Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The Active Citizen project has ended vote, during which Muscovites identified the capital's most beautiful apartment buildings, built before 1917 and renovated in 2024. Residents could choose up to three of nine proposed architectural landmarks. More than 237,000 people participated in the vote.
Preserving History in Stone: Caring for Heritage
Moscow's housing overhaul program includes not only the renovation of thousands of standard buildings, but also the painstaking restoration of architectural gems.
Since 2015, more than 16,000 buildings have been renovated, and approximately 30,000 are planned to be renovated by 2044. Particular attention is being paid to cultural heritage sites from the late 19th and early 20th centuries—tenement buildings built in the Art Nouveau, Eclectic, Neoclassical, and Constructivist styles. These buildings, of which there were approximately 800 in Moscow by 1917, were used for rental housing.
In 2024, the Moscow Apartment Building Capital Repair Fund completed the restoration of several apartment buildings in the capital, including four buildings recognized as federal cultural heritage sites of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These buildings were the highlights of the vote.
Houses are the voting favorites
More than 28 percent of "active citizens" consider the building on Sretensky Boulevard (Building 6/1, Bldg. 2) to be the most beautiful among the apartment buildings. Built between 1899 and 1902 for the Rossiya Insurance Company, it was designed by architects Nikolai Proskurnin and Alexander von Hohen. It is a striking example of eclecticism with elements of Neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau. The apartment building is part of an entire architectural ensemble and is recognized as a cultural heritage site of federal significance.
The Savvinskoye Podvorye on Tverskaya Street (Building 6, Building 6), also designated a cultural heritage site of federal significance, was highly rated by over 27 percent of voters. Built between 1905 and 1907 by architect Ivan Kuznetsov in the neo-Russian style, this building, shaped like the Arabic numeral eight with an enclosed courtyard, amazes with its fairytale-like architecture. It is adorned with tented turrets with spires and arched openings, and the façade is decorated with colored ceramic tiles and Abramtsevo ceramics.
The five-story building, built in 1910 on Ostozhenka Street (7, Building 1), received 19 percent of the votes. It was built for the Varvarinsky Joint-Stock Company of Homeowners, designed by architect Alexander Ivanov in the late eclectic style. The apartment building boasts a wealth of architectural decoration: rustication, bas-reliefs, elegant window frames and cornices, and a massive crowning cornice with brackets.
The foundation of the future in the architecture of the past
Voting in the Active Citizen project demonstrates that Muscovites value the aesthetics and history of their city. The capital renovation program, in addition to its practical objectives, fulfills a crucial cultural mission: preserving architectural monuments, making historical heritage an integral part of the modern capital. Apartment buildings, which have survived the changing eras, continue to delight and amaze new generations of residents thanks to modern technology and careful maintenance.
Project Active Citizen has been operating since 2014. During this time, more than seven million people have joined, and over seven thousand votes have been conducted. Between 30 and 40 decisions are implemented in the city every month. The project is being developed by the State Public Institution "New Management Technologies" and the capital's Department of Information Technology.
The creation, development and operation of e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, are consistent with the objectives of the national project "Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State" and the Moscow regional project "Digital Public Administration." More information about Russia's national projects and the capital's contribution can be found atspecial page.
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