palace
Moscow Triumphal Arch
Heroic Defenders of Leningrad, Monument to