Taganka: Taganskaya Square, the Theatre and Moscow’s Old Sloboda

Taganka District Moscow is centered on Taganskaya Square, a busy junction on the south-eastern side of the Garden Ring. The neighborhood is named after the old Taganskaya Sloboda, where coppersmiths lived in the 16th century, and it became a trading and industrial quarter of the city.

Today the square is known for the Taganka Theatre in an Art Nouveau building, for the 17th-century St. Nicholas Church on Bolvanovka and, above the river nearby, for the Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, one of the Stalin skyscrapers. The area is quieter and less visited than the center, and it suits a short walk that mixes theater history, old churches and Soviet architecture.

Quick Facts

Russian name	Таганка
Address	Taganskaya Square, at the south-eastern corner of the Garden Ring, Tagansky District, central Moscow OpenStreetMap · Google Maps
District	Tagansky
Metro	Taganskaya (Koltsevaya Line (Line 5, brown) and Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya Line (Line 7, purple), Two linked stations at Taganskaya Square; the surface staircases of the Line 7 station are protected by glazed concrete pavilions; the exits and walking times were not verified) Marksistskaya (Kalininskaya Line (Line 8, yellow), Linked with Taganskaya; its underground vestibule is where Taganskaya and Marksistskaya streets flow into the square; the exits were not verified)
Opening hours	The streets and the square are public and can be visited at any time; the theater, monasteries, museums, shops and cafes keep their own hours. (as of October 2026 – check the official site)
Admission	Walking the area is free. The theater, the monasteries and the museums set their own admission and rules.
Best time to visit	The area can be visited all year, and it is best on a dry day in spring, summer or autumn. Theatergoers fill the square in the evening, and the traffic is heavier at rush hour. Crowd patterns were not verified.
Recommended duration	2 to 3 hours
Last updated	October 7, 2026

What Is (and Isn't) Part of a Visit to Taganka?

Part	Status	Notes
Taganskaya Square and the nearby streets	Included in the standard ticket	Public spaces that can be walked free at any time.
St. Nicholas Church on Bolvanovka	Separate ticket or institution	An active church with its own opening hours and rules.
Taganka Theatre	Separate ticket or institution	Performances need tickets from the theater itself.
Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building	Outside / not part of it	An apartment building, a sight from the outside only.
Andronikov, Pokrovsky and Novospassky monasteries	Separate ticket or institution	Walled monasteries elsewhere in the district with their own rules.
Zamoskvorechye	Outside / not part of it	The area across the river to the west, with its own guide.
Basmanny	Outside / not part of it	The district to the north, with its own guide.

Why Visit Taganka?

Taganka offers a view of Moscow beyond the tourist core, with a square at its center and several distinct layers around it: the 17th-century church on Bolvanovka, the Taganka Theatre, made famous from 1964 under Yuri Lyubimov, the early Soviet residential block of 1923 and the Kotelnicheskaya skyscraper on the river.

It also reaches into older Moscow: the district holds at least three walled monasteries, the Andronikov, the Pokrovsky and the Novospassky, and an 18th-century Foundling Home. The square is served by two linked metro stations, so it is easy to reach, and it combines well with Zamoskvorechye across the river.

How Taganka Is Laid Out

Taganskaya Square is the modern center of the district. It lies on a hill at the south-eastern corner of the Garden Ring and was formed in 1963 by merging two historic squares, Upper Taganka and Lower Taganka. Taganskaya and Marksistskaya streets flow into it, and its metro stations are the Taganskaya and Marksistskaya stations.

The Taganka Theatre and the St. Nicholas Church on Bolvanovka are the main landmarks on the square itself. The Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, a Stalin skyscraper, stands toward the river and dominates the skyline. The wider district also holds Kulishki to the east, the Andronikov and Novospassky monasteries and the Foundling Home, which are a short ride or walk away.

A sensible walk starts at the metro, looks at the church and the theater on the square, then goes down toward the river for the skyscraper. The monasteries are better planned as a separate trip.

Highlights of Taganka

Taganskaya Square

The square is a major junction of the Garden Ring, formed in 1963 by merging Upper and Lower Taganka. The district was reconstructed in 1813 by Joseph Bove, who built a market there. The square was the center of Zayauzye, the area beyond the Yauza, since the 17th century, when the Tagansky Market made it a center of trade. It is a busy place with traffic on all sides.

Tip: Cross by the underground passages, since the junction is wide.

St. Nicholas Church on Bolvanovka

The lofty St. Nicholas Church on Bolvanovka, built between 1697 and 1712, is one of the most conspicuous landmarks of the square. It stands among the later buildings and shows the older, 17th-century layer of the neighborhood. Check its own opening hours before you plan to go inside.

Tip: Look at it from the square to see how it rises above the later buildings.

The Taganka Theatre

The theater is in an Art Nouveau building on the square, on the spot where a prison once stood, and was established in 1964 by Yuri Lyubimov. Under him it became very popular, with Vladimir Vysotsky and Alla Demidova among the leading actors, and it often clashed with the Soviet authorities, who banned several productions. Performances need tickets from the theater itself.

Tip: Check the theater's own site for the schedule if you want an evening performance.

The Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building

The Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, a residential high-rise, dominates the district's skyline and was once the tallest skyscraper in the Soviet Union. It is one of the seven Stalin skyscrapers and the largest post-war building of Taganka. It is an apartment building, so it is a sight from the outside only.

Tip: See it from the embankment for the full view, since the streets around it are narrow.

The Taganskaya metro stations

The Taganskaya station of Line 7 opened in 1966, and its surface staircases are protected by glazed concrete pavilions, the first in Moscow. The Koltsevaya station is named after the square and has a large vestibule, with an intermediate hall in the escalator descent because the square stands on a hill. Marksistskaya, on the Kalininskaya Line, is linked with both.

Tip: Allow time for the transfers, since the three stations are connected by passages.

The early Soviet residential block

The first residential building built in Moscow after the revolution stands on Taganka, and residents moved into it on 14 October 1923. It is a mark of the district's role in the early Soviet period. Check the address on a map before you go, since it is a residential building.

Tip: Treat it as a short architectural stop rather than a visit.

The monasteries and the Foundling Home

The wider Tagansky District includes the 18th-century Foundling Home, now the Moscow Orphanage, and at least three walled monasteries: the Andronikov, the Pokrovsky and the Novospassky. They lie a short ride from the square. Each has its own opening hours and rules, and none was checked for this guide.

Tip: Plan the monasteries as a separate trip, with a map and each one's hours.

Atmosphere

Taganka is a district of wide roads and big junctions, with Soviet apartment blocks, older churches and the theater around Taganskaya Square. Traffic is heavy on the Garden Ring, and the square is a place people cross rather than linger in.

The streets below the square are quieter, and the river embankment near the Kotelnicheskaya skyscraper has open views. Visitors mix with residents and theatergoers, especially in the evening. The area is less visited than the center, and the crowd varies by time of day and season. No figures were verified.

History of Taganka

The district takes its name from the former Taganskaya Sloboda, where coppersmiths lived in the 16th century. Moscow expanded beyond the Kremlin and Zaryadye at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, and the area beyond the Yauza, Zayauzye, was bordered to the east by the Earthen Rampart, whose only gate stood at Taganskaya Square. A market formed there, the Tagansky Market, and in the 17th century the square became the center of Zayauzye.

The St. Nicholas Church on Bolvanovka, one of the landmarks of the square, was built between 1697 and 1712. The Tagansky Market made Taganka one of the commercial centers of Moscow. In 1813, after the fire of 1812, the district was reconstructed by Joseph Bove, who built a market there.

Towards the end of the 19th century the district industrialized rapidly, with a copper smelter in the Alexeevskaya Sloboda, a tobacco factory on Vorontsovskaya Street and the Nizhegorodsky railway station in the Rogozhskaya Sloboda, which connected Taganka with the textile areas east of Moscow.

The first residential building built in Moscow after the revolution was on Taganka, and residents moved in on 14 October 1923. Taganskaya Square took its present form in 1963, when Upper Taganka and Lower Taganka were merged, and the Taganskaya metro station of Line 7 opened in 1966. The Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, once the tallest skyscraper of the Soviet Union, became the largest post-war building of the district.

The Taganka Theatre was established in 1964 in an Art Nouveau building on the square, on the spot where a prison had been, and under Yuri Lyubimov it became one of the most popular theaters of Moscow, though the authorities banned several productions. In 1971 it staged a play based on The Master and Margarita. In 1989 Lyubimov returned to the theater and the troupe split, with part of it forming the Community of Taganka Actors.

Today the modern center of the district is Taganskaya Square, and the skyline is dominated by the Kotelnicheskaya skyscraper. The district also holds other historic neighborhoods, such as Kulishki in the east, the 18th-century Foundling Home and at least three walled monasteries.

Tickets and Booking for Taganka

There is no ticket for the area. The Taganka Theatre sells tickets through its own channels, the monasteries and the Foundling Home set their own rules, and no individual venue was verified for this guide. Check each venue’s own site for hours and prices before you plan a visit; the theater’s schedule changes through the season.

• Neighboring areas: Zamoskvorechye and Basmanny, with their own guides, are close by.
• 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.

Suggested Itineraries for Taganka

1 hour

Start at the Taganskaya metro station and look at Taganskaya Square, the St. Nicholas Church and the Taganka Theatre. Walk a short way toward the river for a view of the Kotelnicheskaya skyscraper.

2 hours

Follow the 1-hour route and walk down to the embankment for the skyscraper, then return by the quieter side streets. Check the church's hours before you go inside.

Half day

Add one monastery, the Andronikov or the Novospassky, planned with its own hours, or a trip across the river to Zamoskvorechye. Plan an evening at the theater if the schedule fits.

How to Get to Taganka

The square is served by two linked stations: Taganskaya, on Line 5 and Line 7, and Marksistskaya on Line 8. The Taganskaya station of Line 7 has glazed concrete pavilions over its surface staircases, and the Marksistskaya vestibule is at the junction of Taganskaya and Marksistskaya streets. The exits and walking times were not verified.

• Metro: use Taganskaya for the square and Marksistskaya for the quieter side; the metro guides on this site explain the lines.
• Taxi: the taxi apps guide of this site explains the options; the Garden Ring around the square is very busy.

Accessibility

No accessibility information for the area was found. The pavements, the underground passages and the metro stations differ, so check the metro maps and ask individual venues before you go.

Food Nearby

Cafes and restaurants stand around Taganskaya Square and along the streets leading down to the river. No individual venue was verified for this guide, so check opening hours and menus on site.

What to Bring

Comfortable shoes* for crossing the wide junction and walking down to the river. Bring rubles in cash for small purchases, since foreign cards are reported not to work.

Best Views and Photo Spots of Taganka

St. Nicholas Church on Bolvanovka

The lofty 17th-century church rising above the later buildings of the square. The contrast between the old church and the modern junction is the point of the view.

Best time: Morning light.

The Taganka Theatre facade

The Art Nouveau building on the square, seen from the pavement opposite. It is easy to frame in daylight.

Best time: Dusk, when the facade is lit.

The Kotelnicheskaya skyscraper from the embankment

The Stalin high-rise rising above the river and the older buildings around it. The open embankment gives room for the whole building.

Best time: Late afternoon light.

Photography Rules

No general photography rules for the streets were found. The theater, the churches and the monasteries set their own rules, so look for signs and ask the staff before you photograph interiors, and avoid flash.

Family Suitability

The area is a short walk of an hour or two with a theater and a skyscraper to see, so it suits older children. There are few playgrounds near the square, and the junction is busy. Stroller access on the pavements and the underpasses was not verified.

Moscow Vibes Tips

• Use the underground passages to cross Taganskaya Square, since the junction of the Garden Ring is very wide.
• Look for the glazed concrete pavilions over the Line 7 station stairs, which were the first in Moscow.
• Do not mix up the Taganka Theatre with the Taganka area; the theater is one landmark on the square.
• See the Kotelnicheskaya skyscraper from the embankment, since the nearby streets are too narrow for the full view.
• Plan the monasteries as a separate trip, since they lie elsewhere in the district.
• Combine Taganka with Zamoskvorechye across the river for a longer day.

Explore Nearby Taganka

Sights near Taganka

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  Andrey Rublev Museum Moscowabout 1.5 km away (~25 min walk) · typical visit: About 1.5 to 2 hours
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  Bunker-42 Moscowabout 250 m away (~4 min walk) · typical visit: 1.5–2.5 hours
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  Museum of Russian Icons Moscowabout 800 m away (~13 min walk) · typical visit: About 1.5 to 2 hours
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  Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building Moscowabout 1000 m away (~16 min walk) · typical visit: About 30 minutes to 1 hour
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  Krutitskoye Podvorye Moscowabout 1.5 km away (~24 min walk) · typical visit: 45–60 minutes
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  Novospassky Monastery Moscowabout 1.5 km away (~24 min walk) · typical visit: 1–1.5 hours

Metro stations near Taganka

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  Marksistskaya Metro Stationabout 150 m away (~2 min walk)
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  Proletarskaya Metro Stationabout 1.3 km away (~20 min walk)
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  Taganskaya Metro Stationabout 200 m away (~3 min walk)

Restaurants and cafes near Taganka

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  El Gauchoabout 1.2 km away (~19 min walk)

Nightlife near Taganka

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  Igor Butman Jazz Clubabout 300 m away (~5 min walk)
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  Esse Jazz Clubabout 1.5 km away (~24 min walk)

Hotels near Taganka

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  Swissotel Krasnye Holmy Moscowabout 950 m away (~15 min walk)
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  Ibis Moscow Centre Bakhrushinaabout 1.2 km away (~19 min walk)
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  Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscowabout 1.9 km away (~31 min walk)

Train stations and river piers near Taganka

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  Novospassky River Pierabout 1.1 km away (~18 min walk)
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  Paveletsky Railway Terminalabout 1.4 km away (~23 min walk)

Related guides

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  Kotelnicheskaya Embankment: Stalin Skyscraper and the Yauza Mouth
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  Zamoskvorechye: Pyatnitskaya Street, Ordynka and Old Churches
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  Krestyanskaya Zastava Metro Station: Peasant Labor Theme and Transfer
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  Ploshchad Ilyicha Metro Station: Deep Hall and Lime Line Transfer
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  Taganka and Krutitskoye Podvorye Walking Itinerary: Route and Timing

Browse more: More in Tagansky · All Neighborhoods

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FAQ: Taganka

What is Taganka?

A historic neighborhood of the Tagansky District, centered on Taganskaya Square.

Why is it called Taganka?

After the Taganskaya Sloboda, where coppersmiths lived in the 16th century.

What is the Taganka Theatre?

A theater on the square, founded in 1964 by Yuri Lyubimov.

Is the Kotelnicheskaya skyscraper open to visitors?

It is an apartment building, so it is a sight from the outside only.

Which metro station is the nearest?

Taganskaya, with Marksistskaya linked to it.

Are there monasteries in Taganka?

Yes, the Andronikov, Pokrovsky and Novospassky monasteries lie in the wider district.

Is there an entrance fee?

No for the streets; venues set their own admission.

How long does a visit take?

About 1 to 3 hours on foot, longer with a monastery or the theater.

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