Myasnitskaya Street Moscow is one of the oldest radial streets of the center. It begins near Lubyanka Square and runs east toward Turgenevskaya Square and the Garden Ring, in the Basmanny and Krasnoselsky districts, and its name means the butchers’ street, after the butchers who settled here in the 16th century.
Today the street is a long line of apartment and commercial buildings of the 19th and early 20th centuries, with a pseudo-Chinese tea house, the old Imperial Post Office and the buildings of an art and architecture school. It is quieter and less touristy than Tverskaya Street, and it is easy to combine with Kitay-Gorod and Chistye Prudy.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Мясницкая |
|---|---|
| Address | Myasnitskaya Street, from Lubyanka Square toward Turgenevskaya Square and the Garden Ring, central Moscow OpenStreetMap · Google Maps |
| District | Basmanny |
| Metro | Lubyanka (Sokolnicheskaya Line (Line 1, red), The station is at the beginning of the street; a map listing gives about 4 minutes' walk; the exit was not verified) Kitay-Gorod (Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya Line (Line 6, orange) and Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya Line (Line 7, purple), A map listing gives about 5 minutes' walk; the exit was not verified) Chistye Prudy (Sokolnicheskaya Line (Line 1, red), At the far end of the street, near Turgenevskaya Square; the walking time was not verified) |
| Opening hours | The street is public and can be walked at any time; shops, cafes, galleries and museums keep their own hours.
(as of October 2026 – check the official site) |
| Admission | Walking the street is free. Galleries and other venues set their own admission and rules. |
| Best time to visit | The street can be visited all year, and it is best in daylight on a dry day in spring, summer or autumn. Shops and cafes keep their own hours. Crowd patterns were not verified. |
| Recommended duration | 1 to 2 hours |
| Last updated | October 7, 2026 |
What Is (and Isn't) Part of a Visit to Myasnitskaya?
| Part | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Myasnitskaya Street and its pavements | Included in the standard ticket | A public street that can be walked free at any time. |
| Tea House | Separate ticket or institution | A shop with its own opening hours; the pseudo-Chinese front can be seen from the street. |
| Imperial Post Office complex | Outside / not part of it | A working complex, seen from the outside. |
| School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture | Outside / not part of it | An institution in use; see the buildings from the street. |
| Lubyanka Square and the Central Children's Store | Outside / not part of it | At the start of the street; the store has its own hours. |
| Chistye Prudy | Outside / not part of it | A pond and boulevard near the far end, covered by their own guide. |
| Kitay-Gorod | Outside / not part of it | The old merchants' quarter to the south-west, with its own guide. |
Why Visit Myasnitskaya?
Myasnitskaya is a street for looking at facades: the Tea House with its Chinese-style front of 1896, the complex of the Imperial Post Office and Telegraph, the buildings of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, and many apartment blocks built for rent in the 19th century.
It also joins two areas covered by guides on this site, Kitay-Gorod and Chistye Prudy, so a walk along it makes a natural link between them. The street has lively cafes and bookshops, according to a travel listing, and it is well served by the metro at both ends.
How Myasnitskaya Is Laid Out
Myasnitskaya Street starts at Lubyanka Square, about 900 meters north-east of Red Square, where the Lubyanka metro station stands at its beginning. It then runs north-east through the Basmanny and Krasnoselsky districts, crosses the Boulevard Ring near Chistye Prudy, and leads on toward the Garden Ring and the railway stations of the north-east.
The sights are spread along its length: the Tea House and the Imperial Post Office complex near its beginning, the buildings of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture at number 21, and a line of merchant houses and apartment blocks. The Chistye Prudy pond lies a short way from the street, and Kitay-Gorod, with its own guide, lies to the south-west.
A sensible walk starts at Lubyanka or Kitay-Gorod, follows the street north-east, and ends at Chistye Prudy, where the metro and the boulevard are close.
Highlights of Myasnitskaya
The Tea House
The Tea House on Myasnitskaya is a pseudo-Chinese building and one of the best-known on the street. The house was not Chinese in origin: its front was given a Chinese look in 1896 by the architect Karl Gippius, when the Chinese statesman Li Hongzhang was expected to visit Moscow. The ground floor held a tea shop, and the upper floors were apartments. Check whether the shop is open before you go inside.
Tip: Look at the roofline and the front from the opposite pavement.
The Imperial Post Office complex
The complex of buildings of the Moscow Imperial Post Office and Telegraph, at number 26 and nearby, dates from the 18th to the early 20th centuries and gave the street its business status. It is one of the large complexes of the street. Check the current use of each building on site, since it was not verified.
Tip: Walk along the whole length of the complex to see how its buildings differ by period.
The School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
The complex of buildings of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture stands at number 21. The street also has the Architectural School of Matvey Kazakov, the architect of many of Moscow's classical buildings. They show the street's role in the cultural life of the city, where authors such as Pushkin and Gogol visited in the 19th century.
Tip: Look at the gateways and courtyards from the pavement, and respect that the buildings are in use.
Merchant houses and rental blocks
After the fire of 1812, stone houses were built and the street was widened, and in the late 19th century large apartment buildings for rent lined it. The Merchant House of Kuznetsov, the House of Gagariny-Tyutchevy and the Bakhrushin revenue house are among the buildings listed on the street. The facades are the main attraction.
Tip: Look at the upper floors, where the original facades survive above modern shop fronts.
Lubyanka Square
The street begins at Lubyanka Square, whose name is first recorded in 1480, when Grand Prince Ivan III settled Novgorodians in the area. The square is known for the large Lubyanka building and for the Central Children's Store, which hosts in its atrium the largest mechanical clock movement in the world, called Raketa Monumental. The Lubyanka metro station is under the square.
Tip: Look at the clock in the store's atrium, which can be seen from inside the building.
The Chistye Prudy end
At the far end of the street, near Turgenevskaya Square, the Boulevard Ring crosses the street and the Chistye Prudy pond and boulevard are a short walk away. They have their own guide on this site. The first line of the Moscow Metro was built under the street, and the Chistye Prudy station stands near it.
Tip: End the walk at the pond, where benches and cafes are close.
Atmosphere
Myasnitskaya is a long, straight street lined with tall 19th-century buildings, shop fronts at street level and offices above. The traffic is steady, and the pavements are busy with office workers and people moving between the metro stations.
It blends the look of government buildings with cafes and bookshops, and it feels more local and less touristy than Tverskaya Street, according to a travel listing. The Tea House is the one colorful accent among the stone facades. The crowd varies by time of day and season, and no figures were verified.
History of Myasnitskaya
The street dates from the 15th century. Its history is linked to the building of the Church of the Assumption at the Nikolsky Gate of the Kitay-Gorod fortress, and it rose to fame in the 16th century, when butcher shops and houses of butchers prevailed there, which gave the street its name. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was known as Frolovskaya or Evplovskaya Street.
Under Peter the Great the street served as a road he used to move around Moscow. After the fire of 1812, during Napoleon’s campaign in Russia, plans were made to rebuild houses in stone and widen the street. In the late 19th century it became one of the first streets of Moscow to receive lighting, and a tram line ran along it.
The present look of the street formed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the bourgeoisie and the factory owners came to the street. The Imperial Post Office was built in the period and gave the street a business status, and large apartment blocks for rent lined it. In 1896 the front of the Tea House was given a Chinese style by the architect Karl Gippius, in view of the expected visit of the Chinese statesman Li Hongzhang.
In the 19th century the street was a center of cultural life, visited by authors including Alexander Pushkin, Vasily Zhukovsky and Nikolai Gogol. The Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture and the school of Matvey Kazakov were established on it.
In the 20th century the first line of the Moscow Metro was built under the street, and the Lubyanka station stands at its beginning. The street was renamed Pervomayskaya Street in 1918 and Kirov Street in 1935, and it regained its name in 1990.
Lubyanka Square at the beginning of the street was first recorded in 1480, when Grand Prince Ivan III settled many Novgorodians in the area, and it is known for the Lubyanka building and the Central Children’s Store. Today Myasnitskaya runs through the Basmanny and Krasnoselsky districts, a long line of buildings of many periods.
Tickets and Booking for Myasnitskaya
There is no ticket for the street. Shops, galleries and the other venues set their own rules, and no individual venue was verified for this guide. Check each venue’s own site for hours before you plan a visit.
- Neighboring areas: Kitay-Gorod and Chistye Prudy, with their own guides, are at the two ends of the walk.
- Payment: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, and the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict some Russian payment services, so check this yourself.
Rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ at most venues, so check each venue’s own page for all categories.
Plan and Book
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Suggested Itineraries for Myasnitskaya
1 hour
Start at Lubyanka and walk north-east along the street, looking at the Tea House and the Imperial Post Office complex. Return along the other pavement to see the facades from across the road.
2 hours
Follow the 1-hour route and continue to the buildings of the School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. End at Chistye Prudy and take a short walk along the pond.
3 hours
Add Kitay-Gorod at the start, walking Nikolskaya and Ilyinka streets, and the Chistye Prudy boulevard at the end. Plan coffee stops in the cafes along the way.
How to Get to Myasnitskaya
The street starts at the Lubyanka metro station, on Line 1, which stands at its beginning, and Kitay-Gorod, on Lines 6 and 7, is about 5 minutes’ walk, according to a map listing. Chistye Prudy, on Line 1, serves the far end. The exits and walking times were not verified.
- Metro: use Lubyanka to start at the beginning and Chistye Prudy to finish; the metro guides on this site explain the lines.
- Taxi: the taxi apps guide of this site explains the options; the street is busy with traffic.
Accessibility
No accessibility information for the street was found. The pavements are level, as far as is known, but the access to the buildings and the metro stations was not verified, so check before you go.
Food Nearby
Cafes, restaurants and bookshops line the street and the lanes near it. No individual venue was verified for this guide, so check opening hours and menus on site.
What to Bring
Comfortable shoes for a long straight walk and layers for the season. Bring rubles in cash for small purchases, since foreign cards are reported not to work.
Best Views and Photo Spots of Myasnitskaya
The Tea House front
The Chinese-style front of 1896 among the plain facades of the street, seen from the opposite pavement. The colors stand out strongly against the stone.
Best time: Morning light.
The Imperial Post Office complex
The long line of the post office buildings, seen along the street. The repeated windows give a strong perspective.
Best time: Late afternoon light.
The street seen from the Lubyanka end
The street running straight away from the square, with tall 19th-century buildings on both sides. It gives a sense of the street's length.
Best time: Dusk, when the lights come on.
Photography Rules
No general photography rules for the street were found. Buildings of the post office and the school are in use, so ask before photographing near entrances and avoid photographing staff.
Family Suitability
The street is a straight, flat walk that suits older children, with the Central Children's Store at its start and the Chistye Prudy pond at the end. There are few playgrounds on the street itself. Stroller access on the pavements was not verified.
Moscow Vibes Tips
- Start at Lubyanka and walk toward Chistye Prudy, so that the walk ends at the pond.
- Look for the Chinese-style front of the Tea House on the opposite pavement, since it is hard to see from close by.
- Look up at the upper floors, since the shop fronts are modern but the facades above are original.
- Do not confuse Myasnitskaya with the Chistye Prudy boulevard; they join near Turgenevskaya Square but are different places.
- See the Raketa clock in the atrium of the Central Children's Store at the start of the street.
- Combine the walk with Kitay-Gorod, which is a short way to the south-west.
Explore Nearby Myasnitskaya
Sights near Myasnitskaya
Central Children's Store on Lubyanka Moscowabout 750 m away (~12 min walk) · typical visit: About 1 to 2 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines Moscowabout 900 m away (~14 min walk) · typical visit: About 1 to 2 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Maly Theatre Moscowabout 950 m away (~16 min walk) · typical visit: About 3 hours for a performanceMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Bolshoi Theatre Moscow – about 1.1 km away (~17 min walk) · typical visit: 3–4 hours for a performance; about 1 hour for a guided tourMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
GUM Moscowabout 1.2 km away (~20 min walk) · typical visit: 1–2 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Museum of the Patriotic War of 1812 Moscowabout 1.3 km away (~20 min walk) · typical visit: About 1.5 to 2 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Metro stations near Myasnitskaya
Lubyanka Metro Stationabout 600 m away (~10 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kitay-Gorod Metro Stationabout 850 m away (~13 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Chistye Prudy Metro Stationabout 450 m away (~7 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Restaurants and cafes near Myasnitskaya
Megobariabout 550 m away (~9 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Tkemaliabout 800 m away (~13 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Gorynychabout 800 m away (~13 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Ollucoabout 800 m away (~13 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Nightlife near Myasnitskaya
Mollie's Irish Pubabout 50 m away (~1 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Lion's Head Pubabout 50 m away (~1 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Hotels near Myasnitskaya
MOSS Boutique Hotelabout 150 m away (~2 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Rus Chistye Prudy Hostelabout 200 m away (~3 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Guten Duck Moscow Hostelabout 400 m away (~7 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Train stations and river piers near Myasnitskaya
Kursky Railway Terminalabout 1.7 km away (~27 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kazansky Railway Terminalabout 1.8 km away (~29 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Events and traditions near Myasnitskaya
Day of Slavic Writing and Culture in Moscowabout 950 m away (~15 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Circle of Light Festival in Moscowabout 1.1 km away (~17 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Non/fiction Book Fair in Moscowabout 1.2 km away (~19 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Related guides
Chistye Prudy: Clean Pond, Boulevard and Menshikov TowerMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kitay-Gorod: Walls, Varvarka Street and What to SeeMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Basmanny: Chistye Prudy, Old Churches and the German QuarterMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Turgenevskaya Metro Station: Three-Line Hub on the Boulevard RingMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Krasnye Vorota Metro Station: Fomin’s Hall and Shell PavilionMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Browse more: More in Basmanny · All Neighborhoods
FAQ: Myasnitskaya
What does Myasnitskaya mean?
The butchers' street, after the butchers who settled there in the 16th century.
Where does the street start?
At Lubyanka Square, with the Lubyanka metro station at its beginning.
What is the Tea House?
A building with a pseudo-Chinese front of 1896 by the architect Karl Gippius.
Was the street called Kirov Street?
Yes, from 1935 to 1990.
Which metro station is best?
Lubyanka at the start, Chistye Prudy at the far end.
Is there an entrance fee?
No for the street; venues set their own rules.
Is Myasnitskaya near Chistye Prudy?
Yes, the far end of the street is close to the pond and boulevard.
How long does a visit take?
About 1 to 2 hours on foot.
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Last updated: October 7, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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