Muzeon Park of arts and sculpture in Moscow| Friendly Local Guides Blog

Muzeon Park in Moscow is one of the greatest green spaces of Moscow and our favorite spot for our Moscow city tour.
Museon is home to picnic spots, summer movies under open sky, stunning sunsets, lounging on the grass and trendy local festivals.

Muzeon through the eyes of locals is a creative space that provokes ideas and inspires. Muzeon can be described in 5 words: nature, art, music, relax and original exhibitions.

Muzeon, very famous park of Moscow among locals. Photo by Muzeon

Location of Muzeon

The territory of modern Art Park is part of the low floodplain of the Moscow River. Like the Kremlin, Muzeon forms a triangle, but a more progressive one, filled with art exhibitions, food and music festivals. The green triangle is formed by the Crimean embankment, Moscow river embankment and Maronovsky lane.

In the autumn of 2013 the territory of the park was expanded forming a new pedestrian zone with a lot of greenery, a fountain, cafes, benches, bike rentals and great waterfront views.

Now Muzeon is a part of the extended Gorky park and Neskuchny Garden, which stretch out on the other side of the Moskva River. Thus Muzeon stretches from the Sparrow Hills in the south-west of Moscow to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior forming a long picturesque promenade.

Summer relaxation in Muzeon, Moscow. Photo by Muzeon

History of Muzeon Park

Till the 17th century the territory of what is now the Park of Arts Muzeon was a plain with frequent floods and marshy terrain that hampered its development.

The construction started in the 18^th century.

Just about five years ago Muzeon was a park of sculptures, with more than 900 of them on public display. Many were standing there chaotically, and only hidden paths between them reminded that the place was an open-air museum. In the Japanese garden there was a small pond and several figures of animals. Numerous statues of Vladimir Lenin, an ardent revolutionary Felix Dzerzhinsky and other Soviet and Russian leaders stood there in disorder successfully resisting weather for years…

History of Moscow’s Muzeon, unique park of Russia with 900 statues. Photo by Muzeon

Modern Muzeon

But time went by. Last year Muzeon was reconstructed quickly becoming a fashionable place and offering whatever you might desire: street food, open-air cinemas, ping-pong competitions, free yoga classes. It is also one of the few parks in Moscow with bicycle tracks! One more eye-catchy thing about the place is the famous Lambada Market. Taking place once a month, it is both a flea market where you can buy all sorts of vintage things and a kind of business fair for start-ups like designer shops and show rooms or small street food companies. Hundreds of Muscovites come here to pick up trendy hand-made clothes, jewellery or leather backpacks or to savor extremely delicious cakes with all kinds of fillings, honey coffee, home-made lemonades and much more.

The Brusov ship, docked at the embankment adjacent to Muzeon, used to cruise along the Moskva river. Now it is a fashionable cluster of designer shops, show rooms, cafes and bars.

Best promenade of Moscow in Muzeon on a day tour of Moscow

Best promenade of Moscow in Muzeon park. Photo by Muzeon

Strelka Institute

Strelka Institute right under the Patriarshiy Bridge is also worth mentioning. It is an educational centre specializing in urban development the main purpose of which is to attract the young people’s attention to the city and to make it more comfortable for a modern city dweller. Strelka Institute is an international project bringing to Moscow renowned professional in the field from all over the world. The classes are in English.

The institute has its own “Strelka-Press” publishing house and conducts numerous research programmes and arranges public talks with the specialists invited.

Strelka Institute in Moscow on our Moscow private tour

Strelka Institute in Moscow, Red October Factory. Photo by Muzeon

Moscow Festivals

Muzeon is a spot for all kinds of open-air festivals from foodie to handicraft. Muzeon music program takes place on three stages and includes Moscow International Music Festivals, contemporary British music Ahmad Tea Music Festival, a festival of independent Motherland and Russian music festival of experimental music and Chagall International Festival of Orchestras.

Dancing in Muzeon park. Photo by Muzeon

Dance classes in Moscow park on a private tour

Dance classes in Moscow park Muzeon. Photo by Muzeon

Tretyakov Gallery

The Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val, which is a part of Russia’s major gallery of Russian art, is yet another place of interest for those who are keen on “off-the-beaten-path” routes in Moscow. The gallery features an outstanding collection of the 20^th-century Russian art, which is of course worth seeing, but today we are going to have a closer look on what is outside it.

This building is located right in the Muzeon park.

New Tretyakov Gallery in Muzeon with a private guide

Tretyakov Gallery in Muzeon. Photo by vivaster.com

Things to do in Muzeon

You can also enjoy a movie under the open sky. Shows begin every day at nightfall. If you a bookworm, go ahead and use the free book exchange library of Muzeon. Had enough reading? Take a stroll on the wooden boardwalk, relax under the “nest of light”, visit one of the summer programs of yoga, or tango, buy rare records and trinkets in the Market or simply sip your coffee and watch locals. Coffee places like WakeCup, Kaffebrod and Caffe del Parco will make sure you have a great coffee experience in one of the most scenic place of Moscow with views on Moscow river.

To sum up, Muzeon and the adjacent area are a place for the young and ambitious, it’s here that you really feel the nerve of Moscow. In a word, it’s a place to be, a must-visit not to be missed!