Recalling Moscow's 2016: Excavator Night, MRC Opening, Pokemon Craze
A look back at Moscow«s transformation a decade ago.
Social media is swept by nostalgia: everyone is remembering what they were like 10 years ago (and some are horrified to realize it was 2016). Moscow in those years was also changing before our eyes: new boulevards appeared, old pavilions disappeared, and crowds of people took to the streets, staring at their phones in search of Pikachu. MSK1.RU decided to recall what the city was living through and gathered five main events.
The renovation of Tverskaya Street in Moscow in 2016.
Major Excavations on the Boulevards
The opening of the Moscow Central Circle in 2016.
2016 is remembered for the heyday of the «My Street» program launched in 2015. Central Moscow turned into a construction site: boulevards, squares, and highways were closed one after another. Residents complained about dust, noise, and endless fences, and on social media, they joked that Moscow was going underground.
The «Night of Long Excavators» demolition campaign.
Few might remember, but that«s when the famous white-and-green fences enclosing construction sites came to Moscow. On some, the authorities decided to print stories of »geniuses of the place« – famous people associated with these streets. According to RBC estimates, 32.9 billion rubles (approximately $450 million at current rates) were spent on road repairs in 2016. The largest contracts concerned Tverskaya Street, which was completely closed during the work, the Boulevard and Garden Rings, and Novy Arbat, where the roadway was narrowed. In 2016, all this seemed like an expensive and controversial experiment. Today, it»s a familiar part of the urban landscape.
The monument to Prince Vladimir unveiled in Moscow in 2016.
Opening of the Moscow Central Circle
Ten years ago, the Moscow Central Circle (MRC) was launched. The project was called one of the most ambitious in the city«s recent history: it was supposed to connect districts, bypassing the center, and become something between the metro and suburban trains.
The grand opening took place on City Day and evoked mixed emotions. At that time, not all stations were ready, and passageways were completed after the opening. All stations were fully opened only two months later.
Nevertheless, the circle itself started operating immediately. Modern «Lastochki» trains with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and bike spaces were launched on it – a rarity for urban transport at the time. Travel was made free for the first month, and Muscovites flocked to «just have a look», turning the rides into tours through industrial and residential areas.
The Night of Long Excavators
The February night of 2016 passed to the roar of excavators. Across the city, trade pavilions deemed illegal constructions began to be demolished en masse. Under the excavator buckets went both tiny kiosks and entire shopping centers, like the famous «Pyramid» near Pushkinskaya metro station and «Albatros» at Shchelkovskaya. Owners screamed about illegality, police cordoned off the area, and bulldozers did their work. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin explained this as a fight against the chaos of the 90s, and residents watched with bated breath as the familiar urban landscape changed before their eyes.
Monument to Prince Vladimir
In October 2016, a monument to Prince Vladimir was installed on Borovitskaya Square, sparking much discussion.
According to the initial project, the monument was to be 24 meters high. Its cost was estimated at 94 million rubles (about $1.3 million at current rates). The monument was planned to be placed on Vorobyovy Gory, but after criticism from architects, museum specialists, and city residents, this idea was abandoned. As a result, the authorities held a vote and settled on Borovitskaya Square.
Even after the new location was approved, the discussions did not stop. Part of the professional community pointed out the possible impact of the monument on the historical ensemble of the square. Nevertheless, the monument was installed and it became a new landmark.
Moscow Caught Pokemon
The summer of 2016 was marked by total Pokemon mania. After the release of the game Pokemon GO, crowds of people with phones filled parks, squares, and boulevards. Pokemon were caught everywhere – from courtyards to embankments.
In Ilyinsky Square, one of the most popular places for «collective catching», people sat on blankets for hours, meeting, chatting, and simultaneously looking at their smartphone screens. Meanwhile, the authorities sounded the alarm. The head of the Ministry of Communications, Nikolai Nikiforov, said that the game could have been created with the participation of «some special services that collect video information in all countries».
If you are interested in the history and architecture of Moscow, read our series of articles about unusual houses in the capital. We also told about the past and present of Stalinist skyscrapers and published guides to the cities of the Golden Ring.
