Sparrow Hills (russian:
Воробьёвы го́ры, ), formerly known as Lenin Hills (, ) between 1935 and 1999, is a hill on the right bank of the
Moskva River and one of the highest points in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, reaching a height of above the river level.
The observation platform, which gives a good panoramic view of the city, is on a steep bank above the river, or above sea level. The
Luzhniki Stadium
Luzhniki Stadium ( rus, стадион «Лужники», p=stədʲɪˈon lʊʐnʲɪˈkʲi, ''Stadion Luzhniki'') is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital city, Moscow. The full name of the stadium is Grand Sports Arena of the ...
(formerly the Lenin Stadium), where the opening and closing ceremonies for the
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...
took place, is right below, across the
Moskva River. Next to it is the
Novodevichy Convent
Novodevichy Convent, also known as Bogoroditse-Smolensky Monastery (russian: Новоде́вичий монасты́рь, Богоро́дице-Смоле́нский монасты́рь), is probably the best-known clois ...
, with its
Naryshkin Baroque
Naryshkin Baroque, also referred to as Moscow Baroque or Muscovite Baroque, is a particular style of Baroque architecture and decoration that was fashionable in Moscow from the late 17th century into the early 18th century. In the late 17th century ...
towers.
Not far from the observation platform is the
Luzhniki Metro Bridge
Luzhniki Metro Bridge (russian: Лужнецкий метромост), also known as Metromost (''Метромост''), is a concrete double-decked (two-level) arch bridge carrying a road and a Moscow Metro line across the Moskva River in Mosco ...
. The two-level Metro-Bridge traverses the river to link Komsomolsky Prospekt with Vernadsky Prospekt. It serves two urban transport systems: motor vehicles and the
Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro) is a metro system serving the Russian capital of Moscow as well as the neighbouring cities of Krasnogorsk, Reutov, Lyubertsy and Kotelniki in Moscow Oblast. Opened in 1935 with one line and 13 stations, it was the first ...
subway. The glass-walled subway station ''
Vorobyovy Gory'' is at the lower level of the bridge.
The hills, immortalized by many Russian poets and writers, have been named after the village
Vorobyovo, which was acquired by Grand Duchess
Sophia Vitovtovna
Sophia of Lithuania (1371–1453), also known as Sofia Vitovtovna, was a Grand Princess consort of Muscovy by marriage to Vasili I of Russia. She was regent of Muscovy during the minority of her son from 1425 to 1434.
Life
She was the daughter ...
,
Vitovt
Vytautas (c. 135027 October 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian: ', be, Вітаўт, ''Vitaŭt'', pl, Witold Kiejstutowicz, ''Witold Aleksander'' or ''Witold Wielki'' Ruthenian: ''Vitovt'', Latin: ''Alexander Vitoldus'', O ...
's only daughter, from the
boyars
A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgaria, Russia, Wallachia and Moldavia, and later Romania, Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. Boyars wer ...
Vorobyovs in 1453.
[Собрание государственных грамот и договоров, хранящихся в коллегии иностранных дел. ч. 1 с. 192. Москва, в типографии Н. С. Всеволожского, 1813.] Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first King of Congress Poland from 1815, and the Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to his death. He was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg.
The son of ...
wished to build the
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour there; his successor had construction works suspended and the cathedral eventually was erected near
the Kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (Ru ...
.
The main landmarks of the hills are the
Moscow State University
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...
(at one time the tallest
building
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and fun ...
in Europe) and the
Trinity Church.
Notes
Literature
* Собрание государственных грамот и договоров, хранящихся в коллегии иностранных дел. ч. 1 с. 192. Москва, в типографии Н. С. Всеволожского, 1813.
* Тихомиров М. Н. Древняя Москва (XII—XV вв.) : Моск. гос. ун-т им. М. В. Ломоносова М. : Изд-во МГУ, 1947.
* Тихомиров М. Н. Труды по истории Москвы. Москва, Издательство: Языки славянской культуры, 2003 — .
External links
Satellite picture by Google mapsphotographs and article by Ask Moscow
{{coord, 55.710, N, 37.543, E, region:RU_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title
Hills of Moscow