Alina Pushkareva: “Unraveling the mysteries of ‘Egypt in Moscow settings’”

Ancient Egypt has always been full of secrets and mysteries. A mysterious civilization that excites the minds of scientists and researchers has had a huge impact on world culture, including architecture. Moscow also has its own ‘Egypt’, and it is captivating with its authenticity and unique features. Our interviewee is Alina Pushkareva, an independent researcher whose heart was completely captured by the ancient civilization. Immersed in the search for the ‘Egypt in Moscow settings’, she wrote a wonderful book “Egyptian Cryptograms of Moscow Antiquity. Legends, Names, Eras.” unveiling both the unique architecture of the Russian capital and amazing human stories. The book in fact describes a mansion managed by GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia (13, Malaya Nikitskaya Street, Moscow). It actually helped a lot in collecting material for the research.

Hello, Alina! You are the author of a unique sci-fi book “Egyptian Cryptograms of Moscow Antiquity”. Can you please tell us how your path to ‘Egypt in Moscow settings’ started?

My ‘Egypt in Moscow settings’ began back in the spring of 2018 and, oddly enough, on the banks of the Neva River. I was then taking a walk around my favorite Saint Petersburg places, long-respected energy vortexes, such as Universitetskaya Embankment with sphinxes, the Egyptian Bridge connecting the Pokrovsky and Bezymyanny Islands, and, of course, the Egyptian House on Zakharyevskaya Street. Admiring the latter, I wondered if there was something similar in Moscow.

It was a very fruitful, creative period of my life. Together with many of my Egyptomaniac friends, I was a resident of Moscow’s most vibrant and meaningful public oriental studies projects. I mean the Voloshin Library and I will forever be grateful to it as a kind of my alma mater. And at one of the meetings with like-minded people, I raised the question of ‘Egypt in Moscow settings’. However, it turned out that in Moscow they know quite little about this as our conversation was mainly limited to Kuzminki Estate with a few buildings decorated in Egyptian style. So, the topic seemed quite unpopular, at first glance. Someone even said as a joke: “If you like it, write yourself!” That’s how I started my research.

And when you start to get enthusiastic about something, the information itself comes into your hands. By the way, it was no coincidence that we met next to this house on Bolshaya Dmitrovka street (9 Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street, Architect: A. Erichson). It all started from there.

I was drinking coffee in Maya Plisetskaya Park and saw this building. They were then just beginning to prepare it for a big restoration. And so I was looking at the façade, watching how it was getting scaffolded and screened and saw as if a ‘face’ was looking at me from behind the lattice. This face cannot be confused with anything as it is a canonical, recognizable nemes (royal headdress in Ancient Egypt), an absolutely pharaonic mascaron.

I ran to photograph the amazing thing and saw the portals, decorated with the Winged Sun Disk of Horus Behdety as a solar deity form, and immediately began making pictures of the details. While doing so, I realized that this required a systematic approach. And that’s how my research began.

What archives and museum storages were you able to visit while working on the book?

I started working in all of the Moscow archives that I had the opportunity to get into. I registered wherever possible and sent letters to all museums, not only in Russia, but also abroad. For convenience, I first systematized the information I found into a list of all Moscow buildings with certain architectural decorations associated with Egypt. I used an architectural reference book with brief information about architects and buildings themselves. Atlases and reference books from the past and the century before were very helpful.

So I slowly began to find out that Egyptian stuff from the late 18th–early 19th centuries really inspired Moscow architects in the late 19th–early 20th centuries. The publications were popular indeed, first in Europe and then in Russia. So, Egypt became a kind of exotic oriental seasoning for Moscow Art Nouveau architecture. Cooperation with the Schusev State Museum of Architecture, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the Russian State Library, and the Rare Books Department at the State Public Historical Library of Russia produced great results. And when my research had already gained momentum, even descendants of our outstanding Moscow architects and even some big organizations that managed the buildings I was studying provided support to me.

I am sincerely grateful to those who got interested in my unusual searches and assisted in obtaining materials, in particular the Main Administration for Service to the Diplomatic Corps. One of the great photos provided by this organization graces the cover of my book.

And what mysterious places of our city I discovered during my search! I was especially impressed by the opportunity to visit the mysterious and unique underground laboratory of Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. There, in the twenties of the last century, the outstanding hydraulic engineer Alexander Milovich equipped his classrooms styled as an ancient Egyptian temple and even installed a small sphinx statue. He conducted laboratory tests with his students, gave lectures and, in addition to scientific and practical material, tried to inspire future engineers with the ancient culture that, among other things, included veneration of the water element.

And, of course, the fact that the sphinx and Egyptian columns of the laboratory temple have survived until today is really great.

Speaking about the discovery of Egypt and its popularity among the European and then Russian public, we mean the late 18th and the early 19th centuries. As for the artifact, which time period can they date back?

My list included about twenty artifacts with a really large construction time spread. For instance, the Egyptian Pavilion and the Orange Greenhouse in Kuzminki Estate owned by the noble family of the Stroganovs and then by the Golitsyns date back to the first quarter of the 19th century. This is a vivid example of using Egyptian forms and images in the Empire and classicism. The projects were designed by Domenico Gilardi and his son, who were Moscow Empire stars. The Egyptian style buildings were in fact inspired by works of Italian artist and architect Giovanni Battista Piranesi. It was his engravings that the façade images on the Egyptian Pavilion come from.

Your book contained unique sketches of outstanding Moscow architects, unpublished memories from the archives of scientists and famous collectors. Which of them do you like the best or which ones impress you the most?

At first I thought of making a kind of directory with a brief description, including architect name, year, and location. But the further I went in my research, the more I immersed myself in Moscow of the late 19th–early 20th centuries. This was a study of stories of people who lived in that time. Have they ever been to the banks of the Nile? How did they feel when they saw the pyramids? What sources did they have in their disposal?

For example, a mansion on Malaya Nikitskaya Street , which is managed by GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia, was home to Margarita Sabashnikova, one of the brightest and most famous dreamers of the Silver Age – a poetess, artist and muse of Maximilian Voloshin. As a little girl, she felt and imagined herself as an Egyptian princess among the columns of her father’s house. She enthusiastically describes those childhood impressions in her memoirs “The Green Snake. The Story of A Life”.

The architect Roman Klein also dreamed and made his dreams come true, designing the Egyptian Hall at Alexander III Museum of Fine Arts (now our favorite Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts). He was basically inspired by images of those temples and tombs, which were already available for visiting, which he himself visited and which were highlighted in European publications.

While working on the book, I turned not only to academic reference materials, but also to people who kept living kinship memories. I met and talked with some heirs of the architects, for example, with Natalya Olegovna Dushkina, a famous and respected architecture historian and granddaughter of the metro architect Alexey Dushkin, who designed the platform hall on Kropotkinskaya station. Alexey Dushkin created a real underground palace, with the severity and grandeur of forms inherent in Egyptian architecture, although he was not able to touch the ancient heritage directly on the banks of the Nile as he had never been to Egypt. However, he treated this project with special trepidation, calling Kropotkinskaya his architectural credo based on his impressions from learning the culture of this amazing country through the monuments stored as the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. He was an industrial dreamer.

What memories impressed you the most? Maybe there is some remarkable story?

There is! And that story should be definitely filmed! Artist Konstantin Korovin in his memoirs “That Was A Long Time Ago... There... Back In Russia...” describes an incredible episode from the life of the famous Moscow manufacturer, philanthropist and lover of fine arts, Mikhail Abramovich Morozov. The short story is called “The Funeral of a Mummy”. Mikhail Morozov was an enthusiastic collector and a very bright person. And his collection, including mainly works of European art, got an Egyptian sarcophagus with a real mummy, which he had bought during his trip to Egypt in 1894. The lobby of the mansion on Smolensky Boulevard was decorated to match the ‘souvenir’, with vibrant bouquet-shaped columns, recognizable paintings on the walls, and sphinx figures on the front door staircase. And there was a niche with a sarcophagus in the wall. The shocking curiosity was not kept long in the mansion, because someone of the respected guests disapproved that; after all, the dead man should be buried. The funeral of the mummy was celebrated on a grand scale, and later, when Mikhail Morozov realized the absurdity of the act, he ordered the mummy to be dug up and transferred to the Rumyantsev Museum. It was very important for me to prove this story and trace the further path of the sarcophagus and the mummy through decades of turbulent events and the fate of Moscow museum scientists. Nowadays, the mummy is stored at the Oriental Department of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, and the sarcophagus is presented in its permanent display in the Egyptian Hall.

The flourishing of Egyptian aesthetics in Moscow mansions is inextricably linked with the rise of Art Nouveau in architecture. Who of the famous architects, in your opinion, most often applied symbolism of the Ancient Kingdom?

Of course, Fyodor Schechtel. The works of this outstanding architect and brilliant decorator unveil the most diverse Egypt.

The merchant house of the Sabashnikovs, where he worked as an apprentice to architect Kaminsky, features a decorative Egypt – yes, somewhere superficial, but this is not surprising, because he was just beginning his journey.

When Fyodor Schechtel was a famous architect, this line becomes intimate and authentic. An excellent example is the interior of the ballroom at Pyotr Petrovich Smirnov’s Mansion (18 Tverskoy Boulevard). When the architect was creating it, he already deeply felt the culture of Egypt and demonstrated it to the public with elegant restraint. Whereas before Schechtel’s works had been a vision of the talented decorator, now he was a spellbound and enthusiastic genius.

Moscow was famous for its patrons and collectors. The most famous families, such as the Morozovs, Tretyakovs and Ryabushinskys, used to collect artifacts and outlandish things from bygone eras. Which of the collectors of that period became very interested in Egyptian stuff?

One of the first to come to mind is Yury Stepanovich Nechaev-Maltsov, an industrialist, philanthropist, and collector. He worked closely with the Museum of Fine Arts and he donated some of the artifacts he had brought from the banks of the Nile to the museum. So, its Egyptian Hall is named in honor of Yury Nechaev-Maltsov. And this is not without reason as he was convinced that the museum simply had to have a separate display dedicated to Ancient Egypt.

Do I understand correctly that this craving for Egypt and the need for separate museum spaces is all inspired by Europe, where after Napoleonic campaigns they began to create dedicated Egyptian halls in museums? For example, like in the Louvre.

Yes, you are quite right. Of course, at that time exhibitions dedicated to Egypt were gaining popularity in Europe since it was unusual and very fashionable.

Can we say that in Saint Petersburg, at that time the capital of the Russian Empire, the attitude towards Egyptian symbols was somewhat different and more moderate? Sometimes it seems that it is in Moscow that this trend really flourished. Is it so? If yes, why is it so?

I absolutely agree with you! Saint Petersburg is stricter and more restrained; it is a city of classicism and Empire. Even those Egyptian motifs that manifest themselves in its architecture of those times are presented through the prism of European perception, and a European still understands strict antique images better. Well, for a long time St. Petersburg residents avoided the sphinxes on the University Embankment as they were so incomprehensible and mystical and were generally thought dangerous.

If you could travel back in time, what era would you choose? Which one is of most interest?

Definitely the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt – the reign of Ramses the Great or Amenhotep III. I would really like to see with my own eyes the monumental structures erected by those great rulers at the time of the heyday of this amazing culture. It would be incredible!

Alexey Dedushkin: “With love for my hometown”

Strange twists of fate, interest and passion determine the unexpected turn of events. This is what happened to the hero of this interview - his favorite law career could not withstand his passion for Moscow. Moscow expert and tour guide Alexey Dedushkin speaks about his favorite streets and buildings that are of great architectural value.

Alexey Mikhailovich, you are a lawyer by education, but your tours, books and other projects reveal you as a person deeply in love with Moscow. When and how did your love affair with the city begin?

In my early childhood, I guess. My grandfather was very passionate about Moscow, and I inherited this passion from him. I was very little when, during a walk, he told me stories associated with the capital, old buildings, squares and courtyards. That is when my love for the city began. As I got older, I became even more passionate about Moscow.

Many world capitals have recognizable “postcard” views - blocks, buildings, art objects that become a symbol of the city. There also a lot of Moscow views that convey the atmosphere of the city. Could you name at least three such symbols of Moscow?

Let me be clear: are we talking about modern Moscow or its historical architecture?

This is a great point! We discuss both historical and modern buildings.

The historical route starts with the Kremlin, Red Square and Alexander Garden. It also includes Maroseyka, Pokrovka, Petrovka, Bolshaya Nikitskaya and Kuznetsky Most - these streets preserved the memory of the old city.

They are very colorful places! What do you say about modern buildings and neighborhoods?

I will start with what I do not like - Moscow-City. But no matter how I feel about this area, it is rightfully very popular among Moscow visitors. It appeals to everyone.

There are several interesting buildings near Ostozhenka Street included in the famous Golden Mile project. The Italian quarter on Dolgorukovskaya Street, although many criticize it, is also quite good. The modern architecture of Barkhin and Filippov and the church architecture of Anisimov impress me too. Certainly, I cannot imagine Moscow without the “seven sisters” - Stalin’s high-rise buildings and monumental avenues of that era.

In co-authorship with Irina Levina, you published the book “Palaces, Houses and Estates: The Second Birth”. Which of the capital's architectural monuments is definitely worth visiting for those who love the city just like you? Which place can impress you not only with its aesthetics but also with its rich history?

The line could be drawn between must-see and available sites. As for available sites, I would recommend visiting the Morozov estate in Podsosensky Lane, where beautiful interiors designed by F. Shekhtel and M. Vrubel have been preserved. Of course, the history of the estate owners is also curious - the Morozov family is closely connected with Russian culture.

Soon the Volkov-Yusupov Chambers in Kharitonyevsky Lane, the Chambers of the Romanov Boyars and the Chambers of the Old English Court on Varvarka Street will be available to visitors. This list goes on and on, but not each object can be visited.

It is true that historical buildings are either being restored, or, as in the case of our Enterprise, are occupied by diplomatic missions. Of course, the latest digital technologies are very helpful. Do you use them in your tours?

Sometimes I do. Today it is much more convenient to show what historical streets and buildings looked like in the past. I have all these images at my fingertips.

You are the author of more than 130 tours, which one is the most favorite and special for you and why?

There are more than 150 of them, in addition to bus tours. I love Ivanovskaya Gorka, I have five tours there - this is one of my favorites. I really admire Rozhdestvenskaya Street and Neglinnaya Street. I love Petrovka, Maroseyka and its alleys running towards Myasnitskaya Street, Petrovka Street and Ivanovskaya Gorka. These routes are associated with the old city.

I also have a series of walks called “Double-Exit Courtyards”. We do not only walk through courtyards, but we also see many artifacts that seem to be hidden from the residents: memorials, monuments.

Which of your tours would you recommend for someone who just starts exploring the city?

If you have one day in Moscow, the Kremlin is the best choice. You can also walk along any of the streets that we have already talked about - they have their original appearance and atmosphere of the old city. Your tour will depend on your interests - some people are interested in Stalin’s Moscow, others like Constructivism or Art Nouveau.

Is there a mansion, house or estate where you have not been yet but would really like to visit?

Almost all of them are under the jurisdiction of GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia (laughing). For example, the mansion of F. Shekhtel in Ermolaevsky Lane, the mansion of P. Kharitonenko on Sofiyskaya Embankment.

I was lucky enough to visit the Russian Foreign Ministry's Reception House - Morozova mansion on Spiridonovka - the most interesting building, the beauty of the façades and interiors is mesmerizing. I was also impressed by the mansion on Prechistenka Street, where S. Yesenin and A. Duncan once lived. It is now the administrative building of GlavUpDK.

Which of the city's secrets, mysteries or mystical stories impresses you the most?

I am not really interested in mysticism; I do not focus on it during my tours. For example, there is a story related to Jacob Bruce, the statesman and military leader, scientist and associate of Peter the Great. He is known both for his magical experiments and for the secret royal council “Neptune Society”, which he headed. The society had a magical “Black Book”, which was guarded by 12 spirits and which Bruce did not even give to Peter the Great. Many legends have spread due to popular rumors about Bruce. This is an example of a story that is more likely to make you smile.

There is another city legend: it is believed that the monument to Alexander Pushkin near Moscow was erected to honor the renovated city, but not for his work and contribution to literature.

There are also mystical stories saying that Razumovsky’s estate on the Yauza River was teeming with ghosts that frightened its residents in different periods of history. This legend is based on the fact that the count collected figurines of gods, and heir spirits settled in the estate.

What is your favorite area of Moscow?

They are Rozhdestvenka, Petrovka and Neglinnaya streets where I lived a considerable part of my life, where I studied and grew up. I even joke sometimes that my education is “monastic” - for four years I attended the school on the site of the former, and now open Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery. When our school was closed, I was transferred to a school that was located on the site of the Sretensky Monastery. These streets, this area are all about my childhood, so these places are very dear to my heart.

Airat Bagautdinov: “The more you learn about something, the more you love it”

Moscow is a focal point for a countless number of guidebooks and books, programs, films, podcasts and blogs. It would seem that nothing will surprise its residents and even tourists. Yet, it is not so! Our interviewee has changed the vision on ​​architecture and Moscow as a whole. Airat Bagautdinov is an architecture historian, tour guide, founder of the “Moscow through the Eyes of an Engineer” project, laureate of the Moscow Mayor’s Prize for services in tourism, and author of many books and guidebooks. Read Airat’s interview on the website of GlavUpDK under MFA of Russia (Cultural Heritage Sites) to learn what is good about contemporary architecture, what is the mission of art and how the unique “Moscow through the Eyes of an Engineer” project, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, began.

Airat, you offer, perhaps, the most unusual tour routes, which are incredibly popular. Tell us how it all started?

It looks as if my career was initially aimed at that. It all started almost 15 years ago. Having moving to Moscow in 2011, a friend of mine and I launched a travel agency, Moscow Free Tour, to deal with foreign tourists. I have long dreamed of trying myself as a tour guide, but I only worked with tourists. When the project became popular, we hired and trained some tour guides and automated our processes, and it became clear that we had to do something else.

Then I remembered my long-time passion. I mean the wish to unite people, create cultural groups and involve local residents in them. For example, I had a similar experience in my home city Kazan, where I used to organize lots of cultural events.

Inspired by this idea, I began conducting classical tours under the Walking around the City brand (2012-2013). The project was not much different from the classic Moscow practice of that time as we also offered walks along the Patriarch’s Ponds and told about Bulgakov, tours to Prechistenka and Ostozhenka streets, plus some other geographical routes. However, I quickly lost interest in this format, realizing that it was not exactly what I wanted.

I was always in search of something fresh. And decided that my degree in civil engineering would help me with that, because Moscow is something more than just owners and architects of certain mansions. Then I got an idea to talk about buildings from the builder’s point of view – building materials, slabs and structures, and the architect’s intention. But I thought for a long time about where to start. I even once complained to my friend Asya Aladzhalova, who was in charge of the “Moscow That Doesn’t Exist” tour program, that I had started doing research, but I just couldn’t start giving lectures. And Asya suggested: “Airat, my project involves a series of lectures. Let’s schedule a date for your lecture just now! Is two months enough for you to prepare? What about December 4? You have to write an announcement. I’ll add your lecture to the program, and you won’t be able to get away with it. You’ll just have to start doing something!”

It was an inspiring ‘kick’! (laughing). Since I had to immediately name my lecture somehow for the program, I suggested: “Moscow through the Eyes of an Engineer.” That’s how both the project name and its concept were born in one evening.

After that I was offered to develop an engineering master class for children, we started joint educational projects. And then I gave tours under my own Moscow through the Eyes of an Engineer brand.

Your excursionists are not only Russians, but also overseas guys. Have you noticed what attractions in Moscow impress foreigners the most?

I won’t reveal the secret, but over the past four years both a typical tourist and Moscow itself have changed a lot. By the way, the Moscow Free Tour project has suspended after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic (approx. 2020). Today we welcome mainly Chinese, Arab and Indian tourists, but previously we had had guests from the U.S. and Western Europe; a trip to Russia was something like an adventure for them. I mean problematic and expensive visa and lots of stereotypes about our home country. In the end, as in any adventure, tourists were impressed by everything! Even thrice-told places, such as Red Square or St. Basil’s Cathedral.

We have always strived to go beyond and show that Moscow can give much more than just bright guidebook pictures. Walks along the Ivanovskaya Gorka, Zamoskvorechye or Chistye Prudy alleys, their gateways with 17th-century chambers – we surprised our tourists with these and other remarkable routes.

In addition, in the Moscow through the Eyes of an Engineer project, we cooperated with architects, architectural firms and engineering companies who came to Russia or worked in local representative offices. Those clients wished to get to know about architecture from a professional point of view; constructivism was of particular interest. So, we offered tours to both the Narkomfin House and the Melnikov House. The Zaha Hadid Architects team even visited the latter before the restoration. Importantly, a surge of interest in this style occurred in 2017-2018, the anniversary of the October Revolution. At that time, many countries held dedicated exhibitions, for visitors to learn about avant-garde art and, in particular, constructivism.

Now we deal with tourists very seldom, yet there are exceptions. For example, last Friday I had the opportunity to work with tourists from China as I gave them a boat tour. By the way, Chinese tourists are very grateful and responsive. It’s really great to work with them.

What's the story with the Arab sheikh to whom you gave a bicycle tour? Is this a local ‘legend’ or have you really had such an experience?

We collaborate quite a lot with hotels and concierge services. In addition to architecture dedicated tours that I already mentioned, we offered bicycle rides. And so the Four Seasons chief concierge approached us with a request to organize an excursion for their special guest, who turned out to be the owner himself. He actually was a fan of cycling, so the hotel team decided to take him on a bike ride around the capital. We developed a three-day program covering multiple architectural styles and districts. I honestly admit that the walk was very extravagant as the sheikh was accompanied by a retinue of 30 people, employees in cars and a security service throughout the entire journey. A whole motorcade!

Your excursionists are able to get into unique closed buildings and each of the routes is unrepeatable. Can explain our readers how you create new tours?

Often the routes are inspired by personal stories. For example, our Shabolovka avant-garde art walking tour. I lived in this area, which was very significant for me, for several years. A year after the move, locals started struggle to preserve the Shukhov Tower. Our compatriots, such as historians and architects, and foreign experts joined it. Even Zaha Hadid and Norman Foster left their signatures on the collective letter for the preservation. Of course, I couldn’t stay away. I actively participated in the events, while simultaneously immersing myself more and more in Shukhov’s works and in avant-garde art.

I no longer live in this area, but the route still remains very significant for me. It is a nostalgic journey and an opportunity to think over the professional path I have traveled.

And, of course, our most successful routes focus on something that has not become mainstream yet, such as architecture of the second half of the 20th century. For example, walking routes along Dolgorukovskaya and Belorusskaya. In addition, it is always great to talk about contemporary architecture, to show that Luzhkov neighborhoods are not only some kind of squalor, but amazing buildings built by outstanding creators.

In general, I am sure that knowledge goes hand in hand with love. The more you know something, the more you love it. The more I talked to architecture critics and architects, the more I get fascinated by contemporary architecture.

Who is the best tour guide for you? What talents should he or she have?

Naturally, as a person who has been teaching tour guides for 10 years, I have an idea of ​​the key skills for a good guide. I will highlight the most important ones. I am convinced that a guide is a researcher in the first place. And he or she should be able to use verified sources, expand their list, involving archival research, oral history, and museum collections. Each tour can be research. Just set right goals for yourself, discover patterns, and not simply retell what you’ve read!

But you shouldn’t limit yourself to generally accepted sources of information – anything can enrich your tour! Well, you may demonstrate an Avito packaging of cookies from the early twentieth century – at least in the appropriate context. This is a good evidence of a bygone era, too.

And finally, in the ideal world, a tour should be a self-development springboard, stuff used to develop critical, analytical and logical thinking and other skills. And, to be honest, I am convinced that contact with culture cleanses the soul. So, I see our mission to increase such points of contact.

Could you tell us how one can develop own cultural style and vision? What do you think is key? Is it observation skill or the environment that forms personality?

The environment is not only material world artifacts, such as buildings. For example, my environment was shaped by books in my parents’ house, reproductions of paintings by my favorite artists I used to download from the newly emerging Internet. I created and expanded folders on my computer with such content. This was my personal gallery. This was my way out of looking at the world not through broken windows, but through beauty. And today this is more accessible than ever thanks to the Internet.

Good architecture certainly contributes to formation of an aesthetic sense. And this concerns not only those who are lucky enough to live and work downtown and come into contact with cultural heritage every day. In Moscow, even in remote areas, you can find outstanding Art Nouveau artifacts. This is the luxurious building of Shirshov Institute of Oceanology and the DNA helix shaped buildings of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry. I could go on for a long time! Take, for example, the library of Pirogov Medical University, which is decorated with an incredible mosaic by L. Polishchuk and S. Shcherbinina. And all those are examples of unique architecture that can be found outside the Third Ring Road.

Indeed, architecture of the 60s and 70s should be studied specially as only then you begin to understand and feel this style. In my opinion, modernism is undervalued; that is why we pay a lot of attention to it in our programs. And we’re not just talking about buildings in contemporary Russia. We offer similar tours in Tashkent, Alma-Ata, Yerevan and Tbilisi because in the former Soviet republics there are lots of a similar artifacts.

In general, my love for modernism is a good example of the environment. I spent my childhood not just uptown Kazan, but in a modernist neighborhood of the 70s and 80s. So from childhood I absorbed the cultural code of what I talk about today in my excursions with similar conservatories – atriums with Monstera tubs and date palms surrounded by fountains, and mosaic flooring of marble chips. The same techniques as in Moscow, but on a smaller scale! That’s why it’s so important to look around you, pay attention, study and get interested. Familiar things often contain more meaning than they seem.

As an engineer, how do you see or imagine Moscow in 20 years?

That’s no problem! I interviewed Sergei Kuznetsov (Chief Architect of Moscow), and he explained everything. There is a three-dimensional model of the city, which displays all buildings and all innovation in real time. I think that soon Muscovites will be able to see it with their own eyes to understand in which direction the city is growing and developing.

Of course, I would like to see high-tech industry facilities preserved in the city. Judging by the active transformation of industrial spaces and plans for the development of the Northern River Port, we are moving in the right direction. As for the embankments, they contain enormous recreational potential, which remains unused so far! Take, for example, the Yauza Embankments project.

Your lecture dedicated to the Ryabushinsky Mansion, one of Fyodor Schechtel’s works, is available on the Arzamas website. Do you like his other works? What is that that captivates you about them?

Fyodor Schechtel is a genius! I really like Morozova’s Mansion on Spiridonovka Street. This is an example of the architect’s incredible ingenuity and the virtuoso work of Mikhail Vrubel as an invited artist. In addition to the Ryabushinsky Mansion on Malaya Nikitskaya Street, I would mention a building that was erected in Kropotkinsky Lane for Alexandra Derozhinskaya. They seem to follow the same architectural concept. In those buildings, Fyodor Schechtel applied the best of the Art Nouveau techniques.

Can you share your creative plans please? What are you going to amaze us with in the future?

There are a lot of creative plans! We are writing a book for the 10th anniversary of our company. Readers will learn about how we develop our tours, from kid-friendly master classes to wine tastings. There are other exciting things as it will explain how to start a culture-oriented business.

In addition, together with Alpina Publisher we have launched a series of books for children The Library through the Eyes of an Engineer. And very soon I will publish a book about bridges.

We don’t stop there. Now I’m starting to write a book about what ideal cities and urban spaces looked like a hundred years ago, in the opinion of their residents.

And, of course, we don’t forget about our tours. I’m actively developing a program highlighting architecture of Beijing and Shanghai with a tour to China scheduled on October. We are also developing a program called Feel like a Tourist in Moscow. It has everything you may want, such as check-in at a hotel and a rich excursion program with zest and surprising things.