Mayakovskaya

TRIUMPHAL SQUARE

Tverskaya Street

revolution square

Izmailovsky Park

TRIUMPHAL SQUARE (PLOSHCHAD

TRIUMFALNAYA) REVIEW
This major intersection is where the grand boulevard of Moscow,
the Garden Ring, crosses Tverskaya ulitsa. In the center of the
square stands a statue of the revolutionary poet Vladimir
Mayakovsky (18931930), who it's generally believed committed
suicide after he became disillusioned with the revolution he had
so passionately supported.
The square is a center of Moscow's cultural lifeand lately it's
also become the political opposition's preferred site for anti-Putin
rallies. (In order to prevent the latter, city authorities occasionally
cordon off much of the square, supposedly to undertake
emergency construction work.) The Tchaikovsky Concert Hall,
which opened in 1940, stands on one corner (in its foyer are
various food outlets); the Satire Theater is next door, on the
Garden Ring; and the Mossoviet Theater is nearby, at 16
Bolshaya Sadovaya. The multitiered tower of the elegant Peking
Hotel, opened in 1956 as a mark of Sino-Soviet friendship, rises
nearby.
While you're here, it's worth riding the escalator down for a peek
at the spectacular interior of the Mayakovskaya metro station,
which, like many early stations, lies deep underground (it doubled
as a bomb shelter during World War II). Stalin made a famous
speech here on the 24th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution,
at the height of the Siege of Moscow. Colorful, pastel mosaics
depicting Soviet achievements in outer space decorate the
ceiling.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address: Junction between Tverskaya and the Garden
Ring, Ulitsa Tverskaya, Moscow, 125047
Metro: Mayakovskaya.