Arbat Street (Old Arbat), Moscow

Is Arbat Street worth visiting?

Yes, on a first trip to Moscow. Arbat is a short, free walk that packs a lot in: the Vakhtangov Theatre, the Tsoi Wall, the extraordinary Melnikov House and the flat where Pushkin spent his honeymoon — plus a row of 19th-century houses that the avenue next door lost in the 1960s.

To be honest, the street itself is touristy: souvenir stalls, street promoters, chain cafés. The quiet, old Moscow you may be picturing lives in the side lanes — Sivtsev Vrazhek, Starokonyushenny, Denezhny — so step off the cobbles for ten minutes. Don’t come just for shopping.

Go on a weekday morning for empty façades and photos, or in the evening when the lamps are lit and buskers play. In December the street is decorated for New Year.

What to see on Arbat Street

• Praga restaurant building (Arbat 2/1) — the ornate corner house on Arbatskaya Square where the walk begins.
• Vakhtangov Theatre (Arbat 26) and the gilded Princess Turandot fountain in front — the street’s classic photo stop.
• The Tsoi Wall — the side wall of No. 37 on Krivoarbatsky Lane, covered in fan graffiti for Soviet rock star Viktor Tsoi since 1990.
• Melnikov House (10 Krivoarbatsky Lane) — two interlocking cylinders with hexagonal windows, a 1920s avant-garde icon. You can see it from the lane, two minutes past the Tsoi Wall.
• Bulat Okudzhava monument by Georgy Frangulyan — the poet and singer who made Arbat famous in song, stepping out of an archway.
• Pushkin’s flat (Arbat 53), with a statue of Pushkin and Natalia Goncharova across the street.
• Andrei Bely’s flat (Arbat 55) — the Symbolist writer’s childhood home, next door to Pushkin’s.
• The Foreign Ministry skyscraper on Smolenskaya Square — one of Stalin’s Seven Sisters, closing the view at the end of the street.

Pushkin’s flat and other museums: tickets and hours

The street is free; only the museums charge. The main one is the Pushkin Memorial Flat at Arbat 53: 400 ₽, 200 ₽ for ages 7–18, students and pensioners, free under 7. It opens Wednesday, Friday and weekends 10:00–18:00 and Thursday 13:00–21:00; it’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Pushkin rented the upper floor here in early 1831 and spent the first three months of his marriage to Natalia Goncharova in it. The museum opened in 1986 and reopened in 2024 after a long renovation. An audio guide costs 300 ₽.

Next door, Andrei Bely’s flat at Arbat 55 is also 400 ₽, or 600 ₽ for both flats.

The Vakhtangov Theatre is one of Moscow’s leading drama companies; performances are in Russian, but a show here is a fine way to end an Arbat evening.

Don’t confuse the flat with the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts on Volkhonka — that’s the big art museum, about 15 minutes’ walk away.

Souvenirs, cafés and street artists

Arbat is Moscow’s souvenir street: matryoshka dolls, fur hats, shawls, magnets. Prices are higher than elsewhere, so compare two or three shops before you buy.

Prices here are in roubles, and Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad don’t work in Russia — bring cash roubles or a card from a Russian bank.

For lunch, the side lanes are calmer and cheaper than the café terraces on the street itself. Portrait artists sit mid-street: agree the price before you sit down.

Is Arbat safe at night? It’s busy and well lit until late. As in any crowded tourist street, keep your phone and wallet close and say no firmly to promoters.

Arbat vs Tverskaya Street vs Patriarch’s Ponds

For a first walk YesGo picks Arbat — the most sights in the shortest stretch. Walk Tverskaya from Red Square, and save Patriarch’s Ponds for the evening.

Moscow’s historic sights compared

Every historic place in Moscow rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby — add to your day

48

Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

Moscow, Russia

2 h · 700 ₽ per building · 17 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

72

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Moscow, Russia

40 min · Free · 19 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

44

Kremlin Armoury

Moscow, Russia

1 h 30 min · 1,400 ₽ · 25 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Kremlin Armoury

42

GES-2 House of Culture

Moscow, Russia

1 h · Free entry with registration, exhibitions 400–1,000 ₽ · 27 min walk

Yes — add to my route: GES-2 House of Culture

How to do it right

• Free in an hour: Praga building → Vakhtangov Theatre and Princess Turandot → Tsoi Wall and Melnikov House on Krivoarbatsky Lane → Okudzhava monument → Pushkin’s flat from outside → the Foreign Ministry tower.
• In two hours: add Pushkin’s flat (400 ₽) and a detour into Starokonyushenny Lane or Sivtsev Vrazhek.
• Walk from Arbatskaya to Smolenskaya so you never have to double back.
• Eat in the side lanes — calmer and cheaper than the terraces on the street.
• Want the stories behind the houses? A guided walk is worth it here — nearly every building had a famous tenant.
• In the evening, walk on to Patriarch’s Ponds — 20–25 minutes via Malaya Nikitskaya or the boulevards.

Questions