Why is Moscow a city of rings? (PHOTOS)
If you look at a map of the capital, it might seem that architects and engineers throughout history simply loved drawing circles. Let’s count them together!
Plan of Moscow of 1600-1605.
In short, Moscow historically expanded in concentric rings: first, merchants, traders and artisans settled around the Kremlin, then these neighborhoods were also enclosed by fortifications; and, later, the neighborhoods that sprang up around them were fortified, as well. And here’s what resulted.
Boulevard Ring Road
Chistoprudny Boulevard
By the end of the 16th century, Moscow had already become a major merchant city. The so-called ‘White Wall’ surrounded the ‘posads’ (settlements), monasteries and gardens. At the end of the 18th century, wide tree‑lined streets took its place – the very nine-kilometer-long Boulevard Ring that we know today.
Tverskoy Boulevard
Garden Ring Road
Zemlyanoy Val before the reconstruction
Later, neighbouring villages began to be “annexed” to Moscow and the boundary of the new territories was marked by an earthen rampart. A street with that name still exists in Moscow today. After the Great Fire of Moscow of 1812, plans were made to build a wide street lined with front gardens on the site of the former fortifications. Over time, it grew into the Garden Ring (15.6 km).
Plan of Moscow of 1825
Third Transport Ring Road
Until the mid‑19th century, the third ring around Moscow marked the city’s legal borders and was called the Kamer‑Kollezsky Val. Nowadays, the modern Third Transport Ring (35 km), which opened in the 1990s, runs through these territories. Incidentally, until recently, there was also a project for a Fourth Ring Road – but, instead, it was decided to build radial highways.
Circle lines of the Moscow Metro subway
Moscow metro in 1976
Moscow actually has two whole circle subway lines! The first runs roughly in the area of the Garden Ring Road (about 20 km). Its stations are considered masterpieces of Stalinist Empire style – you can get off at each one and admire the Soviet architecture.
Moscow Metro in Soviet times
And the second line is considered the longest circle line in the world! Almost 57.5 km underground – can you imagine that?
Moscow Central Circle
Moscow Circular Railway in the early 20th century
Moscow even has a railway ring! As early as 1908, the Moscow Circular Railway was built within a few kilometers from the center. In 2016, on its basis, the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) was opened – a convenient transport route with transfers to the subway and suburban trains.
Moscow Ring Automobile Road
MKAD in 1965
The motorway ring around Moscow (MKAD), with a length of about 108 km, was opened in 1962. Until the 1980s, the MKAD was considered the city’s official border – today, however, many districts of Moscow extend beyond it.
In addition, other ring roads run 30‑70 km from the MKAD: the Small Concrete Ring Road, the Large Concrete Ring Road and the Central Ring Automobile Road (TsKAD).
